Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Personal Experiences => Topic started by: Kittyjay on December 20, 2014, 07:39:16 PM
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Please please bear with me it's my first post but I have no one to talk to as my husband has far too much on his plate to deal with his weeping lunatic wife. I went through menopause at 41 (2 years ago) and due to my age I'm on hrt. This is the 3rd type in 2 years as the other 2 didn't suit for different reasons like constant bleeding and patches falling off. So I'm now on estradot 50 with utrogestan. My gp hadn't heard of utrogestan but agreed to me trying it as I had researched it (on here mainly) and wanted the most 'natural' progesterone. I've taken utrogestan vaginally for 25 days now and estradot continually. I'm due a 2 day break from utro then back on. I'm having the most heavy and painful bleed of my entire life and feel like my world has crashed in on me. Overwhelming anxiety and I cannot stop crying. It's hideous. The first couple of weeks seemed fine but now i feel incapable of anything and just want to go to bed and cry. There's no way I'll get an appointment with my gp until the new year so I'm desperate for advice. I'm assuming it's the utrogestan making me feel this way so do you think I can do a regimen only taking it for say days 15-25 or something? And forget it over Xmas?
I've got a lively 4 year old who doesn't deserve this :( I'm feeling like I imagine a 93 year old feels, not a 43 year old. I never had panic attacks ever until menopause and now I have them all the time and I have zero energy. Sorry to bother you all but I just don't know what to do. I just want to be me again.
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Oh have a HUG! at this time of year too. Most GPs will have a ring-back service so get in touch as early as you can on Monday morning. Or speak with your Practice Nurse who will have your records to hand. Bleeding can be helped with drug intervention, sorry have forgotten the name ::)
Utrogestan is known for upsetting ladies …….. anxiety comes with the territory too but again, the GP can help with medication.
Even if your husband has a lot 'on' he needs to be aware that this isn't a) his fault and b) that for a while he needs to take care of the 4 year old …….. are you staying put for C.mas or travelling?
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Aww kitty jay
I don't have the answers honey but can relate to the anxiety. Ask the GP or PN to give you a call back on Monday . You can take Tranisemic Acid ( bad spelling for a nurse too) to manage the blood loss of periods ...will reduce it by 30% and taken for the three days...ish of heavy bleeding.
Love and hugs
Mrs January xxx
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Hello Kittyjay and welcome to the forum.
I am so sorry to hear that you are suffering and you have my sympathy. Although the problems you have described are horrible, they are not unusual and hopefully the knowledge that you are not alone will bring you some comfort.
Unfortunately my knowledge of HRT is limited but there are ladies on this site who can advise you and help you decide what to do.
In the meantime take care and keep posting. Menopause is a rough ride for some of us but we can learn so much from each other and that helps.
K.
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Thank you all of you. This site gives me so such help I can't tell you. I hugely appreciate your replies, especially being a Saturday night and all. I hate feeling so crap as I'm usually such an upbeat person. Menopause at 41 kinda took me hugely by surprise and just want to manage it as best as poss to keep life as sane as possible. I also know it does take a while for the body to get used to a new hrt so I'm hoping it will settle down.
Is there a way of using utrogestan on say a 3 month cycle instead of continuous? Only one bleed per 3 months?
Mrs January I used to use transamic acid (or whatever it is called!) before so yes that's a fab idea thank you. I will def ask for that again.
Just had my crapness put in perspective when my gorgeous little one saw the Santa float from the local Rotary/Lions club come past our house and was so excited! That lovely face has made everything better for now.
I never realised hormones can alter you sooooo bloody much.
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Hi and welcome
I'm 44 and started peri meno 2 years ago as well it was awful, the anxiety just overtook my life, I felt like a burden to my family, I'm now on my second hrt femeston 1/10 it has been good for past 7 months, odd blip some days but nothing like it was, palpitations and health anxiety the worst,
I do hope it settles soon for you
X
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We don't get the Rotary Santa sleigh along any more - obviously busy elsewhere ;)
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Aww Kittyjay
Wish mine were young again enjoying Santa. My eldest became and angel in Sept at 23.
I was 50 when I hit peri menopause and as a nurse I thought I knew what to expect....but NOPE was shocked to have it early or so I thought. Hold onto each day and take it one at a time honey .........I know lots of ladies on here who can and will help you as they have me and we will make the bridge to the other side so to speak.
I currently have a chest infection and it has knocked me for six this weekend ...hey ho
Mrs January xxx
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Oh Mrs January I'm so sorry - Xmas must be difficult -Sending you a huge hug. Hope your chest infection gets better quickly too. Thank you for your kindness. Xx
Millykin I know what you mean about health anxiety- I convince myself of some awful things but its the panic attacks and constant 'dread' that's gets me down.im hoping this is all a blip due to new hrt but think I've decided to drop the utro over Xmas just to try to get my mojo back.
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Hi Kitty
Sorru I dont have any answers for you buy you have my empathy....I started out in June not knowing what was wrong with me and had a bit of a breakdown due to meno so I know how you feel...anxiety and depression still issues fo rme .....I, as we all want this to stop....I understand how you feel about your wee boy as the effect I'm having on my kids makes me want to weep ...hoping I'm going to be ok on Christmas day...meanwhile trying to keep myself busy and have a choir performance today so wish me luck....love and light to you and take courage and strength from all the good ladies here XXX
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Aww von ,well atleast our kids will be prepared and educated as to meno stuff ;-)i think we live in more kind of open times now where things are talked about more which is a really good thing :-)..mind you,by the time they are our age meno could be a thing of the past what with advancements in the medical field etc ..lucky buggers if thats the case lol xxx
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Kittyjay ,so sorry you are having such a hideous time ..i am also one of the younger ones experiencing this stuff ..it really is shocking and upsetting .hugs to you and hoping you get through christmas ok X
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Thanks Tabs....I really do hope that this is a thing of the past for our kids...really wouldnt want them going through this hellish time, but yeah, at least they will be prepared if so.....thinking I may head to docs n see if I can be put on Qlaira pill as seems it suits some gals...hope youre all having a better day xxx
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Von what is qlaira pill ??is that a contreceptive pill,??..in a way i wish i couldve gone on the pill instead of the HRT since im still "fertile"having periods ?being a smoker tho ,can only have progesterone only and theres no way im doin THAT lol ..yeah i reckon there will be no such thing as meno in a few years ..even stem cell research is looking promising to be able to prolong life within the next couple /few of decades or so..i,ll beat the front of the que if that appens !xx
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Hi Kittyjay
:welcomemm: and sorry to hear about your menopause woes.
You seem to have two main problems - the anxiety and crying, and then the heavy bleeding.
There are so many reasons for these symptoms it's difficult to say without knowing your history and sounds like you might need a specialist rather than a GP if s/he hasn't heard of utrogestan. This indicates s/he may not be well versed in menopause?
Firstly when you say you went through the menopause at 41 does this mean you went 12 months without a period before starting HRT? Also what HRT types have you tried and for how long?
I am on the same regime as you - Estradot 50 and utrogestan but I take this cyclically every 5-8 weeks. I have never had a heavy bleed on this regime and I was probably nearing menopause when I started. Heavy bleeding on HRT may be caused by excess oestrogen in relation to progesterone causing the lining to thicken, or alternatively perhaps from fibroids or polyps, amongst other things.
It could also be maybe your lining was thickened more from the last HRT you had, so you are bleeding now.
Your oestrogen dose is low for your age but yet you are bleeding heavily.
I wonder if your cycle has restarted? This could lead to the bleeding - the anxiety and tearfulness is usually an indication of low oestrogen or the fluctuations in your own hormones - you might expect these symptoms if you went back into peri-menopause.
I would definitely ask for a referral because you want to find out the reason for the bleeding before treating it I would suggest.
If you have heavy bleeds a 3 monthly cycle would not be advisable because the bleeds would be even heavier.
Finally it could be utrogestan causing these symptoms - there are women who are progesterone intolerant and you would know perhaps from the other types of HRT you tried if this was the case?
Sorry this sounds a bit disjointed - I'm in the middle of cooking but saw your post and wanted to get a few thoughts down for you...
Hurdity x
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Hi Hurdity
Thanks for your response- I went to the docs 2 years ago as I hadn't had a period for 5 months and knew I wasn't pregnant. He did bloods that showed fsh of nearly 100 and LH of around 50 and he classified it as 'post menopausal' so I had cyclical evorel sequi, gp agreed to a 3 monthly cycle but I had intermittent bleeding so we changed to femseven sequi and same happened (also these constantly fell off). He referred me for an internal scan at my annual review due to the bleeding and this showed a thin endometrium wall but some fibroids. He didn't seem concerned by these fibroids and said they are very common so was happy to go with my wishes of estradot and utrogestan. This brings us uptodate! I can almost cope with the bleeding but the anxiety is horrendous. I only have to think about something and I get palpitations and panic overwhelms.....
I never ever had hot flushes but have also never had the oestrogen happy feeling that people mention! It's as if the oestrogen has no effect on me whatsoever.
If I think back I never felt quite this low on femseven but they just don't stick!
What is a usual oestrogen prescription for someone my age? I wonder whether to stick on another 50 patch over the next few days to see if it helps more at 100? Or is that not wise... Thanks so much xx
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Hi
I'm sure Hurdity will be along again to explain but I'm sure you are not classed as post menopause under the age of 54 until you have not had a bleed for 2 years and 1 year after age 54?
I was 42 and hadn't had a bleed for 7 months but was told I'm peri menopause. I'm sure this is right but I'm no expert. It's such a shame you are feeling like this with young family and Xmas so near, thinking of you
X
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Hi Kittyjay, as someone else in their early 40s having problems, like Millykin, I wanted to send a sympathetic hug your way.
I am one of these unusual people who, like you, prefers the Utrogestan 12 days to estrogen only (which seems to leave me flat). I too am considering Qlaira, as someone else suggested, as my own hormones are having random surges. Have a look at Pixiegirl's post on this - I found it really useful. I can't take the CCP due to migraines with aura and family history of early stroke, but GP said she would prescribe Qlaira as she still thinks it is in my benefit. Perhaps being a smoker, you might fall into same category? Not sure how I feel about this, so currently waiting for HRT to settle (only in week 7).
Like you, I am also wondering if maybe my 50mg patches need to be stronger as currently day three of my bleed and literally overnight, my skin's terrible, nails splitting, exhausted, tearful and aching. However, fear of nausea /headaches is preventing me from upping it yet. Would be interested to hear what others think B x
ps Enjoy Christmas with your children if you can - they make it special; when you're childless and OH is working 100 miles away for most of it, it's not half as magic (and that's even with behaving hormones!). Luckily my cats keep me company and appreciate lie ins as much as I do :)
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Hi Kittyjay
You've had some great support and advice so far. I agree with Hurdity that a long cycle would probably not be a good idea if you are having problems with bleeding. Perhaps try the Utrogestan on a monthly regime to see how you feel during each phe of the cycle. If you feel good on Oestrogen alone then you know it is the progesterone causing the problems.
HAve you tried Femoston sequi - it has a kinder progesterone and many women do very well on this.
I had a premature menopause like you but I carried on with a monthly cycle right through my forties. Taking progesterone continuously can cause problems so this is why many women choose to keep to a monthly or long cycle regime so reduce the negative effects of progesterone.
I would just like to suggest you consider having Mirena fitted. Many gynaecologists recommend this for women who have problems with breakthrough or excessive bleeding. The Mirena will result in the reduction in bleeding and should mean you get no bleed at all after the first few weeks or months. Another advantage of the Mirena is that is will reduce the size of fibroids. The absorption of progesterone is mainly local so any negative effects are usually reduced. If you do opt to have a Mirena you simply have your patch for the oestrogen. I had a Mirena for 4 years post meno and it was my best option at the time.
Regarding the awful anxiety you are experiencing - again this is quite a common meno symptom. Some women find a SRRI alongside HRT can be very beneficial. I recently saw a gynae privately ( a very eminent specialist in meno related problems) and he finds that Citalopram works very well for many women. I have a work colleague who is on both HRt and Citalopram and is really doing well.
DG x
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Thanks everyone you are so helpful x
My gp mentioned femoston but I don't want to take a tablet - I prefer patches.
I have also considered mirena and certainly haven't ruled it out, but when I researched it I found so many negative things about it it put me off. As I use the utrogestan vaginally I thought I wouldn't have the bad side effects as it is in the 'right place' straight away..... So would mirena be different?
Can anyone advise on what days you take the Utrogestan in a sequi fashion instead of my 1-25 days?
Still considering cutting a second patch in half to make a 75 dose of estradot for a few days over Xmas... Would that work? Thanks for your support its simply fab x
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Hi I'm a lot older than you but suffer from anxiety really bad too ivè tried numerous hrt preparations and am now also on estradot and Utrogestan though I've only taken a few ultrogestan tablets and sm now going to take it for 15 days starting tomortow - when I took a few ultrogestan previously they just made me feel
V groggy I'm now going to try them vaginally a I understà nd this may be better / I hope you feel better soon and find something to suit you xx
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Briony
I'm on Femoston 1/10 with hardly any bleed and I'm like you was going to up my dose as GP suggested but fear of nausea and headaches, took a bleed there and felt like my hair skin and nails just look horrible overnight
Karenja
Sounds as though you are feeling bit better lately?
X
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Hello Kittyjay
I also suffer from overwhelming anxiety sometimes and you have my heartfelt sympathy. As far as HRT goes though my story might help you. After much trial and error I now have a mirena coil which has been great and also use two evorel patches at once...I know that's high but one simply wasn't enough. When the anxiety is low I cut down to one and a half and go back up when needed. It hasn't been a magic cure and I fight with anxiety from time to time but it's the best solution I've found since 5 years ago when it all started. I had no hormonal or anxiety problems before that. I know that mirena is not for everyone but it has been good for me and acts as a contraceptive too.
Hope that is some help and good luck with your struggles.
Donna
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Thanks Donna- I will reconsider the mirena if this doesn't settle down over the next few weeks. I've decided to cut out the utrogestan over this week so I'm just on the oestrogen over Xmas. I need some sanity! Then I'll make a gp appointment to discuss it all. Now the bleed is day 5, Im beginning (hoping) to see light at the end of this awful cycle!
Thanks everyone x
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Hi Kittyjay
I've just had another thought regarding the bleeding. I don't know how long you have been on the Utrogestan regime but you are taking it on a continuous basis and one does get bleeding for the first few weeks or even months on any continuous regime before it settles down.
It could be well worth trying the sequential regime - this sequential regime with Utrogestan is set out under the 'HRT Preparations' section to the left of this screen so it could be worth doing this to gage whether it is the progesterone that is giving the problems. You may need to use 200mg of Utrogestan instead of 100mg though. Most women who use Utrogestan sequentially use 200mg for the 12 days per month but the new leaflet says 100mg per day so I don't know whether they have revised the necessary dosage or not? The dose may depend on the amount of oestrogen you are using.
Could you afford to pay £25 and do an email consultation with Dr. Currie? I did this once and she is really helpful. You could ask about the and dosage of the Utrogestan, Mirena and any other options that might be good for you?
DG x