Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: 7dwarfs on July 20, 2020, 03:43:32 PM
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After starting HRT last year I thought my prayers had been answered! I was doing really well and feeling amazing taking femoston 2/10. Then in March I had a horrible 2.5 week very heavy bleed, followed by another a week and a half later lasting a week, and so on till June when I finally admitted I needed to see my doc ( had been avoiding due to the pandemic!). I spoke to her and she booked me in for blood tests and a scan. Had the scan on 10th July and last Wednesday she phoned to say I had to stop my HRT straight away, the scan had shown fibroids and a thickened endometrium (1mm more than it should be) but I didn’t actually ask what that was! Anyway I’ve had a banging headache since Friday that won’t shift and feeling completely exhausted. I’m so fed up of being a woman right now. I’ve been booked in for a hysteroscopy on 29th which I’m dreading as I know these can be horrible but I know it needs doing. I Don’t know if my headache is hormonal or stress , is this usual if you suddenly stop. I was half way through the first week of the pack so the estrogen part.
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hi 7dwafs
so sorry to here that x headaches can be normal as to can flushes which can creep back in a couple weeks after stopping well did for me headaches for me improved as i suffered with these on hrt unfortunately i restarted again 9 weeks after stopping as vaginal issues became an issue although wish i hadn’t and just upped the vaginal estrogen as i’ve had nothing but side effects here and there and my main symtom of menopause was just vaginal everything else i coped with but hrt in some ways for the last two years has reuined my life not helped and hair shedding again have lost lots of hair from HrT. x my estradiol readings are off the chart so am awaiting a gp to ring because i need higher dose to combat watery discharge to avoid a panty liner at 41 yrs old not something i’m ready for but then i’m hit with armpit sweating dripping bloated ness huge boobs feel too heavy and worse hairloss i cannot win x hope all goes well but the headaches should stabilize once you hormone levels adapt from stopping hrt x hope all goes well i shall be thinking of you
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Hey there, I have fibroids too and was told not to take HRT. I have been on progesterone for 18 months and apart from a little spotting every now and then I have no periods.
My libido has disappeared however and I do suffer depression, but that might not be linked or might not be the same for you?
However you are booked in for a hysterectomy so I presume that option has been discounted already. I’m just interested in hearing your story as I didn’t know about fibroids until I was diagnosed 2 years ago and even then I had to do my own research on them. All these years of suffering after taking the combined pill and not once did a doctor mention fibroids or offer to investigate, it was just “here’s the pill, bye”. I wonder if it was the same with you?
Good luck, hope you can find help and support whilst you go through this.
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Thanks ladies, I’m getting increasingly worked up about having the hysteroscopy and will have to endure the appointment alone. My hubby can’t take the time off work to take me and although I understand Why he can’t , I can’t help being p*ssed off with him! It’s not his fault I know...I don’t have anyone else who can go with me.
I had one under general anaesthetic around 12 years ago and was fine but this time haven’t been offered this and I don’t want to wait . I’m scared it’s going to hurt but I’m hoping I’m one of the lucky few who get through it!
I’m also worried that I won’t be able to have HRT afterwards . I guess it’s all just a waiting game now but I am dreading the thought of loosing all the benefits I had gained. Sorry for the moan 😳
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Can you request a phone appointment with your GP to go through your fears? You might find that it's not as bad as you fear?
How come your husband can't go with you? What if he was sick, presumably he'd have to take time off then? Or if he really can't go on that day, can he at least leave work early to be with you? In these situations I often think what I would do if it was him going through it and then I get pissed off that he doesn't do the same. Does he know how scared you are?
Please do talk to someone about your fears and find out more information about what happens afterwards. Forewarned is forearmed as they say. Take care x
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There’s already someone off on AL in his office next week and they can’t run the department with just one person if he’s off too ,which is why he can’t go but it’s only for the afternoon. I’m seriously thinking of phoning and cancelling and asking if I can have it done under a general anaesthetic tomorrow. I’ve hardly slept today thinking about it... working nights which is why I didn’t phone today :-\
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https://www.menopausedoctor.co.uk/menopause/fibroids-and-the-menopause#
Please read Dr Newson’s article on fibroids and HRT. Having fibroids does not mean you have to stop HRT or that you can’t take HRT .
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Thinking of you today 7dwarfs. Hope you are ok.
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hi
also due to covid 19 restrictions you may find that even if he could get the time off he would not be allowed in the hospital , my daughter was in hospital recently and as she is 18 and an adult i was not allowed to be with her due to restriction one adult only in hospital or gp practice and if it’s a child it’s one adult only with the child ie not both parents i’m in oxfordshire but i think it’s the same all over x
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Thanks everyone x I’ll give that a read Dotty, apparently my womb lining is too thick atm as well so another reason for the hysteroscopy.
In my hospital letter it recommends I bring someone with me to the appointment so I think in certain cases they’ve relaxed things a bit.
I’ve phoned the hospital this morning and the secretary was lovely and is going to see what she can do to avoid me having to re- refer through my gp if I don’t take the appointment . I have said I want a general anaesthetic and as I didn’t know I was going to be booked for the procedure ( after speaking to GP), just thought I was seeing the gynaecologist so never had chance to discuss any options. Fingers crossed it doesn’t delay things too much.
I’m feeling horrible again today , 7th day of waking up with a banging head and I’ve completely lost my appetite.
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Hi 7dwarfs
It seems that different doctors worry about different things. I was having off-pattern bleeding last year and the scan in November showed a small fibroid and a lining of 6.9 mm. My GP called me just before xmas to say I had been referred for an urgent hysteroscopy and biopsy. I was worried and asked what the appt was looking for - answer - they were checking for abnormalities such as endometrial cancer. I asked if I should stop HRT and my GP said she had spoken with the gynaecologist and they thought not, I could continue. Then Covid arrived and Delayed the March appt. I finally had the procedure on 12 May. She let me see the screen while looking around my uterus, which really helped. I am fine btw, ok to carry on my HRT and just need to go back if I bleed in a different kind of off-pattern than now. My letter said to bring someone with me but they wouldn’t let anyone else in when we got there. Take painkillers an hour before you go. It wasn’t nice, but it was ok and it was quick. I bled afterwards but it stopped after about 5 days.
I think you need to know what they are looking for and why they are worried about your HRT. Maybe, for example, you could reduce but not stop entirely?
I hope you get some answers soon. It’s a horrid time waiting, but once you know everything is ok you will hopefully feel better.
Much love
Sparkler
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Thanks sparkler x I think my GP was trying not to worry me when we talked , I was away at the time and she apologised for having to contact me whilst I was on holiday :-\( we had escaped to a holiday let in North Yorkshire for the week ). And I didn’t ask the right questions because she said I was being referred to see a gynaecologist so I thought I could speak to them, not realising that after assessing my scan results they’ve decided on the hysteroscopy. After speaking to the hospital this morning that’s how she explained ive ended up with the appointment . I’m still waiting to hear from them and will probably know tomorrow what I’m going to do x
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I have had a similar experience, lots of bleeding which resulted in an urgent referral. I went last week and had an abdominal and transvaginal scan. The scans showed a linimg of 5mm and a fibroid. They weren't concerned aboout the fibroid but the lining was 1mm more than the recommended 4mm which meant they wanted me to have a hysteroscopy and biopsy. I asked for sedation / something to relax me but they only offered pain killers so I came home. I have since been refered to an outpatient appointment and am currently trying to find out if there any options to get me through the test.
Good luck and let us know how you get on.
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Will do Shrosphirelass. If I haven’t heard anything by lunchtime tomorrow I’m going to call again as my appointment should be next Wednesday and I don’t want to spend the weekend not knowing! Non of this worry would be necessary if they didn’t expect women to go through painful invasive procedures that no man would put up with >:( especially when there are plenty of options for pain relief out there. I’m keeping my fingers crossed 🤞
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Just a quick update for you lovely ladies .
The hospital secretary phoned me yesterday explaining that the gynaecologist hadn’t yet replied to her email but she was hopeful that they would over the weekend ( and she hoped they would agree to book me in after their assessment of my scan results). She said I would have to cancel my appointment for Wednesday if I was sure I didn’t want the procedure without a general so that’s what I’ve done. I felt a bit guilty doing so , but the closer it’s getting the worse my anxiety so I know I’m doing what’s best for me even if it means having to go back to the GP.
My headaches not as bad today but my head feels foggy and I’m sure some of my other symptoms are creeping back already. I suppose time will tell over the next few weeks.
Thankyou again everyone - it does help to know that we aren’t alone in our trials ....
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Thanks for the update and don't feel guilty. It's your body and by making a decision you are taking control. Have you completely stopped HRT and if so is this absolutely necsessary and if so could you reduce it gradually? Wishing you well.
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Thanks for the update and don't feel guilty. It's your body and by making a decision you are taking control. Have you completely stopped HRT and if so is this absolutely necsessary and if so could you reduce it gradually? Wishing you well.
Yes I’ve completely stopped at the request of my GP, she tried to persuade me to stop in June when I first contacted her regarding my bleeding saying I really should stop until they investigate the cause. I said I didn’t want to due to how bad I felt pre HRT and she agreed to prescribe tranexamic acid to reduce the blood loss whilst I waited. I’ve been off it 10 days now. I had just started bleeding the day she phoned so thought it was as good a time as any to stop ( if there is such a thing!). The tranexamic acid did it’s job .
I don’t really know what to do about the HRT as I don’t know how long I’m going to be waiting but hopefully will know more by Monday.
I was on femoston 2/10 and don’t know how you would reduce that safely without causing more bleeding or hormonal ups and down as I’m still peri as far as I’m aware.
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I think there's a femoston 1/12 which is half the dose. I haven't stopped my HRT and hopefully wont have to. The menpause clinic advised me to reduce the dose if the bleeding continued after 6 months (this is separate from the gynae investigations) and if symptoms reoccured to try a different progesterone. They recommended provera as being aprticlarly helpful for contolling bleeding but said it had more side effects. No easy solutions. Hopefully you get sorted soon.
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I was on femoston 1/10 originally before changing to 2/10 and my bleeding was fine for that 3 months trail, it just didn’t quite ease my symptoms as well as 2/10 but I’ll go back rather than stop completely if I can!
I finally got the call from the gynaecologist today and I’m booked in for next Wednesday to have the hysteroscopy. She said I can have local anaesthetic and gas and air if needed ,so I’ve decided to go for it rather than wait. She said with the current situation there was less risk and I would have to wait as well. We had a chat about my history and she explained the GP hadn’t actually supplied my scan results and she knew nothing about the HRT or fibroids . The GP had just sent a referral letter saying thickened endometrium ( not even a measurement!) and irregular bleeding. So she’s going to chase that up before she sees me next week . I asked her about stopping the HRT but due to the limited information she couldn’t help and tried to push the idea of a coil once this is sorted which I’m really against but I’ll worry about that after next week. I’m just hoping now that with the pain relief offered it won’t be too bad... fingers crossed 🤞
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Good luck 7 dwarfs, good that you have something sorted. Let us know how you get on. I will be thinking of you.
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So I’ve been for my hysteroscopy this morning. I was given a local anaesthetic into my cervix and the whole thing was over and done with very quickly! Pain was on a par with my period pains so it was no where near as bad as I expected. The gynaecologist took a biopsy but said everything looks normal .
She explained everything before hand and said my womb lining had measured 15.2 mm and their cut off point for concern is 15. Amazing how much that varies depending on hospital! I also have a 35mm fibroid in my womb lining and what appear to be the start of several more :-\
Afterwards I asked about treatment regarding fibroids ,she wasn’t at all concerned that anything sinister was going on with my womb lining and the fibroids were a common problem that would probably go away once I am through the menopause . Basically once I’ve got the all clear from my biopsy ( hopefully in the next week ) I can get back on my HRT. She said it was fine to continue managing the bleeding with Transamic acid but did recommend the coil if my bleeding becomes worse .
At the moment ,she said due to the pandemic any surgical intervention would not be on the cards as the wait could be for ever.
I’ve just got to monitor the situation, hope that my fibroids don’t get any worse and crack on :o
I’m a little bit worried that if I can grow one fibroid that big so fast ( in under 2 years ) that the others may follow suite
and I’m peri which can go on for quite a while! With limited treatment options on the horizon I’m going to keep everything crossed!!!
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Woohoo! Glad to hear it went well. Well done and... relax!
Sparkler
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Woohoo! Glad to hear it went well. Well done and... relax!
Sparkler
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:thankyou:
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Well done for getting through it and good luck with the results
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Well done for getting through it and good luck with the results
Thankyou shrosphirelass. :)
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Please don't worry about a hysteroscopy. It's fine. I had one about 18 months ago. I took paracetamol before and didn't need anything else.
Mine was done at Oxford. It was very quick. I laid on a gynaecologist bed with feet up and out and they used a warm water wash to sluice as she worked. It felt wet but fine. I wasn't even really uncomfortable. She found 2 polyps (which were causing the bleeding) and 2 fibroids. It was over so quickly I wasn't sure she'd done it. I can't stress enough that it really didn't hurt, just feels odd.
I had the polyps removed a couple of weeks later and Mirena coil fitted under GA and I've been fine and bleed free since. Best thing I did as I'd been plagued with bleeding and thickened womb lining. There was nothing wrong, just the Utrogestan I was taking hadn't kept the lining thin enough.
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Please don't worry about a hysteroscopy. It's fine. I had one about 18 months ago. I took paracetamol before and didn't need anything else.
Mine was done at Oxford. It was very quick. I laid on a gynaecologist bed with feet up and out and they used a warm water wash to sluice as she worked. It felt wet but fine. I wasn't even really uncomfortable. She found 2 polyps (which were causing the bleeding) and 2 fibroids. It was over so quickly I wasn't sure she'd done it. I can't stress enough that it really didn't hurt, just feels odd.
I had the polyps removed a couple of weeks later and Mirena coil fitted under GA and I've been fine and bleed free since. Best thing I did as I'd been plagued with bleeding and thickened womb lining. There was nothing wrong, just the Utrogestan I was taking hadn't kept the lining thin enough.
Thanks Sue, I had my hysteroscopy and everything went well. As I’ve had treatment to my cervix before she used a local anaesthetic , as the previous treatment can make things a bit tight to get the instrument through ,so that really helped. They also used the fluid but I didn’t really feel that and once it was in I had some pretty strong cramping but nothing I don’t get during my period. I didn’t feel the biopsy being taken and I don’t think the whole thing took more than 5 minutes! As said in my previous post everything looked healthy so I’m not worried about my results which should come through by mid week next week.
I had a polyp about 12 years ago protruding from my cervix and it caused horrendous bleeding. My hysteroscopy then was done under a general anaesthetic and I was given the all clear. Apparently they can come back but non were found this time. It’s fibroids that are the guilty party now!