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[glittergirl]

Hi ladies, I started HRT about 4 months ago. I am on Utrogestan and Evorel 50 patches. About three weeks in to taking the HRT, I happened to notice some new varicose veins on the back of my left leg. They may have been there before starting HRT but they certainly didn't cause me any issues. Since noticing them my leg has been having problems. I have had a burning sensation on and off and mild cramps. Sometimes I get a tight feeling a bit like how it feels when you have a blood pressure monitor cuff on. These symptoms usually improve a bit when walking. Some days are worse than others. I have also developed a lump above my ankle which is worse at night. I have been to my doctor three times and each time been told its just the varicose veins playing up and there's nothing they can do. I'm not convinced as surely the symptoms wouldn't have suddenly appeared as I have never had any problems before, despite having had some varicose veins on the front of my legs for over 10 years.
I was referred to a foot specialist for the lump and she doesn't know what it is and asked me to come back in a month but I can't seem to get an appointment as she is full.
Has anyone else experienced this and can offer advice? I don't know if it's an effect of the HRT or just a perimenopause symptom. My doctor says it's not the HRT and is reluctant to change my prescription. Thanks in advance.

[pepperminty]

Hi,

it is highly unlikely that it is the HRT- except it may be restless legs which can be brought on with HRT initially sometimes  for the first few months., until your body settles. Sometimes when we start something new we worry and put everything down to the new medication. Your viens may have played up regardless. Try to book another appointment with the foot specialist.  They may be able to reassure you.

PMX

[CLKD]

How well has the HRT eased the symptoms?   

There is certainly a lot to be done to ease varicose veins, though GPs are reluctant to refer - U may find that ringing your Hospital to ask the question as to whether there is a vascular surgeon who can give advice might be the starting point.

It might be worth asking a pharmacist about whether HRT can cause similar symptoms.  Did U explain that the symptoms ease on walking?  Certainly they shouldn't be left without a proper diagnosis.  It's worrying you enough to ask on here so it should be taken seriously by your GP.

Is there anything in the leaflet in the boxes of HRT? 

4 me restless legs are present all the while but worse when in bed.  Small bananas daily cured it, a lack of potassium.

[CLKD]

I've looked at NHS Varicose veins and there are certainly treatments available !

[glittergirl]

Thank you to everyone for your replies. I've now been told by the receptionist that the foot specialist has left the GP surgery completely and to go back to my GP instead! The HRT has eased my anxiety somewhat and I am less tired. The brain fog has remained the same however. There's nothing in the leaflet under side effects for this problem but I will speak to my pharmacist and try to increase my pottasium. I explained to the GP that the symptoms are better when walking but she didn't seem to listen and is convinced it's varicose veins. I think I may have to speak to a different GP at my surgery for a second opinion as my current GP refuses to refer me for scans or varicose vein treatment no matter what I say.
It could be the varicose veins but it affects my whole leg and the varicose veins are only in a small part of my lower leg. Starting the HRT and the symptoms appearing could have been coincidence but I guess the only way to tell would be to stop it for a while. Think my best bet from here would be to retrun and try and see a different GP who is more knowledgable about the menopause. It's so difficult to find a GP who understands the menopause properly.
 

[CLKD]

It is difficult across the UK to find GPs with any interest or understanding of peri menopause!

How about a Podiatrist privately?  I paid £50.00 for half an hour recently and was given good advice about how to care for my feet ..........

[emj201]

When I was on oestrogel and not even one pump for a years and a half I got terrible water retention and intracellular water edema. It made my legs feel really tight by the end of the day often and then overnight the fluid cleared and then built up again. When I stopped oestrogel the edema stopped too. I think that maybe you might be on a too high dose?

[pepperminty]

Hi,

 Varicose viens although only may appear to be in one area can make the whole leg ache, with reffered pain.
PMX

[floraljo]

Emj201 - that's very interesting. My legs were swelling last year before I started hrt and I put it down to hormones. Same feelings - legs being tight and then going away. Did you get your oestrogen tested in that time? I'm wondering if it is causing my leg and foot pain.

[glittergirl]

Thank you everyone. I've come off the HRT to see if it helps but so far no difference but early days yet. I'm not sure how long it takes for it to get out of your system.  emj201 how long did it take for your symptoms to settle once you stopped the oestrogel? I have never had my oestrogen tested as they don't seem to do it at my GP surgery. My dose of oestrogen was quite low as I was on Evorel 50. I am not sure where to go from here if the symptoms don't improve now I'm off the HRT apart from nagging the GP again to send me for tests and perhaps a private podiatrist. Hope your pain eases floraljo. It's horrible when you're not certain what's causing it. Mine came on quite suddenly. I would have expected varicose vein pain to come on more gradually over time.
 

[Sgoddard]

Hi Glittergirl, have you made any progress with your leg problems and taking HRT? I think I am having similar issues.
Best wishes x

[rferdi]

Hi glittergirl,
Did your leg veins get better after stopping HRT? I'd love an update, I think I'm having similar issues.
Thank you x

[glittergirl]

Sorry for the delay in updating, I've not been on here for a while.  I stopped the HRT for 4 months but it made no difference to my legs. I'm back on it now and have been for about a year, first on the patches and Utogestan and now switched to the Oestrogel and Utogestan. My legs are still the same but no worse. I am currently awaiting varicose vein ablation on the NHS as I've had a couple of superficial bloot clots on one of the varicose veins.

[rferdi]

Thanks for the update glittergirl. I think I've almost always had somewhat sluggish blood circulation in my legs which eventually resulted in getting a couple of spider veins in one of my legs a few years ago, but didn't really have problems. Then a few weeks after starting HRT last year the few small spider veins suddenly became quite big and much more numerous, and my legs feel a lot heavier especially around my ankles, which also hurt often. I went to a vascular medicine specialist (an angiologist) recently who told me this was because of HRT, and that it can be a side effect of taking HRT.

I intend to seek a second and third opinion on this, and also tell about this to my gynaecologist who's prescribing the HRT, and see what she thinks.

Did your NHS vein doctor say anything about your varicose veins being related to taking HRT? Also how did you find out you had superficial blood clots, what symptoms of this did you have? Or did they find this by scanning your veins? Thank you

 

[Minnie Mouse]

Hiya, I've had spider thread veins appear on my thighs since starting HRT.
I went to a vein specialist clinic last year to see what the options were.
The treatment sounded horrible, so I just wear long shorts!
They said that spider veins could be caused by HRT.