Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Mojo61 on June 23, 2016, 06:31:43 AM
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Due to constant bleeding my doctor suggested changing over from Evorel Conti to Evorel Sequi. I put the first Sequi patch on last Wednesday and ever since then I've felt dreadful and my anxiety, which had been getting better, has got really bad. I'm not sleeping and feel sick all the time. Could it be because I'm no longer getting the progesterone part of the patch that's making me feel so unwell? I'm about 3 years post meno and been on HRT since Feb of this year. I feel like I want to take my Sequi patch off and put a Conti one back on. I can't take this, it feels like I'm back to square one with my anxiety.
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Hello Mojo61.
I can't help with your question but I'm sure one of the expert ladies will be along shortly.
I did want to say that I sympathise because I've recently changed my HRT and I feel as you do. Lots of anxiety, nausea, palpitations and miserable! Last night I also wondered about going back to my old regime though even that wasn't perfect.
So sorry I can't help you but I do sympathise and sending hugs.
Take care.
K.
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Thank you for your reply Kathleen.
I feel really dreadful, I can't explain it but I feel like I'm going mad here and I wish I had never swapped over now because I was doing so well. I should have put up with the bleeding and given it a few more months to settle down, but instead I was too impatient and now it feels like I'm paying the price.
Can I just take this patch off and put a Conti one back on?
I'm sorry to hear you are feeling rough too, I can really sympathise with you and I hope you feel better soon x
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Hello again Mojo1.
I am sure one of the expert ladies will have an idea about changing your patch but I am seriously considering going back to my previous HRT as I feel so awful.
My anxiety is also at pre HRT levels and yesterday afternoon I was napping on the bed when a palpy surge woke me up which is also reminiscent of pre HRT days!
It is so frustrating isn't it? I wish I understood the details of how these hormones work and how to feel better.
The women who have an easy menopause don't know how lucky they are!
If you don't get any detailed responses to your question then I'd go head and change patch if I were you. I'll probably be doing the same before the day is out!
Wishing you well and take care.
K.
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Thanks again Kathleen. Can I ask which HRT you were on and why you changed?
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Hello Mojo61.
When I read your last comment I checked my diary to see what I changed and why.
I had been using Evorel Conti 50 mcg patches for about a year but the last 6 months I had been cutting a corner off each patch. I was doing this because I'll be 60 in September and I wanted to be on as lower dose as possible. I see from my records that even on the patch I was experiencing flushes, palpitations and nausea and most days I would have one or two anxiety surges. I wondered if Norethisterone which is the progesterone in the patch was the problem so a month ago I started on two pumps of Oestrogel and Utrogestan taken orally. Whilst using the patch I had bleeding and spotting issues at various times and that has completely resolved with the new regime, so something's working!
I felt the gel and Utrogestan were working well and at the beginning of this week I was feeling calmer and therefore hopeful. However these last few days I've been very anxious and the palps came back big time!
I accept it's early days with this latest HRT but it's very frustrating to feel that you're going three steps forward and two steps back every time.
I was 54 when I had last period and my main symptoms have been flushing, though not severe and rarely at night, palpitations and anxiety in the form of internal shaking. I struggled on for three years before trying HRT and have been using various forms for the last three years, I'm 59 now. In all that time some things have improved, I'm less irritable for example and the headaches I had early on have disappeared but as I say some problems have persisted.
I may continue with the gel and Utrogestan for a while longer and then think again. This whole business is exhausting and if you are only half as frustrated as me then you have my sympathy!
Sorry for the long post but I wanted to be as helpful as possible.
Wishing you well.
K.
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Well I'm back again! I took the oestrogen patch off on 26th June and put the Conti patch on. Now 3 patches in I've started bleeding again (the bleeding completely stopped a short while after I put the 1st oestrogen patch on) I went back to my doctor this morning and she's sending me for a scan. I'm worried sick now that something awful is wrong but she seems to think it is hormonal and nothing to worry about. Please can I get some reassurance?
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It is quite normal to get some erratic bleeding when chopping and changing the way you use HRT and in the first 3-6 months of any conti HRt, bleeding and spotting are to be expected. Your GP is right to get things checked but I bet it's just the hormonal changes that are the issue. Don't panic. DG xxx
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Thanks for your reply DG. I know I'm being silly worrying about something I can do nothing about but my anxiety is very bad at the moment. I've just had an increase of my AD meds and I think that might be causing the heightened anxiety x
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Moji61 I am in exactly the same position, but I have had my conti taken off me and I have to wait three months for a scan. It's going to be horrible, I have been off it before and felt dreadful. I have been on it since late Dec and had bleeding issues too. This happened when I was on it last time, they scanned me and everything was fine.
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Thank you. I hope it is the patches causing the bleeding because it is worrying me sick.
Sorry to hear you are having problems too, I really hope you don't struggle too much this time without your patches x
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Bleeding is one of the normal side effects of a conti HRT Mojo61. Some women get spotting and some get continuous bleeding (I was one of those!) for up to six months. The scan will just be a precaution and I agree with Dancinggirl that chopping and changing HRT can often cause bleeding irregularities.
Taz x :hug:
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Hi everyone. Not sure if this helps but I went on Evorel conti 50 in April. Started on 1/3 patch and worked up to full patch. At 6 weeks I felt horrendous and actually didnt want to be here anymore so I took the patch off, that was over a month ago. It has taken over a month for the hot flushes to return. In my experience and having tried various types of HRT, I think I build up too much estrogen and I end up with the side effects which are similar to the symptoms to why I went on HRT in the first place. I have just started back with 1/3 of a patch and if I get no more side effects and it stops the hot flushes then I will continue to stay with this. I think it is just balancing and adapting the hormones to suit your own body and finding what works for you rather than just going with the doses that are dished out.
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Hi clare663 - good advice. I just wondered whether by horrendous you mean in a depressed and anxiety way or did you have other symptoms? It's just that the norethisterone in Evorel can affect some women in this way and it could be that the continuous dose of progesterone was what affected you rather than the oestrogen?
Taz x
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Bleeding is one of the normal side effects of a conti HRT Mojo61. Some women get spotting and some get continuous bleeding (I was one of those!) for up to six months. The scan will just be a precaution and I agree with Dancinggirl that chopping and changing HRT can often cause bleeding irregularities.
Taz x :hug:
The doctor has swapped me over to Klimovace tablets instead. She said if that doesn't work then we may have to consult a gynaecologist about a suitable treatment. I haven't started the tablets yet, I'm going to use the rest of my Evorel patches up first as I hate any change in medications - it exacerbates my anxiety. I've been on an increased dose of citalopram for 9 days now; up from 10mg to 20mg so am dealing with that as well as the worry about the upcoming scan next week.
I used to be such a sane and rational person but now it feels like I'm losing the plot.........
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Do you mean Kliovance? I swapped from Kliovance to Evorel conti due to continuous bleeding for the first six months but I'm afraid it stayed the same. It was the constant progesterone which did it. You do need to give it quite a few months to settle down though as conti often does cause bleeding.
Taz x
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Yes sorry Taz, it is Kliovance. They are in odd little round dispensers.
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That's the one! Give it the three months at least to see how you get on.
Taz x
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Another 3 months?
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You have to give each HRT at least three months to see if it will suit you. If bleeding is the main side effect/worry then you need to give this six months to settle down. I think it says that on the patient info leaflet.
Taz x
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Hi Taz, yes horrendous as in suicidal. After past experience with HRT I knew it was the hormones so all I could do was take it off and have abreak.
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I would think that the Norethisterone was to blame - had me feeling the same - so low and depressed. I really felt that life was not worth living. Totally changed once I started an HRT with a different progesterone component in it.
Taz x
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When I had norethiserone it sent me so loopy I took the pictures off the hall wall and threw them down the stairs there was glass everywhere 😐