Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: 0132sarah on June 07, 2025, 12:28:43 AM
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Hi everyone,
I've been using the mirena coil for over 10 years. during that time I started the perimenopause (I am now 43). Had the coil replaced just over 2 weeks ago, had a new one put in the same day and thought how lucky I was instead of having to wait. Little did I know that would come to hit me 10x worse. I have always suffered with a degree of anxiety, but the oestrogel really helped with that.
Over the past 2 weeks, I felt extremely low, very tearful (I have always found it hard to cry).
I should mention 15 years ago I had postnatal depression after giving birth. I started recognising little bursts of how I felt when had postnatal. My anxiety heightened that much, hear palpitations, shortness of breath due to tight chest, trembling, even my legs gave way due to trembling that much! Feeling very irrational, mood swings very unpredictable. Whispering to then exploding and shouting, racing mind (to the point all I wanted to do was scream) hiding under my duvet.
I am extremely sensitive to progesterone. I had an emergency appointment today and had the coil removed. It took everything I had in me to get to the surgery, be around people and talk, it was unbearable.
I have been prescribed the progesterone pill for the meantime, to continue the oestrogel. I am super anxious to take them.
I know there are options out there, different HRT options. I could really do with some advice on these. I feel very much in the dark. I havent felt myself for quite a long time now with fatigue, years if I am honest. I definitely have menopause weight, I have really been trying to battle with. I can only seem to shift 10lbs
Any tips or advice would genuinely be greatly appreciated.
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:bighug: I can't offer advice, hopefully some1 will be along this morning.
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I'd say firstly that a lot of those symptoms sound like low estrogen. Especially if they have been going on a while, you've gained weight, feel fatigued etc.... Have you had bloods done to see how much you are absorbing? How much Oestrogel are you using?
Guidelines are that you should increase readily up to the max licensed dose, which is 4 pumps of gel, going by symptoms alone. Are you using 4 pumps of gel?
With the progesterone, are you now on utrogestan? When you say 'the progesterone pill', is that what you mean? If you get side effects from taking it orally, have you tried taking it vaginally instead?
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So I had the mirena coil replaced just over 2 weeks ago, and started having adverse reactions never had before. had it take out yesterday. still waiting for it to calm down, im very trebly shaky, cant think straight, racing mind. I was using 3 pumps of oestrogel.
been prescribed the oral tablet of progesterone but I am anxious to take it at the moment, ive never tried it before. wondering if I should just use the gel for a couple of days and let the rest of the coil get out of my system. I feel horrendous. I cant do people or outside.
ive bloated up like im pregnant, which im guessing is from the mirena. no spotting. really difficult feeling like this. I have a daughter to look after.
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I think that U need to consult your prescribing medic - make a list of your worries to discuss.
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Thank you, I will be doing so. I'm staying just on the oestrogel for a couple of days to allow the hormones to balance out more before I take the progesterone. I might be a bit tearful but my mind racing is starting to slow.
I've been researching different options of HRT and writing these down. Learning which hormone helps and affects what each one does exactly helps to understand better.
Thank you for replying, it's an absolute minefield when it comes to learning about HRT. I've been watching YouTube with Dr.Louise Newson and Davina. They were really helpful.
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Let us know how you get on! The Trial and Error can B so tiring!!
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thank you. I am looking into the patches, with perhaps oestrogel as a top up. I have also been reading into so much about testosterone, which has left me wondering if that is why I have been so fatigued for years. I've gone straight to trivia for blood tests to be done from home to speed this process up. Sadly the reality would be waiting for weeks for an appointment on the via NHS, it's practically broken which is heartbreaking.
In the meantime I have purchased some books ,including Davina's menopause (currently 50% off on Amazon).
Thank you again for replying, it's greatly appreciated.
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You might actually find the progesterone helps you. It produces GABA, which is very calming and for the majority of women has a calming effect...
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Hi, so just got back from the surgery. Wow I didn't imagine I would embarrass the GP and trainee, left them both in hysterics!
So agreed on the evorel patches for oestrogen, max dose and progesterone tablets 2 at night for 2 weeks and then 2 weeks off.
I am so glad I wrote down my symptoms as I am genuinely so scatty right now with brain fog.
I did explain how I haven't had sex in years and how I didn't enjoy the last time I did have sex, and this was with a man I still deeply care for. I expressed how much I miss having orgasms. I got asked if I was in a relationship, nope and how I am very happy to give myself orgasms, especially after a stressful day to help lighten the stress in life. This made them both bright red and laughter filled the room! 😂😂
I know how brutally open and honest I can be, and in was nonstop rambling. I just assumed they would be used to hearing this kind of thing!
Anyways, I'm glad I brightened their days.
As for the joint pain in my wrists and the fatigue, if this doesn't improve within two months, I am to return to discuss the possibility of fibromyalgia. I have already been diagnosed with chronic fatigue years ago. Keeping my fingers crossed and cannot wait to start the new HRT!
Will update you all on my journey 😀
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Joint pains can be due to low oestrogen levels. Let us know how you get on.
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Yes they did mention this. Now to work out how to deflate my tummy again. Having periods all over again , I look pregnant!
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Ok so I am unsure if the progesterone is too much, I am on 200mg a night. I am meant to be taking it for two weeks then two weeks off, alongside the evorell 100 patch.
my stomach has really bloated up, got cramps.
I did start feeling quite a difference in mood, much happier. I have not felt like that for years. I haven't slept this long for ages either. however the downside, I feel very drowsy. I am a bit out of it if that makes any sense. I haven't had a migraine, I have suffered with them very badly since the age of 10. But recognise an aura coming on. no pain, slight sensitive to light. I have been a bit light headed and dizzy today. I feel quite slumpy.
I am being practical, I do not see this working out, 2 weeks of heavy sleep to then 2 weeks of being without. I have adhd, I should mention! I also am the main carer for my daughter who has severe adhd and autism. I have been used broken sleep for so long, when she is up, I am too for safeguarding.
is there a happy medium dose of progesterone I can take daily, I know 100mg isn't enough. I had the trembling and mind racing, im sensitive to noise. I know they 2 week on and off was to help get my periods regular. brain fog is unreal.
I would like to be equipped with information prior to going back to the gp with options. It is frustrating as I was feeling so happy yesterday, it has been so long that I have felt that good.
Anyone else experienced this? I am unsure what doses progesterone is available in apart from 100mg. If there perhaps is a lower dose tablet I could take, maybe 125mg/150mg?
I can see me suffering badly with trembles anxiety etc on the 2 weeks off.
thank you for reading.
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In the US, you can get progesterone from a compounding pharmacy at doses in between 100 and 200 (for instance 150). It is probably more expensive and I have seen it written that it is less regulated.
Some people have experimented with pin-pricking the pill and removing some progesterone to lower the dose, but that seems hard to know exactly how much you would be getting long term. I tried this at one point to take slightly more than 200 mg and see if it helped more for sleep, as the move from 200 to 300 was too much for me.
For me changes in progesterone bring on migraines, bloating and mood changes. I was put on continuous progesterone for sleep and take it every night, which doesn't always work for people in perimenopause, but that eliminated most of the side effects eventually.
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Thanks I am in the UK, I will see if they have that available here.
I slept over 13 hours, really hard to wake up. I'm kinda drowsy which will be for the rest of the day.
I have no choice but to take only 100mg tonight, I need to be up for my daughter just know I'm going to get hit be the horrendous anxiety, trembling and racing mind, sensitive to sounds.
I do like the idea of continuous progesterone, I prefer feeling the same instead of fluctuations. Life is very much full of fluctuations, I'm not keen on more guessing and the feeling of coming and going being added! I admit I have loved having this sleep, it has been a long time since I haven't had broken sleep, yet I am worrying what my daughter is doing at the same time. It isn't safe.
Fingers crossed a GP can arrange an appointment asap. Thank you for your response :)
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Yeah, no worries, hope you find something that helps.
For me the balance of E and progesterone also mattered -- I could tolerate more P with more E, and less P with less E. When I was taking 200 mg P with lower doses of E, it contributed to the feelings of sedation. The balance of E and P seems to be different for everyone, but I saw someone once say up to .75 E to 100 mg P, and using this as a baseline reference for perimenopause helped me. On 200 mg P with a .1 patch I was still more sedated than I wanted, even though I thought I needed the P. When I went up on E, it helped.
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Hi everyone,
I said I would update on my progress. After leaving the GP surgery and the discussion of possible fibromyalgia to consider. I couldn't accept that answer, I had already been diagnosed with chronic fatigue years ago. I went through so many different types of medications which I chose to wean myself off.
So I paid for a private blood test via thrivia. Wow am I glad I did!
The results came through yesterday, I have an under active thyroid, Hypothyroidism. I have sent results to GP and been offered a blood test immediately. I admit I am worried I have Hashimotos. It is very common to have that causes the hypothyroidism, especially in females> it is frequently misdiagnosed as chronic. fatigue or fibromyalgia. The symptoms are very similar, especially the brain fog.
I was wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience? I was hoping to know how effective Levothyroxine is, and how much of my brain can work again. I genuinely feel very dumbed down, unable to find the right words. I get stuck in conversations as I lose words, trail of thought etc etc.
I have tribunal soon, for my daughter. The past two years I have been fighting the school that failed her, the whole academy and now the local authorities. I nearly had a nervous break down last year, from the amount of gas lighting, attempts to cover up and my daughter being rushed to hospital from school.
I felt fantastic taking the progesterone, I have not slept or felt more relaxed and a sense of self for such a long time. has anyone taken Levothyroxine? Does it help with energy? brain fog, joint pain etc?
Sorry if I am coming across muddled. I feel like my brain has shrivelled up.
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Hi - Lots of us are dealing with thyroid issues because they are very common at this time of life. If you post your full thyroid results, with ranges, we can comment...
Personally, I go with the perspective that very few people will be optimised with just levothyroxine/T4 replacement as per this paper which just came out and summarises that position: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1529791/full
I'm on 125mcg T4 and 30mcg T3 via a private thyroid doctor (you won't get T3 on the NHS). I just tested on this dose yesterday but it will be 3 weeks before I get results because I get rt3 tested any time I change my T4 dose (as I originally had a high rT3 problem). The only test in the UK for rT3 is the Blue Horizons Platinum.
If you are on FB, there is a great group called 'Thyroid Patients Canada Support'. It's not just for people in Canada, that's just how it started. It has great info for everyone everywhere.
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Hello sarah, I'm sorry to know about your thyroid function test result & it's only natural you are feeling apprehensive about it.
has anyone taken Levothyroxine? Does it help with energy? brain fog, joint pain etc?
Quite a few members are on Thyroxine so you will not be short of support on here if your GP confirms you need to be started on it. I've been taking it for over 30 years & I'm also on HRT. The majority of hypothyroid patients (it's said around 85%) do well on Thyroxine alone, though you may see mention of a 2nd thyroid hormone on here, T3, which a few of us (me included) need as well. If the symptoms you question here are due to hypothyroidism then yes Thyroxine should help them. But low energy, brain fog & joint pain can also be a consequence of our declining sex hormones at menopause, so for women who are both hypothyroid & menopausal it can be difficult to know which condition is behind which symptoms. All I can say for sure is that if you need Thyroxine your systemic health should improve for it given time for it to take effect. You have a lot on your plate I see, but please try not to worry about the TFT result. Your GP is on the case now & depending on what the repeat test shows, will advise on what is necessary as regards any future treatment.
Wx
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Hi Sarah
Don't worry about the possibility of a hypothyroid diagnosis. As joziel and Wrensong have said, it's fairly common to be diagnosed at this time of life.
It's good that your GP has asked for bloods to be done off the back of private results - some GP's will not even look at results done in the private sector.
One step at a time. Get your results from your GP bloods and take it from there. It's possible that your GP may prescribe Levothyroxine but it's also possible that he/she will take a wait and see approach and do further bloods in a few weeks. This is obviously dependent on results.
Don't stress and worry about reading up on the different replacement hormones (ie T4, T3, NDT) just yet. Your GP will only be able to prescribe Levothyroxine (T4) and you may find that it suits you fine.
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Oh wow, thank you so much everyone!
I was not aware how common it is! I have really bad problems with being unable to cool down, have done for years. It affects my speech and thought process. My brain is absolutely blank at the moment. Hence why I am concerned about attending tribunal like this! Feeling quite irritable, I get overwhelmed. Although my daughter can be quite intense, she has adhd and autism. So her fixations are needed there and then or it can turn into a huge meltdown.
So blood results I got, it was jsut a health check.
Thyroid-stimulating
hormone (TSH)
4.97
Free thyroxine (FT4) 11.6
Forgot to mention: Testosterone 0.26
HDL cholesterol 1.2
Total Cholesterol/HDL
Ratio
4.0
The fatigue is unreal, I have been off balance recently. I know my brain fog is worse, I am so disoriented. I am constantly sat in front of my fan and drinking water or coffee to wake up.
I did previously speak to the GP asking for steroid injections for my wrists, I even had to purchase a new hoover as it was too painful to do simple chores.
I do th spoon method with having chronic fatigue. I am currently off the progesterone for 2 weeks, then back on it for 2. I admit I have not felt so good when taking it. I haven't slept like that in years, I felt a sense of self. Wanting to do things for myself. My body felt more relaxed, the pain was still there but not as intense.
I just really could do with my brain back, I am in the middle of reviewing my daughter's EHCP (Educational Health Care Plan, learning SEN Law along the way.That is a whole other story!). I am like a rabbit in the headlights.
I was worried about Hashimotos. I had an operation in 2016, went horribly wrong. The paperwork got mixed up for referral. So had a year of 5 different infections. After the op, I collapsed. I kept going back saying something was wrong but wasn't listened to for 3 months. I had an infection. I was prescribed some strong antibiotics for a month. But by then my body literally shut down. That is how I got chronic fatigue.
Thank you so very much to everyone who has replied, life hasn't exactly been a breeze to say the least. The results did make me panic, knowing my immune system isn't great. I get ill frequently with infections etc so was worried about having an autoimmune disease on top! Again sorry if I dont make much sense, I'm really trying.
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It's hard to comment on thyroid results without you giving the ranges as well. Thyroid results always need to have the lab ranges listed with them because we need to see how far through the range you are, and the ranges can differ from lab to lab.
Your TSH isn't terrible but is slightly raised. The T4 looks a bit low if the range is 12-24 ish, which is a common range. So yes, you should be allowed to try some T4/levo and see if that can bring your T4 up and you can convert that to T3.
Secondly, your GP (as per usual with the NHS) isn't testing T3. T3 is the most important thyroid hormone to test and the NHS doesn't test it in primary care. (The NHS is completely inadequate for treating thyroid problems.) To test this, you'll need to test privately. Finger prick tests are more reliable for thyroid than for sex hormones so you could do one of those to start with. Look at the Medichecks Advanced Thyroid panel. It includes testing for Hashimotos antibodies to check for that as well. The only thing it doesn't cover, is rt3.
Cholesterol problems are common with being hypothyroid. When you fix the thyroid, your cholesterol should improve.
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Sarah - every single symptom you've mentioned can be down to low thyroid hormones. Unfortunately, there's also a crossover with low sex hormones giving similar symptoms which leads to many women not being diagnosed and being given HRT instead.
Temperature regulation, brain fog, fatigue and trouble throwing off infections are classic. Lots of hypothyroid patients are mis-diagnosed with chronic fatigue as well.
From memory, Thriva use 4.2 as top of TSH range and a T4 range of 12-22 so your TSH is definitely high and your T4 is definitely low. Hopefully your GP will accept the Thriva results and if your NHS results show similar then Levothyroxine is definitely indicated.
Be aware though, it's not an immediate fix. You'll need regular 8 week bloods for a while to monitor your levels and get you on the correct amount for you.
If you still feel unwell, or just not quite right, once your GP is happy with your results, then that's the time to do more investigations into additional/alternative replacements. Cross that bridge when/if you get to it. :) after all, you don't know what your blood levels for T4 and T3 were when you felt well so it's not worth worrying about at this stage.