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[new girl]

Hi there lovely ladies, this is my first post on here having just been told this week i'm Menopausal/ post menopausal. I have another doctors appointment in three weeks to discuss things with a gp at my surgery who specialises in gynae and menopause. I have been on the mini pill years and my gynaecologist wants me to stay on it until i'm 50 which, is next year. I'm just wondering if any of you know if you can still take the mini pill and be on hrt at the same time.

[pants46]

Hey newgirl.
Yes you can 
That was the short answer !! Often women who are in peri, therefore are still ovulating and can get pregnant, take the minipill for contraception alongside HRT.
I was given HRT patches 7 weeks ago and was taking the minipill to manage my periods. I stayed on the minipill for a month, but decided to give it up, as my periods should be controlled by the hrt.
The minipill is not strong enough to be the progesterone part of hrt though. So you should be given hrt that contains estrogen and progesterone.
Then depending on why you are on the minipill and how you feel taking both, you could consider giving up the minipill.
Hope that helps.

[Hurdity]

Hi newgirl

 

Another option could be to have the Mirena coil fitted. This would both mrovide contraception as well as the progestogen component of HRT. The bonus being also that less of the progestogen is abosrbed into the body than with tablets. You can then have oestrogen only HRT on top of this - so you could choose tablets, patches or gel.

Some women find that if they have HRT as well as the mini pill the progestogen is too much for them.

Also you cannot determine menopausal status by blood tests. You can tell if you are peri but not if post-meno despite what the doc says! You haven't said how old you are or your symptoms that have led you to want to start HRT?

Let us know how you get on

Hurdity x

[new girl]

Hi Ladies, just to give you some information. I've been suffering from depression and anxiety for around 9 years, since my youngest son was born which, I'm on meds for. During this time my irrational mind, irritability, mood swings, low self esteem, mood swings gosh 8 can go on and on. In January this year I had a massive heavy bleed and felt poorly for 15 weeks. After lots of scans, ultrasound and internal ultrasound oh and a pelvic mri, laparoscopy and a hysteroscopy and two womb biopsies I was told it was diverticulitis which is a bowel problem but it also showed that my ovaries has decreased in size and they put the heavy bleed down to an hormonal inbalance. I've had bloods done several times which show menopausal
/post menopausal. If I'm honest I'm getting so fed up with myself, I hate myself for feeling and thinking the way I do. I'm just struggling with the whole thing. I do have another dr's appointment a week on Tuesday. I really need to get myself sorted out now.

[Hurdity]

It may well be that the persistent post-natal depression and anxiety you have been suffering has a hormonal cause and oestrogen might have been a better option than whatever medication you have been given, because it would have helped with the other menopausal symptoms caused by lack of oestrogen (or the hormonal fluctuations).

Because you are on these meds and also because you are on the mini pill you have neither cycle nor potentially flushes and sweats to tell where you are in menopause (some anti-depressants reduce hot flushes and can be prescribed for women who can't take HRT eg due to breast cancer). You haven't said how old you are..... it is important to repalce oestrogen until at least the average age of menopause if you go through it early (toprotect heart and bones) - and you don't really know due to lack of cycle but the FSH tests indicate you are at least going through it. Many need oestrogen much longer eg I'm in my 60's - due to symptoms or wanting to protect against osteoporosis.

How you feel is not your fault!! Do not beat yourself up! The bleed may well be due to ovulation despite the mini pill if nothing untoward has been found.

In your position I would go for a Mirena coil - for contraception and ask for an oestrogen patch for HRT. The other alternative if you are under 50 is to try one of the newer contraceptive pills which are a bit like HRT. QLAIRA has estradiol ( the same oestrogen as in HRT and that our body makes) + a progestogen and this particualr type only has 2 tablet free days. You would get a withdrawal bleed but hopefully small.

Hope this helps and hang in there - read up as much as you can about menopause and HRT before your appointment and ask any questions that spring to mind. There is a treatment out there which will help you to feel better . Let us know how you get on with the doc.

Hurdity x

[new girl]

Sorry I should have said, I'm 49.

The heavy bleed I had lasted over two weeks and dr's had to give me meds to stop the bleeding so that I could go through the examinations. My biopsies came back clear as did my smear.

Thank you for all of you advice.

[new girl]

So ladies just an update, I ad to ring gp's for an app't today. My mood dipped to an all time low and I didn't know where to turn. So fast forward a lengthy conversation with my gp and she has had chance to look through my history and has prescribed me Kilovance hrt. Has anyone else been on this?