Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Lizab on June 08, 2016, 04:46:35 PM
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Hello all! I would like to know what to reasonably expect hrt to solve.
My current issue is that I'm noticing little adrenaline surges at night keeping me from falling asleep and waking me through the night. Of course it is exhausting me that I haven't had a good night sleep in almost a week and it is affecting my daytime mood. I had these surges before hrt, with much more intensity, almost a panic. I believe this is a much milder version of the same thing. I will be falling off to sleep then suddenly I am wide awake. This cycles for hours. In the past, I felt a definite surge, almost like a falling off a cliff dream, complete with racy heart panic feeling. Now, I'm simply sleepy then awake, no adrenaline feeling.
So, if hrt has improved everything, should I expect and be content with these milder versions of old symptoms popping up from time to time? Do those who are well settled and happy with their regime expect this? I think I may have asked a similar question before but can't remember. I'll blame the lack of sleep!
I am happy to tolerate these junior symptoms if it is normal, but since I had let things progress to such a terrible level before seeking help in the first place, I'm nervous that I'll ignore and tolerate again when maybe I should be seeking another dose or brand.
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Hi I personally think that hrt is really great with hot flushes,aches pains etc but is very hard to get an exacting balance when it comes to anxiety,adrenaline surges etc. Well that is my experiences. No matter how hard we try we can never replicate our own very complicated,complex endo system and certainly not every day. So I would say in reality as long as most things are generally feeling better thats very positive,after all before all this meno malarkey none of us were perfect ::)
Sometime we have to learn to adjust and embrace the new life we might have now ,I have found that since I stopped chasing my own tail trying to find the perfect I was better somewhat,not as good as I was but not spending the best part of a year with appointments after appointments ,thats a year I wont get back. ;)
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Hi, I think that if the symptoms are better than they were before and you can function better than that's a bonus. My experience is that it can fluctuate, as our hormones go up and down naturally. It isn't perfect , but nothing ever is . I get anxiety still now but I can cope better with it, so that's a bonus.
pepperminty xx
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Hi Lizab, I'm exactly the same. Experiencing 'junior' hot flushes through the night. Like you, came late to HRT having put up and shut up with horrendous symptoms for 12 years. Now on low dose oestrogen patches. Can't tolerate any higher. But can accept these little episodes because on the whole feel better.
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Agree with you dazned I have had fab success on the patches no more hot flushes no night sweats yipee but anxiety etc still bad. I just thank my lucky stars my physical symptoms are controlled now, shame we cant have it all though ! ;D
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Hi Lizab
I agree that if you are feeling much better overall and can cope with the symptoms you are getting then that's fantastic! If you are peri-menopausal still then you definitely cannot expect HRT to solve everything because of the hormonal fluctuations still occurring as pepperminty said. There is still some fluctuation in early post-menopause so I understand.
If you are still getting flushes though then the dose is not high enough.
I'm not sure what adrenaline surges are! ???
I don't get milder versions of the old symptoms I used to get before starting HRT but then I am well post-meno (in my 60's!!) so hormones are stable ( apart from the HRT cycle!).
Hurdity x
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I think I'm only getting flushes and night sweats during the end of progesterone and my period, which I believe I've had my whole life. I tend to get hot during my period anyway. General heat intolerance is another issue though, which I find sometimes bothers me and other times not at all. Again, that's an improvement as almost a year ago I suddenly couldn't tolerate heat at all. There seems to be no cyclical rhyme or reason to that though.
This has been helpful. I'm grateful for the improvements already, and I'll continue learning to adapt to these minor symptoms. Thanks, ladies!
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Adrenaline surges are AWFUL :'(
Maybe eating a light supper ? Anxiety surges can be caused by early morning hunger ;-).
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CLKD, it's not a problem in the mornings now. Before the hrt I ate round the clock trying to fight it because sometimes it did feel like low blood sugar. Unfortunately, it didn't help and I got fat. Since the hrt, I don't feel hungry all the time, but I have noticed my hunger picks up in the progesterone phase. It's interesting to me how our hormones seem to affect everything.
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I put my gel on about 10 at night go to bed about 12 and I'm zonked within half hour 40 minutes...maybe taking at night would help. I was getting night sweats before and during period so doc told me to up the gel to 3 pumps which I have and no more problems...I'm extremely happy on the gel...if I get a hormonal surge I get the runs which has happened twice so I lower the gel to 2 pumps for a couple of days and this sorts it out, I prefer the gel for the flexibility xx
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Forgot to say I'm peri menopause xx
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Hi Stellajane, can I ask how long you have neem post meno and what type of HRT are you on?
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Stellajane...what does of each are you on if you don't mind my asking.
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Hi Lizab, how long have you been on HRT? I ask as I have found that some symptoms resolved quite quickly for me, I.e night sweats and hit flushes, but the anxiety although so much better, is still there very occasionally, I'm almost two years post meno and been in HRT (mirena, oestrogel and estring) since December.
Generally I feel a good 80% better, and have to take into account I AM older, and I Do have stress at times, non of which HRT can cure 😃😃 I wish.
I do think some things continue to improve over time though xx
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80% better is fantastic Ljp :)
I am older so don't feel anything like I did when younger, but I am sure a darn sight better than I would if I stopped HRT :)
Hurdity x
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Hi Ljp, it's been about 6 months, 3 months on my current dose. Things are certainly getting better, not worse. I'm learning to accept the little dips and not allow myself to be gripped by fear that I'll feel so low again. All in all, I think I'm 95 percent better. It's actually hard to judge as before hrt, I went through a period of time where in spite bleeding problems, I felt better than I had felt since my teens and early twenties. I'm guessing that was my ovaries' last hurrah and I went down hard and fast after that. Where I am now is sufficient.
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Wow 95 percent better is great! And only 3 month on your current dose, I'm sure you will continue to have improvement 😊
I think as humans, the past is often rosier in our thoughts than perhaps it really was, I constantly question, was I really THAT bad that I needed HRT, it's difficult connecting to how you were, when you are only 100% sure of today, right here and right now.
But despite my occasional anxieties, I KNOW I'm more balanced and less of an emotional over anxious worrier on HRT, not to mention no hot flushes and night sweats! 😊😊
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Just want to add, I know what you mean by adrenalin surges, I get them at times, it's horrible. Mostly my sleep is good, but if I have something important or exciting the next day, that's when my adrenalin surges (sudden jolt in my stomach which wakes me) will create a very restless night.
Often accompanied by restless legs, I end up having to get out of bed and stretch out my calf muscles, it's not nice, and makes me really miserable, and can often take the edge off my important or exciting day as a result of such a bad night 😟