Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Dandelion on March 07, 2014, 02:40:31 PM
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Hi I went to my doctor today and told her that I wanted to stay on Femoston 2/10 as I have only been on it for seven weeks.
I also told her that I was getting along ok with the dydrogesterone, bu the hrt itself wasn't working properly as I am still getting hot and sweaty but only in the upper part of my body.
I enquired about a tad more oestrogen if the Femoston is still not working after a month more on it.
My doctor said that I am on the highest dose and was not prepared to give me more oestrogen due to the risks, even though I said I was prepared to run those risks.
She said that if the Femoston still does not work properly after a month, then, if I don't want the other hrt option, the one with norethisterone in it, then I would just have to go through menopause.
She said that when they take me off hrt, I would have to go through menopause anyway.
I felt a bit greedy because I am still not satisfied on the max dose of oestrogen, so, maybe it is just me, because Femoston 2/10 should be working for me. It works for many other women, and I am not even fully menopausal yet, so, maybe it is just me.
It's the overheating I can't stand. The sweat makes my hair greasy but I dont like washing my hair too often as it's dyed and I get split ends. (I do use a special oil on it, but I would rather not be showering all the time and washing hair/clothes because I never had to was my hair/body/clothes this often when I was not peri-menopausal.
My mum had a complete hysterectomy and she made do with starflower oil, so I do feel a bit greedy talking about 2mg oestrogen being insufficient.
I told her about the ladies on here, and that some of them get gel or patches and use micronised progesterone but she had never heard of it before.
She asked if I was talking about American women and I said no, English ones.
I told her I get jealous of the women for whom HRT gives them back their lives.
She told me she would consult her colleagues, to see if anyone of them know what I am on about because she was well baffled.
My doctor is a good one, and is actually menopausal herself but she said she has to put up with the flushes and nightsweats as she is not allowed to take HRT.
I thought the risks were small with HRT but my doctor said they increase the more you take it. I say b0ll0c*s to the risks, I would rather have HRT and quality of life and risk cancer/heart attacks etc, than live for decades miserable without HRT.
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You could ask your GP to send Dr Currie a PM ;)
Your body won't be the same now as before peri-menopause, that's why this time of Life is called 'the change'. You may need to wash your hair daily, if you stand under the shower or use tepid water without shampoo, that will freshen it, some people use vinegar as a rinse but I don't want to smell like a chippy ::) ........... I use baby products, what's good enough for baby ;) .......... you may find that you feel better if you subcome to regular hair washing/bathing ............
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Sadly Dandelion your doctor is ignorant and shame on her especially as she is menopausal herself. OK Fair enough they are GPs and can't be expected to know everything, but you would think that if someone comes along with knowledge gained from a respected organisation on the web she would go and find out.
I can't remember how long you've been on 2/10 but give it a while longer - sometimes it can take a few eeks to really deal with the flushes and sweats. If it really doesn't do the trick and you have been tested for other things eg thyroid etc, then you may be able to get a higher dose from gel or patches which don't have to be digested nor go through the liver. You might need to print off the information from this menu and direct her to this website! At least she is asking other colleagues - and perhaps you might want to consult someone else in the practice after making enquiries as to who is most knowledgeable about HRT ( maybe the practice nurse will know who this is?).
As you are peri (I think I remember?) then you should still have some oestrogen of your own but some women like yourself do start to get sweats very early on in the journey of oestrogen decline!
Hurdity x
PS Just seen your post CLKD - the facility for consulting Dr Currie is on the front page and costs £25
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Hand the info to the GP?
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Hi CKLD and Hurdity
I've only been on the Femoston 7 weeks so I know that I haven't given it a long enough time to work.
It did start working after two weeks on it but it seems to have stopped working.
I started taking magnesium daily and that has helped loads with the flushes. I only get one on waking and maybe one more on some days.
To be honest, I don't think my GP will want to discuss it further once she has spoken to a colleague, because I have gone on about hormones for the last few consultations.
I'm sure my doctor sees loads of peri menopausal women as she has been a GP ages and is one of the more popular doctors in our surgery.
I got the impression that the Femoston should be working as it is 2mgs oestradiol and I am only peri and not post or meno itself.
There is a patch on offer, but the oestrogen part of the patch is norethisterone and I am too scared to try it in case it makes my anxiety worse.
My anxiety is not as bad as it was, say, a few years ago, when I was in acute tranquiliser withdrawal, but when it was bad I didn't cope at all.
I got irrational and believed things that were not true.
I don't want to be taking anything that may make my mental state worse, like I have heard norethisterone do. I'm frightened of how I will be on it.
I have ordered glycine due to it's calming effect on the nerves, so, if this, together with the magnesium works I may stick with the Femoston.
I just want to ask, if Femoston is insufficient oestrogen for me, does that mean that I will still be at more risk of osteoporosis, or do you only need a little bit of oestrogen for bones.
Thank you
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Osteoporosis is different issue. Have you looked at the UK-based osteoporosis web-site? Brisk walking can help avoid the onset of bone thinning.
I know where you are with medication, once my mental health was stable I was very scared of taking anything that might upset the apple cart and make me feel worse, even eating was problematic for years :'( …….. little steps :tulips:
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You will be getting plenty enough oestrogen to protect your bones - it's just that women develop flushes at different points as I said in my previous post below. I didn't start getting them until a few months after stopping periods. There is info on osteoporosis on this site here:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/osteoporosis.php
Also as I think we have mentioned before - the combi patches are not the only way to get HRT transdermally - as I said below you can use oestrogen only gel or patches, and then use a separate progesterone. The bio-identical ( ie most natural to the human body) one is micronised progesterone (Utrogestan) which is normally taken orally (but some of us use it vaginally). Unless you are unlucky enough to be very progesterone intolerant then this should not make you depressed although it does have some side effects ( as does the progesterone in our natural menstrual cycle). It does have a calming sedative effect. I'm sure we have outlined this before and all the info is in the left menu under HRT preparations.
Let's hope you soon feel better on the Femoston!
Please try not to worry so much Dandelion!
Hurdity x
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You will be getting plenty enough oestrogen to protect your bones - it's just that women develop flushes at different points as I said in my previous post below. I didn't start getting them until a few months after stopping periods. There is info on osteoporosis on this site here:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/osteoporosis.php
Also as I think we have mentioned before - the combi patches are not the only way to get HRT transdermally - as I said below you can use oestrogen only gel or patches, and then use a separate progesterone. The bio-identical ( ie most natural to the human body) one is micronised progesterone (Utrogestan) which is normally taken orally (but some of us use it vaginally). Unless you are unlucky enough to be very progesterone intolerant then this should not make you depressed although it does have some side effects ( as does the progesterone in our natural menstrual cycle). It does have a calming sedative effect. I'm sure we have outlined this before and all the info is in the left menu under HRT preparations.
Let's hope you soon feel better on the Femoston!
Please try not to worry so much Dandelion!
Hurdity x
hi Hurdity and CKLD
Thanks for the info on onsteoporosis. That scares me the most, I will look at the site. UNfortunately brisk walking is what brings on sweats. Some of my tops have been spoilt cos of sweating, the underarms all scuffed.
I do shower regularly.
I know about the oestrogen only patches and the micronised progesterone, but I am having real problems trying to get my doctor to prescribe me these.
She has not heard of micronised progesterone and she has not heard of bio identical progesterone either, so I have hit a brick wall there.
Ideally, I would like the oestrogen only patches or gel and micronised progesterone, but I am finding it mission impossible to get these out of my doctor.
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If you can, you need to try to get rid of the mind-set you are in - that is being a 'nuisance' to your dr!
Why are these people drs if they are so uncaring???
You are not being a nuisance- your dr is plainly ignorant and being a bully by refusing to give you drugs that are perfectly acceptable, easily available, and in many ways safer ( transdermal is safer than tablets as far as blood clots are concerned) simply because 'she has not heard of them'.
well, frankly, that is her problem and she ought to be ashamed of it.
I was prescribed gel straight away by my gynae- his choice- because he said it had many advantages including safety and being able to alter the dose easily.
According to the chairman of NICE patients are entitled to ask for and be given drugs they have a right to, and he wants them to work in partnership with their drs. She is behaving unethically I'd say.
You might like to read this link from NICE
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25890572
You might remind her of this!
I know how you feel about Norethisterone but I've been on it for almost 5 years- have recently changed- and didn't have too many side effects at all, taking it for a few days only each cycle. I had no 'preconceptions' of it or its dark side, because I didn't know anyone else on it. It's possible that having negative thoughts about something can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. But I agree that if you want to try Utrogestan then she ought to allow this.
You might find you get on well with what you are on now- they say give all HRT 3 months and see how you go.
As for her opinion that when you come off it and you will go through meno that's not accurate either- the evidence is that it's 50-50, so you might be one of the lucky ones who doesn't have a return of symptoms.
But don't be bullied!
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If you can, you need to try to get rid of the mind-set you are in - that is being a 'nuisance' to your dr!
Why are these people drs if they are so uncaring???
You are not being a nuisance- your dr is plainly ignorant and being a bully by refusing to give you drugs that are perfectly acceptable, easily available, and in many ways safer ( transdermal is safer than tablets as far as blood clots are concerned) simply because 'she has not heard of them'.
well, frankly, that is her problem and she ought to be ashamed of it.
I was prescribed gel straight away by my gynae- his choice- because he said it had many advantages including safety and being able to alter the dose easily.
According to the chairman of NICE patients are entitled to ask for and be given drugs they have a right to, and he wants them to work in partnership with their drs. She is behaving unethically I'd say.
You might like to read this link from NICE
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25890572
You might remind her of this!
I know how you feel about Norethisterone but I've been on it for almost 5 years- have recently changed- and didn't have too many side effects at all, taking it for a few days only each cycle. I had no 'preconceptions' of it or its dark side, because I didn't know anyone else on it. It's possible that having negative thoughts about something can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. But I agree that if you want to try Utrogestan then she ought to allow this.
You might find you get on well with what you are on now- they say give all HRT 3 months and see how you go.
As for her opinion that when you come off it and you will go through meno that's not accurate either- the evidence is that it's 50-50, so you might be one of the lucky ones who doesn't have a return of symptoms.
But don't be bullied!
Hi Sarah
Yes, you are right, I shouldn't feel a nuiscance, but my doctor did get a bit of a strop on about it, and I felt too intimidated to argue with her.
I'm no good with bullys.
Thanks for telling me the gel is safer.
Thanks for the NICE link, I will read.
Fingers crossed that my Femoston 2/10 starts working again, because it did. Also, I see no reason why it shouldn't as it works for almost everyone on here who has upped their dose to 2/10 and I am, afterall, not even fully menopausal yet.
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Could you take someone with you to the next appt., if we feel vulnerable it's easier not to push or have the energy to ask for what we require.
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Dandelion - I just want to add a comment. In one of your posts on this thread you said your flushes have been much better -"I started taking magnesium daily and that has helped loads with the flushes. I only get one on waking and maybe one more on some days" - this is a great improvement, so my impression is that your have most of your meno symptoms under control. Femiston seems to be suiting you because you are not being affected by the progesterone part - I wouldn't try anything else just yet - give it more time. When you move to a different HRT it takes time for the body to adjust and if you try something that mucks up your mental state that would be counterproductive.
You describe getting hot and sweaty when you do some brisk walking - I get hot and sweaty when walking briskly even on HRT - I think this is very normal and not a meno symptom. In fact, I would say that if you are doing appropriate exercise (like walking briskly) getting a bit hot and sweaty would be a good thing!! I never used to sweat much when I was younger but I have found that I do sweat much more these days - I'm just not as fit!!!!
By the way, I came off full HRT four months ago and my meno symptoms haven't been nearly so bad this time. I am 58 now but I took a break from HRT when I was 49 and suffered 3years of flushes, night sweats etc before giving in and going back on HRT fro another 4 and half years. So the idea that when you come off HRT you will just have to go through all the dreadful symptoms anyway is not necessarily true - we are all different and for me it has been a matter of coming off at the right time.
Keep posting - we are here to help. DGx
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I don't sweat as much ::) …………. HORMONES >:(
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Hi CKLD and Dancingirl
I think I will stay on the Femoston longer.
I did notice a reduction in flushes once I got on the magnesium.
I heard about trying magnesium on these boards.
I still sweat on the upper body only, especially the neck.
I think it may be because I am only 7 weeks on the 2/10
As for my doctor, she got all funny when I mentioned HRT, almost like I was trying to get her to prescribe abusable drugs or something. It was like she saw it as a sore subject. She was great when discussing my other meds.
I'm wondering if she is being funny with me because she is also having flushes/sweats but says she has to just put up with them as she is not allowed to take HRT as she has issues that mean that HRT is contra-indicated for her.
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I found this for you and thought it might help with your being unable to stand up to bullies! You could be right about HRT being a touchy subject for your dr- but really, is that a professional way for her to behave? Allowing her own personal circumstances affect how she treats ( in every sense) her patients? Her own circumstances should have no bearing at all on what she does for her patients.
Being assertive means being direct about what you need, want, feel or believe in a way that's respectful of the views of others. It's a communication skill that can reduce conflict, build your self-confidence and improve relationships in the workplace.
Here are some tips to help you learn to be more assertive.
Make the decision to positively assert yourself. Commit to being assertive rather than passive or aggressive and start practising today.
Aim for open and honest communication. Remember to respect other people when you are sharing your feelings, wants, needs, beliefs or opinions.
Listen actively. Try to understand the other person's point of view and don't interrupt when they are explaining it to you.
Agree to disagree. Remember that having a different point of view doesn't mean you are right and the other person is wrong.
Avoid guilt trips. Be honest and tell others how you feel or what you want without making accusations or making them feel guilty.
Stay calm. Breathe normally, look the person in the eye, keep your face relaxed and speak in a normal voice.
Take a problem-solving approach to conflict. Try to see the other person as your friend not your enemy.
Practise assertiveness. Talk in an assertive way in front of a mirror or with a friend. Pay attention to your body language as well as to the words you say.
Use ‘I'. Stick with statements that include ‘I' in them such as ‘I think' or ‘I feel'. Don't use aggressive language such as ‘you always' or ‘you never'.
Be patient. Being assertive is a skill that needs practice. Remember that you will sometimes do better at it than at other times, but you can always learn from your mistakes.
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I found this for you and thought it might help with your being unable to stand up to bullies! You could be right about HRT being a touchy subject for your dr- but really, is that a professional way for her to behave? Allowing her own personal circumstances affect how she treats ( in every sense) her patients? Her own circumstances should have no bearing at all on what she does for her patients.
Being assertive means being direct about what you need, want, feel or believe in a way that's respectful of the views of others. It's a communication skill that can reduce conflict, build your self-confidence and improve relationships in the workplace.
Here are some tips to help you learn to be more assertive.
Make the decision to positively assert yourself. Commit to being assertive rather than passive or aggressive and start practising today.
Aim for open and honest communication. Remember to respect other people when you are sharing your feelings, wants, needs, beliefs or opinions.
Listen actively. Try to understand the other person's point of view and don't interrupt when they are explaining it to you.
Agree to disagree. Remember that having a different point of view doesn't mean you are right and the other person is wrong.
Avoid guilt trips. Be honest and tell others how you feel or what you want without making accusations or making them feel guilty.
Stay calm. Breathe normally, look the person in the eye, keep your face relaxed and speak in a normal voice.
Take a problem-solving approach to conflict. Try to see the other person as your friend not your enemy.
Practise assertiveness. Talk in an assertive way in front of a mirror or with a friend. Pay attention to your body language as well as to the words you say.
Use ‘I'. Stick with statements that include ‘I' in them such as ‘I think' or ‘I feel'. Don't use aggressive language such as ‘you always' or ‘you never'.
Be patient. Being assertive is a skill that needs practice. Remember that you will sometimes do better at it than at other times, but you can always learn from your mistakes.
Hi Sarah
Thank you, that was very thoughtful of you.
Very useful info.
I am great in theory when it comes to assertiveness, i could pass exams, but, when it comes to face-to-face confrontations, my mind goes blank.
It's so frustrating, I want to put my needs across but I end up saying nothing because I just cannot find the words.
I hope I was just being cynical when I mentioned my doctors personal circumstances. I hope she's more mature than that.
Also, I only get a very short period of time with the doctor and am worried she may just refuse to discuss it further with me, once she has consulted her colleague, if her colleague has also not heard of it. She said colleague,not colleagues, so I dunno if she is going to ring a gynae or just speak to another gp with equally antiquated views as she.
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Hi
Have you thought of having a trial run at home over what you want to say?
I am reasonably confident but I still spend time thinking over what I want to say before an appt, even though I have a lovely gynae, because it's easy to forget things.
I know it may sound weird but thinking of what the other person may ask or say to you and formulating your answers- saying it in front of a mirror at home!- is a good way to get your thoughts in order.
Maybe think about saying things along the lines of 'unless you have any strong objections, then I'd like to try x,y,z.'
If she comes back with objections then have you next statement ready. 'I understand that this type of HRT is licensed and available, so could you please explain why it cannot be prescribed...'
If she says she has not heard of something then maybe say' Is there someone else you could refer me to, or can I make another appt with you when you have had time to find out about it?'
None of these are aggressive statements but they do give the impression that you are not going to give up without reasonable explanations.
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I agree with all the useful info and advice form the others Dandelion
And as I said way down early on in this thread, print off the relevant pages on this site and write/type what you want to say so that you have the information in front of you for when your mind goes blank.
It's a bit like a job interview really - and I agree with Sarah - you need to have answers ready for the reasons they may refuse to give you what you want - if it comes down to that - and you have already encountered several objections.
Hurdity x
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I agree with all the useful info and advice form the others Dandelion
And as I said way down early on in this thread, print off the relevant pages on this site and write/type what you want to say so that you have the information in front of you for when your mind goes blank.
It's a bit like a job interview really - and I agree with Sarah - you need to have answers ready for the reasons they may refuse to give you what you want - if it comes down to that - and you have already encountered several objections.
Hurdity x
Hi Hurdity and Sarah
I also agree with having answers ready and I always take brief notes into my doctor to read.
I did this before last appointment, telling her that other women get the HRT they need on the NHS.
Me and my doctor had a conflict before, which resulted in her reluctance to give me the pills I wanted for another non meno reason.
I took in printed information from a respected eminent professor to prove my point, highlighting the relevant bits, as I know my doctor is busy, but she still refused to read it.
Thank you both for these suggestions, but I just feel powerless once my doctor starts getting funny with me.
I even told her I was jealous about other women who's lives had been recovered due to the right HRT.
So, even when armed with notes I have wsritten I still end up tongue tied and intimidated and not getting what I need.
I would love to talk to Doctor Currie about it and wondered if it costs anything for me to email her and ask her a few questions.
I just want my life back :(
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I think if I were you then I'd change to another dr or another practice, or save my pennies if need be and have 1 appt with a specialist. I think the way you are being treated is appalling and you might even consider a formal complaint to the practice manager about being refused reasonable treatment and being heard out!
Dr Currie charges £25 but if your dr won't read info you take in then what notice would she take of an email from another dr?
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I think if I were you then I'd change to another dr or another practice, or save my pennies if need be and have 1 appt with a specialist. I think the way you are being treated is appalling and you might even consider a formal complaint to the practice manager about being refused reasonable treatment and being heard out!
Dr Currie charges £25 but if your dr won't read info you take in then what notice would she take of an email from another dr?
Hi Sarah
Yes, there is always the danger of Dr Lorraine, my doctor, not reading what another doctor writes, but she may if I say it is from a UK consultant (Dr Currie)
What does the 25 pounds charge involve?
I don't really want to change practice, because this practice, and even this doctor, have been really good to me, except with HRT and getting me hooked on valium then making me fight for a prescription. (i no longer need the valium prescription now thankfully)
I really need a specialist who knows aobut meno to speak to my doctor directly.
That was the only way I got the valium, when the consultant spoke to her.
I'm getting really worried, because if 2mg oestradiol is not sufficient for me now, how am I going to be when I am post meno, I am worried that my life is not going to be worth living.
I really don't understand why my ovaries are not producing enough oestrogen at this early stage of meno.
My mum was thrown into meno with a complete hysterectomy, and she never suffered like this. She was a complainer too, everyone knew if she was suffering. She managed her meno with starflower oil etc.
To be honest, I am beginning to wonder if it is just me.
But then, how would I explain the fact that I started getting really hot and sweaty yesterday evening, when my flat is not too warm, and I was in a tshirt?
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No consultant would speak to your GP unless you had made a paid-for appt with them and they wrote to your dr to tell them the outcome of the appt.
There is also no certainty that your dr would take any notice of an email reply from Dr C because it would be general advice- you would not be her patient.
There are no HRT preps that give you more than 2mg oestrogen as far as I know unless you went onto patches or gel. You can go up to 3mgs with gel which is 4 pumps a day. You would need to use a separate progestogen.
2mgs ought to make a difference but are you making lifestyle changes too to try to help? Sometimes we expect HRT to do it all but it doesn't take us back to where we were pre meno so it's worth thinking about your diet and exercise. Cutting out caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods and refined carbs can help over-heating, and my gynae says some women are helped as much by exercise- 30 mins moderate every day- as much as HRT. How are you doing with all of this?
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No consultant would speak to your GP unless you had made a paid-for appt with them and they wrote to your dr to tell them the outcome of the appt.
There is also no certainty that your dr would take any notice of an email reply from Dr C because it would be general advice- you would not be her patient.
There are no HRT preps that give you more than 2mg oestrogen as far as I know unless you went onto patches or gel. You can go up to 3mgs with gel which is 4 pumps a day. You would need to use a separate progestogen.
2mgs ought to make a difference but are you making lifestyle changes too to try to help? Sometimes we expect HRT to do it all but it doesn't take us back to where we were pre meno so it's worth thinking about your diet and exercise. Cutting out caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods and refined carbs can help over-heating, and my gynae says some women are helped as much by exercise- 30 mins moderate every day- as much as HRT. How are you doing with all of this?
Hi Sarah
I want the gel and the bio identical progesterone, like some women on here.
However, I really don't understand why a peri meno woman like me would need so much oestrogen, given how early I am in my meno.
I don't have a lot of money, but I don't want to be prevented from getting the treatment I need.
I don't drink alcohol and mostly don't drink caffeine. I am taking magnesium.
I get excercise, but not always 30 mins sometimmes 20.
I'm just getting really worried about this, because I could have decades left on this planet and I want them to be worth while, because at the moment I am beginning to question is my life worth it as it is.
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I'm sure someone else has asked this but do you have a meno clinic in your area? Have you checked via the links on this site?
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I'm sure someone else has asked this but do you have a meno clinic in your area? Have you checked via the links on this site?
Hi
I don't have a meno clinic near me. The nearest one is a private clinic which costs a bomb, or there is oxford which is out of my area.
There's nothing in this area.
Do you think I really need 3mg of oestrogen?
That sounds too much for a peri menopausal woman.
What if my doctor just refuses to discuss the matter any more?
Thanks
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I thought that under the new rules where anyone could ask to see any consultant anywhere, you could ask to be seen at the meno clinic in Oxford?
You do need to give your current HRT time to work- you have not been on it for 3 months and I know my gynae would encourage anyone to keep going until 12 weeks.
If your dr does refuse to give you what you want then I'd change practices and ask around to find a good one.
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I thought that under the new rules where anyone could ask to see any consultant anywhere, you could ask to be seen at the meno clinic in Oxford?
You do need to give your current HRT time to work- you have not been on it for 3 months and I know my gynae would encourage anyone to keep going until 12 weeks.
If your dr does refuse to give you what you want then I'd change practices and ask around to find a good one.
Hi thanks
I didn't know that you could ask to speak to a consultant anywhere, thanks for that.
I will keep going for 12 weeks.
My prescription runs out at the time I next see my GP.
I could ask for another prescription of 2/10 to take while I am waiting to see a consultant.
I just hope she isn't funny about it.
I have no fight left in me. I don't have to fight for what I should be given. It seems a waste, why does she not just give me what I want then all willl be well?
I suffer from depression and anxiety which is managed ok by meds, but the hormonal anxiety and depression on top is just making life not worth living for me at the moment.
I can't be ar$ed with all the sweats mooods and flucshes.
I will give my 2/10 the full three months, but I think it is just wishful thinking expecting it to suddenly start working.
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Hi
have a look at this web page it has good advice about getting the best from an appointment with your GP
Lubylou
http://littlelinden-hrc.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/getting-best-from-your-doctor.html
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Hi again
If you want a consultant's opinion and treatment, your dr would have to agree that you need to be referred to a specialist in the first place, then agree to you seeing someone else other than at your local hospital.
Read this:
http://www.nhs.uk/choiceintheNHS/Yourchoices/hospitalchoice/Pages/Choosingahospital.aspx
It could be that your depression and anxiety are making your meno symptoms worse- it is well known that any stress can make these symptoms worse.
Are you being treated for these separately with counselling or CBT to find out what is causing depression and anxiety?
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Hi again
If you want a consultant's opinion and treatment, your dr would have to agree that you need to be referred to a specialist in the first place, then agree to you seeing someone else other than at your local hospital.
Read this:
http://www.nhs.uk/choiceintheNHS/Yourchoices/hospitalchoice/Pages/Choosingahospital.aspx
It could be that your depression and anxiety are making your meno symptoms worse- it is well known that any stress can make these symptoms worse.
Are you being treated for these separately with counselling or CBT to find out what is causing depression and anxiety?
Hi
I am on medication for my anxiety and depression and it's working.
It's the menopause which is making it worse and the prospect of living a restricted life with only partially effective hrt.
So, does this mean, that if my doctor refuses to refer me onto a consultant, then I will just have to make do with inadequate hrt that is not fully solving my symptoms?
Maybe if I told her how other women get referred to consultants/menopause clinics so why should I have to just have a general practitioner with limited knowledge?
I hate unfair treatment, where some people are looked after and others just told to go away and suffer.
If that's the case, then, how come some other women in the UK get the gel and bio identical hormones.
I don't understand why I am having to go through all this pointless hassle when she should just look up the meds I need and give me them, and that would be an end to my problems.
It's just a case of giving me stronger oestradiol and bio identical prog and life would be a whole lot easier.
Where to go forward from here, to get the hrt I actually want?
Thanks
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Don't wait the 3 months! You could speak with a Pharmacist, they have private rooms now. You could ask what they 'usually' prescribe for ladies and ask if they know which Surgeries support menopause ……… or speak to your Practice Nurse? I think that prescriptions are budget led! Do you have friends in your area at different Surgeries to the one you use? Doctors are there because they are paid by US! is there a Patient Forum within your Practice that you could join in order to find out from the inside out how the Practice works ;)
Don't let your mental health issues determine your other health needs! Take a friend with you to discuss what is required? Sometimes GPs need guidance more than the patient >:(
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Hi Dandelion.
I've been posting with you since you first joined the site and I know you have all kinds of anxiety and depression issues. You have obviously been very brave and practical in dealing with your health problems. I am sensing that you are becoming really overwhelmed with all the issues around the menopause and HRT. From the outset I was worried because you hoped that HRT would solve all your problems and make everything better.
I certainly found that though HRT helped with many of my menopause symptoms there were always down sides to HRT e.g. PMS, period pains, feeling bloated etc.
The progesterone is nearly always the problematic part of HRT and you are not reacting badly to the progesterone in Femiston which is great. If you change to using Oestrogel and then find the progesterone part doesn't suit you (even Utrogestan can have side effects) you might not be any better off.
Quite rightly, you are questioning whether you need much more oestrogen considering you are in peri meno - I doubt that you do. When I was peri I tried a variety of HRTs at the beginning and when I tried a higher dose oestrogen I found I got very hot, sweaty and shaky!!!!! Everyone is different and through peri meno your hormones fluctuate so it's very difficult to get the hormone balance absolutely right.
Sarah rightly raised the issue of lifestyle and particularly exercise. I think one of your issues is that when you try to take exercise e.g. brisk walking, you get really hot and sweaty which you really hate? Your body is actually struggling to control your body temperature?
The problem is, the less exercise you take the more likely you are to sweat when you do exert yourself - it becomes a viscous circle?!!!
I was a professional dancer in my youth and really didn't sweat much at all in comparison to some of my fellow dancers - even in the height of summer!!! When I did any filming, where my make up was done by a profession make-up artist, they always loved me because I didn't sweat in the face so my makeup never needed touching up. NOW, I break out in a sweat all around my head & face at the slightest thing - even when I am on HRT!!!! I am a very active person, I walk a lot, love gardening etc. so I have just had to get used to the fact I sweat a lot now!
The point I am trying to make is, don't expect HRT to fix everything. If the night sweats are better and allowing you to sleep, if the flushes during the day have reduced, then you are on the way to getting things under control.
Your have found that Magnesium has helped - well I think you need to start a little exercise regime - nothing too taxing, take it slowly - maybe this would help?
I taught an adult ladies dance class for beginners a few years ago - most of them menopausal ladies - and we had great fun. Is there a class near you e.g. yoga, pilates or dance that you feel you could try?
I don't know whether you work or not but if you are at home most of the time and focusing too much on the meno and HRT then trying other strategies might help. I think you need to keep in mind that some women find HRT fabulous and it makes life worth living - for others it makes things better but not perfect. :hug: DG xxx
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Good post Dancinggirl
Dandelion - do try not to worry so much and see if you can relax a little if you can.
:bighug:
Hurdity x
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Anxiety causes us to focus intently on 'stuff' >:( - I constantly listened to my guts or brain ……. DH often said that if I didn't have anything to worry about I would find something >:( :bang:
I had to teach myself not to plan too far ahead, not to take on too many commitments and to take care of me. Not to pander to others and to learn to say 'no' and mean it, that way I could concentrate on my needs. Once my anxiety is under control I can do a little more each day but if it hits ……….. :sigh:
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Dandelion -It's actually GOOD to sweat! When you exercise you need to do enough to break into a sweat.
I sweat when out walking (briskly) and I get round this by wearing on old T shirt ( or thermal vest at the moment!) under an old jumper. I keep a selection of old and fairly tatty clothes just for this. The only other people out are dog walkers in similar clothes! When I get home I often shower midday- just a quick 5 minute shower - if I am going to be working later in the day, out of the house. I can sometimes shower 3 x a day- when I get up, after exercise and before bed. So- don't let sweating put you off doing things.
Maybe you could join a local gym if you can afford it? Or as DG says, a dance class or a class for adults who want to exercise?
When you have been on your HRT for 12 weeks then go back and talk to your dr about trying another kind and see what she says.
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Hi Dandelion,
Just wondered if you have considered swimming?
I have found it to be good as the water keeps me lovely and cool while at the same time the excercise is a great way of relieving anxiety.
;)
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Don't wait the 3 months! You could speak with a Pharmacist, they have private rooms now. You could ask what they 'usually' prescribe for ladies and ask if they know which Surgeries support menopause ……… or speak to your Practice Nurse? I think that prescriptions are budget led! Do you have friends in your area at different Surgeries to the one you use? Doctors are there because they are paid by US! is there a Patient Forum within your Practice that you could join in order to find out from the inside out how the Practice works ;)
Don't let your mental health issues determine your other health needs! Take a friend with you to discuss what is required? Sometimes GPs need guidance more than the patient >:(
Hi CKLD
I feel I need to wait the full three months, because I have only been on the Femoston 2/10 for seven weeks. Not really long enough to say outright that it is not working.
I mentioned that I was thinking wishfully expecting it to start working again, but at the same time, I don't want to stop it yet as I can not be sure it wont. It did work for a while and it partially works now, just not fully.
I still feel like I cant be bothered and have no energy and also in bed, just before I get up, I get surges of adrenaline in my stomach.
Thanks for the pharmacist suggestion. I did go into Boots and spoke to the pharmacist there about doctors and hrt, she had never heard of micronised progesterone or utrogestan.
Maybe I could go back and ask what they usually prescribe for perimenopausal ladies.
I will also ask what surgeries support menopause.
I asked our surgery about a practice nurse and she said they don't have one. Nurses do see some patients for various things but not regarding meno.
Our surgery has no patient forum. I only live in a small town. The only other surgery near me is really bad for getting appointments. Apparently you ring first thing and its engaged, and by the time you get through all the appts are gone.
It's a good suggestion aobut taking a friend with me, but I don't have anyone who I can take. I think people kinda glaze over when I talk aobut menopause, so I no longer talk about it much.
I wish I could bring one of the ladies from here to talk to my doc heheheh
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I think you might find you have more energy if you can manage to increase your exercise by doing something physical every day. Far from making us more tired, exercise actaully gives you more energy and it is also well known for being a mood-lifter and helping anxiety.
You might find that making some lifestyle changes along these lines are all you need to complement the HRT and make you feel better all round.
Sometimes it's tempting to think that HRT is going to solve all our physical and emotional problems, which is unrealistic. It's really only one of the things we should use in middle age to make us feel better, but making other changes that are under our own control can help too.
Don't worry about sweating during exercise- you are supposed to sweat! But the fitter you become the less you will sweat at the slightest bit of exercise.
Have you thought about writing to your dr before an appt? maybe if you wrote a letter and enclosed the information ( from the web) about the different HRT you wanted to try, it would then give her the chance to read it before you have your appt?
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Hi Dandelion
I've just read through some of the posts on this thread again to try and get an overall picture of what you are trying to achieve. You say that you hope the HRT will start to work again!!!??? You describe your flushes etc as much less which means the HRT is working BUT what you seem to want is for the upper heat/surges to stop - these symptoms may not be menopause related.
Have the doctors checked your thyroid function lately because at menopause this can be an issue and could be causing the sweating?!! Poor thyroid function would cause fatigue, sweating anxiety etc.!!!!
If I was you I would be questioning some of the other medication you take as I wonder if this is effecting things - maybe they are not working as they should?
We are all urging you to look at lifestyle - in particular exercise - which can make a significant difference to our health and the way we feel.
If I was your close friend I would urge you to stick with the Femiston, try to get out and about in the Spring weather, focus on something you enjoy doing, keep a diary (you write really good posts). Then if in 2-3 months things are still not better write up all your concerns and questions, include all the strategies you are trying e.g. extra brisk walking and make a double appointment with the GP to ask what else can be done to help you feel better.
As I said before, you are a brave lady - you can conquer this phase in your life. DG :hug:
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Hi DG
Yeah I'm thinking I will stick to the femoston 2/10 for now.
I could do with losing a bit of weight, because I have a feeling the fact that I am tubby may make meno symptoms worse, is this true?
Thanks
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Being overweight will always mean your body has to work harder to do everything- so your heart is working harder all the time and your 'cooling system' will be working harder, which is why larger people tend to find heat more tiring and have less energy.
It depends how much weight you are talking about...a few pounds won't make much difference but if it's over half a stone or more then yes, it will probably.
Do you fancy some exercise and if so, which?
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Hi dandelion. You are absolutely right, carrying extra weight will definitely worsen meno symptoms as well as make you sweat more. If I were you I'd set simple goals e.g. to do a little more exercise - this could just be a 30 min brisk walk per day to start with - and cut down on what you eat - particularly cut down on refined carbs like sugar.
I'm afraid weight gain is often inevitable as we go through peri meno but if we don't keep it under control it can run away with us. I am eating at least a 20% less than I used to eat and I am still 2 sizes bigger (round my hips and waist) than I was 10 years ago - very depressing!!! :-\
As Sarah says, is there any type of exercise you feel you would like to do? Keep posting DG x
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Might be a good idea to set yourself a daily goal as DG says and put into a spread sheet or a diary!
eg walk for 30 minutes 5 x a week, cut out carbs for at least one meal a day, eat cake, biscuits or sweets as a once a week treat....
small changes add up.
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There are two aspects to being overweight - for a start it is bad for your health generally and puts you at risk of a whole range of health problems. This is will known.
However women who are overweight also have more oestrogen because estrone is stored in fat cells and some of this I understand is converted to estradiol.
Therefore extra weight can make some symptoms worse, but conversely can ease them - later. However I think this difference would only become apparent at post-menopause - if you are peri, and especially if you are taking oestrogen, then extra weight will undoubtedly make you overheat and less likely to want to take exercise.
Hurdity x
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There are two aspects to being overweight - for a start it is bad for your health generally and puts you at risk of a whole range of health problems. This is will known.
However women who are overweight also have more oestrogen because estrone is stored in fat cells and some of this I understand is converted to estradiol.
Therefore extra weight can make some symptoms worse, but conversely can ease them - later. However I think this difference would only become apparent at post-menopause - if you are peri, and especially if you are taking oestrogen, then extra weight will undoubtedly make you overheat and less likely to want to take exercise.
Hurdity x
Hi Ladies
Thanks for all the input about weight. I'm sorry its taken a while to reply, but I have been reading about weight gain and lack of oestrogen and am worried.
I was always siim until two-three years ago.
The weight gain started coming around the time the flushes and sweats did, so I am sure it co-incided with my drop in oestrogen levels.
It is all on my middle, my thighs and bum are still slim.
I read that this weight gain around the middle is due to lowered oestrogen.
Since starting my HRT in October, the weight has not gone, despite upping my dose to Femoston 2/10 two months ago.
I am worried that my weight gain around my waist, which came at time perimeno started is due to lack of oestrogen and somehow I am not getting the oestrogen my tablets.
I read on here about a woman not absorbing her oral hrt.
I am now worried that I am not absorbing the oestrogen in my Femoston and I am also worried I am still at risk of osteoporosis.
Please could you help.
Thanks
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Hi Dandelion
I am like you gained so much weight and put it all around the middle it feels like my digestion system has stopped working altogether and like you googled it and found so many disturbing things. I was full of doom and gloom I am 3 weeks post op for hip surgery so not at all mobile, I then down loaded an ap (free) don't think I am allowed to name it. I started eating apples rather have chocolate and I enter everything into my ap it has all foods listed, what a shock I thought I ate so little but when I see how many calories I do consume wow because I forget that tea and coffee wine all contain calories. I have found this ap has motivated me to do more i.e I am struggling to walk but there I am walking around the block with 2 walking sticks and couldn't wait to put it in my ap not once but about 3 times yesterday . Last night I resisted a glass of rose wine cos I didn't want to put it in my ap and guess what got up this morning and I have lost 4lbs. I was convinced I couldn't lose weight and my tummy seems less bloated early days I know. There is a community blog so it gives a lot of motivation it is worth a try. I have downloaded it on my laptop
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Hi Dandelion
I am like you gained so much weight and put it all around the middle it feels like my digestion system has stopped working altogether and like you googled it and found so many disturbing things. I was full of doom and gloom I am 3 weeks post op for hip surgery so not at all mobile, I then down loaded an ap (free) don't think I am allowed to name it. I started eating apples rather have chocolate and I enter everything into my ap it has all foods listed, what a shock I thought I ate so little but when I see how many calories I do consume wow because I forget that tea and coffee wine all contain calories. I have found this ap has motivated me to do more i.e I am struggling to walk but there I am walking around the block with 2 walking sticks and couldn't wait to put it in my ap not once but about 3 times yesterday . Last night I resisted a glass of rose wine cos I didn't want to put it in my ap and guess what got up this morning and I have lost 4lbs. I was convinced I couldn't lose weight and my tummy seems less bloated early days I know. There is a community blog so it gives a lot of motivation it is worth a try. I have downloaded it on my laptop
Hi
Glad you have found an answer to your weight loss and may you have a quick reovery from your op.
I'm worried that I am not getting the oestrogen out of my hrt pills.
I am also worried because I was peri for two or more years and vulnerable to osteoporosis.
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Dandelion
HRT alone won't stop you gaining weight- it's not a 'cure' for weight gain. It's not logical to say that you are gaining weight therefore you are not absorbing oestrogen in your HRT. You do need to stop worrying so much about whether the HRT is working and give it a chance.
Regardless of whether anyone takes HRT or not, weight gain in middle age is common - in men too. The fat tends to go on the abdomen. This is the most dangerous place as it is a sign of visceral fat- around the internal organs as well- causing diabetes and heart disease.
You need far fewer calories in middle age than in your 20s.
What are you eating and how much exercise are you doing?
We have tried to encourage you to try some kind of exercise - is this something you feel able to do? It will make you feel better in so many ways and help control your weight.
Why are you so worried about osteoporosis? Do you have any risk factors?
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Hi
I am worried because it is peri that has made me gain weight.
I was slim before peri, very slim.
This is what makes me think that lack of oestrogen has caused the weight gain.
I've read on several sites that lack of oestrogen causes weight gain.
I am worried because I may not be absorbing the oestrogen in my pills. I am still getting symptoms despite being on 2/10 for two months. I do feel I have given it a chance to work but it is only partially working.
I am worried that as the femoston is not working, then I may not be absorbing oestrogen, and that, together with being perimenopausal for two years or more (early peri) with no hrt may be putting me at risk of osteoporosis.
Thanks :)
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ALL people in middle age gain weight unless they start to eat less or move around more. It's to do with a change in metabolism. It affects women mainly after the menopause but are all women post menopause overweight? No- because they have found ways of controlling their weight by eating less and moving around more. It's not just about a lack of oestrogen.
I think you have some misunderstandings. All women go through peri menopause. It's the run up to menopause.
Not all women take HRT during peri to prevent osteoporosis- in fact the majority don't.
why not sign up to something like this and see how you go?
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/
How old were you when you started peri meno?
If you are worried about this then you need to make sure you have a good diet that includes enough calcium and Vit D- and do exercise.
Why not post what you normally eat over a couple of days and we can take a look- and tell us what exercise you are doing?
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sarah that's the one I have downloaded,it is good and hope my enthusiasim lasts , I have gained weight without hrt when I googled my symptoms I was sure there was something wrong with my digestive system due to lack of estrogen. I might add that when I did try HRT I gained even more weight quickly some people do, I am recently post menopausal and thought it was impossible to lose weight so now I have lost a few pounds I feel as if I can do this. I feel like whilst I was in the throws of peri and even now I overthink things and should not google.
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I really think it's more to do with age and metabolism than meno.
Up until I was 40 I could eat anything and frequently did. I also had young children and was running around a lot. The weight started to slowly creep on. I was not peri at this age that did not happen until my late 40s.
I had a big rethink regarding what I ate. I did not diet I just ate the same but much much less and nothing between meals. The weight came off. Now,at 54, I am still quite slim but my body shape has altered a lot. I carry a bit of excess fat around my middle and nothing shifts it. I am 5ft 1 and weigh 8st 4 at the moment so not very overweight.
It's more age than anything else.
I agree with Sarah, you need to stop worrying. The worry is most likely to contribute to your symptoms and not feeling great.
Perhaps approach your GP with a view to CBT to help you sort out why you feel this way.
Honeyb
x
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HB- have you thought about the 5:2 diet?
It might help shift the midriff bulge!
I'm not overweight but I do notice that I am more sedentary and although I do exercise, I am still sitting for a lot of the day with my work, compared to when I was younger.
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Here's a different take on the estrogen and weight quandary.
http://www.chatelaine.com/health/diet/how-having-too-much-estrogen-can-make-you-gain-weight/
For me personally any added hormones makes me more chunky. When I have a break from my patch I do notice the difference especially in the legs of cause it could be less water held tissues.
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ALL people in middle age gain weight unless they start to eat less or move around more. It's to do with a change in metabolism. It affects women mainly after the menopause but are all women post menopause overweight? No- because they have found ways of controlling their weight by eating less and moving around more. It's not just about a lack of oestrogen.
I think you have some misunderstandings. All women go through peri menopause. It's the run up to menopause.
Not all women take HRT during peri to prevent osteoporosis- in fact the majority don't.
why not sign up to something like this and see how you go?
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/
How old were you when you started peri meno?
If you are worried about this then you need to make sure you have a good diet that includes enough calcium and Vit D- and do exercise.
Why not post what you normally eat over a couple of days and we can take a look- and tell us what exercise you are doing?
Hi Sarah2
I appreciate your help, and here is what I think.
I'm worried because I could have started peri meno when I was 43 at the earliest.
I'm worried that the 2-4 years of peri meno where I did not take hormones has put me at risk of osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis scares the hell out of me, as I have no family to turn to or no friends and there probably wont be much in the way of a health service when i am elderly, and I have no money.
I guess I was about 43-44 yrs old when peri started. I am 47 and a half years old now.
The reason I am not clear about how old I was when peri started is because I used to be addicted to valium and at the time I was going through withdrawals where anxiety, depression, sweating, and feeling hot were also symptoms.
It's been said on the tranquiliser addiction forum that meno symptoms mimic withdrawals.
The withdrawawl based anxiety and depression were much much worse. They gradually got better but never fully.
This is because the perimeno kicked in unbeknownst to me.
I thought I was suffering residual withdrawal symptoms from 2009 to 2013, when really I was suffering peri.
HRT has partially worked for me. Everything is reduced, but I still don't feel I have my life back.
I know valilum withdrawals were not to blame, because I gradually reduced the dose and did not experience any worsening symptoms. I had symptoms from withdrawal of tranqs that were not peri, so I could tell.
The sweats were different. I only ever sweat on my upper body in peri and my scalp.
I can get overheated as soon as I feel stress even if I have not been physically exerting myself.
I don't excercise much. I am not motivated.
You can do all the excercise you like but if you are still lacking in the right hormones for you, you will feel too depressed and unmotivated to do it.
I feel depressed. I go out with nowhere to go and I feel a spare part. I feel uncomfy in my own skin. Going out like this has previously made me more depressed. I don't like being out alone.
Even when I was thin I never excercised. I was always the sort who could eat loads and never bother about weight.
I think it's too co-incidental that the weight and the sweats etc came at the same time.
I don't understand why I cannot get oestragel and bio identical progesterone, when other women who femoston 2/10 doesnt work for, can get it and feel better.
I would love to hear from peri women who's oral hormone dose is not enough, and who got the bio identical prog and gel/patches of oestrogen, to see what they have to say.
OK so, I know there is always the possibility that this may not happen if I cross to oestrogel and bio identical prog, but at least I will have tried.
I am being denied the opportunity to try, all because my doctors infomation is based on faulty studies done over a decade ago.
Other women can get these on nhs prescription so why I am being told I will just have to go through it if none of the options my doctor has works?
Is it a practice thing? Do only certain practices issue certain drugs?
Is it a postcode lottery? If so, it sounds like social engineering, because someone's negative mood can affect the whole atmosphere.
I know there are many women with success from the patches and norethisterone, but having once had my moods severely affected by tranquiliser withdrawal and recovered, I feel like it is a big gamble choosing this option.
As for my diet, that is really restricted by budget. I also only have a tiny freezer and an oven that wont heat if the stove is on and vice versa. I don't have the room for a big oven or freezer, worktop or not. I don't buy fresh veg because it is too expensive and I don't have the space to many store ready cooked meals .
I had sausage and beans last night. I eat about half a pack of bisciuits a day, and one or two pieces of fruit most days.
I go to a centre once a week and get a hot meal with meat and veg.
I might not eat or do excercise very well, but even if I had the best excercise and diet, I would still feel crap if I was not on enough of the hormones I need.
I do not feel motivated to do excercises. Right now, all I want to do is go back to bed, but I will force myself to go out as I need stuff from the shop.
I want to want to feel good, right now I don't.
I'm not saying I won't look at excercise and diet, but I do believe if your hormones are out of whack then you're limited in what you can do.
EDIT, I'm also not saying that good diet does not improve mood but again, if the hormones are out of wha...............
Sorry for the sermon but I hope it helps. :)
Thanks
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Dandelion in perimenopause you most often don't lack estrogen, when I was 47 my estrogen went into overdrive, causing lots of symptoms including a fibroid and very sore breasts.
Its progesterone that lowers and is the cause of women gaining weight.
I very much doubt that you are not absorbing your HRT even if it is not the HRT you want. Hormones are hormones which ever type you take. Women usually want to change their HRT if they are getting side effects, some ladies even do well on the synthetic hormones e.g. Premarin, perhaps even better. Hormones also do not always solve problems. The more hormones you take the more likely you are to put on more weight.
I think maybe you have too much sugar and carbs in your diet, this more then fats, protein, fibre and vegetables will put weight on anybody.
This is only my own view and I wish I could be of more help to you.
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Here's a different take on the estrogen and weight quandary.
http://www.chatelaine.com/health/diet/how-having-too-much-estrogen-can-make-you-gain-weight/
For me personally any added hormones makes me more chunky. When I have a break from my patch I do notice the difference especially in the legs of cause it could be less water held tissues.
Hi I had a quick look at that but will read more when I come back home.
I did read the symptoms of too much oestrogen and they don't tally with me. My periods are fine, I don't get pmt, or any other of the symptoms, except for the apple shaped body, which is also a symptom of perimenopause.
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I don't excercise much. I am not motivated.
You can do all the excercise you like but if you are still lacking in the right hormones for you, you will feel too depressed and unmotivated to do it.
I feel depressed. I go out with nowhere to go and I feel a spare part. I feel uncomfy in my own skin. Going out like this has previously made me more depressed. I don't like being out alone.
Dandelion
I think you are blaming all your physical symptoms on your hormones when in fact it's more psychological.
Exercise releases endorphins which make you feel happy.
Exercise is good for depression.
Have a look at this link- if you can't be bothered to read the whole thing then look at the graph. It's clear that taking a walk outside is a way of boosting self esteem and treating depression.
http://www.mind.org.uk/media/211252/Ecotherapy_The_green_agenda_for_mental_health_Executive_summary.pdf
You have to start somewhere- and only you can do it. Instead of saying you can't do something, why not start thinking you can?
It's all about mental attitude.
There is a HUGE amount you can do to help yourself.
HRT is not a miracle cure.
If you cannot work, have you thought about being a volunteer? I think that if you got out and met other people and didn't worry so much about all of this you would feel better.
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The more hormones you take the more likely you are to put on more weight.
This is not correct.
There are papers on the web - proper research- showing that there is no evidence at all that HRT causes weight gain.
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I don't excercise much. I am not motivated.
You can do all the excercise you like but if you are still lacking in the right hormones for you, you will feel too depressed and unmotivated to do it.
I feel depressed. I go out with nowhere to go and I feel a spare part. I feel uncomfy in my own skin. Going out like this has previously made me more depressed. I don't like being out alone.
Dandelion
I think you are blaming all your physical symptoms on your hormones when in fact it's more psychological.
Exercise releases endorphins which make you feel happy.
Exercise is good for depression.
Have a look at this link- if you can't be bothered to read the whole thing then look at the graph. It's clear that taking a walk outside is a way of boosting self esteem and treating depression.
http://www.mind.org.uk/media/211252/Ecotherapy_The_green_agenda_for_mental_health_Executive_summary.pdf
You have to start somewhere- and only you can do it. Instead of saying you can't do something, why not start thinking you can?
It's all about mental attitude.
It's not your hormones- that is an excuse. There is a HUGE amount you can do to help yourself which you are not doing.
What you have written is not medically correct- because exercise, the right food and a positive approach are what work.
You don't need an oven or a big freezer or whatever to eat healthily and biscuits are expensive.
Hi Sarah
The biscuits I buy are 23p a packet, and I only have half a pack a day.
I respect your opinon, but I do not agree that my problems are psychological.
How is soaking my clothes psychological. How are hot flushes psychological?
I know when I am having a hot flush or a bout of sweats from peri.
How can I excercise when I am just not motivated?
I know my own body and I know it is lack of hormones that is causing me to feel unmotivated and apathetic.
PS I used to get diarrhoea every morning but that got a lot better when I went on the 2/10.
It still comes and goes but not as bad as before or when I was on 1/10
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Motivation has to come from you.
You have to make yourself do something even if you don't want to, because you want the end result.
You have to make yourself do it because the odds are that quite soon the effects will kick in and you will start to feel better.
Exercise has been shown to reduce hot flushes. There is quite a lot about this on the web.
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Motivation has to come from you.
You have to make yourself do something even if you don't want to, because you want the end result.
You have to make yourself do it because the odds are that quite soon the effects will kick in and you will start to feel better.
Exercise has been shown to reduce hot flushes. There is quite a lot about this on the web.
I'm not saying I don't need excercise but I do need the right hormones, in the same way other women on here get them when their oral hrt is just not enough.
I doubt that femoston will start working now, but I hope that I am proved wrong.
I know that when my mood is better I am more happy to leave the flat but right now, I don't want to leave the flat.
Before I was on hrt it was worse, upping the femoston has helped but only partially.
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Sorry I don't agree that Hormones don't put weight on, for a lot of women they do no matter what the "papers" say.
You only have to look on other forums and read what some women are saying. I certainly found that they do especially on the breasts and tummy.
Even on this forum some ladies have said they do and when they come off HRT they lose weight.
Ten pounds is the average that women can put on.
For every woman who puts no weight on with HRT there is one who does, no matter what the *papers" say HRT consists of female steroids and by their nature increase appetite especially for sweet things. Women are not text book cases.
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I don't see how you can compare research papers and anecdotal evidence which is influenced by so many other factors.
There is some evidence that weight gain around the menopause ( with or without HRT) drops off once women are through menopause. So women who come off HRT and lose weight may be losing the weight they would have anyway at that stage of their lives.
What would you say about women who had taken or were taking HRT and had not put weight on?
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Sorry I don't agree that Hormones don't put weight on, for a lot of women they do no matter what the "papers" say.
You only have to look on other forums and read what some women are saying. I certainly found that they do especially on the breasts and tummy.
Even on this forum some ladies have said they do and when they come off HRT they lose weight.
Ten pounds is the average that women can put on.
Hi
I didn't say hormones dont put weight on. They do, women with an excess of oestrogen can put weight on the hips and thighs.
It is known that menopause or peri can make women put weight on their belly and upper body like me.
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Sorry Dandelion I was replying to Sarah2's post. I did not make myself clear.
The more hormones you take the more likely you are to put on more weight, this my quote.
"This is not correct.
There are papers on the web - proper research- showing that there is no evidence at all that HRT causes weight gain" quote from Sarah2
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Hi all I would like to add my bit please, I saw finally the HRT specialist Friday and he said that women who are on the pill contraception tend to put weight on around their hips and thighs, hour glass is it but women who are on HRT or women who are going through the menopause (not sure which one it is) put weight on around the middle, for which I have , sorry to butt in but that is what he said when I asked why is it I have put weight on around my waist and middle :-\
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Sarah2, women come in all shapes and sizes, different metabolisms, different everything, some women can take HRT and not put on weight, and others do.
An umbrella statement that HRT does not cause weight gain in my opinion in not true.
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I am definitely carrying more weight around my middle regions when I am on HRT. I don't weigh more than I did but the distribution is different. I would not want to weigh less as I look drawn and older.
The contraceptive pill most definitely makes a difference. My 19 yr old is on the mini pill. She is 5ft 5 and weighs just over 7 stone. She always has been a stick insect but now one with boobs and a bum. The only thing that is different is the pill.
I know you think you can't exercise because your hormones are not right but the point (I think) Sarah is trying to make is....if you make an effort, no matter how much you don't feel like it, it raises the feel good hormones....so you are helping yourself in a natural way. I often feel terrible with my anxiety and my dear hubby (bless him) insists that I put my coat on and get out and walk. I always feel better afterwards than I did before.
It's very difficult to diet on a limited budget. Even a few very small changes can help. Supermarkets reduce the price on fresh fruit and veg at the end of the day and the bargains are great. Maybe worth a look. That could give you some variety and not cost you a fortune.
Honeyb
x
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I found some information on this website about the whole issue of diet exercise, lifestyle and weight gain around menopause, Dandelion which might help explain what has been mentioned in a lot of posts.
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/weightgain.php
Also I sympathise with having to cook on a budget. However I do agree that you would benefit from changing your diet which would really help with the weight gain issue (not the distribution though!). For example you can get other cheap forms of protein which are less fatty (sausages are very high infat) and don't put on weight such as tinned tuna, eggs and other tinned fish like sardines which are also cheap. All of these contain less fat. Beans and pulses of all kinds are good and filling too.
You will probably be getting quite a lot of sugar rushes and dips from snacking on biscuits which can't be good for your insulin levels and can lead to low blood sugar and associated irritability. I appreciate they are cheap. Plain wholewheat digestive biscuits are better than others for blood sugar and contain slower release sugars. A handful of nuts and rasins, although containing sugar and fat - will fill up that whole and provide some protein and other useful nutrients!
I don't know how much time you have and whether you work full time? If so then I can see that cooking would be tiring but otherwise perhaps try experimenting a bit - I'm sure there are lots of ideas and ways to cook on a budget on the web!
I would have thought you could buy some veg as cheaply as tinned beans for example - like carrots and celery. Stir-fries are very nutritious quick to do and based around vegetables - add an egg and some noodles ( or cheap pasta) and you have a balanced healthy meal.
Lidl and Aldi sell fruit and veg much cheaper than the big supermarkets (and some are better quality!) - but the big supers also always have reduced stuff at the end of the day.
I hope you don't mind my adding these suggestions but when you say "I might not eat or do excercise very well, but even if I had the best excercise and diet, I would still feel crap if I was not on enough of the hormones I need." it really is the other way round at menopause! No amount of hormones will make you feel better if your diet is poor and you have insuficcient exercise., but I can say you are in a bit of a vicious circle at the moment.
Why not try just one little step at a time - maybe write a list of things you need or want to change, or how you want to feel, and set yourself goals - like tomorrow I will make a healthy cheap evening meal, or walk for 10 minutes. If you need some support with this why not share with us and we can encourage you along the way?!
Hope you don;t think this is a lecture but I could sense from your posts that you are at a bit of a loss and finding it all a bit overwhelming at the moment.
It will get better and as others have said try to banish negative thoughts whenever they pop into your head - starting tomorrow!!
Hurdity :sunny:
Edit - honeybun I've just seen you have said the same as me re the fruit and veg - didn't see your post when I pressed the button as I was typing this for ages!
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Yes HB that is what I was saying- that sometimes we don't feel like doing something but afterwards we are pleased that we made the effort.
I often would rather stay indoors in the warm rather than put on 4 layers of clothes to have a walk- but once I'm out I feel better for having done it.
If we wait to feel 'in the mood' then that moment often never comes!
One thought about food - maybe buy a student cookbook- or pick one up from a 2nd hand book shop or ebay? Student cook books are all about eating well and cheaply- something like jacket potatoes with a can of tuna, sardines on toast, wholewheat pasta with a tin of tomatoes/onion/ few herbs made into a sauce- are all cheap meals.
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That sounds like my daughter's meals for a week. She shops at Aldis and has impressed me with her inventiveness with pasta, rice, tuna and bits,and bobs of veg. She eats really cheaply but quite well. She also eats a lot of baked potatoes with beans or tuna. Stir fries are also a favourite. She goes to a Chinese supermarket and gets very cheap noodles etc.
She is almost a vegetarian when she is away from home as she can't buy meat in small enough quantities and is not confident enough to cook it anyway.
I did get her a student cook book from Amazon for about three pounds and that's where a lot of her ideas have come from.
It takes a bit more thought to eat cheaply and well but is possible especially if you shop at the end of the day. She is always phoning me to tell me about the bargains she has picked up from Tescos for pennies.
Honeyb
x
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Yes HB that is what I was saying- that sometimes we don't feel like doing something but afterwards we are pleased that we made the effort.
I often would rather stay indoors in the warm rather than put on 4 layers of clothes to have a walk- but once I'm out I feel better for having done it.
If we wait to feel 'in the mood' then that moment often never comes!
One thought about food - maybe buy a student cookbook- or pick one up from a 2nd hand book shop or ebay? Student cook books are all about eating well and cheaply- something like jacket potatoes with a can of tuna, sardines on toast, wholewheat pasta with a tin of tomatoes/onion/ few herbs made into a sauce- are all cheap meals.
I feel like you are doubting my meno symptoms are still with me, despite hrt.
I forgot to mention above,
Why am I still getting night sweats every night?
If I don't put the fan on I wake up wet.
I shouldnt need a fan on in march.
That, and the other symptoms I am getting point toward the fact that my femoston is NOT working.
Sorry, but I am beginning to feel a bit frustrated.
I am saying over and over again, my hrt is not covering my symptoms and I feel that no one listening to me when I say I need stronger hrt.
Even if I do excercies I should not be getting night sweats.
What reason am I getting them still - perimenopause symptoms.
Also, my question on osteporosis was not answered.
Will I be more at risk of this cos I started meno at 43yrs.
Thanks
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Dandelion as I understand it, a relatively low dose of estrogen is required to prevent osteoporosis so I should think you would have enough during peri and on femiston. During peri it is progesterone that tends to fall first. If you don't feel your hrt is working then ask for a referral to a specialist if your dr won't give you an alternative. I know you think he gel may be better but I started hrt with the gel and had absorption problems and could not get stable or high estrogen levels so this may not be the answer you think/hope it may be. I know you are feeling frustrated but try to ask yourself if your symptoms are improved? I don't think hrt is a guarantee to relieve every symptom. I hope u feel better soon
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Dandelion
I'm sorry you are frustrated. Everyone is trying hard to help you.
You have had some very good advice here from Hurdity and others- what do you think of the suggestions?
Hurdity linked to some information on this site which says that HRT alone may not control symptoms.
It's not being realistic to expect HRT to be a cure for every symptom of meno- lifestyle changes are usually needed. This is what my consultant would recommend to all women- either before agreeing to give them HRT, or alongside.
There is some good information here on the MM site about how lifestyle changes can help- and which foods to eat if you are worried about osteoporosis
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/diet.php
There is a study here about the effect of exercise on hot flushes ( and presumably that includes night sweats too.)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2165864/Exercise-keeps-hot-flushes-bay-menopausal-women.html
You say 'even if I do exercise I should not be getting night sweats'. How do you know this? Unless you try then you don't know whether it will help or not.
You are currently on 2mgs oestrodiol- this is is the same as the normal dose for Oestrogel- so I'm not sure why you think changing to gel will make a difference? In peri you should not need 3mgs oestrogen.
It is highly unlikely that you are at risk for osteoporosis unless it runs in your family putting you at a genetic risk.
The biggest loss of bone density is within the first 2-5 years post menopause.
You are not there yet- and you have been on HRT.
You only need 0.5mgs oestrogen to make bones denser.
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I don't think anyone is doubting what you say at all. We understand that you are not getting 100% symptom control with your HRT. I would say this is very common as HRT is not a cure all for every symptom. I have been on patches for four years and although my symptoms are helped a lot they have not completely gone away. I still have at least one hot sweat per night but I want to reduce not increase so I am prepared to put up with it.
Your osteoporosis concerns have been answered in detail and the conclusion seems to be you have not in any way been at increased risk. Some women, in fact millions of them go through meno without any HRT at all and are just fine bone wise. My mother at 91 is one of those and apart from some shrinkage does not have osteoporosis.
One of the best things you can do to help prevent osteoporosis is walk every day. Sometimes we have to consider a natural approach to help ourselves and if you have a real fear of this then it is a very positive thing to do.
You may well always have flushes on HRT no matter how much you take. It's just one of these things that you have to accept and not worry about. You are replacing hormones and you will be protected against osteoporosis but nothing is ever perfect.
My hubby has diabetes and injects insulin four times a day. He is very careful with diet and exercise and in an ideal world would and should never have any problems with his glucose levels. Unfortunately it does not work that way and he has highs and lows. Another example of medication that should, but does not work perfectly.
Sometimes you just have to accept nothing is ever going to be perfect and there are no miracle treatments or cures and make the very best of what you have.
Honeyb
x
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Hi ladies
Sorry for getting frustrated.
I was just thinking about those ladies who are allowed utrogestan and gel and then get better.
Are you saying that, if I start eating better and doing excercise, then my hrt may work better?
If so, I apologise, for misundetstanding you.
Also, if this is the case, it gives me more hope. If I can see a better me at the end, it may motivate me to do
more excercise.
I feel silly walking around on my own, but at the same time, no one knows if I am walking towards somewhere, and
if walking will help me feel less anxious, then, all the more reason to do it.
I really appreciate the reassurance about the bones. Seems I got mixed up thinking bone loss starts at peri.
I also appreciate you reminding me about how walking can help it.
I will try and walk more, I will try forgetting feeling stupid and remind me I am doing it for the good of my health.
I'll also read over the links in this thread and re read the posts.
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HaHa Dandelion if you think you will look daft walking around on your own I wish I could send you a picture. I now have to walk with 2 walking sticks and white surgical stockings which I have to wear for 6 weeks . I look and feel like an old tramp but if it gets me where I want then I will give it my best shot.
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Dandelion - I think we all tend to loose the thread within a thread - if you see what I mean ;D
You are absolutely right about what we are trying to tell you.
You are doing well on Femiston and the progesterone in it is not giving you nasty side effects. If Femiston wasn't suiting you then I would suggest you try Oestrogel and Utrogestan but you wouldn't necessarily get a better outcome - it will only be a better option for ladies who react badly to Femiston. Does that make sense??
I do wonder if there is something else that causes your night sweating - it does sound very extreme. Next time you see your GP do mention this as it could be your thyroid playing up.
Spring is pushing forward quickly this year - get out in that fresh air - avoid sweet things and see if this makes things better. Good luck. DG xxx
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Dandelion - I think we all tend to loose the thread within a thread - if you see what I mean ;D
You are absolutely right about what we are trying to tell you.
You are doing well on Femiston and the progesterone in it is not giving you nasty side effects. If Femiston wasn't suiting you then I would suggest you try Oestrogel and Utrogestan but you wouldn't necessarily get a better outcome - it will only be a better option for ladies who react badly to Femiston. Does that make sense??
I do wonder if there is something else that causes your night sweating - it does sound very extreme. Next time you see your GP do mention this as it could be your thyroid playing up.
Spring is pushing forward quickly this year - get out in that fresh air - avoid sweet things and see if this makes things better. Good luck. DG xxx
Hi DG
I've had a couple of thyroid tests and they were normal.
I see what you are saying about the utrogestan and gel but something just occured to me, and I hope you don't think I am being awkward.
Ellie from here was on the femoston 2/10, she tolerated the progestin but moved to the patches because she said that the oestrogen in 2/10 was insufficient.
She is peri also.
I just did a brisk walk to the shops to get those things I needed.
I did sweat and feel hot but only on my upper body.
It's the fact that the sweating is restricted to the upper body which makes me think my flushes are not under control.
Normally when I exert myself, my groin area sweats as well, but it's totally dry.
I've had a healthy lunch, tuna sandwich and two bananas, followed by a vitamin c pill, 300mg magnesium citrate and two flaxseed gel caps.
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Have you considered that you sweat when you walk because you are unused to any exercise. The more you do it the fitter you will get and the less you will sweat.
Exercise never triggered a hot flush for me. Yes I get hot and sticky but not the classic flush symptoms.
Keep going with the walking as its good for your bones.
You could move to gel and utrogestan and face a whole lot of new problems. Utrogestan irritated my bladder so much that I was forced to stop and go back to patches. It also gave me very very painful bleeds. I was glad to stop. So it does not automatically suit everyone.
Honeyb
x
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Another way to look at this is- sweating is a goal when exercising!
Have you thought that you should be sweating?
Have a look at this link here on how much exercise we ought to do and how it affects our bodies.
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/getting-started-guides/Pages/getting-started-walking.aspx
This is about half way down:
Starting out
Start slowly and try to build your walking regime gradually. To get the health benefits from walking, it needs to be of moderate-intensity aerobic activity. In other words, it needs to be faster than a stroll.
Moderate-intensity aerobic activity means you're walking fast enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat. One way to tell is that you'll be able to talk, but not sing the words to your favourite song.
Sweating and hot flushes are different.
But I agree with HoneyB that you will be sweating more quickly with only a little bit of exercise because you aren't used to it.
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Honeybun
Thanks for saying I would say this is very common as HRT is not a cure all for every symptom. I have been on patches for four years and although my symptoms are helped a lot they have not completely gone away. I still have at least one hot sweat per night but I want to reduce not increase so I am prepared to put up with it.
For me it vindicated my decision to stay on Premique Low dose and tolerate the fact it did not get rid of symptoms but could cope and it was tolerable for me (and a low dose). That has cheered me up no end, I thought I was being a twit to do just this for two years! :)
I just hope that my (I hope temporary) increase in my furnace nights can be dealt with by a change of HRT and that it is not caused by something else (my Thyroid was tested last Sept) I don't think I could cope with another diagnosis of some autoimmune disease.
As I said in my post in “private lives†I am going to ask my GP if I can to go back onto one of the two HRTs (Tridestra or Tibolone) I took (both) in the past and they completely got rid of the memo symptoms. This should tell me whether my fireball nights are meno or something else. As the Premique Medium dose I have been for just over two weeks isn't completely effective ( in fact is does not work at all >:(
Lubylou
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Another way to look at this is- sweating is a goal when exercising!
Have you thought that you should be sweating?
Have a look at this link here on how much exercise we ought to do and how it affects our bodies.
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/getting-started-guides/Pages/getting-started-walking.aspx
This is about half way down:
Starting out
Start slowly and try to build your walking regime gradually. To get the health benefits from walking, it needs to be of moderate-intensity aerobic activity. In other words, it needs to be faster than a stroll.
Moderate-intensity aerobic activity means you're walking fast enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat. One way to tell is that you'll be able to talk, but not sing the words to your favourite song.
Sweating and hot flushes are different.
But I agree with HoneyB that you will be sweating more quickly with only a little bit of exercise because you aren't used to it.
I know excercise sweat and I know meno sweat, and mine is definitely meno sweat.
I just keep thinking of the one or two women on here, to whom femiston just wasn't sufficient to cover their symptoms and they were allowed a different type and feel much better. These women got on with the prog part of femoston, its just that it was not strong enough to cover their symptoms.
I've been out all day but I still feel depressed.
I feel real fear at the thought of spending the next few years like this, all because my doctor is being stubborn and not giving me enough oestrogen.
I just want my life back like it was before, mood wise and sweat/heat wise.
I shouldn't be needing the fan on in my bed like I do, every night, when I am on hrt.
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Dandelion - I hope you don't mind my saying but you are worrying too much about whether or not Femoston is going to work for you and you do seem determined that it isn't and as such you are spending a lot of energy being frustrated at not getting what you feel is the right HRT compared to other women.
Looking at your post below and your concerns about the cost of food, it would be far far better for your health to spend the money you have on a proper diet, than on all those supplements at the moment.
Provided you don't smoke and drink excessively, having a good varied fairly low fat/low sugar diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, pulses nuts fish and few or no processed foods, is the very first and most important step you can take to good health through the menopause and beyond. Whatever anyone says, most women can get most of the nutrients they need from their diet - provided it is as above.
For the time being I would concentrate on this, and as for Magnesium - I wouldn't be taking this on a regular basis. Overdose can cause problems and amongst the side effects I noticed sweating as one of them. If you must take a supplement I would take a fish oil, preferably the oil, but failing that a capsule, and you don't need extra Vit C all the time - at least not in pill form. Eat oranges instead!
Give yourself a chance and change your diet, and keep up with the exercise! You did well! Do you listen to music? If ever I feel a bit low in mood I always put on some of my favourite music and immediately feel much better!
Meanwhile keep taking the HRT - I'm sure it's helping!
Hurdity x
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Dandelion - you sound so stressed and overwhelmed. Hurdity is right - give things time. :hug:
You say you want your life back. Tell us what you want back - what sort of things did you enjoy doing before you started to get this sweating.
DG xxx
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Dandelion - you sound so stressed and overwhelmed. Hurdity is right - give things time. :hug:
You say you want your life back. Tell us what you want back - what sort of things did you enjoy doing before you started to get this sweating.
DG xxx
Hi Hurdity and DG
Thanks for your comments I value those.
I want my life back. My moods have not been the same since meno started.
I have not been able to listen to music unless my mood is really good, it just gets on my nerves, this came with peri.
I want not to have to keep washing clothes and bedsheets all the time.
I want to be able to laugh and to sing, this went away when peri started.
I want some motivation, because, before peri, even if I was feeling low, I could find motivation to push myself, now, the depression and anxiety are too bad.
I know the problems of overdose of magnesium and supplements so I am careful what I take.
I know I said I ate a bad diet, but, looking back, I eat quite a good one. I cut out a lot of rubbish. I don't eat that many biscuits.
I do eat fresh fruit.
I am just dissappointed in the Femoston after two months not working as well as I would have liked.
The night sweats I get are only ever on the upper part of my body.
HRT definitely reduced these, but did not take them away.
I jjust wonder how I differ from the couple of peri women on here, who said that femoston 2/10 was not enough for them.
I will stick with femoston for now and try to excercise more and eat even better, but if there is no improvement, I dunno what to do from then on, as my doctor just does not compute utrogestan and oestragel or bio identicals.
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I want my life back. My moods have not been the same since meno started. :: mood swings can be hormone related, diet related, worry …….. how bad are the moods?
I have not been able to listen to music unless my mood is really good, it just gets on my nerves, this came with peri. :: I started a thread about how noise really annoys me >:( in recent years, particularly noise that I can't control i.e. when the builders of 2 houses had 2 radios on 2 different stations: but were working INSIDE the houses and the radios were outside :cuss:
I want not to have to keep washing clothes and bedsheets all the time ::: is this due to flushes? Have you thought about laying a thick towel under a sheet so that you have a sheet rather than several to wash? When the summer arrives this will get easier ;)
I want to be able to laugh and to sing, this went away when peri started. :: we haven't had a good laugh for ages, DH and I giggle occasionally …….. he can't sing and I whistle under my breath. Music annoys me too, with it's constant repetitive lines.
I want some motivation, because, before peri, even if I was feeling low, I could find motivation to push myself, now, the depression and anxiety are too bad ::: do you find a list helps? At least you tick off as you go along, by evening you can see *what* you have achieved ;)
I know the problems of overdose of magnesium and supplements so I am careful what I take :: well done!
I know I said I ate a bad diet, but, looking back, I eat quite a good one. I cut out a lot of rubbish. I don't eat that many biscuits :: I think slumming it occasionally is fine as choosing 'good' foods can be boring ;) but generally, eating fresh rather than pre packed is best as is the fresh fruit. I have a hankering for melons right now ;)
I am just dissappointed in the Femoston after two months not working as well as I would have liked. ::: your body has to adjust! If like me you want to feel better you want to feel better yesterday: however, our bodies don't often catch up as quickly when faced with medication :-\ - I didn't get the patience gene either ;)
The night sweats I get are only ever on the upper part of my body :: cotton nighties, towels, sheets?
I jjust wonder how I differ from the couple of peri women on here, who said that femoston 2/10 was not enough for them. :::: no one reacts the same. You are probably 'within normal limits' for your hormonal makeup :-\
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I want my life back. My moods have not been the same since meno started. :: mood swings can be hormone related, diet related, worry …….. how bad are the moods?
I have not been able to listen to music unless my mood is really good, it just gets on my nerves, this came with peri. :: I started a thread about how noise really annoys me >:( in recent years, particularly noise that I can't control i.e. when the builders of 2 houses had 2 radios on 2 different stations: but were working INSIDE the houses and the radios were outside :cuss:
I want not to have to keep washing clothes and bedsheets all the time ::: is this due to flushes? Have you thought about laying a thick towel under a sheet so that you have a sheet rather than several to wash? When the summer arrives this will get easier ;)
I want to be able to laugh and to sing, this went away when peri started. :: we haven't had a good laugh for ages, DH and I giggle occasionally …….. he can't sing and I whistle under my breath. Music annoys me too, with it's constant repetitive lines.
I want some motivation, because, before peri, even if I was feeling low, I could find motivation to push myself, now, the depression and anxiety are too bad ::: do you find a list helps? At least you tick off as you go along, by evening you can see *what* you have achieved ;)
I know the problems of overdose of magnesium and supplements so I am careful what I take :: well done!
I know I said I ate a bad diet, but, looking back, I eat quite a good one. I cut out a lot of rubbish. I don't eat that many biscuits :: I think slumming it occasionally is fine as choosing 'good' foods can be boring ;) but generally, eating fresh rather than pre packed is best as is the fresh fruit. I have a hankering for melons right now ;)
I am just dissappointed in the Femoston after two months not working as well as I would have liked. ::: your body has to adjust! If like me you want to feel better you want to feel better yesterday: however, our bodies don't often catch up as quickly when faced with medication :-\ - I didn't get the patience gene either ;)
The night sweats I get are only ever on the upper part of my body :: cotton nighties, towels, sheets?
I jjust wonder how I differ from the couple of peri women on here, who said that femoston 2/10 was not enough for them. :::: no one reacts the same. You are probably 'within normal limits' for your hormonal makeup :-\
Hi
Thanks CKLD
It's such a shame about music isn't it?
Music is beautiful, when I am in the mood I really enjoy it.
I love singing and dancing, when I am in the mood, I find them both meditative in their own different ways.
Thanks for the tips about the sweat thing. I love waking up dry, though. I hate feeling hot and wet.
I hate it when I feel like I need a shower all the time.
Maybe I was wrong when I said that most women's hrt kicks in in the first couple of months. I just had this feeling that this was the best mine was going to do, but maybe not.
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Dandelion - I think CLKD has responded to your last post really well. I hope there are things in her post that you can try. Just a thought: if you enjoy singing, is there a local choir you could join? Singing is so good for lifting the mood - very therapeutic.
As to Femiston "not being enough" for you, I still think you haven't given your body enough time to settle.
Many of us can really relate to the way you are feeling - you are not alone.
I am living with the almost constant discomfortable of Vaginal Atrophy - it makes me short tempered, keeps me awake at night and I dread sitting down for any length of time so it's really difficult to relax. I'm using local oestrogen to treat this but 4 months on it's not getting any better - I've got to be patient - it may take up to a year for things to improve.
I would show the doctor your list of wishes ( you express your wants and wishes so well) next time you see him/her - it really illustrates how you feel and may help the GP to understand. Good luck DG x
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When depressed I turn a violin concerto up really loud ……… I am unable to cry so have to vent other ways :-\
Keeping a journal so you can vent, vent, vent can be helpful; keeping a mood/food diary is useful; not planning too far ahead works for me ;)
Joining a choir is a Good Idea - think Gareth Malone ;) :-*
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When depressed I turn a violin concerto up really loud ……… I am unable to cry so have to vent other ways :-\
Keeping a journal so you can vent, vent, vent can be helpful; keeping a mood/food diary is useful; not planning too far ahead works for me ;)
Joining a choir is a Good Idea - think Gareth Malone ;) :-*
Hi CKLD
I'm glad you have found something to help you process emotions.
The one good thing about being on femoston 2/10 for me are the periods, they are not as heavy as my natural ones were.
My natural ones were not too heavy, I just had a day where I had to use super plus tampons, and on the odd period, I would have to change these every two hours.
That's nothing in comparison to some poor women on here who have to wear pads with tampons and still have to change them all the time.
I was also thinking lately, dunno if extra oestrogen causes period problems, or fibroids etc, glad I don't have those, it's also put me off getting extra oestrogen.
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Try not to think too far ahead. Let the medication do it's work ;)
I had HEAVY periods! for 10 days or more :-\ with a 10 day break between.
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Dandelion Femston is great. You need to give it time. I only changed to Oestrogel and Utragestan as I had been on Femston for 4 years and am further into the menopause now.
It can take a few months to even out stick with it. I found it great.