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[Flo2020]

Hi all
I’m on week 3 of my first month of Evorel Sequi, due to change to 4th week of patches tomorrow.

GP prescribed them to try and alleviate crushing exhaustion and freezing flushes.  She also thought they might ease my heavy but regular periods.  I should point out my periods were not my issue as they do t bother me that much (after 40 years of them I’m used to them).

Anyway, the patches seem to be doing me more harm than good.
Week 1 felt no difference other than a creeping inability to sleep at night.
Week 2 horrendous boob pain and really swollen boobs (whole cup size bigger and my boobs are big to start with .. pre patches I never got swollen boobs and could eliminate period related boob pain completely with Evening Primrose oil but on the patches the EPO has made no difference and if anything it’s worse pain than I ever experienced before.
Week 3 achey, tired, back ache, thigh aches, wrist pain ... even wondered if had COVID at one point (I don’t). Plus now I’m barely sleeping five hours a night, usually finally getting to sleep at 3am. Previously I slept for England.  Although have noticed less freezing flushes.

And then yesterday halfway through week three arrived the most revolting period, a week early (unheard of with me), the likes I’ve not had before, dark brown like marmite and followed today by clots and lumps and horrible cramps. Utterly disgusting. I always had heavy periods but clean normal blood, not clotted and brown like this one. And have never had period cramps before.  Feels like a brick wedged in my guts.

Instead of easing the crushing tiredness every evening, or ease my heavy but still regular periods, the patches seem stopped me sleeping (which is stressing out) given me painful boobs, a weird period that looks feels unnatural and aching sore joints.  None of which I had before.

So I am considering chucking the patches in the bin.  Perhaps I should just stick on two extra jumpers when I get cold and leave my body to run it’s natural course with its own ageing hormones. My heavy periods were just part of my life so didn’t bother me.. I’ve had them since early teens and I’m 52 now.  But at least they were ‘clean’ ones.  This early period I’m having now is rank like my insides are rotting.

Am I bailing out on the patches too soon after three weeks?  My GP prescribed three months as a trial but three weeks in and I’m worried they’re doing more harm than good. 

I will call the doctor this week, but would appreciate your thoughts.

[Nairn]

Hi Flo2020

I managed for 4 weeks, felt awful and changed to tablets, Femonston Conti - takes a while to find the right ones, and very much trial and error.  With regard to your period it sounds like the patches are doing their  job which is to ensure that you don’t get a lining build up, so the yucky stuff will be your lining shedding as it should.   This should get less next month.   In practice the advice is to give any new medication a full 3 months trial, so you might want to consider sticking with it for another month or until after your next period and see if it improves. - if not then a discussion with your GP might be best.

[Flo2020]

Thanks Nairn. Perhaps I’ll try and see the three months out. But if my sleep pattern doesn’t return to normal I think that will be a deal breaker for me. On balance I’d rather have the cold flashes.

[sheila99]

I wonder if you have too much oestrogen. Do you have other peri symptoms? Tiredness can be caused by so many things and I'm not sure if cold fluses are a peri symptom? Did she do bloods to rule out other deficiencies and particularly thyroid? Your age doesn't mean you're peri, I had no symptoms until I was 56.
As you've got worse on the combined patch probably evorel conti isn't the one for you. I think you would be better on a lower dose (25mg patch or 1 pump gel) and a different progestin.

[CrispyChick]

Hi Flo

It is do difficult. I see your post on the other thread.

I'm thinking as Sheila said... You shouldn't feel worse. I did on the solo estrogen, even on half a dose. So I guess with peri I'm all over the place. The only positive to come out of my trial is that I can see solo estrogen is a problem at the moment fir me. I had no way of knowing that when trying the various BC pills....

Perhaps try the tablets for a few weeks???