Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Welshmum on April 08, 2023, 09:06:26 AM
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Good morning,
Looking for some advice as not getting anywhere with G.P. I started Hrt just over a year ago after watching Davina McCall. Everol patches 50mg and utrogestan 200mg for 14 days. I felt great ( I think. Not sure it was just the hype of you should feel better). November 2022 I started to struggle more, crying all the time, angry and heavy periods. I spoke to G.P. and he upped my patches to 75mg and gave me mini pill to try and stop bleeding. I felt worse. In temper I ripped if my patch and thought that's it. My mum did this with no help so can I. I regretted my decision about a week later so put a patch on. But down to 50mg. Since January 3rd 95 days I have been bleeding for 71 days. I had a 38 day period. 13 days later I had a 12 day period then an 11 day break and now bleeding for 21 days. I am so fed up. Spoke to g.p. again who has said she will refer me for a scan. That was 8 weeks ago and not heard a thing. I'm telling myself every morning that I'm in a good mood and this is all normal for women my age and trying so hard for myself and my family to not be moody and emotional and angry everyday.
Now I'm thinking of giving in with hrt and mini pill and doing it myself. I tried to get a telephone consultation with g.p. to discuss this but she didn't ring me back. I'm so confused.
Any advice ladies?
Thanks for reading
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Hello Welshmum and welcome to the forum. I am very sorry to hear of how you are feeling. With HRT it can take time to find one that suits so do not despair as it could be you are not on the right one for you. I am wondering if the mini pill along with the utrogestan may be too much progesterone for you as I have heard many women say certain types of progesterone can make them feel the way you are feeling.
This is a link which will show you the different types of HRT preparations. If you look at it you will see that you still have many more options so please do not worry and think you cannot take HRT at all.
https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/treatment.php
I know periods can be very erratic in peri but it is good your GP has referred you for a scan just to check everything. Maybe you need to chase up the scan or at least check to see were you are in the waiting list.
More knowledgeable members will reply to your thread and advice you. It is good you have found this forum. You will find much support on here.
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I think you should push for the scan as it may show a cause for the bleeding (fibroids, polyps). If everything is normal you might consider a mirena which is usually the best way to control problem bleeding. Using hrt alongside a mini pill does seem to cause problems for some people. I would wait for the scan before making any decisions though, I wouldn't be surprised if something shows up.
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Thank you both for your replies. I did stop the mini pill 2 nights ago. The reason for taking was to try and stop periods. Buy after 22 days this month I decided to stop. 2 days without bleeding right now :)
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Hello,
Sorry to hear you are struggling. I’m guessing you still had regular-ish periods before you started the HRT?
What kind of symptoms did you have before you started the HRT? Did the HRT help those?
Unfortunately in peri I think HRT can be a mixed bag. Don’t forget that Davina McCall et al are menopausal and probably a lot more stable to start with…though low in oestrogen. Hence the big improvement they get when they started HRT.
I am peri and have not found HRT a magic elixir at all. It helps in some aspects but I suspect has made some aspects worse. It’s hard when your own hormones are fluctuating crazily too.
What do you do when you are feeling angry and grumpy?
Sometimes I just have to take myself off and be alone! It’s the only thing to do for me. I don’t want to be around people when I’m like that. I have learnt to give myself permission to do that and not feel guilty. Us women feel we must be “there” for our families all the time…..now is the time to put yourself first.
Hugs
Vanilla
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Hi Vanilla
My main symptoms were basically being an imbecile lol. Going for Drs appointment on the wrong day/ time. Forgetting everything, tired, lazy, grumpy, irritable from lack of sleep, low libido. I feel I came out quite lucky from reading other posts. HRT when I started made me feel normal again. More get up and go. Sleeping fine. But I'm not sure if it's because I read so many stories about how women's life improved after taking hrt. But right now I'm doing OK. Apart from the bleeding. My periods were normal. 1 heavy and 1 light. Nothing to complain about. I did miss 2 periods.
When I'm feeling grumpy I usually do lots of housework. Work it off. But I do try and put the radio on 1st thing as that seems to lift my mood in the morning and the day goes better then.
I agree it's not a magic cure. Even though we want it to be. It's hard work though. I want to be on hrt 1 day and not the next. I'm just confusing myself. I'm wondering if I'd be better without but scared I will feel worse whilst messing with my hormones.
Hugs to you too
Lisa
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Ha yes I know the feeling, I’m petrified of changing anything !
Funnily enough I have just had a scan for prolonged bleeding ….nothing like yours though, last one was “only” 15 days.
I think I waited about 8 weeks from being referred.
Scan didn’t show any abnormalities as far as I know (haven’t seen full report yet, just what technician said at the time). So I guess I will have to just put it down to hormones. Luckily my periods are much, much lighter than they’ve ever been and not painful. Which is a vast improvement on how they’ve been all my life. I really hope they stay that way.
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PS if you are doing OK at the moment, sleeping OK and such, I would stay on the 50 HRT for now. It’s possibly your own hormones under the HRT which are causing the bleeding. They might continue like that even if you weren’t taking the HRT (I know mine would). But then you wouldn’t have the benefit or better sleep, sharper brain etc.
I would ride it out, stay on the HRT as is. Stop the mini pill if you want. At least until your scan comes through.
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Thank you so much Vaniilla