Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Joyce on December 14, 2012, 12:36:51 PM
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Went to visit meno specialist this morning. I reduced my Estradot to 37.5 a couple of months ago. When I'm nearing the end of this prescription I've to try and reduce it further to 25 and if all goes well with that try & come off it altogether. Knowing how awful I was when I was off it last time round, I'm a bit apprehensive. However, she wants to see me again in 6 months to discuss further. If I've managed to wean myself off HRT by next appointment, I don't have to go to the appointment.
She is more than happy though for me to stay on 37.5 if that's what I need.
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Thanks for the update. Is it your choice to come off it then? Sorry if I have forgotten the reason! I tried the weaning off but it didn't work any differently than coming off cold-turkey to be honest.
Taz x
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It sounds a good idea if it allows you to find the minimum level you're comfortable at, whether that's 0 or 37.5. It's good that she says you can stay on it if you want to.
Bette x
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Taz I asked for it to be reduced from 50 to 37.5 a couple of months back because my BP was getting a bit high and I was getting an awful lot of palpitations too, though they weren't too often when I did get them I thought my heart was going to leap out my chest.
Consultant asked me today whether I wanted to stay on HRT or try & come off it. I said I'd like to try & come off it if possible, but don't want to end up feeling like $%£& like last time. She said if I can come off it great, but otherwise she was quite happy for me to find the minimum level I can cope with and take it from there. She is just so lovely.
My reasons are mainly because of my father dying of heart attack in his mid 40's. My brother has BP problems too, but he has other health issues. As I've always said I want quality of life, but I have to be sensible too and try and keep my medications to as low a dose as possible. Compared to a number of the ladies on here I don't take much at all. One tablet a day for my BP, asthma inhalers and HRT. But if I need to keep taking HRT at 25 or 37.5 that's fine by me, though I may struggle to persuade some of the GPs at my surgery likewise!!!
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I am opposite...I get palpitations if dose is too low :o I had months of adrenalin rushes, palpitations etc last year...thought I was having heart failure. had ECGs etc then started hrt and within a few weeks it was all gone...
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Good luck CG....let us know how it goes for you.
Honeyb
x
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Well have just changed to estradot 25. Fingers crossed I manage to cope on this dose. Will let you know how it goes. GP has kept 37.5 on my prescription if it all gets too much for me.
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my adrenalin and palps came back 6 months ago, along with night sweats. gP upped dose from 1mg to 2 and they went again..
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Hi Cubagirl. I took 5 months to come down from a low dose combi-pill and apart from a very few minor problems which disappeared, I am fine. Slowly but surely is the way to go. 4-6 weeks between changes did the trick for me.
B
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Consultant said to do it very slowly this time. If this works I will keep on it until spring then I can half the 25s or come off altogether. That is the final aim, but not sure if it will work. If I'm still on HRT come my next appointment I've to see consultant's registrar. If I'm off it altogether I've to cancel the appointment.
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I've been cutting my estradot 50 patches smaller and smaller over several months, to no ill effect. I usually have one hot flush when I lie in bed at night, and that seems to be my body's signal that I can go to sleep :)
My patch is now so small, I think I'm probably on 12.5, but taking that final step to leave it off altogether is quite daunting. I'm scared I'll go into meltdown, though common sense tells me that the dose is so tiny it probably isn't doing much any way.
Having used up the "it's christmas" excuse, my poor old Dad is now in hospital, so I'll wait a little while longer (if I can ever find a time when my life is on an even keel) and then stop it altogether.
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Shame about your dad, hope it's not too serious. Definitely not a good time to do away with the hrt. I was told to wait until new year to reduce mine, which I have done. Only time will tell.
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Well been on the reduced dose for a week and what hits me today, but two hot flushes. Hope this isn't going to continue for long. Will stick it out for a while yet before I throw in the towel again. :-\ I have to say they weren't horrendous, but they were a bit uncomfortable. Anyway watch this space as they say.
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Flushes fairly minimal and I can cope, but the chills and exhaustion are killing me. Not sure what to do now. Lack of decent night's sleep is wiping me out. Feels like the way I did when I came off HRT 3 years ago. Really having to push myself to keep up with my swimming as determined to lose the weight as fed up being nagged by gp to shift it. Hope this is just a blip and that I get back on course soon.
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Sorry it's not going well CG. Will you tough it out in the hope that things settle?
I am going cold turkey but have decided to do the two week restart of Vagifem just in case I have problems in that dept.
I hope things settle for you because I know you are keen to come off completely.
Honeyb
X
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I'm going to try and stick it out. Cold turkey is hard. That's what I did last time round. If I can manage to cope on the low dose, I will happily use it for a while yet. Just finding this blip a bit hard at the moment.
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Now I am on half an Estradot 25 patch. Not quite brave enough to stop altogether. Not sure how I'm going to get on though. Getting the odd flush, which are not too horrendous thus far, maybe 1 or 2 per day. I can cope with that. Sleeping is all to pot and really tired, but that is possibly not helped by back pain, so can't blame tiredness completely on meno. I have gynae appointment in a few weeks time and will see what they suggest. Back pain seems to have increased as I've reduced the HRT. Do you think it's just a coincidence?
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For you cubagirl http://www.drmirkin.com/archive/6148.html
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Thanks for that silverlady. Very interesting.