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[LuLu71]

Hi everyone, I am new to posting on this site and have found reading people's advice on here very helpful. I am hoping to understand better why my anxiety levels go through the roof and I wake up hot and can't get back to sleep once every three to four weeks. I haven't had a period in over 8 months and have been taking estrogel (two pumps) and progesterone (100 mg) every day for the past two months. I started taking the HRT because the above mentioned symptoms were happening almost all of the time for months. Although I have been feeling so much better, these times when I am anxious, sleepless, sad, are so frustrating and I absolutely dread these phases. I am 48, if that is helpful.

My question is, is it normal to still have issues sometimes even when taking HRT? Also, is anyone able to tell me how the HRT gets after being on it for a few months? Will my symptoms all vanish soon? OMG, I hope so...Thanks in advance to everyone. Any words of advice would be greatly appreciated.

[CLKD]

Yep it's usual.

Body doesn't usually get where it is suddenly so it stands to reason that any replacement threpay will interact with your own ups and downs.  Some find keeping a mood/food/symptom diary useful.

When do these symptoms happen, i.e. related to progesterone?

It is suggested that HRT should be tried/endured for 3-4 months to allow take up by the body. 

If you put the name of the product you are taking into the search box you'll see what pops up. Make notes!

[LuLu71]

Thank you so much CLKD for your response! I take progesterone every day without any pauses and the same with the estrogel. I have been keeping a journal and it's strange because I looked back and it is exactly 28 days since my last anxiety flare up...guess the body is trying to have a period...thanks again for your response. I really appreciate it.

[sheila99]

My anxiety and insomnia took 3 months to go so I would see how you are in another month. If your symptoms aren't under control you could ask to increase the dose. But I think you should be on a sequi regime as you haven't been a year without a period yet? So 200mg for 12 days a month. If it continues to happen every 28 days I too would suspect your body is still trying to cycle.

[LuLu71]

Thanks Sheila for your response. It's nice to know that it can take three months for the symptoms to calm down after starting HRT. I am wondering why I'm not on a sequi regime too after reading up on it all. I will ask my gynecologist when I see her in less than a month. I remember when she put me on it she said she thought with all of my symptoms that I am menopausal already but couldn't be sure. So perhaps that's why she started me out without taking breaks. Have you found that all of your symptoms have pretty much vanished?! Or am I just being naive? LOL thanks so much for taking the time to write. I really appreciate it.

[Countrygirl]

Hi Lulu71, Im 47 and have constant progesterone from mirena and oestrogen by patch and I still get a cyclical drop in mood, sleep and anxiety gets worse too. Was told it's because my own hormones are still firing off haphazardly as I've had a mirena for years so I have no idea what my periods are up to. I'm on the lowest patch and only been taking hrt since Jan x

[LuLu71]

Hi Countrygirl, I'm sorry to hear that your symptoms still come and go as well. These damn hormones are driving me nuts with how erratic it all is. It seems like no matter what one eats, how one exercises, and being 100% adherent with the hormone meds one is, that the fluctuations are out of one's control in the end. Until our bodies adjust, that is. Best of luck to you through this process. It will make us stronger I guess in the end! 

[sheila99]

I think it gets easier as you get closer to meno (I'm late peri) . In peri whatever you're taking isn't right at some point because of what your body's producing. Fatigue, low mood/mood swings and lack of motivation were also symptoms and I needed testosterone to improve motivation, muscle weakness and absent libido. I still don't have the energy I used to but it's hard to know how much is due to age. I don't feel as though I'm in a black hole anymore, mood swings, insomnia and anxiety have gone  so I'd say I'm 95% there.

[LuLu71]

Hi Sheila, you must be so happy that so many symptoms have left in late peri-menopause. What you say makes a lot of sense about hormones still firing off erratically in early-mid peri and therefore causing symptoms. I'm inspired by you doing so well now! Funny because the low libido and muscle weakness you mention are also issues for me...perhaps I should look into testosterone and ask my gynecologist about it. Thanks again for sharing this with me. I hope your energy comes back soon!

[sheila99]

They usually like to have your oestrogen levels stable before they give you testosterone but it's definitely worth asking about it. They gave it me for libido, I wouldn't have got it for muscles or motivation.

[juliemargaret]

I too am.peri meno.....and still have periods altho my last one was 6 weeks ago so been a bit erractic. I started hrt a week ago....estrogel daily and 100mg utrogestan which i take vaginally and every otjer day - on the adv of meno doc. I did query with her if im.ok to do it this way...alternaye days and she said yes! To carry on and not worry and check back in 4 weeks. On wed i had a heavy bleed and mild tum.cramps...same yesterday bit today lighter. She said this can happen and not to worry! Im.trying not to query or question and just trust and wait and  see but still on my mind a bit that i still had periods...and if i should be sequi...but she knows best?  Cant say how i feel yet as early days isn t it.......but one does wonder and worry !! Im.48 too x

[LuLu71]

Hi Lulu71, as you haven't been a year yet without period, I'm curious to know why you wanted to go on hrt? What were your symptoms to make you want to go on it?

I started with intense hot flushes/sweats at around one year after last period. I felt so desperate with it that I paid to see a private gynae, who was very quick to prescribe me the gel/ progesterone.

This hrt caused really bad anxiety, palpitations and gasping for breath.  I came off it after 2.5 months and the anxiety went, although flushes came back, albeit less intensive.

Hi Jari, I actually had been referred to my same gyno about a year and a half ago due to going without a period for over three months. My symptoms at that time were hot flashes, being very run down all the time, and sleeplessness. About three or four years before my first appointment with her, I had horrendous periods with lots of pain and wicked pms (!) every period so had been using biodentical progesterone cream all that time...it may have helped a bit...anyway, at that time I was also recovering from a car accident and working a very stressful job so it was confusing as to what was going on with my body. When I resigned from my job due to the stress, my periods came back for seven months straight!

When I went to see her again in late March of this year, I had extreme insomnia coupled with relentless anxiety, and hot flashes, night sweats. As well, it had been half a year without a period. I remember a year and a half ago when I had seen her she did test my FSH levels and found that I was a candidate at the time for HRT but again, I was just too nervous to try it.

My symptoms seem so much better, at the risk of jinxing myself! I am hoping that it continues overall to improve because I have also really started exercising and am very careful about what I eat and drink. Thanks for writing and are you finding that the hot flushes are tolerable without changing anything else in your regime?

[LuLu71]

I too am.peri meno.....and still have periods altho my last one was 6 weeks ago so been a bit erractic. I started hrt a week ago....estrogel daily and 100mg utrogestan which i take vaginally and every otjer day - on the adv of meno doc. I did query with her if im.ok to do it this way...alternaye days and she said yes! To carry on and not worry and check back in 4 weeks. On wed i had a heavy bleed and mild tum.cramps...same yesterday bit today lighter. She said this can happen and not to worry! Im.trying not to query or question and just trust and wait and  see but still on my mind a bit that i still had periods...and if i should be sequi...but she knows best?  Cant say how i feel yet as early days isn t it.......but one does wonder and worry !! Im.48 too x

Hi JulieMargaret! I hope your symptoms quiet down soon. It's very scary at first taking these hormones, eh? I think you're right, it's early days so unfortunately maybe wait it out and hope for the best. I hope it all works out for you. It's good that the dr. has told you what to expect at the start of it and I hope it all gets better for you. Who the heck needs this crap eh?

[juliemargaret]

Birdy......my regime is alternate day progesterone (vaginally).....on the advise.of a higjlybrespected menpause expert.  I.am.also.peri menopausal. Reading your words again nade me worry!  I asked her again of the regime she has advised is rigjht...and she said yes and do not worry !.

[LuLu71]

Hi Lulu, it sounds like you've had a tough time with the car crash and all those symptoms.

My symptoms were hot flushes/sweats and bad. So hot and sweating face, head, neck etc. Awful. Plus the night sweats. That all made me quite emotional. I have a breast cancer history and when I saw my gp she said she would never prescribe me hrt.
I actually cried on my walk home as I felt at my wits end with it and having to cope with work and all the sweats.

Anyway I booked to see a private gynae. He prescribed the gel and progesterone straight away. He had a waiting room full to see him so didn't spend much time with me. He acknowledged the family history but said I shouldn't worry about that.  I went away chuffed that I had the prescription. Sure enough the flushes/sweats went and I thought he was the bees knees.

After 2 months I started getting terrible anxiety/ breathing problems which stressed me a lot. Much more than the sweats.

I saw gynae who told me to come off it straight away. I did and the anxiety went. So it was definitely the hrt causing the anxiety etc in my case.

Since then I've tried to do more excercise which I find really helps, along with supplements. I still get the flushes/ night sweats, but they've never come back (yet) as bad as they were to start with. I keep telling myself that this is the symptoms gradually fading away. 🤞.

I now feel like my gp did know what she was talking about and that some private gynaes are enjoying their fees. It's of course in their interest to keep seeing menopausal ladies every few months, but that's just my experience. I know that hrt works really well for a lot of women.

I think we have to go with our gut feeling and try lifestyle choices first, before embarking on an hrt journey.

Hope it works for you and you will be feeling better soon. Keep posted if you get any side effects with it. Xx

Oh my gosh Jari I'm sorry you went through that with breast cancer history and then the HRT experience. Yes, I agree about going with our gut and lifestyle choices first...for you, it sounds like you're nearing the end of the peri and doing much better off the HRT.

It does seem like in some ways this "change" is so individual eh? I have such a respect for hormones now after feeling compelled to learn as much as I can about menopause. It is interesting that we are not taught much about this "change" in school eh? I was in the U.K. a few weeks ago and was happy to see one of the soaps tackling menopause! I can't remember which one it is but it seemed like the writers were being sensitive to the effects-well, as much as a soap can hahaha.

Anyway, this menopause came to me like a huge kick in the face but with time, knowledge, and medical intervention, I am hoping that I too am nearing the end of this journey. This forum is great for feeling validated and again I thank you and everyone on here for sharing their experiences. Onwards and upwards...