Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Personal Experiences => Topic started by: Kathleen on August 28, 2019, 01:22:50 PM
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Hello ladies
I am now officially off my HRT regime of two pumps of Oestrogel and Utrogestan 100mcg vaginally every night.
I thought I'd post a short update on what that I've noticed so far.
I stopped taking the Utrogestan whilst reducing the dose of gel gradually. After a few days without Utrogestan the tenderness in my breasts disappeared even though I was continuing with Oestrogel only. I assume therefore that the progesterone element of the HRT was the cause of my breast tenderness.
As I lowered Oestrogel still further I could feel some vaginal dryness and I began to notice my episiotomy scar that I acquired thirty years ago! Strangely though my dryness comes and goes throughout the day.
I have also noticed an increase in flushes and my moods are unstable but my HRT never did resolve those issues so no change there!
My sleep is about the same, waking once or twice a night but managing to get back to sleep.
I am post menopausal, my last period was nine years ago and I have been using HRT for six years. Early days at being HRT free and I don't know if I'm doing the right thing or not but I felt it was worth trying to find out where my hormones are naturally.
Hopefully my update can be of help to other ladies.
Wishing you all well.
K.
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Hi Kathleen, this all sounds very promising!! I'm just about the same stage as you post menopausally (is that even a word), and have been messing about for months now trying to find the right balance of gel and utrogestan which has been ok for me for a couple of years, it isn't now and I don't feel any better for upping it! It's given me tinnitus I'm sure! Trying low dose (1/2) of an SsRi to see if it helps the anxiety which was my only real symptom after weaning practically off hrt. Maybe I'll do the same after this cycle. I'm 60 next year. Let us know how it goes!! LL x
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Hello Lilyloos
We do sound similar.
I am almost 63 and feel it's time to try having a break in the hope that my hormones will balance naturally.
Anxiety has also been the worst and most persistent symptom even when taking HRT. It may have resolved if I had been able to take a higher dose but unfortunately bleeding problems made that impossible.
I know of other women of similar age who have never taken HRT and they seem pretty normal so it must be possible!
Wishing you well.
K.
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Hi Kathleen.
Just read your post, and I've gotta say, I'm wishing you all the luck in the world...🤞
I'm praying this is the way to go for you, and hoping everything settles down soon.
You are brave...I'm dreading coming off mine. Unless I stay on it forever, who knows? 🤷♀️
Please keep updating us, wishing you good luck and good health.... :foryou:
Jd xx
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Hi Kathleen
Good luck hope everything works out well for you.
Do keep us updated.
Lanzalover x
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Hello jillydoll and Lanzalover
Thank you both so much for your kind wishes.
Needless to say I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
Take care.
K.
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Hi Kathleen
This sounds like a really good idea. I came off it a year ago, but was not long on it anyway. Symptoms did return, but I feel i can cope fine with them. They seem to come and go and I feel like I'm just used to them now.
I felt with hrt that I was adding to potential problems and feel that by not taking it, I'm just having to deal with the menopause symptoms and not the additional ones I got and could potentially get on the hrt.
I really hope it works out for you by coming off it. Do keep updating! Good luck! X
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Hello Jari.
Thank you for your post.
My going it alone experiment continues!
I think I mentioned earlier that when I came off all HRT I started to get VA problems that I'd never had before. I assumed this was an indication that my levels had taken another dive which was to be expected. Oddly though, the soreness etc seems to have gone which makes me hope that my hormones are beginning to find a balance. Obviously keeping everything crossed and I hope I haven't jinxed it by talking about it!
Wishing you well.
K.
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Hello again Ladies.
Me again . Just had a huge surge/ jitter/flush. Rats! I knew if I mentioned any symptom improvement I'd jinx it.
Oh well. Stagger on I suppose.
Take care everyone.
K.
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Hello Kathleen
Hope it's a temporary blip. I too feel I'm jinxing things when I mention any improvement. When I first started Elleste Conti it stopped my horrible flushes within a few weeks and I felt great, went to the doctor for my 3 month follow up and told her how wonderful Elleste was and how great I felt, fast forward a few weeks and I was back in tears with terrible anxiety and depression so I don't take anything for granted now!
I hope you manage to get off HRT successfully it will probably take a while to get through it just keep going if you can.
I'd love to come off it but I've got to work and really can't take time off with symptoms.
Best of luck and keep us updated.
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Hello Ginny62.
I remember telling a Consultant that the HRT was working and it was great to feel normal at last. Needless to say a few days later and I was a mess again but I didn't bother going back to tell her.
This hormonal rollercoaster would try the patience of a saint but all we can do is keep on keeping on!
So far today my mood has dipped and I feel jittery and tearful but the VA symptoms haven't returned and all feels okay in that department. Who knows what will happen later?
Thanks again for your comments and take care.
K.
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Time and time again I've posted ‘ I'm fine' only to go down hill very quickly afterwards. I agree there's something about the ‘jinx' phenomenon.
So, I think we should come up with some kind of CODE, so it doesn't happen to us ever again.....🤔
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Hello jillydoll.
I agree, we need a safe word lol.
It makes you wonder if what we are experiencing is a mood swing on a larger scale. In other words after feeling better the downward turn is already in the pipeline. We haven't really jinxed it but we were so happy to feel well that we had to mention it to someone! I've also noticed that my appetite changes according to these swings and I am ravenously hungry when feeling okay but have no interest in food on the downward spiral.
Whatever the explanation, the whole scenario sucks and I long to feel ' normal ' most of the time, like in the good old days.
Thank you for your comments and take care.
K.
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Helloooooo Stellajane! Welcome back!!!!!!!!! great to see you here again - couldn't keep away?
Hurdity xx
Kathleen will look at your post in a minute! x
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Hello Stellajane.
I have also kept a symptom diary and I'm keeping notes of developments during this HRT. I think I will give it at least three months and then decide what to do.
Many thanks for your comments and I appreciate hearing your experiences.
Wishing you well.
K.
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Hi Kathleen - sorry I missed your post as I don't tend to look in this section much - just caught stellajane's name on the front page ;).
I agree you're very brave coming off HRT after a long time taking it - I would dread doing that especially as my life now and what I do is based around being well (even though I'm getting older and not quite as fit etc as I was) and would be very worried about having to do less, and any adverse consequences to my health although as you say the body should adjust eventually to some extent at least in terms of flushes and sweats.
You mentioned VA but I wonder if you are taking somethng to prevent deterioration here as a result of oestrogen decline? I can't remember whether you were on Vagifem or estriol as well? Please don't wait for things to deterioriate vaginally as it can take some time for the full (negative) changes to occur and consequently (as some women on here find) it can take longer to fix...
Keeping us updated in your journey is very thoughtful and helpful because it will chart how you feel along the way.
re the hunger and appetite - it's strange for this to swing so much so I wonder if you have had other things tested eg other hormones - thyroid, blood sugar etc? Also maybe being mostly vegan you notice this more as with a plant based diet you need to eat more so possibly notice energy deficit more quickly - like herbivores?
Anyway do hope your journey continues to be positive in spite of having blips....
Take care :)
Hurdity x
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:lol: I know the feeling
(sorry Kathleen to hijack briefly!)
Hurdity x
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Well done Kathleen. 3 months sounds like a good plan and if that goes ok, maybe another 3 months. :) step by step.
I spoke to my GP yesterday. It was about my bone scan results, which don't seem to have arrived. Anyway, while she was on the phone, I took the chance to ask about the meno symptoms. She asked how I was doing on the Sertraline, but I told her I stopped taking them as they made me feel weird. I asked her what her feeling is, given all the patients she sees. She said most women she sees tend to pass through the menopause in 2-3 years and then put it behind them, but of course there are some that have symptoms that go on..
She asked if I wanted to try a different AD, but I said I felt I was coping ok with the flushes and that I feel they are decreasing, so, as long as this continues, I will not take any more drugs.
Good luck and keep posting!! X
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Hello again ladies
Hurdity - As you may recall, I have never enjoyed full symptom relief from taking HRT so taking a break doesn't feel like such a leap. My dismal results are probably due to not taking sufficient oestrogen but I struggled with bleeding and anaemia when I attempted to increase doses. My VA seems to come and go at the moment so manageable so far. I take your point about future developments so I will, keep an eye on it. My blood sugar is okay as was my Thyroid at last testing. I'll certainly keep the forum updated as it may help others and don't worry about hijacking my thread, all are welcome here!
Jari - I'm pleased to see that you are doing so well and your GP is supporting your choices.
Take care ladies.
K.