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[Daisydot]

Lisa can email the consultant and give him a brief history before she goes I've advised her of this,‘‘this is exactly what I did and I got a lovely reply from him thanking me and saying he was looking forward to meeting me I wish I could smuggle him up this way to help in a Nuffield clinic here he'd be inundated lol.

[Mary G]

Lisa, this is an old article from the dreaded Daily Mail!  I hope it helps:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2708901/Revealed-The-hormone-gel-banish-depression-women-Its-revolutionary-discovery-lives-countless-women-currently-given-antidepressants-transformed-using-simple-rub-gel-instead.html

[Daisydot]

Morning Lisa hope your feeling a bit brighter this morning xx

[Hurdity]

Hi Lisa

Just catching up with some threads as I've been away. I presume you don't know how regular your periods would be now as you have been on HRT some time - can you remember how frequent they were when you started HRT (you might have said already?). Do you feel you are still ovulating regularly or are your periods mainly withdrawal bleeds or maybe you can't tell?

I am sure I said on another post that 0.5 g gel is a very low amount. When I recently changed to Sandrena from patches I was given 1.0 g and it wasn't enough - and I am mid 60's. The equivalent of a 50 mcg patch is the standard medium HRT dose for peri and post-menopause, although some women need a lot more than this especially if younger. I was just under 54 when I started hRT in late peri and started on a 50 mcg patch and was on this dose quite happily until I started testosterone at 62 and decided to increase the oestrogen to prevent becoming too T dominant.

Have you thought about, or tried a patch - starting with 50 mcg - and seeing how you feel?

You should be able to get the treatment you need on NHS - but sadly teststerone is hit and miss. I would go for your appointment on 12th June having decided what you want to try and then maybe if necessary also see if you can afford one private appointment to discuss the testosterone which hopefully you can get prescribed on NHS once you've used up the first lot ( as I did - more or less).


Are you taking ADs too or trying to get the right hormone balance before returning to these if necessary?

This has probably all been said already as I haven't read the thread in detail, but just wanted to add my views!


Hurdity x

[Lisa1966]

Hi hurdity,
My periods were irregular when I went on hrt,I was given elleste in 2016 but didn't do anything,so I just stopped taking it.as thought maybe it wasn't meno,then jan 2017 had a virtual breakdown for 8 months,felt like I was dying,suicidal,scared to be alone even for a minute, memories from the past all bad.this was different to anything I have experienced before.but I this had been going on before that with loss of confidence and low self esteem. While I was ill I tried femoston 1/10 didn't do anything,then in sept I managed to get evorel conti after a lot of arguing with dr,but didn't do anything and on the third month was bleeding on and off, it was then that I started to read on the mm site and realised I shouldn't have been given a conti regime,back at the drs asked to try gel and utrogestan,but he said that's defeating the object,ended up leaving with femoston 2/10,I had lost my fight.1 1/2 months in didn't feel any better and didn't want to be on oral anyway,so went to see another dr,I had anxiety depression,flushes and chills,aches and pains in hands and legs,irritable headaches,nausea and sugar cravings .anyway asked her for gel and utrogestan and was given sandrena 0.5 and utovlan. Obviously utovlan is too high,but I took it for 8days as I didn't finish femoston. I'm now on 1.5mg sandrena and 2.5 utovlan,which I have done on my own as haven't been able to get an appointment.i don't think she's going to be happy on the 12th,and I definitely don't think she will let me have a higher dose. I have thought about asking to try estradot patch as I have read u get on well with them,but when I was on evorel I had sticking problems.i don't know if I am ovulating or not I get pains like I am and feel angry and irritable around that time,so I don't know if my bleed is real or just withdrawal.it only lasted 3 days and was very light. Anyway at the moment I feel very tired all the time,have no motivation,pains in my hands forearms and legs and just feel yuck 🤢.sorry about the long post.
I am on ads 225mg venlafaxine and 45 mg mirtazapine
     Lisa x

[Lisa1966]

Thanks maryg,if only I knew last year what I know now.im just scared it could happen again without the right treatment.

     Lisa x

[Lisa1966]

Hi daisydot,I'm feeling quite anxious this morning,I worked the last 5days so had a lay in this morning,I've slept for 12 hrs, so got abit of a headache,still don't know what to do re mr Parsons,am I just a big baby and not cyclical depression at all. I'm just so scared of a repeat of last year,I can't go through that again,and nor can my family,my mum aged 10 yrs and my daughter ended up on ads.

       Lisa x

[Conolly]

Hello Lisa,


I feel for you, poor thing. I know absolutely nothing about HRT and ADs but I have some knowledge on the drug sensitivity subject and just want to tell you that maybe you have been given too many drugs in a row.  Your body is just reacting to all the ups and downs caused by them. Detox and then persevere in one regimen for at least 3 months would be my humble advice.


Conolly X

[Tempest]

Lisa, I think Connolly's advice is very sound indeed. I have experience of this - you do not want to know all the drugs I had rammed at me whilst. various doctors were insisting that my surgical menopause and undiagnosed MS were signs of a serious mental health problem! My central nervous system was wrecked by these drugs and the 'on off, on off'. You're also polyphamacy-ing with 2 antidepressants there - have these been reviewed recently? And do you take your venlafaxine religiously at the same time every day? Even delaying your dose by a few hours can lead to withdrawal symptoms with that particular one.

I also think that Daisydot's Mr. Parsons sounds very good and with a nice manner - I do believe he would be able to help if you can get your system to settle a bit first.  xxxx

[Daisydot]

Hi Lisa so sorry to hear your still struggling with your thoughts.I can only agree with what the others are saying and I honestly think you need someone to “take you in hand” in a kind way.you can't juggle all this information on your own it's stressing you even more to a point where your ready to give up.
You need time with someone who knows what they're doing you can't play around with mental health it's not fair on you.
Beg or borrow and go and get specialist help ASAP would be my advice now Mr Parsons,or similar I'm not pushing him,would look at the whole picture and then re evaluate your circumstances.
Keep positive Lisa and you'll find the strength to make a decision good luck and keep posting xx

[Lisa1966]

Thank u ladies,I've been on venlafaxine for many years,I was taken off them in 2016 by a psychiatric nurse,and put on a anti psychotic olanzapine,which made matters worse so was put on quetiapine,these r very nasty drugs,last year when really ill I saw 2 psychiatrists,the first one increased the dose of quetiapine and I got worse,so i weaned myself off of them,when I saw the second one my sister begged her to put me in psychiatric hospital as they couldn't cope anymore,she said it would be a waste of time,so I asked to go back on my venlafaxine,which she did ,I am managing to function but I definitely feel it is hormones putting a spanner in the works.i don't know why I was given anti psychotic drugs as I wasn't psychotic and never have been. I also had a course of cbt which helped abit.
Daisydot I have booked an appointment with mr Parsons for 7th of June,I have to see if my daughter can take me though. I have a bit of a problem though,when I saw gp a month ago she prescribed sandrena 0.5 and gave me 3 months supply,but after 3 days I started to get flushes so went to 1.0,since then I'm now on 1.5 so will run out at end of week. I put in a prescription request on Friday for some more and something else,I rang today and they have done the other thing but not the sandrena,I told a little lie and said I had gone to 1.0 but after I thought if I was only on 1.0 it would last till my appointment.so I don't think I will get it. So I either have to reduce dose considerably,or I have a month of femoston 2/10 in the cupboard,or I have some evorel conti patches😩what a mess. Nuffield hospital just called me Parsons has cancelled his clinic on the 7th and I can't see him until the 19th 😭

    Lisa x

[Hurdity]

Hi again Lisa

Thanks for answering all those questions - I do remember now and have just looked back at our previous convos.

The thing is - you have been given this prescrption ( for HRT) by a GP - but I don't know why you have been prescribed Utovlan? As I mentioned on previous threads - this is norethisterone and not licensed for separate use as part of HRT although perfectly OK to do so as it is prescribed as part of continuous combined HRT, but the dose you have been given is high and is associated with negative side effects in many women. I am sure that this combined with all the other meds you are taking, can't be helping! How terrible for you to be given anti-psychotic drugs if your problems are hormonal only and needing to sort this out first....

When you say your periods were irregular before starting HRT - what sort of gaps were you having between periods? Were they still more or less monthly but irregular, or much longer gaps? This will give a clue as to where you are in menopause. Sorry I can't remember how old you are?

I see what you mean about the dosage and running out of the gel - it is your body and if you need more then you need it! They have to give it to you surely if you are being made to wait until your next appointment?

Do hope you get on OK with your private appointment...

Hurdity x

[Daisydot]

Lisa go online to the Nuffield site you got your contact details for mr parsons from send him an email with as much info as you can about your history then explain your present issues with getting further hrt supply from gp and ask for a telephone consultation as your unable to wait.you've nothing to lose by doing this and still keep your appointment on the 19th with him as it's almost 3 weeks away and you can update him.sorry I couldn't help more.x

Oops edit due to shocking typos there lol x

[Lisa1966]

Hi herdity,I'm 52 in August and I think gaps in periods were about 3months, that was 18 months to 2 years ago

      Lisa x

[Lisa1966]

Hi daisydot,I will send him an email,see what he says xx