Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Unicorn on March 21, 2022, 05:35:27 AM
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Hi ladies, I'm so sorry to bother you all again, but I'm really scared :( my mood has plummeted and I have awful anxiety. I've been on a new HRT regime, day 12 of Sandrena gel and I don't know if I feel worse mentally. I've decided to abandon the HRT. I'm scared I'm going to get so low I'll be locked up 😶
I really don't know what to do now... I went on it because of horrible racing heart and hot flushes being the primary problem with anxiety but now I still have the palpitations, anxiety and my mood is getting low 😒 .
What on earth do I do now? My AD isn't working and I'm at a complete loss and terrified. Please can you advise? Xxx
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Sorry to hear this Unicorn it’s a nightmare isn’t it? 12 days is not really long enough and I know you don’t want to hear that but it takes time for your hormones to settle and get the right balance, but once you do it will be ok for you! I totally understand stopping it as it’s so scary! What dose are you on?
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Hi Flash, I'm not sure, but the dose is one little sachet daily xxx
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Feeling the same here. Woke up feeling hot, sweaty and full of panic. Scared that I'm reacting badly to the HRT or that if I quit my mood will get lower. I'm stuck. I'm only on one pump, scared to increase
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Which AD are you on? and what dose? x
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Sorry you are feeling so rubbish...it’s awful this menopause I know.
You really do need to give HRT a few weeks to kick in I’m afraid but this can be easier said than done when you are feeling desperate.
How long have you been on the anti depressants for? All drugs including HRT take time to work their way into your system.
Hang on in there.. things will improve over time.
Can you keep busy with work or hobbies?
X
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Hi
So sorry you’re feeling so bad. Why don’t you try half a sachet to see how you get on?
It takes a few weeks for you to settle on HRT and some ladies do feel worse before they feel better.
Sending a big hug x
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Thank you so much all of you for replying, it means so much. I'm very weepy, snotty and frightened 😪 and very low. I've put my gel on again this morning.
I'm on Sertraline 100mg but it's doing hardly anything tbh. In two days, I have to start the utrogestan 200.
I've read so many things on here about ladies being so low taking HRT and it lasting when they have finished. I have been up and down for 4 years now with one symptom after another, and when they happened intermittently, I could cope because I had well periods. Not anymore xxx
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Hi Nik, thank you for your reply.
If I take half a sachet, would I still need to take 200mg of Utrogestan? Or would I just take 100mg? I'm not sure how it works xxx I've been on 100 Sertraline for a year now 😒 xx
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Hi Unicorn Check the strength of the sachet of Sandrena. It could be that the dose is too low.
Yes the Utrogestan dose stays the same x
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Thanks Dotty 😚 the thing is I have swapped one set of horrible symptoms (pounding heart, hot flushes and anxiety) for another (anxiety and depression).
Is this likely to improve? Or am I going to get even worse? I'll end up in an institution xxx
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Hi Unicorn How long have you been on hrt and what strengths ? X
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It may be that your oestrogen levels are too low. Were you advised to use half a sachet?
You could of course wean off the HRT to see how you feel. I can't remember whether you are seeing a menopause specialist :-\
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Hi Dotty, I've only been taking the gel for 12 days..... too early to tell, but can the gel cause my mood to lower? Xx
Hi CKLD 🥰 I was advised to take 1 sachet.... I haven't seen a Meno specialist as yet. The GP was going to try this and that before going down that route. I did try patches for about 3 months, but my mood plummeted with it and it didn't really help. Also I constantly had a bleed. They were sequi patches. Funnily enough, I think I was better on the combined patch rather than the oestrogen only one xxx
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Hi Unicorn I’m so sorry you are having such a rubbish time. I really feel for you. I know what anxiety and depression is like first hand and it’s really challenging to put it mildly.
Can I ask you say this is a new regime, what were you on before?
Have you tried patches? The gel may not be being absorbed properly or just may not suit you?
Are you taking progesterone continuously?
I tried sertraline once and felt much worse on it so went back to fluoxetine which suits me much better and out of all the SSRI’s is the gentlest.
Sending you a massive hug 🤗
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Sorry just read your reply and you’ve answered the question about patches when I was typing the last post!
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Hi Louise ❤ thank you for your reply.
I tried the patches about a year ago. I'm 48 and still in peri so unable to take anything combined, I believe. I'm now scared to try different things as I'm frightened of getting depression/anxiety xxx
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Morning Unicorn,
If you felt better on combined HRT you might feel better when you take the Utrogestan. So hang in there! :)
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If you have a womb you should definitely be taking a combined hrt. Have you tried oestrogel and utrogestan for12 days of the month only? You’d then have a bleed. That worked for me when I was peri although utrogestan wasn’t great, looking back I tolerated it and felt good on oestrogel only days. If what you’re taking isn’t working don’t give up, go back to your clinic and tell them you need to try something else.
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Hi Gingercatmom and Unicorn, and the other lovely ladies replying here.
I am currently on 200 Everol patches. Gradually increased over time as symptoms apparently not improving. However the anxiety and panic has increased with every increase. I am now in such a bad state with panic and anxiety that I can hardly move. Woken up by panic at 5 this morning and sitting here shaking with fear. It really appears to be the increasing doses that have made me worse and I think I’m intolerant. Have been on it for eight months. I’m now going to reduce it because I can’t live like this.
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Dawn, if. I were in your situation, I would be inclined to stop all HRT for a few weeks and then do a complete re set, starting with the lowest dose possible and them work up from there?
Too much Oestrogen can cause symptoms of anxiety and panic, in the same way that too little can.
I would also give each increase, a good three months to settle.
Hope you feel more balanced soon.
X
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I tend to agree with you. But worried about suddenly stopping though as the original symptoms I had (burning up like my body would explode for hours on end) were terrifying as well. Although I’ve still been burning up in a slightly different way, and for longer every time I’ve increased the dose. It’s been an absolute nightmare and continues to be that way. Really glad of your advice though, particularly to hear that too much estrogen can cause panic, because I feel like I’m going mad. I really just need to decide whether to reduce dramatically or do it a bit more slowly. Thank you xx.
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Dawn, I would reduce slowly. You are obviously very sensitive to hormones. I had a very bad experience from going cold turkey… I was having the same symptoms as you but completely suicidal too. X
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It’s just awful isn’t it. What did you settle on in the end? Or are you off it completely?
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Hi Dawn,
I wouldn’t stop abruptly either.
I had to reduce in December and it was a whole heap easier than I expected.
I can’t find your post about the Lamotrigine, I know a few people who use this med and it has been successful.
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That’s good to hear. I’ve still been in a place where I’m not even sure if it’s been the estrogen or the Utrogestan that’s causing the most problems but most people who can’t tolerate the Utrogestan say it makes them low rather than causing panic so it must be the estrogen. Tempted to reduce the estrogen and stop the progesterone for a couple of weeks. And then add it back in to see if it causes problems.
About to start the lamotrigine so fingers crossed for that. Really glad to hear it has been successful for others. Thanks so much for that.
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Thank you all so much! I have decided to carry on for a while. I spoke to my OH this morning and he was very sympathetic... he said I maybe getting used to the new influx of hormones 🙂 before they make me feel better? ..... he sounded so wise, bless him! Xxxx
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He's probably correct ;)
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Lol CKLD! ❤ he is always right..... he's a man ☺☺ xx
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Aww. Really glad to hear you have been able to decide to stick with it. I’m sure he’s right. 👍
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Hi Dawn 🥰 I think all i can do is try it and wait it out for a while. I've been waiting it out for months now hoping I feel more 'normal'. One minute I think 'I'll be ok, I've got this', then the next minute I think 'oh god, im never going to feel better. I haven't left the house apart from work now for weeks.... I think I need to grab the bull by the horns and just start going out etc. And try not to overthink xxx
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I can very much relate to all of this! I haven’t even been able to go to work so it’s brilliant you are still doing that, even if it feels like you aren’t doing anything else.
I can also relate to the overthinking so I absolutely know that the overthinking does us no good at all! It’s quite hard to stop doing it, I know.
I hope things pick up for you soon, when your body’s got more adjusted to the hormones. Do let us all know how things go. Will be rooting for you. X
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Hey Dawn, thank you so much for your replies, you don't know how much I appreciate them ❤.
Im feeling a bit better this morning (so far! It could change in a heartbeat 😆) . I'm still rubbing on that gel. I'm also thinking of changing my AD.
Before starting the HRT, I would have permant pounding heart, with palpitations, 24/7 nearly (and I wasn't particularly anxious with it) and a hot face, just my face (I used to think that I would explode). The hot face and I think the racing heart is better, but because I have suffered with it for so long, it has completely drained any confidence xxxx I do hope you find answers very soon Dawn. How old are you? Xxxx
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I've also been full of cold for five days... hasn't helped 😄 xx
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Hi Unicorn
I’m 55 and had a very sudden onset a few months ago. Given my age I thought I’d got away with it!
Glad to hear things are starting to pick up a bit for you. xx
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Hoping you'll get back to yourself soon sweets ❤ don't give up xxx