Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: LisaH on May 23, 2022, 07:00:47 AM
-
Hi I am new to all of this so please bear with me. I have recently started HRT. I am on Sandrena 1mg Gel everyday and Utrogestan 100mg. Firstly I am very confused about how many days I should stop taking the Utrogestan. When it says cycle is it meaning 28 days- I have asked a pharmacist and she was as confused as me. Also is it normal for the hot flushes to get worse before they get better? I have been very reluctant to start HRT but I have been period free for seven years and the symptoms were not getting better so I eventually decided to give it a go but beginning to regret it. Thank you for any advice.
-
Hi if you are post menopause then you take 100mg of Utrogestan every night. x
-
Hello LisaH, welcome to the forum.
As you are postmenopausal you can take the Utrogestan continuously, with no break. It can take any regime a while to settle down, so give it three months before reassessing. Good luck!
JP x
-
Thank you, my dr has said that I should have felt the benefit straight away and I should stop taking anything.
-
Thank you, my dr has said that I should have felt the benefit straight away and I should stop taking anything.
The normal advice is to give any regime two or three months to settle down. It doesn't sound as though your GP knows much about it. Many don't.
JP x
-
Yeah the menstrual cycle is 28 days so that’s what they mean. Your doctor gave you the wrong advice, HRT can take 3 months or even more to really feel a change in symptoms. Good luck.
-
Hi your doctor is wrong … it can take up to three months to feel any benefit. You don’t need to worry about a 28 day cycle as you are post menopause x
-
Flushes usually go within a fortnight, my anxiety and insomnia took 3 months. I can only remember one post on here where some e felt better straight away, for most it's much longer. They recommend 3 months before reviewing it.
-
Your symptoms are caused by oestrogen deficiency so imo the best way to sort it is to increase oestrogen so the herbal remedies become redundant. You may need topical oestrogen too (have a look at the vaginal atrophy threads) but my leaking was fixed by adding testosterone which improved muscle tone overall including pelvic floor (I had a problem with muscle tone in general, frequently pulling muscles for no good reason).
-
I found black cohosh an instant remedy at the start when my periods were first gone. It stopped working so I'm trying evorel conti but the gp encourages me to take the herbal remedies as well for as long as they work, red clover, mucuna pruriens, holy basil and siberian rhubarb, but it's expensive to take all those and my husband worries about me taking so many things at once.
As far as I understand it you can't use red clover while on HRT and holy basil is used to counteract oestrogen dominance so might wipe out any good oestrogenic effects you get from the HRT. You have to be careful as to which herbal remedies you use while on HRT.
Taz x
-
You can't cut down by extending the number of days you leave a patch on, that will give you a high dose for 3-4 then nothing or very little for the rest of the week. If you want to reduce you either have to use a lower dose patch or cut a piece off the one you have. We have enough problems with hormonal peaks and troughs in peri without adding to them!
-
This is interesting, I thought my doctor was very clued up about HRT, she practically pushed me onto it, I was reluctant at first. Her words were that it's like turning on a lightbulb, that's how instant the relief of HRT is. Now I'm wondering.
I found black cohosh an instant remedy at the start when my periods were first gone. It stopped working so I'm trying evorel conti but the gp encourages me to take the herbal remedies as well for as long as they work, red clover, mucuna pruriens, holy basil and siberian rhubarb, but it's expensive to take all those and my husband worries about me taking so many things at once.
I didn't know the bladder problems were menopause until reading here, I thought it was just aging and childbirth, my granny had an op about my age for her bladder. I'll investigate what might help me stop weeing myself. Whenever I phone my gp she tells me to google my problems (instead of phoning her I guess) but then she's very helpful after she has her say on that, lol.
I think it depends on the symptoms. I had extremely bad anxiety and the benefit was almost instant for me in that regard, but it took longer for HRT to deal with other symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats. As others have said, stick with it for a bit longer.
-
Blimey, my anxiety took 3 months!
-
Thank you for your replies! I am still not sure what to do, I might try again😄
-
Hi ladies just wondering so hrt helped your anxiety ? mine through the roof at moment hopefully dr to prescribe hrt when i see him friday on ads at mo which seems to be helping slowly but what with other symptoms need more help any advice on what hrt will help my anxiety gives me thoughts of not being here thanks Dee x
-
Did your anxiety arrive with peri or is it a long standing issue? Mine came with peri and has gone completely with hrt so mine was caused by oestrogen deficiency. If yours is caused by oestrogen deficiency you should be on hrt not ADs, if it has another cause you may need the ads.
-
And to add to what sheila says, if it has started since being on HRT, it may be caused by the estrogen - and that may need to be adjusted somehow. (Not always easy.)
-
Hi ladies anxiety started with other symptoms post meno not had hrt prescribed yet as dr waiting advice from gynae/meno clinic as mum had breast cancer so not happy to prescribe hence need for ads the anxiety awful with morbid thoughts just upped ads this week hope they stop the thoughts as cant function taking magnesium as well seeing dr again friday will keep updated love Dee xx
-
Others will know more about BC than I do but you should find out what type your mum had. Some are fed by oestrogen but others aren't.
-
Your mum having breast cancer has about zero bearing on whether you can have HRT. My mum had it too. I’m on HRT. Not even questioned.
-
I suggest you do your own research, both the nhs and Cancer research UK think it can but it depends on the type of cancer. Even if the family history is the 'wrong' sort you can still choose to accept the risk and take hrt. If you use transdermal hrt the risk of cancer is less than if you smoke, drink or are overweight though I believe that's for the general population rather than those already at higher risk. Better to informed though imo.
-
My mum's was estrogen-positive and I still have zero issues being on HRT. Because most breast cancer (99%) is caused by other factors besides HRT. My mum is obese and an alcoholic, for eg.
She was also not on HRT when she got breast cancer.
-
Thanks ladies will relay your answers to gp on friday need to do something as l cant even think of future feeling like this you are all a godsend thanks for your support will post back friday Dee xx
-
Dee, even if you yourself had had estrogen positive breast cancer, the current direction that research is headed, you would be not an outlier to request to go on HRT - many women who have had BC do go on HRT for quality of life. Considering it's not even you who's had the BC this time, it seems a bit crazy if HRT is being withheld with this as the reason and you should go see another GP if that's the case.
-
My mum's was estrogen-positive and I still have zero issues being on HRT. Because most breast cancer (99%) is caused by other factors besides HRT. My mum is obese and an alcoholic, for eg.
She was also not on HRT when she got breast cancer.
I'm not trying to say transdermal hrt is a risk factor for the general population but I don't think there are any sufficiently robust studies to indicate whether it is or it isn't for those who already have a genetic risk factor. There are so many other possible factors and transdermal hrt has been around for a relatively short time period.
I agree quality of life is important and imo that's a decision only the individual can make but they do need to be aware of any additional risk before making the decision (same with obesity etc).
-
The research currently indicates there are not any additional risk factors with body identical hormones. And if there are, they are tiny. That risk doesn't change just because your mother had breast cancer - the OP is at no further increased risk than any of us.
This is covered in several of the most recent Louise Newson podcasts and has been all over social media recently.
-
Hi just to update saw gp friday had reply from gynae / meno clinic advised referral to genetics clinic if they ok hrt to try mirena coil n patches so fingers crossed will keep updated surprise at quick reply to be honest only 2 weeks .Hope genetics as quick but morbid thoughts easing with ads so feeling little better thanks Dee x