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[Merela]

I have been having a very unpleasant time of it.  Today has been bad enough for me to actually put myself out here on the forum and seek some support/advice.  I am 50 years old and had my last period in August of 2019, so I guess that makes me officialy in menopause.  I have been taking 200mg of Progesterone for the last couple of years, which has helped immensely with anxiety and mood regulation.  It seems that in the past month I have noticed my moods and body changing in ways that are not very comfortable - crying jags, nausea, irritability, headaches, bloating, foggy brain, and memory issues, to name a few.  Today I am unable to stop crying and feel horribly depressed.  Good times!

I was innitally prescribed an Estradiol patch (.25mg) that caused my heart rate to sky rocket.  So my HRT doc prescribed .5mg Estradiol pills.  I tried taking it for a few days, but noticed my stomach became more bloated, so I stopped taking it.  I've read about people using gels, which I am guessing is the same as our (US) compounded creams.  I know this is about trial and error, but holy cow, I can't imagine feeling this way for any length of time.   . And I also read about being having withdrawal from eventually going off HRT which sounds awful. 

How long does it take to notice any benefits from HRT?  Do y'all use testosterone with your HRT cocktail?  Please tell me I'm not losing my mind, bc I sure as heck feel like it (sigh).

[CLKD]

Hi you're not losing your mind it's hormones  . 

Maybe put the name of your medication into the search box on here and see what pops up?  Make notes ;-)

 

Could your ovaries be having a party which will upset uptake of HRT?  I'm sure that someone will be along ...... testosterone is difficult to get prescribed in the UK. 

We have threads on 'doing stupid things' as well as 'that strange woman in my house' ;-).  Read around

[Merela]

Thanks for your reply CLKD.  I wish I could find a doctor that appeared to care or be somewhat interested.  I can get testosterone over here easily.  Maybe I should give that a whirl

[Taz2]

Hi Merela. Welcome to the forum.

Sorry that you are feeling so horrible and that the HRT made you bloated. The advice re HRT is that it takes up to three months to settle. The side effects should subside by the end of this time.

As you are using progesterone I'm not sure that you can be sure you're post menopausal as continuous progesterone can stop periods?

You'll find lots of understanding on here.

Taz x 

[Merela]

Thanks for your reply Taz2.  I didn't know that Progesterone can stop periods.  That's really interesting.  I am going to look more into that.

[Taz2]

The Mirena coil contains progesterone and often stops periods completely so it could be that the progesterone you are taking has affected your periods. What did your doctor advise re the progesterone?

Taz x   

[Kathleen]

Hello Merela and welcome to the forum.

I have just posted a question to the ladies and although I can't help you with your query I wanted to sympathise with the whole crying thing!

At 64 I am older than you and although on HRT for six years I came off it last year to see where  I am naturally. Turns out I'm naturally low and tearful which is disappointing to say the least.

I will be reading  all your replies with interest and I hope you find a solution soon. As you say, feeling this way for any length of time is not an option.

Wishing you well and keep posting.

K.

[Brit66]

I have been having a very unpleasant time of it.  Today has been bad enough for me to actually put myself out here on the forum and seek some support/advice.  I am 50 years old and had my last period in August of 2019, so I guess that makes me officialy in menopause.  I have been taking 200mg of Progesterone for the last couple of years, which has helped immensely with anxiety and mood regulation.  It seems that in the past month I have noticed my moods and body changing in ways that are not very comfortable - crying jags, nausea, irritability, headaches, bloating, foggy brain, and memory issues, to name a few.  Today I am unable to stop crying and feel horribly depressed.  Good times!

I was innitally prescribed an Estradiol patch (.25mg) that caused my heart rate to sky rocket.  So my HRT doc prescribed .5mg Estradiol pills.  I tried taking it for a few days, but noticed my stomach became more bloated, so I stopped taking it.  I've read about people using gels, which I am guessing is the same as our (US) compounded creams.  I know this is about trial and error, but holy cow, I can't imagine feeling this way for any length of time.   . And I also read about being having withdrawal from eventually going off HRT which sounds awful. 

How long does it take to notice any benefits from HRT?  Do y'all use testosterone with your HRT cocktail?  Please tell me I'm not losing my mind, bc I sure as heck feel like it (sigh).

So sorry you're having such a rough time, hopefully things improve soon. Just to answer you on the gel issue; the gels most mentioned on here are not compounded as in N. America, compounded ones aren't recommended here as their quality can't be assured.The gels are bioidentical but they come in different strengths and have proven absorption and quality etc. I tried the compounded, including testosterone, spent a fortune too-before Dr. Currie informed me of the above. So I've had the Mirena coil fitted and I use Sandrena gel; the testosterone made my irritable and angry, so it doesn't work for me!
So far, no real difference but in giving it 3 months.

[Merela]

The Mirena coil contains progesterone and often stops periods completely so it could be that the progesterone you are taking has affected your periods. What did your doctor advise re the progesterone?

Taz x   

I asked my HRT doctor about Progesterone stopping my period and she didn't think the dosage I was on (200 mg) was enough to end my cycle.  She encouraged me to continue at that level.  But now I"m wondering if I should go down to 100mg to see if some of my symptoms subside.  My functional medical doctor things that my Progesterone levels are too high.  Not sure which doctor to believe