Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: zodiac on January 17, 2015, 11:08:45 PM
-
:-\ hi, i am trying everything herbal for hot sweats & flushes, and nothing is working any more, i have a low fat no sugar diet, i go to the gym 4 days aweek, i have 4 dogs i take out. Im a very younge n active 47 yr old lol,
I experienced what i think was a palpatation the other week whilst sat in bed reading and felt out of breath , but i just took a deep breath n felt ok, i have felt a bit stressed as i cant sleep at night n i do have hot flashes thru the night, if it wasnt so windy n cold id have the window open,
But i would like to know if anyone knows if taking the mini pill helps all these symptoms, as i cannot take hrt or anything hormonal due to family history n i suffer from migrains but i have been told that the mini pill minght be a thing to try, im steralised so dont need contraception, has or does anyone know if it works, all i want to do is feel cool cold even and sleep as not slept properly for mths summer was to hot weather wise n now i just cant sleep plus when i wake up i have a hot flush lol so anoying
Other than that im great odd mood swing, but nothing major , apart from i cant be arsed wi sex, but got 2teenagers n a 9 yr old in the house ( step kids ) who are anoying n doin my head in lol
But would like to know if anyone else has /is useing mini pill for menapause symptoms
Thanx :)))
-
Hello sorry do not know anythink about the mini pill but I have heard soya milk is ment to help with hot flushes :)
-
The mini pill only contains progesterone, but if you're showing signs of peri menopause then it's estrogen your body's probably craving. Are you sure you can't try a low dose HRT? I have migraines with aura and a family history of strokes under 51, but my new (female, 40 something, DRCOG qualified and very open minded) GP says the benefits would still outweighs the risks, so I can cautiously try it. My former GP (older bloke who seemed to think ADs are the answer to everything) was far more black and white. I have been on HRT for nearly four months and there has been no increase in my migraines.
Good luck x
-
Hi zodiac
It you are really unable to take HRT (I assume you have a close family relative who has had breast cancer?) - then maybe it's time to try a SSRI. Many women find these work very well and the gynae I saw privately recommended Citalopram as the one he finds works best with the least negative side effects. He wife has had breast cancer and was suffering terribly with night sweats etc. and she has found the Citalopram has really helped.
I doubt the mini pill would help much as its oestrogen that does all the magic.
You're doing all the right things but like you I tried everything(spent a fortune) to no real benefit - for me it's only HRT that works. I'm using Oestrogel with Utrogestan and I'm actually getting fewer migraines than I did without the HRT. The Oestrogel is the transdermal way to administer oestrogen so is less likely to give migraines. The Utrogestan is described as 'breast friendly' and again I've had fewer side effects with this progesterone than with any other type. DG x
-
I was prescribed the mini pill.... worked great for the first month then had so many side effects, I was bleeding continually, had very dry skin, felt so drained...... I persevered for 11 weeks with the bleeding but it didn't get any better, so stopped at the beginning of December. I have a Doctors appointment to discuss what to do next at the end of this month, I will let you know what they say? Good Luck :)
-
:) thanx everyone, i have been told that im to stsy away from hrt its way to risky for me to take, i have done the anti depressants too and felt worse on them citralopram n prozac made my head aches worse n i felt depressed and i could not sleep on them and sex drive went compleatly also if n when i wanted it i couldnt reach orgasum so ssris is a no go lol also the jumpy legs drove me mad, and tryed magnesium for that n it only made it worse,
I seem to get every side affect goin of medication lol, so ill b sticking to the herbal stuff n healthy eating lol
Thanx :))
-
Hi zodiac
Why has your doctor said it is too risky for you to take HRT? This may well be the case but sometimes GPs don't have all the uptodate information and as members have said below, some who could be at risk have been prescribed HRT. I don't want to pry if you'd rather not say but just in case you might be like Briony for example.
Hurdity x
-
Hi hurdity, im in the at risk group, theres cancer ,high blood preasure,heart probs, stroke, i suffer with realy bad migraines i had to stop the pill coz of them, so got steralised, after haveing pre cancer cells removed ( cervical),
My mum went on hrt n had a bad turn of some sort n ended up on heart tablets etc, but 3 may be four docs now have z im not allowed owt hormonal agter hearing all this lol .
But im so fed up of the hot flushes, i cant sleep, i wake up thru the nite every hr n i kick the quilt off then im freezing, i cant wear nice jumpers ive got coz i get to hot, then i get irritable n mad, im soooo fed up with it all, i just want to sleep,
I even spent £40 on some FX Menapause coz its suppoed to be brill like a herbal hrt for us that aint allowed it but i couldnt sleep on that either so thats in the cuboard lol so fed up its doin my head in, :((
-
Maybe try a different SSRI? I believe many GPs will prescribe something that will alleviate the nasty side effects in the first 2-6 weeks and then you can see if things are working - you will need to explain you had difficulties before and ask for this. You are really struggling and it sounds as though you need to try something new.
Many women are really helped with SSRIs but it does mean you have to persevere to get the benefits.
Good luck Dg x
-
Hi dancing girl,
i need my sumatriptan medication for my migrains and there aint a anti depressant that i can take with my sumatriptan its been looked up by a few docs also it stops the sex i cant reach a orgasum at all, trust me ive tryed everything over the past 7 yrs,
i started with all this earlie n it all kicked in properly at 40, exactly the same age as my mum and my symptoms are the same lol but then its prob nearly the same for all women i dont know but i really have tryed it all,
n anti depressants make me feel depressed lol , as im not depressed just pissed off lol, so apart from livin in a igloo in the northpole im buggered as wot else i can try as done it all lol :))) x
-
:hug: DG x
-
Hi again zodiac
Sorry to hear about your health issues and family history but this doesn not necessarily rule out HRT.
Looking at these reasons one by one:
Cervical cancer: according to the 2013 HRT recommendations but the British Menopause Society, there is no association with HRT and cervical cancer ( although there is woith oral contraceptive use).
Heart/circulation problems: risk of clots is associated with oral HRT (tablet) rather than transdermal (ie patch or gel), and probably more with synthetic progestogens. The same paper I mentioned abovie recommends that in "high-risk" individuals who require HRT, transdermal preparations should be used, and a bio-identical ( or nearly so) progesterone.
There is evidence now that HRT commenced early - ie within 10 years of menopause has a beneficial ie protective, rather than adverse effect on the cardio-vascular system.
There is conflicting information about the effect of HRT on stroke risk but it is recommended again that at risk individuals should use transdermal methods of HRT and start under age 60 or within 10 years of menopause.
This is what it says on this site about thrombosis:
Thrombosis
Since HRT is associated with a small increased risk of venous thrombosis, care must be taken when considering HRT use in women with a past or family history of thrombosis. Depending on the indication for HRT and on the cause of the thrombosis, risks and benefits should be assessed. If HRT is to be used, preference would usually be given to the transdermal route (patch or gel) [ref 22]. Specialist advice should be requested. Vaginal estrogen may be used for treatment of vaginal and bladder symptoms.
and about stroke:
Stroke
The incidence of stroke increases in women after the menopause and an association between a protective effect of ovarian hormones estrogen and progesterone has been suggested. Similarly, it was thought that the use of HRT reduced the risk of stroke. Although some studies have shown a protective effect, others, including the Women's Health Initiative trial, have shown a small increase in risk of stroke in those women taking HRT. It has been concluded that HRT should not be used for either primary or secondary prevention of stroke. If a woman has had a stroke and is considering treatment for menopausal symptoms, non-hormonal options should be tried first and HRT should only be considered after full discussion with a specialist.
Re migraines - here is the relevant information:
Migraine
Migraine is often triggered by hormonal fluctuations and therefore may occur around the time of a period. Such migraine may improve at the time of the menopause. Some women find that migraine may be triggered by the daily hormone fluctuations which can occur with oral (tablet) HRT so the transdermal (patch or gel) route is usually preferred with a history of migraine.
I would urge you to ask your doctor to refer you to a menopause clinic if there is one near you because you need specialist advice regarding treatment in your circumstances and then regular monitoring. I would have thought a low dose transdermal HRT with bio-identical progesterone ( Utrogestan) would help you to feel better.
The risks from HRT anyway are not supposed to kick in until the natural average age of menopause of 51-52. If your periods have stopped ( have they?) or are very infrequent, then at your age you need to the extra oestrogen to protect your heart and bones.
Do pursue this further if you can.
I hope this is helpful and not too long!
Hurdity x
-
Thanks Hurdity.
If herbal remedies worked they would be available on the NHS!
-
Thanx Hurdity, im at the docs next week to see a nurse about menapause stuff as it megga hard to see a doctor lol,
They have sugested the mini pill but also been told thats not gona wrk :)) and my migrains started with the menapause (40 yrsold ) up till then i was fine, still have periods but never know when they are gona b, i went 94 days them bang rite on xmas i had a period lol so im 9 days late so far, its just sit n wait see how long i go this time lol x
-
There is always Clonidine to try for flushes. Neither HRT nor ADs. It is a blood pressure pill. May be worth a go.
Bramble
-
Hi again :)),
I have had a chat with my mum and found out that it was 20+ yrs ago that she first went on hrt so that made her 54/56 yrs old when she first went on it, and her blood preasure went thru the roof as soon as she took it she said, and her doctor said that she was lucky not to have a heart attack because of it, and has been on medication ever since for high blood preasure n anjina, ( atenanol) and if she had gone to her normal doctor he wouldnt have put her on hrt,
Sooo this is what im scared off and why my doctors have said im not allowed hrt aswell as my migrains, as these health risks aswell as cancer run in my mums side of family n stroke, cancer, thrombosis run in my dads side,
Im healthy n very active 4 days aweek at the gym doin cardio n weights im scared that something could bugger it all up if i take hrt like it did my mum :((
Im at docs on monday to see the nurse n see what she says about it but i am scared of hrt lol
-
zodiac - You mother was probably on the older more synthetic HRT preparations. The HRTs today are far more bio identical so can bring fewer side effects and problems. There are also low dose HRTs that can be very effective - again probably safer for you to try.
You sound as though you are a really fit active person and I would be surprised if you couldn't at least give HRT a go. Femoston 1/10 sequential HRT might be worth trying as the oestrogen is bio identical (the same as we produce naturally) and the progesterone in it is kinder and close to our own hormones and many women do really well on it. The real 'bio identical HRT combination' is Oestrogen in patch or gel form with Utrogeston (micronised progesterone) alongside in ssequi or conti versions - many of us are using this combo these days.
You mention cancer in the family - do you have a close family relative with breast cancer in the family e.g. your mother or a sister? More distant relatives and other forms of cancer don't count. Did you know that HRT has been shown to reduce the risk of bowel cancer? High blood pressure can be caused by many things and if you are fit and have good diet you may not be at risk from this issue.
There have been so many scares about HRT but they never tell you about the good things.
Aspirin is taken routinely for pain relief, reducing inflammation and is often prescribed by doctors to patients at risk from stroke and heart attacks but it carries the risk of developing stomach ulcers and other problems - it's a powerful drug.
Life is a risk. Try to keep an open mind - you may find you get so much more energy with HRT you'll be able to do more exercise and actually be even fitter.
Have a good chat with the nurse, write things down so you don't forget - list the meno symptoms that are causing you problems, your concerns, and the questions. DG x
-
You've tried everything except Estrogen!
A lot of us suffer from headache and migraine as we approach and are in peri stage.
Not trying to play down the severe headaches but you seem to have tried everything over last 7 years you could have been going thru peri stage.
http://www.headache-help.org/women-headaches-migraines-menstrual-pregnancy-menopause
Sometimes the answers are in clear sight :)
In terms of the items you've mentioned even if you had high blood pressure, you can still take HRT if your under medication and controlling your Blood pressure.
Hope that helps
:-*
-
Hi again zodiac
I forgot about you suffering from migraines. The trans-dermal form of HRT is recommended for those ladies who suffer with migraines. There are combined patches or you might be better to try Oestrogen in patch or gel form with Utrogestan for 12 days each month. Dr. Curry describes Utrogestan as "breast friendly". I was getting a lot of nasty headaches without HRT and the Oestrogel with Utrogestan combo has meant my headaches have virtually gone.
I think I've had one headache in the last 2 months on HRT instead of 2-3 times a week without HRT!!!! DG x
-
Hi, im goin to write all these different things down lol, yeh im healthy, i dont smoke or drink because as soon as i touch anything alcholic banggoes the headaches lol n can last a few days, im 47 now 48 in march dont know if im thru the peri stage or not still have periods but never know when they will happen, i have the hot sweats n mood swings, its the hot sweats n not sleeping n no sex drive i just aint got the urge anymore lol pooor hubby lol, anyway see wot they say at the docs and thanx for all the advice :))) x
-
Hi :)))
Well ive been to the docs and saw someone who deals with all menapause stuff had a good chat with her, did all medical history on both sides of family also my history, and im very high risk, and i cannot take any form of hrt even low dose i just cant,
I could have insisted n tryed it but dont see why i should run the risk of my blood preasure goin thru the roof n risk a heart attack, n ruin my health n life as now im fit n healthy, i just cant do it im way to younge to run any risks and just got a granddaughter to take out n play n run around with, n my dogs, n step kids n kids at wrk, so thanx everyone for all the advise but im gona stay on the herbal side of things its the only way :))) x
-
Hello :)
In the past I have taken Prozac and Sertraline for PND and they certainly make it harder to orgasm. More recently I was on Amitriptyline for a few months, and it really didn't affect my orgasms at all.
It's an older tri cyclic AD but considered very safe. Really improves the quality of sleep too. Might be worth a try?
-
Its worth trying starflower first , my flushes have all but stopped and my mood is even, its worth giving it 7 days to see xx