Menopause Matters Forum
General Discussion => New Members => Topic started by: Peroxideblader on May 19, 2016, 05:32:00 PM
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Hello I'm new to posting here but have been reading on here for some weeks but there doesnt seem to be a thread with my circumstances...I am 47 and after 3 years of tests showing nothing the doctor thinks I might be perimenopause. My periods have started to come every 21 days not 28 and for the last 2 years I have such bad insomnia that I have had to finish work and my health is getting worse. I cannot get to sleep until 4/5 am and have to get up at 830 for my dog so I exist off 3 hours sleep. I have had to take zopiclone to help me sleep but I hate relying on it..I suffer drpression I have done for 30 years but it has never given me chronic insomnia. On top of that I have sweats and at night I am soaked through where I have to change my bedding and my partner has taken to sleeping in another room . I am so irritable and moody but they put that down to bad sleep which is why afyer 3 years I've eliminated everything else and now they think it's hormones affecting my ability to get to sleep. They have prescribed me elleste duet 1mg but on reading it's for people who haven't had a period for over a year which is not me plus if anything this hrt makes you have insomnia. I darent take it as I'm at my wits end and even more lack of sleep would finish me off. I can't see this helping me only making me worse wirh the bad side effects too. I have no friends to ask only my neighbour who took femoston which she had no side effects from and was on for 10 years. Can anyone help as to their experiences with regard to sleep on either drug and weight too as I have had an eating disorder for 30 years ( I am fine now for over 15 years but still watch my weight) thanks
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Meant to say I have an overactive bladder I go every 40 minutes all day and night through the night so I'm dreading hrt making that worse too...had botox in my bladder but it didn't work..
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Hi :welcomemm:
Elleste duet is a sequential hrt,i.e. you get a bleed each month and isnt for ladies who are post meno so not sure where you read that :-\
I was on elleste duet 1mg and did really well on it. Try it it should help improve your sweats but you will need to give it a couple of cycles to completely see the benefits but should see some improvements earlier.
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Hi, I am also new to this site. Was reading that you say you have over active bladder. I struggled with what I was told was an over active bladder for years. It has turned out to be Vaginal Atrophy, I am only 42 and the frequency is awful. Bearing in mind your other symptoms this could be what you have???? I am using a little ovestin cream, but no huge improvement. I did try estrogel (this made the biggest improvement to date), but still the levels of estrogen were not high enough. Now trying BCP (higher estrogen), but I think the progesterone element is causing problems.
This is such a guessing game, just wanted you to know you are not alone....xx
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I've never heard of VA I've always been told it's overactive bladder...it ruins my life I can't go anywhere without knowing where the toilets are or walk my dog or go to the cinema without wee stops...thank you for your advice I'll mention it to my doctor...and the lady on elleste did you have bad nausea and itching on it and did it affect your sleep.. :)
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Saffy123 I can't believe the symptoms of VA are the same as I have yet been told it's overactive bladder...do you think the hrt will help then with it being low dose oestrogen or does it need to be a cream...I'm so confused about all this as I have been on so many pills these last 3 years with horrid side effects and no benefits that I dread staying on the wrong hrt for 3 months with all the issues it might cause..cut I know if I don't try I'll never know... :(
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Hi, I was told by numerous doctors I had an over active bladder. I was basically told that I was too young for it to be a symptom of low estrogen. For me frequency was my first symptom of what I now know is the peri stage. My frequency is so bad I often feel I need to go again within a few minutes of going. It drives me crazy, sometimes I dread going out. I only ever go to places where I know for certain there is a toilet.
The ovestin cream is the only vaginal estrogen I can tolerate. Many others on this site use vagifem which does seem well tolerated by most. The other thing I tried which really helped was the estrogel (a gel which is rubbed into the skin). Sometimes I could not feel the urge to go for nearly an hour. It also helped with anxiety. Because I am still having periods, I just reduced the amount of gel used to enable a period. During this time my symptoms would increase big time and my doctor was not happy with me using it like this and so she suggested the BCP which contains higher levels of estrogen. However I feel like I have gone backwards as the frequency is back with vengeance, I think its due to the levels of progesterone as that's known to aggravate the bladder.
I am hoping I have not confused you, just wanted to give you an idea of what I was trying.
My thoughts would be that if you were to consider HRT for your other symptoms you may well find your bladder improves as well.
Using the birth control pill has made me sleep better and reduced the aches in my hips (so I definitely need the extra oestrogen, just not so much progesterone I guess!).
I keep searching for answers, there has to be hope for us out there xx
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Hi - I get overactive bladder problems with VA - cannot get to a loo on time ::) I have vagifem as well as tablets.
Look at Treatments: HRT preparations: Vaginal Treatments on the above tabs
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Thank you I've found the whole hrt mind numbing I'm just lost..I cant dace my bladder being any worse on the progesterone part of might as well stay on the loo....so I could take an oestrogen gel like you say and have to take prog separately then??? As oestrogen is dangerous on its own isn't it....
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Has anyone been on elleste and femoston and found either one better?
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Yes you do need to use a progesterone if you are using estrogen. When I was using estrogel I just reduced the dosage to enable my own progesterone to kick in (this method is not the done thing - I was just desperate for relief and I know progesterone can aggravate the bladder). My thinking at the moment is (once I have given the BCP a fair chance) is to use the estrogel at max dose and add a progesterone for as short a time as possible - no idea what that is yet xx
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No I didn't have nausea or itching with it and my sleep got much better. ;)
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Thanks...I need to spend much longer looking at my options...I'm too scared of the hrt side effects especially if I sleep worse...I'm glad you found no problems on it or side effects...just seems more negatives than positives on the threads I've read...as for the VA...I will have to see my doctor again I think.... :)
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The problem is that we are all so different,what works for one doesn't for others,unfortunately the only way you will know what suits you is to try it :-\
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I know I'm just scared that's all...my health is teetering on the edge right now and I'm scared another medication will just push me over the edge...but it's either this elleste or femoston I think....can I ask though..my doctor never told me to take it on the first day of my next period but reading on here they say that's the right way to do it...is that right?? X :)
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I have been taking elleste duet since September and it has made me feel so much better. I sleep better, hardly any night sweats or hot flushes, libido returned !!, no aches and no bad side effects - so far. Give it a try - it may work for you !!
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Thanks jube that's so good to hear...I've seemed to read nothing but bad things...did you get told to take it on your first day of your next period? :)
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I wasn't having many periods
so I was told to start taking it straight away.
There's usually a leaflet in the box with instructions on when to start taking it.
If you decide to try it remember to give it three months at least - but I felt better within about a month :)
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Hi Peroxideblader
:welcomemm:
These are the instructions for Elleste Duet 1 mg:
This product is a continuous sequential HRT. One white tablet to be taken daily for the first 16 days, followed by one pale green tablet for the next 12 days. A new cycle should then begin without any break. Therapy may start at any time in patients with established amenorrhoea or who are experiencing long intervals between spontaneous menses. In patients who are menstruating, it is advised that therapy starts on the first day of bleeding. Patients changing from another cyclical or continuous sequential preparation should complete the cycle and may then change to Elleste Duet 1mg without a break in therapy. Patients changing from a continuous combined preparation may start therapy at any time if amenorrhoea is established, or otherwise start on the first day of bleeding.
Therefore if you are having regular periods then start on Day 1 of your bleed as indicated.
The fact that your periods are becoming close together - indicates you are in the late reproductive stage before peri-menopause. Hormonal changes do begin to occur at this time even though ovulation still occurs regularly. Unfortunately some women do begin to experience menopausal symptoms at this point such as you are experiencing - ie bladder issues and flushes and sweats. Have you had a full blood tests to check for other possible issues eg thyroid etc?
It is likely to be the hormonal fluctuations which are causing your symptoms (although not sure about the bladder?) - and a low dose HRT should help to regulate your cycle.
Regarding Elleste vs Femoston - I would go for Femoston every time, if your bleeds are not overly heavy - because the progestogen in Femoston is closer to our own progesterone and better tolerated. Sometimes the norethisterone in the Elleste (during the combi tabs part - second phase of the cycle) can cause a temporary increase in night sweats etc. No reason why you shouldn't try it out though? There will be thousands of women taking it quite happily without problems - but we don't hear from them!
Hope this helps :)
Hurdity x
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Thank you for all that info you worried me when you say I'm not peri menopause now as I've eliminated all other options including thyroid adrenal glands and more blood tests than I can count so I hope it is peri. This is the final possible cause and as I don't speak to my mum and have no close friends this is the only place I can ask anyone for advice. I have to admit my lovely neighbour was on femoston for 15 years so I'm going to ring my doctor and ask her to prescribe that instead of elleste. I can't start til my next period which is 2 weeks off so I've time to change. I just hope my side effects aren't too bad I've spent the last 3 years as a guinea pig for other illnesses and the side effects have knocked me out. Weight gain is a big worry I've rocked either women who have stopped hrt because of a lot of weight gain and I can't risk that as I have an eating disorder so weight is a big issue for me. I read that elleste can make you gain lots of weight in the first 3 months but I've not read about femoston and weight do you know anything about that side..thanks
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I have had both Elleste and Femoston and not had any weight gain.
There is supposed to be redistribution of body fat after menopause, so it goes more to your middle. It should be ok if you eat healthily and do some exercise that you enjoy.
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My neighbor had no weight gain on it but I remember my step mum came off it due to weight gain...I already exercise everyday and duet to keep my weight down so I really hope it doesn't go up..x
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Peroxideblader - really no need to worry as it is a matter of definition. As I said, this stage immediately before the clinical definition of peri-menopause (which some loosely refer to peri-menopause anyway) is referred to as the late reproductive stage because ovulation is still occurring regularly and cycles are still regular. There are already hormonal changes occurring at this time which some women (such as yourself) are very sensitive to - depending on their own hormonal make-up, so this is absolutely normal - what you are describing. It is just a matter of definition - the processes are still all happening. If you did nothing then after the periods getting closer together you would most likely start missing them and the lengthening cycles and their greater irregularity signals the "official" start of peri-menopause ( according to the definitions) . However if you start to take HRT at this point then as I said it will hopefully regulate your cycle ( to be approx 28 days) and help with the symptoms you are getting.
I was very lucky in that I did not get the classic menopausal symptoms of flushes and sweats until my periods had stopped for a few months.
Hope this clarifies? Good luck with your quest to find a suitable HRT and hope whatever you choose, works for you :)
Hurdity x
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Thanks I'm going to forget the elleste as I'm prone to nausea on any tablet and I'm asking for the lowest dose femoston I start it in 2 or 3 weeks depending on when my next period starts it's very erratic...thanks for all your advice everyone I'm sure I'll be on here for a long time :)