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[Marchlove]

When your post menopause joziel I’m sure you’ll be able to tolerate it a bit better.

Not too much, as I certainly can’t, but just enough to keep certain symptoms at bay, without creating anxiety and jitteriness.

As you say, you’ll be able to have progesterone and testosterone, the more dominant hormones anyway.

I think it’s a man thing about estrogen lol!

Nitey lovely ladies xx

[joziel]

Nitey Marchlove.

Evening blood pressure 124/75. No 'irregular pulse' icon on.

Starting to feel cautiously optimistic here...

[joziel]

I knew it was too good to be true.

I was throbbing and pulsing all night again. It starts a few mins after I lie down as I get sleepy.

Not sure how to measure bp for GP in this state as I can’t take it in bed. I can’t raise my arm to heart level. I could go take it in the kitchen right away….

I think they might need to fit me with a 24hr thingy…

I hope this all is going to wear off and stop…. But it is non stop all night. I manage to sleep but not the deep normal sleep I’d usually have.

I hope you had a better night Pippa. I was so hopeful I had this cracked and it was all going away after yesterday. Now I’m not so sure. If I get to Weds and no improvement I’m going to experiment with the progesterone.

[Pippa52]

So so sorry to read your latest post. Honestly this nightmare just goes on and on doesn’t it. I’m really glad you’re being referred to see a specialist because I think at least they can rule out some of the things and whittle it down to what is actually causing this so you will get an answer. Sending love and empathy  xx

[joziel]

Yeah, the thing now is that I seem to have pretty normal blood pressure but I still have the palpitations. So my theory that the palpitations are caused by high blood pressure doesn't really hold anymore. I wouldn't have normal blood pressure with palpitations in that case.

And the idea of the progesterone causing high blood pressure doesn't really fit either, since it looks like I don't really have ongoing high blood pressure. (I do think it gets high at night when the palpitations are worse.) So I'm not even sure if I should try changing the progesterone now.... 

The thing is, my left hand and left foot often feel tingly and a bit numb sometimes now - when I have the palpitations. I don't think blood is flowing properly when my heart is doing this. I can't really wait months for a referral to come through so when I get the letter (hopefully this week) if it's not soon, I will phone up and try to explain that this is a quite extreme thing. I'm not just having a little flutter now and then, it is like 15hrs of non-stop ectopic beats causing numbness in hand and feet and occasional high blood pressure...

How was last night for you Pippa, any improvement?

[Pippa52]

joziel ..its good so very good that your BP is not high.  I found this re ectopic beats ''Ectopic heartbeats are extra heartbeats that occur just before a regular beat. Ectopic beats are normal and usually not a cause for concern, though they can make people feel anxious. Ectopic beats are common. People may feel like their heart is skipping a beat or is producing an extra beat. Anxiety often causes ectopic beats, and they will usually go away by themselves''?  If so my son discovered in his 20's that he gets these.  He was seen by a cardiologist and checked out and in his case there was nothing to worry about - in fact he competes in triathlons now.  That being said of course they should be checked out and you are absolutely right to pursue this. Its horrible for you that it is happening so often too. My BP shot up when I got the palps which is one of the things that concerned me. However as long as it doesn't stay high and is only a spike the consultant said nothing to worry about. You are dead right to chase your appointment - the sooner you get seen the sooner it can be investigated.
I increased my dose very slightly last night and this morning - took the Rescue remedy sprayed my pillow with lavender and whether it was coincidence or just sheer exhaustion I did get some sleep.  Was woken a few times with hot flushes and anxiety but managed to get back to sleep so it was certainly a better night.  Gilla rightfully pointed out that maybe just change the dose to the morning only which I always used to do originally so I will start decreasing the night dose and add it on to the morning one slowly over the next weeks.  It makes sense totally.  I do feel less anxious today so far but doubt it is the extra oestrogen kicking in so fast plus it was only a small amount more likely the fact that I got a bit of sleep.  Fingers crossed you get your letter soon.  Is it worth phoning the specialist's secretary direct maybe? xxx

[joziel]

Yes, I will phone directly when I know what specialist I've been referred to  Got to wait for the referral letter. I worry that, with all the Covid heart-related issues, there might be some wait... unless I go private, which I will do if I have to. But would rather not have to - since all this health stuff this year has cost a phenomenal amount of money...

Yes, I know ectopic beats are usually fine - but when they're not just one or two, or for a few minutes, but go on for hours and hours and hours.... it gets exhausting. It is quite a subtle feeling which it has taken me a while to identify and realise is happening. Often, when I thought I was just 'anxious', I had these ectopic beats. Before HRT, I had the classic skipped beat thing - and I knew that was due to hormones, it only happened in the evenings before bed and I didn't worry about it. It was very different to this light fluttering feeling which goes on forever which I have now. It feels like there is a small bird in your chest.    It is easy to ignore for a short period but when it goes on all night for months, it gets absolutely exhausting...

I'm really glad to hear you had a better night. I agree that hot flushes are unlikely to be caused by high estrogen and are a pretty definite low estrogen symptom and that you should try to get back to exactly what you did for 20 years which worked so well!

I know everyone talks about keeping estrogen levels constant but I sometimes do wonder if our bodies actually don't like the stable and constant dose of estrogen. Because that's very unnatural and not something they would have previously been used to. What if there is some naturally fluctuating cycle we should be trying to emulate, across a month. There is a combined pill which tries to do this (Qlaira) - it starts with high estrogen and low progesterone, then it gradually decreases the estrogen and increases the progesterone - before the bleed. So sometimes I wonder if our bodies find the static and constant nature of HRT difficult. But then that doesn't fit with keeping changes gradual and everything we thought we knew.... 

[Pippa52]

Joziel…. quite honestly at this rate I think we need to be taking university degrees in trying to sort ourselves out it’s just so incredibly complex isn’t it 🤦‍♀️ totally take your point in the frequency that you are getting the ectopic beats  and of course it needs to be investigated asap. Like you I’ve shelled  out on private meno clinic plus the cardiologist  and it is very very expensive I don’t regret it as they have both been really brilliant but I have to say soon as I have levelled out i will stop so I hope it happens soon 😩Xx

[Marchlove]

Hi All

There are a few things that can cause hot flushes besides menopause.

Hyperthyroidism is one such thing along with palpitations apparently.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/hot-flash-causes

Interestingly I’m hypothyroid and on Levothyroxine and since I’ve increased my dose to 60mcg from 30mcg I’ve started getting hot flushes. My specialist says I’m either overdosing or my estrogen is too low.
So she’s got me to take my temperature for 10 days upon waking before I get out of bed to see if it’s a levothyroxine issue.
Hope it is as I don’t want to increase my low dose of estrogen if I can help it.

X

[joziel]

V good reminder Marchlove. I'm guessing Pippa's had her thyroid well tested in all this... But maybe the extra thyroid tests that Medichecks run for thyroid antibodies could be a good idea Pippa? That's what ATB suggested in her thyroid posts...

[Pippa52]

V good reminder Marchlove. I'm guessing Pippa's had her thyroid well tested in all this... But maybe the extra thyroid tests that Medichecks run for thyroid antibodies could be a good idea Pippa? That's what ATB suggested in her thyroid posts...

Definitely joziel. Funny enough I have ordered a Medicheck to take in a couple of weeks time for oestrogen levels x

[Pippa52]

@ Liliith … how are you doing? Hope so much you are improving . Sending love xx

[joziel]

Hallelujah  >

I had a night of amazing sleep with no blimming palps!!!!!! 

Let’s hope they’ve gone for good. It’s 5 days since I took the patch off for future reference. I think my blood pressure returned to normal pretty fast (hence all my normal readings) but the palps took longer to stop…..

[Gnatty]

That's great news!!! And in this heat 😊

[joziel]

I know. And blood pressure 102/65 this morning. This is my real normal.

I’m still crapping myself about having to take estrogen again in future. But I guess I will recognize all this so much quicker and not go through 6 months of this….