Menopause Matters Forum

Menopause Discussion => Personal Experiences => Topic started by: Karen max on March 12, 2019, 06:33:20 PM

Title: Hrt clinic
Post by: Karen max on March 12, 2019, 06:33:20 PM
Hi all
Well at last I have got appointment date to attend menopause clinic so roll on 1st April

Hooefuythey can find me an hrt that will suit me

Kaz x
Title: Re: Hrt clinic
Post by: Ladybt28 on March 12, 2019, 06:53:56 PM
Nice one Karen - let us know how you get on - it will be brill I'm sure it's the Mater isn't it?
Title: Re: Hrt clinic
Post by: Karen max on March 12, 2019, 08:43:27 PM
Hi
Yes it's the Mater I'm putting all my hopes into them being able to find the right hrt..
I go on holidays in late May so would really like to be feeling better than I do now

Definitely I will keep you all posted on how things go at the clinic !!

Ladybt do you they you the prescription there and then it does it get to your GP what I really mean is will I be waiting another week for my GP to write a prescription.

Kaz x
Title: Re: Hrt clinic
Post by: Ladybt28 on March 13, 2019, 12:49:16 AM
You get a sheet with what is prescribed on it, to take to your GP and then the GP issues the prescription I'm afraid - well that's what happened the first time.  I insisted I got the sheet and dropped it straight into the GP.  My testosterone they wrote to my GP and I had to wait for the letter to get there and then the prescription was issued.
Unfortunately you will probably be waiting.

Ref the holidays in May - I hope you will be feeling better but I want to say that you need to be realistic - it is probably too soon between starting your hrt in April and going away in May to get to the feeling better bit.  You are probably going to be in the "feeling a bit weird" bit.  It really takes a good while to bed in Karen 6 weeks at least unless you are a very unusual case. I hope it's ok but I just don't want you to be disappointed if you are expecting a massive quick change - it just doesn't work like that. :(
Title: Re: Hrt clinic
Post by: Karen max on March 13, 2019, 01:41:26 PM
Hi ladybt
No it don't work fast on me well none of the ones I've been given have before so can't see a new one being any different
When I was given everol conti last time after around 2 weeks I felt it was helping me well the sweats crying for no reasipon stopped so if I can get sumthing that will help a little in first few weeks il be happy enough
Today my head feels so full yet it's empty if that makes sense ? It's the only way I can describe it

My old GP once told me " if you get the right hrt you know it's working with in a few weeks " he also said it takes full 12 weeks to feel all the benefits from it so I can only hope he's right

Here's hoping and praying this hrt clinic and fix my broken parts 😅😂

Kaz x
Title: Re: Hrt clinic
Post by: Ladybt28 on March 13, 2019, 03:32:35 PM
yep know exactly what you mean about the head.  I have to say my gel/utro helped a bit with that but the big shift came when they gave me the testosterone, then I really noticed it.  I actually became "present" in the world and my thoughts would come and I could "get hold of them" if you catch my drift.  The thing is the mater won't (well they wouldn't with me anyway) give me the testosterone until I had been on a settle regime for more than 3 months of the oestrogen and progesterone.

And he's right 12 weeks is minimum for all the benefits.  I still get the tearfulness on my progesterone phase but that is small beer compared to the stuff I suffered before, where I cried for no reason all the time...babies, puppies, anything vaguely sad, couldn't watch anything on telly without finding something to cry about :-\ - sometimes even if it was supposed to be funny!! (what was that all about!).

I have my fingers crossed for you.
Title: Re: Hrt clinic
Post by: Ron71 on March 13, 2019, 05:27:29 PM
Hi ladies,sorry for jumping in🤗, I am just wanting to ask a question. My dr has given me Elleste duet 1mg, but I have to wait for my next period, well I'm 5 days late, not pregnant, should i just start taking it as I'm at my wits end 💕please help xx
Title: Re: Hrt clinic
Post by: Karen max on March 14, 2019, 05:36:00 PM
Hi Ron61
I'm post menopause so I know nothing about hrt abd periods as I've not had period from Dec 14
I'm sure some help person will jump in and be able to give you some advice
X

Ladybt
 Your story is so like me , I never was a person who cried it took a lot but now well I'm just like tiny tears , I honestly wish they could offer me a patch as they seem to be better for me as every tab I've had caused heavy bleeds none stop but what I've read and what my GP has told me the only patch I can use in everol conti abd that helps me the first few months but then stopped working , so looks like it will be pills but to be honest if I can feel any better than what I do now I'm willing to take the bleeding
Kaz x
Title: Re: Hrt clinic
Post by: Ladybt28 on March 15, 2019, 02:43:11 PM
Karen, couldn't take pills, made me nauseous amongst other things and the Evoril patches didn't agree either.  I think primarily, none of them were right for me because of the progesterone element.  For my body, when it is in pills or patches, I can't control what kind of progesterone and how much, or for how long and my body needs that. After 3 years and huge amount of faffing about its turned out I need the separate components to be able to balance any of it.  Pills and patches dispense in combination and you cant vary anything so they just weren't for me. I'm a bit awkward it seems.

Ron71 - Is it Elleste Conti or Duette.  Its years since I got either. If you period has started - begin now.  Personally I would have started them on the day I was due but a few days here and there is not likely to hurt.  I wouldn't leave it any longer really as then you could end up starting mid month which is obviously not advised.  Not my area sorry Ron but maybe there is a lady here who is on it who can advise?
Title: Re: Hrt clinic
Post by: Karen max on March 17, 2019, 02:26:42 AM
Ladybt
I think I'm very like you as it seems no matter what my Gp has give me it don't suit
That's 3 different hrt pills and ine patch up to now I've been give with no success at all

I've held of for a long time as I'm waiting to go into hospital to have prolapse repaired on bladder and boeel p,us they are removing my womb as it's also prolapsed so I know it will need another different hrt after surgery ,but it's just getting too much for me now seems everything is hitting me at once every bloody symptom of menopause hasn't missed me ..

I saw you other post there about depression I was the same as you last year and had to go back into antidepressants, I didn't want to but knew I needed to do something as I felt I was losing my mind

I'm nit sur where about you are in NI but if you were close enough to me we could meet up if you like when you feeling a bit better for a coffee ?

You can send me a pm if you like I'm BT15

Hope you feel better soon

Kaz x
Title: Re: Hrt clinic
Post by: Taz2 on March 17, 2019, 09:38:52 AM
Hi ladies,sorry for jumping in🤗, I am just wanting to ask a question. My dr has given me Elleste duet 1mg, but I have to wait for my next period, well I'm 5 days late, not pregnant, should i just start taking it as I'm at my wits end 💕please help xx

Hi Ron71. Sorry your post has been missed by other members but as Karen max said others are on here with the relevant experience.

You can start the HRT even though your period has not arrived as long as you are certain you are not pregnant. Let us know how it goes.

You may like to introduce yourself under New Members too so that more of the lovely ladies on here can welcome you.

Taz X  :welcomemm:
Title: Re: Hrt clinic
Post by: Ladybt28 on March 17, 2019, 03:12:50 PM
Hi Kaz,
I'm in BT28 and yes I would love to meet for coffee.

Were you on the hormones when you went back on the AD's?  Did the AD's work any better than when and if you had them before because you were on the hormones.  I had AD's 40 years and they never did anything except make me numb but now I am on the right type of homones I wonder if it would be worth giving it a go again and that they may actually do the job they are supposed to?  I really don't want to go back to the numb thing again.  Having said that my thoughts although depressed are firing on all cylinders due to my testosterone so no brain fog....I'm trying to work out if the "numbness" will come back now the "fog" has gone?
Title: Re: Hrt clinic
Post by: Karen max on March 17, 2019, 06:54:40 PM
Hi ladybt
Yes I am in antidepressants for years whuch do keep the depression away but the menopause has now added a load more to the mix which is driving me crazy , the antidepressants are still doing theyr job ..
I'm staying on my antidepressants no chsnce am I gpcoming if them as they definitely keep the depression away
It's the symptoms from menopause I now need sorted out , my new doc changed my antidepressants 4 yrs ago to mirtazapine which caused me so many side effects and that flat dead feeling your talking about , so fast forward I'm of the mirtazapine and back onto my old antidepressants again .
I never suffered andy inmy life until I went into mirtazapine, I'm if it coming 2 yrs and still getting anxiety attacks but I believe it takes mirtazapine a long time to recover from for some people and I'm one of them people !!
What antidepressants did you use ?

Kaz x
Title: Re: Hrt clinic
Post by: Ladybt28 on March 18, 2019, 05:46:58 PM
I had them for so long I cant remember them all.  I was on Citilopram which is an SSRI)for about 10 years maybe and then  was on Duloxetine which is an SNRI for about 5 or maybe more.   Whilst I was on the duloxetine they also gave me amilytriptiline for nerve pain but it is an AD albeit and old type of tricyclic anti-depressant. I know I was on venlaflaxine (also an SNRI) when I was pregnant 26 years ago.  None of them worked, not even a smidge.  I had the most terrible panic attacks and almost like a psychosis from the meno symptoms but that has all gone now and been gone 8 months.  I gave up all my pills except for my HRT and 1 pain med 4 years ago now.

I'm working the reverse of you now.  I have got my meno symptoms and hormonal stuff under control now when it never was when I was on the AD's.  I just wonder if they might do the job they are supposed to now if I went back on them?
Title: Re: Hrt clinic
Post by: Karen max on March 18, 2019, 08:39:47 PM
Hi ladybt
I've been on a few of the antidepressants you have named , I can not take ssri at all they send me crazy , then when my doc changed me to mirtazapine it sent me to different planet !!
I'm now blaming hormones on feeling this awful as I say I never suffered anxiety in my life until I was put on to mirtazapine, so I'm not sure is this anxiety left by mirtz or is it from menopause?
Bloody hell its one thing after another for me to , I'm so fed up just looking for a normal day seems will never happen again ..

Pity I'm so far away from you or else we could meet up for a catch up on all this awful menopause crap !!

Kaz x
Title: Re: Hrt clinic
Post by: Ladybt28 on March 18, 2019, 11:31:04 PM
Kaz - I do travel about Belfast and surrounds for my job.  I am going to Moy, Dungannon on Thursday so towards BT16 isn't so far away in the general scheme of things really!  I'm in Belfast centre on Wednesday.  I can pick and choose where I go and when so happy to come in your direction just for a jolly when this next set of trips tails off.

Anyway, I know all my anxieties and my crazy period were all down to memo, it was so different to anything I had ever experienced before.  Meno anxiety feels so very different.  As I said all of that has stopped now after 3 years of horror but my bouts of depression are back with a vengeance.  I think I have to view it from a different angle now the meno thing is under control.
Title: Re: Hrt clinic
Post by: Karen max on March 19, 2019, 02:33:19 PM
Hi ladybt
We will  definitely have to get a catch when we are feeling bit better !!
I'm nit that far from Belfast city centre but just at Minuit not driving as my head is so fuzzy and I seem to a wee world of my own !! Crazy but that's only way I can describe it !!

It's health anxiety is  the worse for me even tho I'm on antidepressants I still get peaks of this bloody anxiety which is driving me crazy ,

Seems anything different to my usual routine is kicking the anxiety of but least I've no depression so meds are keeping that away thankfully

If your on Facebook let me know and il add you , just from me wee private mail

Hope your day is easy one for you !!

Kaz x