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[Hopeful]

Hi
I am 59 and 5 years post menopause (2016), in 2017 I started HRT as had finally given up trying to cope with hot flushes/night sweats and terrible health anxiety heart palpatations and insomnia episodes.
I started on fem seven conti but when they were no longer available went on Everol conti these worked well,however I had some headaches and breast tingling after about 18months so cut down to half a patch which was still good.
Then last July (2020) I came off entirely and felt great for 2 months then health anxiety and heart palpatations started. Since then anxiety, insomnia and night sweats have increased dramatically, the anxiety is like a little nagging voice that isn’t me that stops me enjoying life.
I have asked to restart HRT which the doctor has agreed to.
My question do you think these symptoms are menopausal, I am beginning to think that maybe it isn’t.
Thank you for reading this, I am really struggling at the moment.

[marge]

I’m 63, long post-meno and have awful health anxiety. Every twinge is something serious and, l agree, it does stop you enjoying life.  I think it’s probably a mixture of things, low oestrogen and we are conscious of our age, not getting any younger! I have no answer l’m afraid other than knowing you are far from alone. This forum is great for sharing our woes and l also have a number of friends who feel exactly the same.

[sheila99]

Sadly oestrogen deficiency is for life. Some people can stop hrt and get no symptoms but many find their symptoms return. Given your symptoms go when you're on hrt then return when you stop I'd say they're almost certainly caused by meno.

[pepperminty]

Hi,

as Sheila 99 says, the symptoms such as night sweats and anxiety etc ar all classic meno symptoms. Your estrogen levels when you stopped gradually bottomed out. If you felt better on HRT, why not keep taking it? You are only replacing what you have lost naturally. We are all living much longer than years ago and it is quality of life.

Pepperminty xx

[KarineT]

Hi Hbhigg,

Sorry to hear that you're struggling again.

Some ladies may not agree with me here but I think all HRT doess is override your natural hormones to alleviate the symptoms you may have.  HRT is artificial and it will not change the fact that our natural oestrogen declines and cannot be replaced naturally.  So once you stop HRT, symptoms which were alleviated by it come back unless your hormones have settled down.  But I strongly believe that the menopause is permanent but the symptoms shouldn't be.

[Hopeful]

Thank you everyone for taking the time to reply. I will restart the patches and hope they will help.

[Hopeful]

Well I am now 3 weeks in on the patches and it’s been a rollercoaster. 1st week I felt much better but since it has been very up and down anxiety and sleep wise, flushes are however much better.
I have had some days when I feel my old self completely but it makes the bad days seem almost worse knowing that I can feel better.
The anxiety is coming more in waves now instead of constant but it is also more intense and especially at night.
I am back to waking at 3:30am this week and not really sleeping after that, last night anxiety was particularly bad had to wake my husband to reassure me.
Felt a bit better by about 7am and have been out for a run am having a bath before my on line Thai chi class so hope the rest of the day will be better.

Hoping this is just the patches settling in but will have to wait and see, I had no problems first time I went on HRT so this is new to me

Glad of this forum and all you lovley people on it

[pepperminty]

Hi,

it can take 3 months to bed in. write a diary and if you stil feel bad after that , look into changing the type maybe? It is awful with the ups and downs. It is useally the progesterone. Hope you feel better soon.

PMXX

[sheila99]

It took 3 months on HRT for my anxiety and insomnia to go, it seems to need a build up of oestrogen. Just like yours mine was very up and down though I saw very little improvement at all until I was into the second month. It's going in the right direction so I think you need to give it more time.

[Padine]

I’m so pleased I found this thread. I think I’m 7 years post menopause and have anxiety like nothing I’ve ever known, I’m a cry baby over the slightest thing, say the wrong thing so often, have no sex drive........I’m sorry, the menopause has left me a miserable old woman. HRT doesn’t help much (I’m sorry again  to be such a moan). Apart from HRT plusses and minuses, how has the menopause left you?

[KarineT]

Hi Padine,

Were you having anxiety before the meno?  7 years postmeno is a long time to still have meno-related anxiety and it seems abnormal to me. Have you had a health check?  There are some medical conditions that give meno-like symptoms so it's best to check.


Karine

[Hopeful]

Thanks everyone for your replies. Today I still slept badly and had stomach pain/cramps like those I used to get before a period. I am feeling good now apart from super tired and chest jitters.
I hope this is the start of some stabilising but who knows?
Padine I’m 6 years (I think) post menopause and this anxiety is the worst I have suffered so really not sure it is all meno but how can you tell?
I had heavy periods and migraine in peri and manageable hot flushes/ night sweats it was only post menopause when the anxiety and palpitations set in and the flushes became unbearable.

[KarineT]

HBhigg,  how soon after meno did your symptoms get worse?  I haven't had a period for 17 months but my symptoms, which are mainly anxiety & low mood haven't got worse but they haven't improved either.  I can only hope that it will get better, not worse.  I am not on HRT  btw.

[Postmeno3]

I think menopausal symptoms can run into postmenopausal and go on indefinitely for many if untreated or neglected. I've no idea how a line could ever be drawn to say "I'm through!" and put the flags up. It was known as The Change and we become changed as a result of it, some moreso than others. I'm so struck by the extensive range of symptoms due to oestrogen deficiency, especially. Many of the "conditions" of the more elderly I'm convinced can be attributed to it. We risk becoming somewhat marginalised as a postmenopausal group, but, hopefully, that is changing with an understood and treated entitlement to our best lives.

[KarineT]

Some ladies do get through it though and they are fine afterwards.  I know a few of them.  Maybe on this forum it's only the unlucky ones who are affect.  As for some health conditions as we get older, it's because they are related to ageing and we can't always blame the menopause and thereby the lack of oestrogen for them.  Nobody's immune to age-related conditions, even men can  get them.  If low oestrogen was the major culprit of our physical & mental health issues as we get older, then men wouldn't get a thing.