Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Personal Experiences => Topic started by: Karen max on January 28, 2020, 11:17:53 PM
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Hi ladies
Just on for a rant !
I'm so close on giving this hrt up as it's not helping me at all ( well apart from the hot flushes )
It's making me so drained no motivation at all , I cry at drop of a hat , my skin is do dry and flakey, stomach 's in knots some days plus anxiety is there 24/7
At first I thought the estrogel was helping me but now I'm thinking I was wrong !!
The provera tablets are wrecking me I take 12 each month , which I get every side effect going from them , then I wait around 8-10 days for bleed to appear , egg ut foes it so heavy
I'm post meno just over 6 yrs !!
I'm on this hrt from April surly if it was going help it would of kicked in before now ?
Doctor can find me a patch to use as he said the 2 he would recommend are not available !!
Anyone else relate to this on using hrt ?
Kaz x
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Hi Kaz oh crap....that's not good :( Rant away, I would be if it were me!
From April...well you should be doing better by now, that's a good go at that particular regime. I would definitely say time to change. I've said before I can't take Provera and my bleed doesn't take that long on Utrogestan.
Yep I suppose it is a question of which patches the GP can source. At least he is looking. Any idea before he will say oh and are you still waiting an op? xxx
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yep good point Bobidy...Kaz if I remember right, it was 4 pumps but splitting the dose???? (if I'm wrong sorry..meno brain!)
Are you still splitting the dose? or are you doing something else entirely?
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Hi girls
Yes I'm dying 2 pumps in morning time and again 2 pumps at night , I'm just fed up with whole bloody lot of it 😡
Ladybt still no date for open, I called them last week and they told me they couldn't give he a time scale because of the long waiting list
I honestly don't know why the hrt discharged he after the first visit so daft to me as they just give he thus mixture of hrt and said youl feel better with a bleed
I feel worse as I've not had period over 6 yrs and my normal periods weren't bad to be honest this forced bleed is awful !!
My head feels so confused I'm ready just to chuck towel in on the hrt but going back to them hot flushes is kinda putting he of
My doctor is new to our surgery and he don't seem to have a clue , he's as helpful about hrt as I am ( and I'm crap )
Kaz x
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I feel grand ( mostly) when I'm using the gel it's that provera I think sends me crazy , I have just been pushing in with it as I know most patches ( that my GP would recommend) are no longer to be got
I think even if I took the bleed a day I'd 2 after I started the provera it wouldn't be as bad because it would only be the 12 days but I'm suffering the crap of provera then after it stops the bleed arrives for around 8 days so really it's around 20 days a month I'm feeling crap
The gel is definitely controlling the hit flusges but I honestly think that's all it's doing
Kaz x
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Can I make a suggestion Kaz...go to your regular pharmacy and ask the pharmacist what patches they could get or one of the bigger one's like a big Boots closest to you...well one where you could go and fill a prescription if you were given it. Then go and tell the GP what you could get. You could ask about them on here before visiting the GP for opinions.
To be honest I think its probably the Provera..it sent me totally dolally in my head. You are already using a cycle so its not that you are on a continuous regime causing the problem. I need to look at your posts again, but did anyone give you utrogestan to use vaginally? It's the only thing I can use. the first 2 months were a bit bad for cramps but after that ok and after 3 months the head thing got to a level where it was a bit like PMT but not too bad.
What do you think?
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I have asked in a lot of chemist regarding the patchs but they don't either , they put them in for order and just depends if they can get them or not , at the minute I've been waiting over a week for my gel ( lucky enough I have extra as I get 2 pack each month .
No I wasn't given anything to insert as they said my bladder was too far down and when it's low like it is then there a chance of it causing mire problems regarding orolsspe
If they would get op done would mean I'd nit need bloody provera .
Thinking back tonafter my youngest was born 22 yrs ago , I couldn't use any of the birth control pills none seemed to agree with me yet I used pill before and I was find with it ..
I hate that daft silly feeling in your head almost as if your head is going to explode ?? Well that what I get after 2days on provera!!
I'm just hoping nit much longer now for surgery
Kaz x
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The muddy brain last around 5 days then goes away and it seems to appear around a week after I stop provera ..
it's a bloody mine field trying to work out what is causing what !!
Here's hoping for a better tomorrow
Kaz x
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I felt totally rubbish on both the HRTs I tried - I was told after year of GP visits that 'maybe' my oestrogen is too high when I feel
bad (aka anxious/insomnia). So why do GPs just look at your age and dole out medicines that have a huge effect on your
body without doing any testing? It is like givings someone with diabetes a couple of Mars bars to take per day and telling them to keep going with it for 3 months until they either feel better or are at their whits end.
There we go rant over - but there is no analysis behind medication for menopause and after seeing countless GPs and ' experts' I have not met anyone who has any clear idea of what chemical reactions are behind my symptoms. I do ask but have been told either nothing or that my hormones fluctuate on such a regular basis that it is pointless. I'm not sure I buy that as things like glucose and BP are the same and are routinely tested over 24 hours.
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Kaz - Its seems like its the Provera causing the problems. I just couldn't take it at all, it made me mental, I know that "head exploding feeling" and I really didn't feel well at all, but I can manage the utrogestan. If you can't use the Utrogestan vaginally have you been given it to swallow? So sorry to ask you again but I just cant remember and I am working today so I don't have time to look up your previous threads.
...and yes I know about the op, it's ridiculously frustrating, you have been waiting a ludicrous amount of time but our waiting lists here are off the chart far worse than anywhere in the rest of the UK. If it were done you defo wouldn't need any progesterone and you would be grand on the gel on its own!
I don't think that changing to patches will make any difference. How the oestrogen is delivered seem a red herring in your case. The gel seems to be doing what it is supposed to, it is the progesterone part that is the problem as I said. Tell me if you have been given Utro ever? x
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I've come to that conclusion too...we need one type of dose and/or medication in peri and then as we move through meno into post meno it can change again and then when we are quite a bit post meno probably change again! Its defo not a constant that's for sure but accommodating that and working out what to do is another matter entirely >:( >:(
?.and don't get me started on doctors Birdy...my blood pressure won't take it! Each of us should pitch up at a clinic somewhere one day a week cos we've learnt far more from all this pfaffing than most "professionals" >:( >:( >:(
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I think that the changes happen because of our "bits" producing diminishing amounts of hormones as we progress through meno and how those actual levels that they are producing react with other chemicals in our bodies and then as we get x years past post meno our bodies settle again, or (cant think of another way to say this ;D ;D but) our bits have shrivelled to a level playing field and just kind of settle into it!!! Well...its my theory and I'm sticking to it for the time being...no doubt some event will come along I wasn't expecting and throw that one out the window!! ;D ;D
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You just levelled out Birdy and yes it's weird!!! I thin that is why docs don't test because our hormone levels are so very personal to each individual human that even if they fall in a "normal range" we could still be ill because what is "normal" for us? No one takes base line tests for each of us when our bodies are functioning properly and I'm sure that if you took thousands of tests the variations would be so massive you couldn't work out what the "normal range" was. x
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Yes I was given hrt pills at start and none of them agreed with me that's why they swapped me to patches , then the patches couldn't be got , but when I went to menopause clinic they said I'd be better using the gel having a bleed hence the provera tabs
What I don't understand is why they saw me once give me this one to use then discharged me ? No " cone back and see us in 6 months time "
I did call them to say the provera wasn't agreeing with me they told me to use it once every 2 months so I honestly think I will give that a go means I'm only feeling crap every 2 months .
As I said I normally am fine on the gel and it definitely keeps hot flushes at bay
Just glad that's me until March until I need more bloody provera
But call from chemist this morning to say they can't get the gel at the minute , I've extra pack here so not worrying to much but is this the next bloody thing to start as it's happened before that's I'd to wait 3 weeks on the gel
Joys of menopause are just delightful ehhh ? 💩 💩
Sorry if on a rant again !!!
Kaz x
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Karen max, I know what you mean - I'm wondering why I ever went on HRT at the moment!
X
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Its a problem here in NI, Stellajane with our meno clinic. I had one visit and 2 telephone consults and no physical follow up at all and no scan or testing. I was discharged the same way despite my GP writing to say she thought I should be seen again. Its the politics here, collapse of assembly for 3 years has screwed our NHS beyond ridiculous. Our waiting list for ordinary "non-urgent" neurology ("non-urgent" = where they think there may be a problem but aren't sure, they are not really worried but should check just be safe) = 252 weeks!!! Same for orthopaedics.
Yep...you did read that right!!!
I think the meno clinic are working on the assumption that if no one reports a problem in the 6 months after the visit - their GP can handle it!
I'd be with Stellajane, Kaz - ask your GP for Utrogestan to swallow instead of Provera and keep going xx
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Hi ladybt
I spoke to doctor on phone yesterday afternoon he said he wouldn't change me from provera as that's what the menopause clinic put he on and they know more than him ?? I'm sure they do as he knows very little in my opinion!!
I've got over this months lot of provera so nit taking it again until March so fingers crossed I will start to feel better as the bleed has now been and gone too
Plus I got my other pack if gel from chemist which I was pleased about ..
If I could only get this daft foggy feeling away from my head but it's relentless, I feel I can't remember or recall nothing 😡
I'm leaving little notes to myself all over house to remind me of things I need to do .
Holy moly I feel 92 instead of 52
Kaz x
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hey Kaz, don't they just drive you mad!! You can't go back to the clinic because they discharged you and the gp won't change what is wrong because the clinic won't say so!!!! >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( Are they all dim or WHAT!!! I would have ripped his head off and asked him if he was a man or a mouse and how about he phone the clinic up and ASK FOR ADVICE FOR HIS PATIENT!
Sorry for the rant on your behalf but this kind of behaviour really sends me off the deep end! :-X :-X
Just wanted to say that my fogginess went with the introduction of testosterone and so did much of my lethargy, but you wont have much hope of getting that if the idiot GP cant even sort our the right progesterone. Why don't you consider writing to Dr Currie explaining the discharge and the problems with the Provera and ask if she can write recommending the change to some Utrogestan and "could I have some testosterone while you are at it please"! You have no idea how long you are still going to have to wait for the op whilst our idiot Assembly sort out the problems of the last 3 years. Much love x
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Ladybt
It is really getting worse with GP,s
Why the bell isn't one GP trained up in menopause? We gave 6 different GP,s at our surgery yet nit one of them have a clue !! 😡
I could go private here to Ulster independent clinic which I already have done regarding prolapse , as NHS thought it was fine to leave me walking around with really bad bowel and bladder prolapse.
I hoping now we have Stormont up and running again maybe we will get back to normal in our NHS, as it's shattered at minute 😡
What way does it work to mail Pro Studd ? Plus would my own GP listen if I done so ? Regarding changing the provera, when I asked before they told me provera was the only one I could use ??
I could not argue against him as I'm clueless myself regarding hrt but if I'd a few names of different hrt that does the same job as provera does I'd make appointment with GP and go hit him with few of the names
Kaz x
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There is only a mirina coil which you cant have or Provera or Utrogestan as stand alone progesterone. You have had Provera so the only one left to prescribe is Utrogestan and he is talking out of his back side if he says you cant have it. He probably couldn't find it in his book. Utrogestan is trade name, it is micronized progesterone and is listed under the NICE guidelines.
I didn't say Professor Studd, who is in London and you would have to see and pay him privately which is too far away and too expensive. I suggested you write to Dr Heather Currie who is the meno consultant who operates this forum. She has an email service which costs ?30. You provide details of the problem you are facing and in your case what you need to happen eg "direct your GP to prescribe Utrogestan instead of Provera" and why and she emails back an answer or her opinion. Your GP wants a consultant to give him the say so, what I am suggesting is... Dr Currie is Specialist Meno Consultant (she actually practices in Dumfries and Galloway) and she could give her say so!
Its much cheaper than ?150 to pay for a consult at the with Joanne McManus who is the meno specialist here in Belfast who runs private practice and the clinic at the Mater.
Oh and you are not clueless, far from it- he probably doesn't like that you know more than him!! x
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Hi Karen,
I have had lots of issues re my HRT especially the progesterone. For me I take 5mcg of Northisterone 6/7 days every other month . This gives me a really good bleed. I do have annual scans.
I was initially using 4 pumps of Oestrogel but as time went on I was suffering additional sweats, feeling wired and anxiety aprox 2 hours after application so I am currently using one pump morning and one pump evening. Seems better although I do get occasional blips.
Wx
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Ladybt
I am definitely thinking of stopping it as I was adding up today the plus signs for I started it abd really all it's doing is stopping the flushes as my breasts are sore 24/7 plus awful itch , some days I do have hot flushes others days I don't , my mood isn't great still cry at drop of a hat , ect ect so really looking at wider picture all it's helping is hot flushes plus I definitely didn't have this mushy head feeling before hrt
So was thinking of cutting down to one pump of gel in morning abd one at night see how I go on that , then drop to one pump per day then if it
Hi Warwick I understand it takes a while for to get right hrt but I guven it well over 6 yrs on many different hrt so I'm thinking as I'm post neno just over 6 yrs could I push on with out hrt , holy moly bloody menopause is worse thing ever !!
I'm so so confused about hrt and the mire I read about it the more confused it makes me tho anything confuses me now 😂 This fatigue is worse abd it's really getting to me now as everything I do I've to force myself to do it !!!
Kaz xx
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hey Kaz I would swear on my life its not the gel and cutting it won't help, in fact you may need to up it rather than cut it. I am more likely to swear on my life that it is the Provera! Not that me "swearing on my life" is any help to you. I was prescribed 2 pumps to start and then was told to up it to 4. When I started with the 2 some of my symptoms got worse for a while and then they started to vanish on the 4. All my troubles are around progesterone. As I said there are only 3 to use when you are doing each bit separately. A mirina which is continuous because it is a coil and I couldn't do continuous...Provera to swallow either continuous or on a cycle and Utrogestan..to swallow or use vaginlly continuously or on a cycle. I cant do continuous, have to cycle and Provera...well I managed 6 weeks! Utrogestan, no problems really. Once I got 7 months in all symptoms are foggy head and lethargy gone. Those two fixed with testosterone.
Thing is it's so weird how differently we react. Like I say I swear blind your problems are due to the Provera. x
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Karen max, just read your posts and had to reply.
I would say, go for it!! I did and didn't look back.
In my opinion, hrt just masks what your body is trying to do.. and I really feel it just drags out the menopause, whilst giving all sorts of terrible side effects. ( in my case anyway)
If you're also having trouble with it, I'd definitely say drop it. I'm sure you?ll be glad you did. Your body is clearly not happy with it. X
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Hi jari
I was thinking along the same lines as you as I say the only thing it's helping is the hit flushes but it's giving me loads of side effects , they get if you find right hrt then you know after a few months as your feeling more like your old self , I'm on this hrt 10 months abd I definitely don't feel like my old self !!
Can I ask you did you just stop yours or did you taper yourself of it ?
Were you on it longer than 10 months ?
I dread stopping it and getting hit with withdrawals honestly think that's why I'm putting of stopping it
I'm over 6 yrs post menopause so I'm thinking maybe would I feel better using nothing
Holy moly it's a hard decision but I think I'm going go for it
Kaz xx
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I'm using 4 pumps per day so do yous think it could be that I need it upped ?
When I started the gel I felt better for months but lately I'm just constantly feeling drained and definitely no motivation for anything
It's effort for me to hoover the floor , before this meno crap I'd be up housework done by 9 am now I'm trailing myself around the house to do anything
Surly if it was provera my breast would ease up after I stopped them ? The soreness does ease once I've stopped provera ?
The itch is relentless none stop so surly that's the gel ?
Kaz x
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Birdy
Yes I had a lot of blood tests done thyroid was one and they said it was fine , what ever FINE is in their books !!
My GP isn't good at all about menopause he's about 30 yrs old and looks at me as if I've lost my mind when I tell him how I'm feeling .
Il have a look into getting more tests done private but I'm honestly not sure where here in Northern Ireland does them
I'd need to go private clinic I'd say to have tests carried out ..
my mushy head is now staying even when I've stopped provera , abd it's driving me crazy as it almost as if I can't remember anything at all
No my weight is fine and I keep to healthy diet
I can't do much exercise as I've arthritis from I was 16 yrs old so a long time and it's getting worse older I get plus think meno is adding pain too joints ect
Kaz xx
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Hi Kaz, I only took the gel hrt, 2 pumps a day for two months. It did stop the hot flushes but I became incredibly anxious and was gasping for breath. I had already reduced the pump to one a day when I saw doc who told me to stop immediately. I did and the anxiety and breathing problems went. Hot flushes came back, but since then they have got less and less. One or two a day now, but they?re not intense and I can cope with them.
If your gut feeling is to stop, I'd go for it!! Maybe reduce the pump by half over a couple of months and slowly taper off, but you could always ask your gp the best way forward?! X
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Hi
Yes am confused what to do to be honest but as said above I can always go back into it if I'm finding it too much with out hrt !
My GP can't advise me what to do as he hasn't a clue himself!!
I honestly don't think it's thyroid related as I didn't feel like this until I started hrt
My head is that mushy I can't even bloody think straight!!
Kaz xx
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Birdy
Did this just show up when you started hrt ? ( brain fog ) I mean
I suffer fibromyalgia so I'd have brain fog due to fibromyalgia but from taking hrt this has sent it to new whole level , it's that bad I can't remember what I done this morning , I honestly thought st one point I'd dementia!!
Plus this lifeless feeling is unreal and it's definitely not like the fibromyalgia weakness I get , I can tell the difference between the 2
Today I've used my 2 pumps this morning abd il use 2 more tonight and when my heads clears from this daft awful feeling I will then think of my next move ,
Honestly I'm 52 yrs old abd I feel 92 bloody hell this menopause is just awful for us
Kaz xx
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Birdy
It's unreal how Docs say it's in " the range " or " yes it's fine " what the hell is fine ?
I'm definitely going look into getting it checked out again , it was checked at hospital few moths back but they said the sane " its fine " again heats fine ??
I honestly think the NHS naked my menopause worse as they get me so bloody mad 😡
Between GAp,s not having a clue about hrt and then that neno clinic seeing me once and discharge me ! 😡
Kaz x
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Birdy
Thank you interesting read definitely
Kaz x
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Hi ladies
Just wee update I've cut my estrogel from 4 pumps per day to 2 pimps last 2 weeks and could definitely feel the difference regarding that brain fog , infect my head seemed to feel clear ( first in a long time ) the pain in breasts is easing of now and nipples are definitely not as sore but the dreaded sweats are hitting me again , so tonight I'm going use 2 pumps abd 1 in mornings to see how I get on with 3 pumps per day
just Hope breasts don't go back to before as they were that sore and itchy the were waking me from my sleep , even when I was pregnant 4 times I never felt anything like it !!
Kaz x
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Hi Birdy
Yes I honestly think the hrt clinic started me on high does (4pumps) and it was just too much , I was fine for months when I say fine I mean I felt it eased hit flusges lifted my mood a bit , but over last 4 months , I've felt awful , I can only but try this lower foes see what happens ( fingers crossed )
But way I'm looking at it is .. I've been on that does almost a year surly if it was right ones I'd of been feeling a lot better than I was ? Plus my breasts were so so sore , so definitely something wasn't right with the does .
Kaz x
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Birdy
Today my anxiety is rather high so I'm wondering should I try 3 pumps per day and slowly drop to 2 pumps as to be honest I jumped fast from 4 pumps to 2 .
But my head is much clearer and my breasts almost feel normal again no pain at all
Il do 1 pump tonight then in morning if anxiety still high il use 2 pumps and see how this mixture goes
Bloody menopause is hateful 😡
Kaz x
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Hi Kaz,
I have just had an episode where it seems my body has suddenly decided 4 pumps is too high! I've been on them 18 months and I have had to drop them to 3 and then to 2 over the last month or so! I really have no idea what is going on but all I can say is that thank the lord the gel is flexible otherwise I would have been back and forward to the GP every 5 minutes!
Sore breasts and itching especially my head and legs were my problems, no anxiety back thank goodness. I reckon I noticed something was wrong a couple of months ago (I lose track of time) and it didn't stop so I started to reduce the pumps. Now I am on 2 and everything is fine. I reckon you body reaches a certain level over time and then goes "yep that's enough"! I suppose some peoples levels take longer to top out than others.
Yep menopause is hateful >:( x
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Ladybt
I was thinking the very same as you regarding the levels as I felt fine on 4 pumps at the start ( last march ) then around 8/9 weeks ago I started getting really sore boobs and itching plus flushes were creeping back , bare I need mind I'd been on the hrt patch before the gel , so I think it builds up to a certain level of what each persons own body needs , I've cut down to 2 pumps , when the anxiety cane back few days ago I thought il add another pump in the morning but I've been ok so haven't added the pump yet so fingers crossed I won't need to , it's the dreaded provera I'm due to take end of February I'm dreading now but we will see how it goes as to be honest my last dose of it wasn't too bad as I'm taking it around 12am which I think helped too
Kaz x
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Hi ladies
I dropped down to 2 pumps per day as I said but few days ago , I woke up with anxiety very high ( anxiety is worse of my menopause) so I've used 3 pumps last 2 days but I'm feeling very sick about hour abd half after I use the the gel ... wondering if I should ride the storm on the 2 pumps and hope anxiety leaves or stick it out with 3 pumps ?
Kaz x
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Birdy
That's how I'm feeling ..
from I dropped to the 2 pumps my boobs are almost normal again and the flusges hasn't arrived back (yet ) but I can't cope with bad anxiety I get so I've used 3 pumps today so il see how I go in few days on this dose ..
Bloody nightmare all of this meno crap isn't it ?
Kaz x
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Hi ladies
Well from I dropped from 4 pumps my breasts are feeling back to normal almost but my anxiety is sky high even waking me throughout the night , it font seem to be as bad during day ?
Should I go back up yo 4 pumps or ride the storm on 3 pumps ?
Or is this just another part of the menopause that has decided to return ? .... I'm lost abd so confused 🤷♀️.. sweats at night have returned but in saying that they had returned when I was using 4 pumps too.
Kaz x