Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Personal Experiences => Topic started by: katem on March 24, 2014, 08:53:29 AM
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Hello everyone
I changed my surgery and went for a consultation with my new GP on saturday morning and what a disaster.!! It was a young female doctor and I had gone with the hope of getting different treatment for my menopause problems. After reading,contributing and gaining advice from this brilliant site, I had thought I would ask for the combined conti HRT patch. It was not to be. I could barely get a word in edgeways, she had my records up on screen and was overly concerned with my blood pressure. After several minutes I had to say to her that that was not why I had come to see her and brought the consultation back to the horrendous time, mainly mental rather than physical, time I was having going thru the menopause. I asked for HRT and she said she could not possibly prescribe it because of my blood pressure. She also said that HRT was for pyhsical rather than mental problems!!. She went on to suggest herbal remedies!! I could not get over to her just how bad I was feeling, in the end she said that because I was depressed she would prescribe Prozac, and that ladies is what I have started on, plus I have bought some menopace and have started taking them also. This morning, I feel worse than ever but I shall just have to persevere for at least a couple of weeks with the Prozac and menopace but I really don't know what else I can do, things just get worse!!!!!!
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Is there another GP you can see? I would not wait a couple of weeks. Or you buy HRT online from Lloyds the chemist without a prescription. Their doctors write you a private one.
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Hi katem,
Sorry to hear your feeling so bad. Looking at your previous posts you have been on HRT before, that didn't help you much, so perhaps the Doc is right. Have you had Prozac before? I took it for 6 months some years age and it saved my life. I went a whole year without a proper nights sleep due to night sweats and eventually went into total melt down. My doc was lovely and described it a my 'little bit of a crisis'. He put me on Prozac which leveled my moods and made me feel normal again. Could it be your feelings have anything to do with your blood pressure problem? Give the meds a try and go back if they don't work and perhaps give meditation a go as well.
Best of luck
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Prozac made me angry ……….. no help there then!
Herbal remedies don't work for many ladies otherwise HRT would not be required ;) and if they worked, they would be on the NHS!
Is there a Practice Nurse there or a menopause clinic you could travel to?
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I was prescribed prozac for anxiety and it made everything much worse. I believe it is more useful for depression, but can take up to 12 weeks to start working so don't worry if you feel worse for a while. Your doctor is wrong though - hrt has massively helped my anxiety and panic so that I now rarely have any! I also have high blood pressure brought on by peri. I am taking medications but since starting hrt have had to reduce he amount as my blood pressure has lowered with hrt. Did your dr give you any medication for your blood pressure? One reading alone also does not equal hbp - I always have white coat syndrome where it rises when the doc tests it?
Is your doctor actually qualified??
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I was given Prozac to reduce MS associated fatigue.
That it did, I also got very ratty and aggressive.
Did wonders for the marriage......
If you do stick with prozac it might me worth checking that menopace isn't going to affect it adversely.
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You might tell your doctor that your blood pressure rises when you are frustrated because your doctor does not listen. Grrr!
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It is so reassuring to have this site and find you all. Thanks for all your kind words and advice. The reason I am taking Menopace is because this was the docs recommendation so I would hope it is okay to take with Prozac! but I'm not confident.
As far as the blood pressure goes, I have always been on the high side. I have had ECGs in the past and I have my own blood pressure monitor at home but I have never been prescribed any blood pressure medication from any of my previous surgeries so why she is so concerned when others weren't, I don't know.
I was not aware that you could get HRT without your own doctors prescription. I would not be confident enough to go ahead this way at the moment, what experiences has anyone else had of doing it this way?
I was prescribed Ellest Duo in the past when I was still having periods. I have not had a period now for almost six months which was why I was prepared to try HRT again but as the combined conti patch as I thought that would be more appropriate to me now.
I have just taken my 4th prozac but am quite worried cos most of you seem to have had a hard time with it, anybody else got anything positve to say about it?
What I really need to know is firstly, will this nightmare ever end and secondly, when? but just having you all in the background really does help. Thank you again.
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Different drugs work for different people. Prozac did the business for me but if they don't, or they make you feel worse, just go back to the Doc. NHS choices web site says high blood pressure, that's is not controlled, is a no no for HRT so perhaps you should look for natural methods to help lower it. Don't forget blood pressure med come with their own set of problems. Sounds like your GB takes a more holistic natural approach, which would suit me, but maybe not you. If this is the case perhaps you should see another doctor in the practice. You are perfectly entitled to do this.
Best of luck
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DH has white coat syndrome. A calmer person you won't meet! so he has a monitor. Normal/below usually.
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Don't worry about the prozac - lots of people get on very well with it so it may well work for you! You are doing the right thing giving it a chance. It will end but who knows when!! I try not to think of it like that and just get on with feeling the best that I can every day - try to look for the positives in each and every day! 4 years ago I could literally barely leave the house with vertigo, panic etc. but now I lead a full and active life.
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Morning Ladies
Mornings are usually my worst time but today I feel ever so slightly better. It could be just normal ebb and flow of how bad I normally feel and I don,t really think its to do with the Prozac and menopace, but if it is, that would be great. Last night I had a few palpitations and blocked throat/can,t swallow syndrome (i'm sure you will all know what I am talking about) but I was able to deal with it better and didn't get too worked up about it which is also an improvement. The surgery is supposed to let me know when a 24 hour blood pressure monitor becomes available for me to use at home but not heard anything yet.
Anyway, Heres hoping! Thanks for listening and helping. I will continue posting how I get on. 5th day on prozac and menopace today. :)
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Great Katem
You are having a good day and learning some coping mechanisms - that's a really good step forward! Hope you're doing something nice today x
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Thanks suzyq, you are right. You do learn how to cope and its sites like this that helps because no matter how deperate you may feel, you will always find someone who has experienced it already and come thru it :)
As for doing something nice, I am at work :(
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You *are* at work ;) ……. another plus ;)
Little steps. It might take a while to realise that you are beginning to feel better, however we 'look' for improvement, often too soon ::)
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Good morning everyone and as wise CLKD said, I am 'at work' and even tho its monday morning, I am feeling okay!!!!! This is a massive improvement from the beginning of last week. Is this just a pause or is it down to the fact that I have now had 10 days of Prozac and menopace ? :) My main problems at the moment are terrible indigestion/reflux and I cannot Sleep - at all - and I am absolutely knackered! :-\ However, still prefer to feel like this than how I did a couple of weeks ago :)
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Indigestion probably due to the Prozac (one of the side effects). I had this when I took it, but it did get better. Try the old fashioned indigestion tablets like Tums or Rennies, they should help. Avoid Gaviscon like the plague. It made me worse and I thought I was having a heart attack.
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Ladies, I really need help. My so called improvement has come right of the tracks. Since last thursday I have felt horrendous and getting several power surges a day. I was hoping that by now this period would be over but it has just continued. I cannot relly function as I am finding it extremely hard to even get out of bed. I have been on Prozac and menopace now for 18 days now so if it was going to do me any good, wouldn't it have kicked in by now? I am really desperate. I am going to try and get an apptment with my doc but I don't really know what to say/do. Anybody out there that can help?
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Prozac takes quite a while to kick in - at least 6 to 12 weeks so don't write it off yet! The power surges are horrible aren't they? If I were you I would go back to your gp. Have you been checking your bp at home? Hrt really helped me but I got my bp under control first. That was very straightforward for me and since starting hrt my bp has continued to drop so my medication has reduced. I don't know that prozac will help with physical symptoms of menopause? Maybe somebody else will know.
Can you see a different doctor who may be more sympathetic/useful.
In the short term I was given ativan for those really bad days - it was a lifesaver - quite literally!
Hope you feel better soon x
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You are so kind suzyq, its makes a massive difference to know I am not alone. I have got an appointment with a nurse practioner this morning so we'll see what she suggests. I don't think I have ever felt so bad in the last five years that I have been going thru this and this time, the bad period just does not seem to be coming to an end which is just unbearable. Plus it is having a massive effect on my husband and theres nothing I can do, feel so helpless. Anyway, will post again later, sorry for being such a moaner.
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Saw a nurse practitioner this morning and I found her so much more sympathetic and helpful than the doctor. She has encouraged me to continue with the Prozac for at least six weeks and she has made me an apt. to see a different doctor on Friday. She reckons I am suffering from hormonal anxiety and depression caused by the last five years and the feeling that there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. She reckoned I should be kinder to myself and take some time off work so I have called in sick for the rest of the week . It has helped.
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What a good np! You are not alone - I felt like that for 5 years with anti-depressants shoved at me. It was so frustrating cause I was anxious/panicky but only because I felt so ill, and for me it was initially very cyclical. I have been on hrt now for 4 months and after quite a few adjustments feel much better. The anxiety is under control and most days I feel ok - which for me, I will take!! Prozac and other ad's are well-known for making things a little worse before they get better, so people often have ativan or similar to get them through the first 6 weeks! The power surges are a physical and horrible symptom of menopause - I hated them - and will be helped by hrt. Look after yourself while you are off work and try to find some little things to do that make you feel good. Let me know how your next appointment goes
Susan
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Hi Susan
Unbelievably, I feel a little better this morning. Possibly because I am getting the dread feelings intermittently rather than permanently as I had been doing for the past 7 days so it does appear to be lifting slowly Thank God! It would appear it is definitely hormonal so I am really going to push for HRT tomorrow. What is Ativan? just in case I need to ask for that as it appears to have helped you in the past. I am so glad to hear that things are really improving for you after going thru hell for years, I can really empathise with that but I am happy that it appears you are now coming thru the other side. Will definitely get back to you tomorrow. P.S. No power surges so far today :)
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Ativan is a drug like Valium but very short acting. It obviously can be addictive if you overuse - but I hate taking medication so only use when desperate about once every 3-4 weeks. I was given 30 a year ago and still have 22 left! They do not zonk you out but just make,you feel calm and normal! I was told that just knowing I have them to take if needs be, is often enough to help ...
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Morning
I saw a different doctor yesterday but unfortunately, got pretty much the same response. They will not prescribe HRT until they have the blood pressure under control. As I said before, I will not get my 24 hr monitor until may so what was I supposed to do until then? and she said I should persevere for another two weeks with the Prozac and if it wasn,t helping then they would up the dose!!!!!!! I sometimes think they just do not listen or maybe I wasn't very good at getting how desperate I feel across to her. Anyway, she did then give me a prescription for Diazapam but I am loathe to take these. However, as you said before Susyq just knowing you have them could make all the difference.
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I was put on Ativan in the '80's for anxiety and I really thought it was going to be taken off the market due to its addiction rate. It not only zonked me out but the withdrawal symptoms when I tried to come off it were awful - I felt worse coming off them than I ever had before I was given them, and since then i've avoided any kind of anti depressant or sedative. Please don't think i'm scare mongering, they may just not have suited me, and maybe they are monitored better these days, but personally I would never touch them. I hope things sort for you soon Katem xx
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I was also hooked on diazepam, thanks to the doctor.
It's ok to take about once every three weeks and you can take it for a couple of days, but I wouldn't take it more often, i.e. weekly because it has a very long half life and can stay in your system upto three weeks according to Battle Against Tranquilisers.
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Oh what a shame. Have you been monitoring your bp at home? This is very useful to do as you may just have white coat syndrome! Well guess you won't be taking the diazepam after those recommendations! I have ativan which has a very short half life, do not have an addictive personality and have been great on mine. May isn't too long away - I'm sure you can cope until then and hopefully the prozac will kick in properly! Chin up
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Oh what a shame. Have you been monitoring your bp at home? This is very useful to do as you may just have white coat syndrome! Well guess you won't be taking the diazepam after those recommendations! I have ativan which has a very short half life, do not have an addictive personality and have been great on mine. May isn't too long away - I'm sure you can cope until then and hopefully the prozac will kick in properly! Chin up
I think if you are going to take a benzodiazepine, lorazepam aka ativan is better as it has a shorter half life as you say.
Ironically, I asked my GP for ativan and she said it was more addictive than diazepam, so I trusted her, thinking she knew something I didnt.
Sometimes doctors are spectacularly ignorant.
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Prozac can be marvellous if it is the right drug for you. It takes a while to kick in, I would recommend finding a good sensible forum about it to compare experiences.
As I said elsewhere I wish I had found you lot when I first started on Evorel, I would have demanded fine tuning and change due to headaches and mood swings! All well now though.
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hello Tigony and all my other fellow sufferers. You are so right, the Prozac does seem to have kicked in my case and I have felt tons better for the last two weeks. I have not had to even contemplate taking the diazepam but I know its there should I descend into the darkness again, which is a great comfort. I am now waiting to see what happens when I reach the time I would normally have had my period, I am hoping that the Prozac has got it under control but we shall see. However, I am very pleasantly surprised by the outcome so far and its good to be able to report something positive for a change and therefore hopefully help someone else on the forum as I have been helped already. :)
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Hi katem
That's great news! Hope you continue to feel good and get on with living your life!
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Hi Suzyq, you were so right earlier. My progression has been just as you said it would be and I am so glad I listened and persevered as you hoped I would. Thank you so much and thanks to everyone else for their kind thoughts and suggestions. I have started to broach the subject of menopause experiences with colleagues and friends and it is amazing how the floodgates open. Why do we all think we are the only ones going thru these horrible times? That is why this forum is so important, experience and wisdom are wonderful things and I for one am truly appreciative. Thanks again
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Back in the middle of what would have been my period and once again it has been nightmarish!!!!!! Maybe not quite as bad as last time but I don,t know if I am just trying to convince myself of something that isn,t true.
I had four days of power surges but they weren,t too bad but then on tuesday went into meltdown. Couldn,t get out of bed, didn't want to eat, felt utterly wretched. I decided to take a diasapam tablet. All it seemed to do is knock me out for a few hours and left me with an almighty headache. The following day was equally bad so I took another diasapam and slept for a while. This time no headache but terrible diaorrhea. I will not be taking them again thats for sure because they did nothing for how I felt at all. This morning, I don,t feel quite as bad. I am going to the docs because I am having the 24 hr BP monitor fitted and whilst there I will get another prescription for my Prozac which does seem to help in the times between my bad "periods". Should I up my dose and maybe it will help more at all times? I really can,t stand feeling like this, I really need help but can't seem to get it from my GP surgery, thats why this forum is so important.
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Very difficult night with this blood pressure monitor beeping,whirring and inflating every half hour (it was programmed for every two hours during the night :)) However, I do feel a little better this morning as I come to the end of what would have been my period. I did not have any power surges surges yesterday. It is now 7 months since I had a period. Now have to wait for my blood pressure results and whether or not I need medication for that before I can get HRT. Here's hoping x
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Hi yes the bp monitor is a pain - I too didn't get much sleep with mine and it kept doing it every 15 minutes if it didn't get the right reading! Enough to raise your bp if you ask me!!
What's happened since then? Are you on medication?
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Hi Suzyq
Saw the doc last friday about my BP results. They were slightly high so she would not agree to HRT but she did prescribe Beta blockers which she said would work on the raised blood pressure and helps with anxiety. So I started them last friday, I take 10mg 3 times a day. I am due to see her again tomorrow to find out whether it has helped with the high blood pressure but theres no way of knowing if it is helping mentally as I am going thru my okay time at the moment. I won't know until approx the beginning of June when I would normally be having my period if it is having a positive effect. Personally, I am dreading it just in case it doesn't work and I have to go thru mental hell again!!!!! I am still taking the prozac and I do have my diazapam if I need to retreat to bed for the week( God forbid, just can't bear it). Anyway, at the moment, things are pretty good so should be glad of that at least. Enough of me moaning on, how are you doing?
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Hi kate - did your GP give you advice on how to bring your blood pressure down further by exercise and diet? You have it in your power to make big changes. The Blood Pressure Association explain it all quite well. http://www.bloodpressureuk.org/BloodPressureandyou/Yourlifestyle It can be tough having to cut things out but it really does work. Even a twenty minute brisk walk each day can help.
Taz x
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I'm doing pretty good at the minute! My bp went high due to peri! I exercise every day, eat well etc etc but i just could not control the surges in bp! The good news is that I am on an ace inhibitor and since starting hrt and getting settled on it, I have had to reduce my medication for bp, and may well need to reduce further ... Funny how we all get bp problems in peri and meno isn't it?
I have now settled on estradot 75 with progesterone every day. I just couldn't cope with 12 days of progesterone then feeling crap and my anxiety was coming back on the estrogen only part. It took 5 weeks to settle into the daily progesterone but now I feel pretty level and best of all, calm!!
It's a long road but slowly but surely you will get there! I would still push for hrt if your bp has settled down as you will probably find, like me, that it helps a lot! Ps don't rely on a reading at your gp to determine your bp - if you can, buy a meter - they are cheap - and keep a log of your own readings! This is what I do as gp's never ever take it correctly (2 readings 5 minutes apart after 10 minutes of rest!) and I also have white coat hypertension, so my readings always read higher at the hospital etc. I just take my log in and my machine and they check the accuracy of the machine and work off my readings.
Hope your dodgy week goes well and that you manage to survive it!
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Hi Katem,
Hope your feeling better soon. I for one know how difficult it is having a GP who doesn't understand how we are feeling. Thank God for this site!
Like Susiq I had really bad vertigo and my life 5 years ago became a nightmare. No one would believe me, including my GP she said it wasn't symptom of Meno. In my heart I new it was.
My advice to you and anyone going through this stageis do your own research and ask these lovely ladies on this site for advice.
Only for this site....... god knows where I would be now ;) Im 55 nor over it yet but do have some good days. Stress is never good for me as I do over react!
Good luck :)