Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: antintz on February 24, 2014, 12:31:38 PM
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hello, am new to this. i'm 48 and hormones quite out of kilter. for months and month almost no bleeding, then a big bleed, alot of cramps, preceded by typical hormal headache and appallinginly teenage like acne ... what's happening? ! a while ago a doctor prescribed femostan 1/10 but i've been loathe to take it as no hot flushes, no insomnia, no palpitations ... but would the femostan balance both eostrogen and progesterone? i'm not against hrt per se, i'm just anti taking one that will exacerbate my symptoms ... any advice? thank you ps i live in the sticks in africa so a visit to to the gp or gynae isn't easy ...
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Hi antintz
:welcomemm: !!
Yes it's a shock with so much going on isn't it?
First of all I suggest you read this excellent article on this site, by Dr Currie - "Perils of the Peri-menopause" which explains much better than I can what's going on in your body at this time:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/article-perils-of-the-perimenopause.php
In a nutshell - during peri your hormones fluctuate up and down - giving rise to some extreme symptoms eg moodiness and the pre-menstrual headaches you describe. Ad the ovaries begin to decline you don't ovulate in some cycles and therefore there is no progesterone so the lining can build up, and sometimes therefore periods become heavier for a time. Gradually, though, oestrogen levels decline overall and that is when many women notice the other symptoms of flushes and sweats etc.
Femoston is a good tablet HRT to start with and would definitely balance your hormones and give you a predictable bleed each month. It wouldn't necessarily completely eliminate the other symptoms though, if your own horomnes are still fluctuating, but they would eventually stabilise.
Hope this helps
Hurdity x
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Hurdity, thank you so much for that link to "Perils of the Peri..." I have found that so helpful!! Sometimes I find it difficult to understand all the ins & outs of hormones but that article has made it so much easier to understand. :)
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Thank you so much Hurdity; such a comprehensive reply and directed to a very useful artile; thank you x