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[Helenmelon1974]

Hi, so after a couple of failed attempts at HRT with Evorel Conti (issues when adding progesterone) and Evorel 50 and Mirena (for 2 weeks after insertion I had horrendous anxiety, insomnia and awful mood and thoughts so was removed on my request), I was given Evorel 50 and Utrogestan which I intended on using vaginally. The GP wouldn’t agree with this method and has referred me to gynae and told me I have to use it orally but I’m still going ahead with vaginal use!

Anyway after putting it off and putting it off I couldn’t cope with the constant anxiety and occasional panic attacks so I started on the patches. Within a few days the anxiety had gone but bloating began! 😫 I got up to the time to start the Utrogestan but ended up stopping the patches because the bloating was awful. 3-4 days later bloating gone, anxiety back!! 😫😫

After a few days I decided that dealing with the anxiety was worse than the bloating so put a patch back on and decided to just keep going. I’ve since read that oestrogen causes water retention and progesterone is a diuretic so going with that theory maybe if I started the Utrogestan the bloating would have calmed down?!

So yesterday I was 2-3 days into being back on the patch, had a perfectly normal morning seeing my daughter, nipping to Tesco etc. came home to sort out lunch and my face started feeling hot, like my hand felt really cold on my face! Then the heat feeling went down my neck, my heart started racing and I felt like I was about to be sick. Obviously this led to me panicking and I took a diazepam. Once that kicked in and I felt calm my face and neck felt warm for a while. I had a nap after all this happened and woke up fine! WTF was that?? Was it a hot flash??

My daughter mentioned a few times that my face is a bit red and occasionally I’ve felt my face flush but nothing like what happened yesterday!

I’ve recently had health checks bloods, ecg, blood pressure etc and everything was normal other than a slightly raised cholesterol which is being checked again in a few weeks. I eat super healthy since my cholesterol results and have lost 2 stone with exercise and being in a calorie deficit!

I’m still very apprehensive about introducing the Utrogestan but I cannot carry on with the anxiety and panic.

My doctor isn’t great with HRT which is why I’ve been referred so I’ve used this site and the Newman website to get info!

Any advice is welcome! Thank you 😊

[Chunkola]

Maybe 50mcg is too low for you. You could try cutting a separate patch and adding a little more. I have done this in the past.

It also could be anxiety which could be caused by too little or too much oestrogen 🤦🏻‍♀️

The feeling of doom and sickness yes are hot flush symptoms- sometimes they are worse than others.  Don't be taking diazepam for them all the time, they pass quite quickly and to a certain extent you get used to them. I carry a fan and that really helps. The old style flappy ones more so than battery ones - I think it's to do with the actual action of doing it as well.

[CLKD]

Don't despair.  Hormonal upheaval can cause awful feelings!

I wonder why GPs continue to refer women to gynaecologists rather than a dedicated menopause clinic .............  .   

Keeping a mood/food/symptom diary might help, to charge progress.

Anxiety is the pits!

[Helenmelon1974]

Maybe 50mcg is too low for you. You could try cutting a separate patch and adding a little more. I have done this in the past.

It also could be anxiety which could be caused by too little or too much oestrogen 🤦🏻‍♀️

The feeling of doom and sickness yes are hot flush symptoms- sometimes they are worse than others.  Don't be taking diazepam for them all the time, they pass quite quickly and to a certain extent you get used to them. I carry a fan and that really helps. The old style flappy ones more so than battery ones - I think it's to do with the actual action of doing it as well.

Thank you for your reply. I don’t want to up the oestrogen before I try a cycle with the Utrogestan but definitely an option later on. My anxiety has been at zero whilst on the 50 other than yesterday. I wondered if it was too much oestrogen and that’s why I was bloating. HRT is such a rocky road!

After a little investigation I wonder if it’s Rosacea? As my nose and cheeks are always red and tingly even without the flushing. I thought it was because I drank most days but I haven’t had a drink in 6 months now.

[Helenmelon1974]

Don't despair.  Hormonal upheaval can cause awful feelings!

I wonder why GPs continue to refer women to gynaecologists rather than a dedicated menopause clinic .............  .   

Keeping a mood/food/symptom diary might help, to charge progress.

Anxiety is the pits!

Yes! I thought I’d get a referral to a meno clinic! I’m going to see how it goes with my Utrogestan before I get a gynae appointment because I’m pretty sure that’s what they’ll suggest so best I do it beforehand. If I don’t get anywhere then I’ll consider a private meno clinic. I’m hoping using it vaginally will stop the awful side affects of the progesterone 🤞🏻

[CLKD]

U don't need to pay for dedicated advice, there are waiting lists in both NHS and private Clinics.   Advice should be 'to hand', sadly as we are aware, it ain't.

Let us know how y ou get on .

[joziel]

Hmmm, I think you've going to need to commit to a HRT regime and stick with it.

Starting and stopping and chopping and changing only increases fluctuations and it's the fluctuations which cause a lot of symptoms.

Put the 50 patch on and leave it on. Use the utrogestan and stick with it vaginally.

It is very normal to get bloating, spotting, acne, water retention and who knows what other side effects in the first 3 months of starting HRT or changing dose. If you're going to back out every time you get one side effect, you may as well just not use it at all because you will never find the dose that works for you.

There is a lot of trial and error involved (for many women). It's taken me 3.5 years.

[Helenmelon1974]

Hmmm, I think you've going to need to commit to a HRT regime and stick with it.

Starting and stopping and chopping and changing only increases fluctuations and it's the fluctuations which cause a lot of symptoms.

Put the 50 patch on and leave it on. Use the utrogestan and stick with it vaginally.

It is very normal to get bloating, spotting, acne, water retention and who knows what other side effects in the first 3 months of starting HRT or changing dose. If you're going to back out every time you get one side effect, you may as well just not use it at all because you will never find the dose that works for you.

There is a lot of trial and error involved (for many women). It's taken me 3.5 years.

Thank you for your reply. I know I’m not doing myself any favours by stopping and starting, I’ve had health anxiety for years and it’s got so much worse in peri so I panic and stop! I’m going to persevere this time because the oestrogen has helped so much with my anxiety, energy and sleep.

I’m on the third day of restarting and general anxiety has already lowered again, I just got panicked by what I assume now was a hot flash yesterday, I didn’t realise how intense they could be!

[Helenmelon1974]

U don't need to pay for dedicated advice, there are waiting lists in both NHS and private Clinics.   Advice should be 'to hand', sadly as we are aware, it ain't.

Let us know how y ou get on .

Thank you ☺️ I think there’s more knowledge to be found on this forum than any GP seems to know! 🙈