Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: DIANEJ on July 24, 2014, 04:02:22 PM
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Hello everyone.... Sorry I have not posted in a while, still not very sure what I'm doing yet. I've been on elleste duet since January and things are no better, but I'm struggling on. I was prescribed prempak, but there was no way I was taking that. I was messaged a suggestion of Femoston by a kind lady, but not been back to the hospital yet. Can anyone give me their views on this 1. I'm really confused and not feeling my best. I had lost 5.5 stone with WW, but 7 months of being on Elleste Duet I can feel the weight creeping back on. This is my main concern. I'm crabbit and moody and sometimes I can't even put my words together and can be quite forgetful. Please help, don't know where else to turn x
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Hi DianeJ
I've not tried Femoston in either sequi or conti form but I know many women do very well on it because the progesterone is kinder and therefore well tolerated.
Sadly weight gain is one of the side effects of the menopause - sadly we can't just blame HRT although I always felt a little 'plumped up' when on it. I've been of HRt 9 months now and my hips and tummy are definitely bigger and I'm being really careful with my portions!!! There is another thread going at the moment about weight gain and the general view is that we just have to eat less and less at we get older :'(
DG x
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Hi DianeJ
I agree with Dancinggirl - I would definitely try Femoston.
Also HRT can alter the distribution of fat. Also progestogens especially can cause bloating which also alters shape and perception of it. Oestrogen will definitely plump up the breasts, but most women of normal weight and with breasts in proportion are not bothered by this.
Yes it does come down to how much you eat - portion size and exercise and if you went on HRT straight after losing the weight - you may have found it creeping back on anyway. My weight is always creeping back on after any diet so I spend my life trying to keep the pounds at bay!
Femoston is a much better option for many women than Prempak and hopefully you will also tolerate the progestogen better than the norethisterone in Elleste.
Hurdity x
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Hi Diane
I also wanted to know about femoston so clicked on this thread, can I ask why you will not have prempak? really interested as I am on this and feel really ill.
Thank you
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Hi all,
I am on femoston 2/10 for already 4 months. Night sweats and insomnia improved during the first month. I can say that I generally feel much better now and have not had any weight gain. No breast tenderness as well. Periods are fine, no pain as well. I have skipped a period on the last 4 th pack but hope this is ok. Due for a review in September.
My only still lingering issue is low moods and sometimes feelings of desperation mostly when I am on the progesterone part. But these are I hope much more manageable than the constant low mood and depression that i had before staring. I also hope that with time these will disappear as well. I think despite the HRT, I may be still low on estrogens as i don't have breast pain, no bloating and mostly low mood.
I hope this is helpful. If you have anything more specific to ask I'll be happy to answer,
Mila xx
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I've been on Femoston since I started my meno journey and it's suited me very well. I'm one of the weird ones that actually feels better on the prog part of the pack ::) I have seen my meno nurse today and she has now given me a prescription for the Femoston Conti so will start that in a few days and report back...... I have had a little weight gain since I started but this is slowly coming off again due to an increase in my activity levels.
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Hi DianeJ
I have taken femoston for probably the longest time out of all the hrt's and it really did help for a couple of years. I never had a bleed on this hrt and it was a sequi one, but he doctor was never worried about this. I did struggle at times on the progestogen part of the femoston but I am really sensitive to this hormone and within this tablet there is only one dose and I am not sure whether it was too high for me - but everyone is different and I think it is one of the better ones to take. It is definitely worth trying.
Hope this helps
PollyH
Xx
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Hiya
I am 43 years old and have been on Femoston 1/10 for 3 months and initially felt great, but now I have gone back to low moods, no energy and tearfulness ... which is not me at all.
I went back to the Drs today and he has prescribed me 2/10 and a week off work on the sick !!
Will I notice a huge difference??
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For myself I notice that low moods, irritability and tiredness/no energy come while,at the end of the white pills (estr/progesterone) and continue on for about a week, i.e. Also at the start of the estrogen pills. So have concluded that this is because at that time of the cycle both hormones are at their lowest. This is bothering me a bit as I 'loose' a good ten days or so of each month to bad moods and self-pitty kind of thinking. Also, this last month ( my 4th on Femoston) , i did't get a bleed. Will see next month. But all in all, femoston is a very good preparation, and so far works quite well for me!
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Hi,
I have been on Femoston now for around 2 years..
I have recently gone on 2/10 instead of the lower dose of 1/10..
I am still having regular periods..
Does anyone know if by taking this form of HRT will prolong my periods ?? I am approaching 55 and am well the HRT has been working wonders so far.. :) am just wondering what effect this will have on my natural menopause if I stop taking them..?
Thanks in anticipation..
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Hi and welcome to MM bev06868
I don't think anybody has actually answered your question!!!
Whether you are on HRT or not your menopause will take it's journey at it's own rate. The decline of oestrogen carries on while you take HRT and the reason you have needed to increase your HRT dose is because your are further into your menopause. At 55 it is highly likely you are now post menopausal so I suspect there would be no periods if you were to stop HRT.. Many women think that HRt is maintaining their natural cycle, when actually the bleed you get is just induced but the progesterone part of the HRT and you need this to protect your womb lining from building up.
Femoston is a good HRT to use as the progesterone is very close to natural progesterone (many HRT preparations have synthetic progesterone) and the oestrogen is bio identical as well. DG x
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Hi
Femoston seems very successful for most women who try it.
I am a bit of an oddity, cos for some reason I didn't absorb femoston, which is a real bummer, especially when you see it work brilliantly for other women
The prog part of femoston feels no diffeent to the oestrogen part for me. I have a week left, they are not controlling flushes or sweats, and I am on sequi 2/10.
Moving to a patch next week so I hope this delivery method of hrt is more suitable for me.
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many thanks for your reply dancing girl... :)x
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Question for Greyhoundgal
I'm on Femoston 1/10 and like you feel better on the prog part thought I was a bit weird! Been on it for 7 months, first 3 I had a bleed when finished the prog tablets but last 4 packs nothing, I know it's nothing and doesn't bother me as my periods were every 3 months for few years anyway, but was just wondering if you need to be post meno before they move you onto conti?
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Hi Millykin
Just popped on here briefly this morning and saw your question - hope you don't mind my answering?
You are normally put onto conti HRT at age 54 if you started HRT when you were still peri - because that is the age that the majority of women become post-menopausal. Exceptionally some women are started earlier than this or when they start HRT if having very infrequent periods. The reason for staying with the cycle is to try to keep bleeding predictable as you can get irregular bleeding and spotting if your cycle kicks in when you are on conti HRT before you are post. In fact even some women who are post-meno prefer to stay on a cycle because of ongoing bleeding and spotting on conti HRT.
Hope this helps and I'm sure Greyhoundgal will add from her experience with Femoston when she's around!
Hurdity x
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Hi Millykin,
I am on Femoston 2/10 for 6 months already and i didn't get a bleed during two on those months. My doctor said that this is due to my own cycle subsiding with time and to expect more period-free months from now on. Even though i didn't get a bleed this month my womb lining was ok, meaning that I am probably not building enough lining this minth to be shread. He definitely said not to worry so I am relieved.
All the best
Milamam
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Hi Hurdity
No don't mind you answering my question :D much appreciated.
Milamam thanks for reply.
I understand you wont always get a bleed and GP not bothered either. I feel good on Femoston and just a little extra boost of energy when taking progesterone (strange i know)so wondered why i couldn't have that everyday too ;D (just chasing the good bit) What confuses me as well is .... If you are on a cycle HRT you take oestrogen 4 weeks with 2 weeks progesterone added right? but you use the Mirena coil as progesterone part (and contraception) and take oestrogen only tabs every day so the coil is a constant release of progesterone? perhaps a lower dose in mirena coil? I need contraception as well and was thinking of Mirena coil but things are pretty good just now with Femoston so dont want to upset that. Anyone any experience with non hormone based coil?
Millykin x
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Hi Milkykin
The Mirena releases a very low dose of progesterone over 4 years which will keep the womb lining thin. The progesterone in the Mirena can still cause some side effects but is good if you need contraception well.
If Femoston suits you then I would stick with it as the progesterone in it is kinder.
Once you become post meno then you could move to the continuous version of Femoston.
DG x
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Thanks DC
Ye will stick with Femoston it has been good with me and don't want to upset things when feeling ok, just a little bit of health anxiety at times lurking in background need to learn to deal with thanks for reply
Millykin
X
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Hello everyone, not been on here for a while.... but here goes. As my previous post I've been taking Femoston for several months, however although the sweats have disappeared off the face of the earth I had been experiencing a constant lower back ache and pains in my stomach lower around ovary level and felt bloated. Because I couldn't get an appointment with my meno. clinic and decided to bite the bullet and come off the hrt. I felt fine for weeks and low and behold exactly 4 weeks after stopping the Femoston along came my period. I felt on top of the world. Could it be possible things were actually working again?? I have since been to my appointment at the hospital and my nurse has said great.... it is in fact possible that your ovaries can go to sleep, wake up and start working again. This was exactly what I wanted to hear, but another week on I have been having a disturbed sleep and 1 or 2 night sweats. Could this be menopause symptons sneeking back up on me? My nurse did say that on stopping the hrt if I were to get any symptons they would probably occur within a week. It has now been 6 weeks since I stopped taking the Femoston. She did however say that should symptons reoccur then maybe I should try a patch and has suggest Evorel Sequi 50mg? Was just wondering what anyone thought of these bearing in mind I have already put 1 stone on whilst taking hrt which I am really not happy about. I still continue to have the pain in my lower stomach and can't see a decent doctor until 29th Dec. Please can someone give me their thoughts. Thank you in advance x
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Hi and Welcome back DIANEJ
You are obviously still peri menopausal and this is why you had a period - your ovaries will be kicking in and out.
I had experienced a premature menopause with symptoms starting in my mid 30s. The same thing happened with me when I was 40 and had a complete reassessment of my HRT treatment when I decided to go privately. They took me off HRT for a month, I had a period and they then did a blood test. My FSH level was high which meant I was peri menopausal and they prescribed one pump of Oestrogel per day with separate progesterone to take for 10 days each month.
Your problem will be the fluctuating hormones which is typical of the peri meno stage. You may still get the occasional period and the flushes etc will come and go.
Patches may be worth a try but they tend to be medium dose and at this peri stage they may give too high a dose. Patches also have the synthetic progesterones which can give more side effects.
The lower abdomen discomfort could be more to do with your digestive system - bloating and wind are a typical meno symptom. We tend to put on weight with the menopause and HRT isn't usually the main culprit. Appetite can improve with HRT so we are likely to eat more and this will mean we put on weight. From the start of the menopause we need to eat less generally and get enough exercise.
If you were feeling good on Femoston then I'd go back on. Perhaps look at how much you eat and what you are eating to see if you can get your weight under control. Lack of sleep and feeling tired will make us crave sugary things which also doesn't help. I have consciously cut down my food portions by a third over the last year and managed to loose about 4-6 pounds.
I have just had a year without HRT and my fat seems to be sitting around my hips and tummy. I'm back on HRT now - so I'm hoping my figure will return a bit, especially as I have a bit more energy to exercise.
Do read up all the info under the headings to the left of this screen to get really clued up.
Dg x
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Hi DIANEJ
Jus to add please do make sure you go to see your doctor about the pains just to make sure there is nothing untoward.
Also, despite what your nurse says there is nothing typical about how long after stopping HRT symptoms recur - it could be longer than a week ( as in my case) - and sometimes they come back very gradually as you are finding ( ie the night sweats) and was the same for me. Strangely enough I had constant low/pelvic/backache when I came off HRT - after about two months, which disappeared once I re-started!
I would go ahead with the Evorel sequi and give it a go....
Hurdity x
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Hi Diane
I think the nurse you spoke to is trying to be nice and well meaning however the she's leading you on.
"it is in fact possible that your ovaries can go to sleep, wake up and start working again"
Sorry but unless the nurse has some new therapy its incorrect.
The symptoms coming back just emphasizes that she's wrong.
I'm amazed at the "old wives" tales that do the rounds.
Same goes for one of your top worry, gaining weight.
HRT is not going to make you pile on the pounds.
When your on the combined tablet the progesterone part actually burns more calories.
The norm is to gain weight as we grow older unless we are lucky and have a great metabolism or watch what we eat forever as you've done for a limited period with WW.
Hope you get some more relief with the HRT and get the aches and pains double checked as others have said.
:-*