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[Zara69]

Hello!
I'm 47 have 3 children (22,17,13). Had mirena for three years - all good until I got hives (coil removed hives gone) Heavy prolonged bleeding prompted a Novasure ablation four years ago ...perfect, only spotting since.  The last 2 or 3 years I've had the usual sweats, anxiety, muscle aches, lack-lustre feelings etc so took myself to the doctors 3 times..."are you depressed?" Try ADs - I declined and my 5 mins was up...second GP "I don't like HRT...try ADs" 🙄  I did my homework thanks entirely to this site went a third time and just said "I'd like to try HRT and as someone who has migraine with aura I understand a patch is better". I got what I wanted! I knew it would be evorel sequi which if I don't get on with will be femseven sequi and if that doesn't work maybe patch/gel with a separate progesterone (which I think I'd ultimately like)
Anyway I'm in my fourth week and I am shocked how much better I feel (after 4 days). I was scared of the combi patch but early days and so far so good.  Also no headache or migraine this month!  How do I know if evorel sequi gives me enough of what I need as these only come in one strength?  Is it all just judged by symptom control or age?   

[CLKD]

Oh well done for pushing for what you know you require!

 

[Annie0710]

Hi and welcome

I think it's best to go by symptoms, not strength of dose .  As it is only 4 days and you're feeling better that's really good news.  There is a chance that some symptoms could creep back in after 2/3 weeks but wait and see.  You may have found your perfect regime, I hope so x

[Zara69]

Hi CLKD and Annie
I am impatient and always looking for problems with things which may never happen 🙄  I'm already thinking...what shall I do when this fails.  I'm trying to stick the patches on - forget about them and just go by how I feel instead of predicting the next headache etc.  I'm on week 4 and all good but I still can't believe how unwell I had become , I really feel that years have been wasted.

[Annie0710]

try to think positively, don't dwell on the past as now could be the start of you feeling much better

[Zara69]

That's good advice!

[CLKD]

I don't plan any further forward than half a day!  If I book a holiday I book it months in advance and pack early in case I go into melt down  or we go away on the spur of the moment.

Some ladies find that keeping a mood/food/symptom diary useful too.  You may find that if your hormones rise and fall an adjustment may be required, in the mean time, enjoy the peace  and do NOT try to do too much because you are feeling 'better', because you will burn off energy stored!!!

[Hurdity]

Hi Mel 47

 

So pleased to hear how much better you feel having started HRT - long may it last! The main aim is to feel better overall on HRT than off it - you will still have ups and downs and days when you feel a bit off or headachey - but hopefully more good days than bad!

When I first started HRT (the second type I tried) I got 3 day migraines (classic not aura - and I didn't know they were migraines!) every single month on progesterone withdrawal but even so the rest of the time I felt great (a bit foggy on the prog part) and with flushes and sweats banished I could function normally with much more energy.

Annie0710 has given you good advice re how to tell whether dose is OK and I agree with her - it's all about symptoms - but at your age you may well find in the future you want to go a bit higher. After all you are still 4 years from the natural age of menopause when your oestrogen levels throughout the month may well be higher than achieved on a 50 mcg patch - but do not worry as has been said. Enjoy the benefits of feeling well, and your teenage children!

Hurdity x

[Zara69]

Hello Hurdity!
Thank you...this site has been great, without it I'm sure I would have accepted antidepressants.
It's early days and I will wait and see if the change back to the evorel 50 oestrogen patch gives me a prog withdrawal migraine....I sort of can't believe it won't as I've had a couple of migraines a month since age 17.  Also is VA inevitable? Will systemic HRT help? I'm worried as I've had a couple of bouts of resistant thrush along with burning (thrush or VA??)

[Chris2107]

Hi there - Welcome aboard. We should not shun ADs as a treatment for HRT according to my expert on menopause female GP. I got some relief from them but not enough so swapped to HRT.
This forum is great as a way of exploring so many different issues - it was my expert GP who recommended it to me 

[Zara69]

Hello Chris2107!
Antidepressants are a great thing if they are needed and help ...I would never rule out anything that could be of benefit.  My GP said that for flushing in menopause they can work well but the dose prescribed is too low to help with depression?  (Don't know if that's right) I didn't try them as flushes are my least bothersome symptom.

[Hurdity]

Hi there - Welcome aboard. We should not shun ADs as a treatment for HRT according to my expert on menopause female GP. I got some relief from them but not enough so swapped to HRT.
This forum is great as a way of exploring so many different issues - it was my expert GP who recommended it to me 

ADs as treatment for HRT  .... not sure what you mean - maybe you mean menopause?

If so, if your expert on menopause female GP is recommending ADs as an alternative to HRT as first line of treatment for menopausal symptoms then she is out of date - the NICE Guidelines from Nov 2015 emphasise this (unless of course a woman is contra-indicated for HRT eg following breast cancer and other conditions).  This is stressed also on this website where these prescriable non-HRT treatment drugs are listed: https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/prescribed.php . They should not be offered until after HRT treatment has been offered and tried and if there are still problematic symptoms outstanding - although it would be preferable surely to use mental/behavioural strategies if possible? I would see ADs as a last resort having tried everything else (even if already on HRT).

Glad your GP recommended the forum - the main website has so much information too and all the up-to-date stuff is reported on in the news section!

Hurdity x

[Chris2107]

Hi Hurdity
Thanks for your eagle eyes -yes I did mean ADs for Menopause. I went back onto ADs and talking therapy - though not CBT. Combination of AD and talking has helped with other non menopausal issues.
Next time I have a check up with GP I shall ask her why they tried ADs first for me - thanks for the prompt