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[GlitteryGal]

I started HRT approx one month ago because menopause was causing awful awful mood issues to the point my body felt depleted and became on edge and I couldn’t handle it any more. When I first started it I could feel my body going aahhh lovely but I don’t feel like my mood has ever returned to premenopausal levels. I’m ok and sometimes good but it is never a constant. Last week I actually started to feel kind of despondent and niggles of anxiety and I thought why persevere with the HRT if it wasn’t going to help my mood so I deliberately missed my dose last night and OOF that was a stressy night - while in bed it was like my body knew it was hormone time and expected it and when it didn’t come I started getting thumping palpitations and felt SO on edge and couldn’t fall asleep then had like a mini panic attack when my heart raced and I had to talk myself down! Is that NORMAL to be so sensitive after only a month? And then this morning I woke up to bleeding. All from missing one dose. I am going to take my dose tonight cos I don’t want another night panic attack but I wonder if I should try and wean off and risk feeling sh*t again without HRT or whether I should persevere and see how things are at the three month mark…. Am I being premature judging it after only a month? I’m on utrogestan 100 and two pumps of oestrogel. Box says no break for the Utrogestan but I see other people having breaks. I’m a bit at a loss.

[CLKD]

Morning.  So sorry that you haven't had any responses from any one on HRT

Usually the body doesn't get where it is suddenly.  So any increase/decrease in hormones may send it into anxiety mode with palpitations etc..  Also there's an element, as with sleeping tablets, as to staying awake to see if the tablets work/not 

Which symptom would you like to improve first?  It can take several months to get any form of balance when we add hormones to our bodies. Some find that keeping a mood/food/symptom diary of use.  How is your diet overall?

[GlitteryGal]

Thanks for your reply. I guess first and foremost I just want to lose the anxiety. Seems I got so down pre HRT that it was giving me physical symptoms, but now  on HRT and it’s sneaking in again. My diet isn’t the best but equally not the worst. Don’t smoke or drink or have any vices, just very normal. I asked my GP for testosterone cos I’d heard it can help mood but they won’t let me have it cos their main indicator for it is libido. I’ve never been an anxious person before and it’s just such an uncomfortable feeling.

[Taz2]

Hi GlitteryGal. Can you tell us where you are in Meno? Are you post meno (no natural period for at least a year)?

Taz x 

[CLKD]

Anxiety may well increase as periods wax and wane.   How was it prior to a period?

[GlitteryGal]

My background is that I had chemo induced menopause back in 2017 but I was already peri as my periods were all over the place prior to breast cancer diagnosis but the chemo killed my periods off altogether. It was a hormone negative cancer which is why I’m “allowed” HRT. It was a last resort to be honest, my moods were all over the place and affecting my whole life, I was frequently in a black pit of despair. I felt like all my happiness had been sucked out. When I had periods I used to get pretty bad PMT so when the mood thing occurred after menopause I knew it was hormones so declined antidepressants and pushed for the HRT. They were reluctant at first cos of my history but I was so desperate to try it as I couldn’t go on like I was. So, five years with no period. Is weird bleeding now after my one-night stoppage of the HRT!! I tried the the patches first and felt on top of the world the first month but then they seemed to lose their effect so for the past month have been on Utrogestran and Oestrogel. I didn’t feel an a-ha moment on that either, I feel more ‘steady’ but not myself quite yet and then last week the niggles of anxiety kicked in so I thought I’d wean off cos I figured what was the point in HRT if it didn’t sort my head out. I feel stuck between a rock and hard place. Do I stay on it and risk not shaking the anxiety, or do I come off it and risk the pits of despair again. Pfffft.

[CLKD]

Were you advised about the risk of menopause B4 you were prescribed chemo.? 

Anxiety is the pits.  I have an emergency pill for when I am overwhelmed. 

MayB you need to think about appropriate anti-depressant medication to try and ease the symptoms.  It can take 3-4 months to lift mood.  Some ADs tackle anxiety as well. 

However, some HRT does require a hike occasionally and 4 weeks isn't long enough to give it time to kick in.  But if you feel more anxious which is impacting on your sleep etc., perhaps a review with your Nurse Practitioner or GP who prescribed the HRT.

Let us know how you get on.

[GlitteryGal]

The time before chemo is a blur! So much information! If I’d have known what the chemo was going to do to me I’d maybe have thought twice. So naive back then. But what’s done is done and I know the plan they gave me was my best shot so shouldn’t complain. My mum breezed through menopause and I assumed I’d be the same. But I guess a chemo induced menopause is like being chucked in at the deep end eh. I shall persevere a bit longer. Sure is true: sometimes it’s hard to be a woman. Thanks for the responses. I’ll check in again in a few weeks with an update.

[CLKD]

Morning.  Please keep us up to date.  If the anxiety becomes worse then do seek treatment even if it's short term 'valium' as necessary.  I have used 'Bachs rescue' mouth spray too, never thinking whether it would work/not, two sprays B4 going somewhere that might induce panic.