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[GillyA]

Hi All,
Been on and off here a few years now as I progress through this life stage. I'll try and keep it short...

Had HRT in past first everol conti which was great from age 47 til around 49. Then decided to have a break and see what was happening naturally. i was ok for around a year then started a stressful career change and experienced terrible anxiety attacks, morning sickness and weight gain. went back to GP and went back on HRT Femsevern sequi this time. On it 2 years and periods became less and less during the last 6 months. During this time I separated and divorced and had depression so was also on Prozac for a while. I stabalised in terms of meno symptoms and depression continuing to hold down a demanding job although I'd had a fair few weeks off at my worst.

Fast forward to January 2016 and I met a new man  after a few months I felt happier than I'd been in a long time and came off Prozac. I also came off HRT again to see if I was through it yet... by this time I was 52. Really bad hot flushes and night sweats started in July 2016. I started to take Vogel menopause support and within a month the flushes sweats went. Happy happy...

In January this year the terrible anxiety returned. I was struggling at work and went part time. I went to GP in June this year to see about HRT  - no period for a year so she put me on femseven conti this time and said i might get a bit of spotting initially. After 3 days the stomach cramps started and after a week I was having a full on bleed - very heavy, which continued for 3 weeks! My mood was terrible and with the bleeding my partner and I decided I should take the patch off. I couldn't cope with the bleeding - we have a very active sex life and during this time we also went on holiday which made things difficult in terms of travelling and intimacy!

Since taking the patch off in the summer the flushes and really bad sweats have returned, I experience very low mood at times and anxiety attacks on and off. Sometimes I've cancelled work because I just can't face it. I struggle a lot with motivation now.

I'm in a very happy relationship, eat healthily recently losing 2 stone and we exercise at the gym and swimming. I've tried every alternative going including black cohash, sage, starflower etc. The sweats cause poor sleep, my concentration at work is affected and I get the fog. I still have plenty of patches and wondered if using a quarter might help with symptoms but I don't want to bleed!

Has anyone got any suggestions or advice at all?  i just want to cry. my partner is very supportive but obviously there is little he can do... Thank you

[CLKD]

Which is worse: your current symptoms or a bleed?  Maybe the latter will settle once your body recognises the HRT?

If you use the 'search' button here and type in the HRT you have been prescribed to see what other ladies have found?

There is a 'treatment' banner above too. Browse round.  Make notes.

Have you read the alternative room, some ladies find that once their hormones take over, any herbal benefit is lost.


Crikey - green print!

[GillyA]

Thanks for your reply. The bleeding was awful, stressful and I felt terrible in terms of mood plus the lack of intimacy

However, the pouring with sweat is awful too with disrupted sleep - don't know which is the lesser of the two evils.

Anyone any experience of cutting patches for lower dose as a compromise?

[CLKD]

I believe that some ladies have experimented but I wonder if there is a 'cream' option so that you can add/take away as symptoms rise and fall?  Hopefully someone will be along later with more sensible advice 

In the mean time, how's your diet over-all as if the body suddenly gets hungry it can trigger anxiety  .

[GillyA]

I follow slimming world which is well balanced and I exercise regularly. I do wake up really hungry in early hours at times - almost like a blood sugar drop and i usually drink caffeine free redbush tea and have a Special K bar! Anxiety is much worse in the morning, I wake up with an adrenaline surge and heart palpitations

I'd love to know more about creams anyone?

[CLKD]

Cortisol hormone can cause early morning anxiety surges  .  Morning is my worst time. 

Maybe have a banana to hand when you wake, or 'rich tea'-type biscuits.  I try to eat every 3 hours to stop those awful surges.

[Lanzalover]

Hi GillyA


   sorry to hear you are having problems especially as you are in fairly new relationship.


I note you have previously used Evorel Conti without any problems as you don't want a bleed it may be worth trying the Evorel again.


Good luck do let us know how you get on.


Lanzalover

[GillyA]

Sorry that was everol sequi not conti. Only tried conti the once which was femseven earlier this year when I got the awful bleeding. I just don't know if it's worth trying a quarter patch to see if it will control the night sweats. But then I'm worried I'll start bleeding again. Don't know what to do for the best. I'm dreading another bad nights sleep 🙈

[GillyA]

Anyone got any advice for me based on own similar experience?

[Js]

Hi gillyA

Sorry your having such a bad time but I'm a bit surprised your on hrt if your still having periods doc told me you have to be period free before you start hrt. I was on evorel  conti 50 and have been for 5 years then I had a break then went back on  It another 5 years so now I must come off it and I was fine on it it stopped my night sweats but  must use the full patch to,get the benefit of it I only cut mine in half when I was coming off it as  you are suppose to come off it slowly so you dont get a big drop in hormones . I would have a word with your menopause nurse or doctor
Js

[CLKD]

Browse round.  Put your product into the 'search' button and see what pops up?

[Katejo]

Hi gillyA

Sorry your having such a bad time but I'm a bit surprised your on hrt if your still having periods doc told me you have to be period free before you start hrt. I was on evorel  conti 50 and have been for 5 years then I had a break then went back on  It another 5 years so now I must come off it and I was fine on it it stopped my night sweats but  must use the full patch to,get the benefit of it I only cut mine in half when I was coming off it as  you are suppose to come off it slowly so you dont get a big drop in hormones . I would have a word with your menopause nurse or doctor
Js

I am not very knowledgeable about HRT but I am sure that there are types specifically for women who are still having periods.

[Stillsearching]

[/quote] I am not very knowledgeable about HRT but I am sure that there are types specifically for women who are still having periods.
[/quote]

I had a mirena coil fitted due to heavy periods and a year later started Climaval, my periods were greatly reduced but had not stopped. After 4 years I had the coil taken out and did not want another one so my gp put me on Femoston 1/5 All meno symptoms returned so gp added 1mg of climaval and then a few weeks later increased that to 2 mg of climaval. I started bleeding heavily. GP was clueless so I decided to come off HRT and see what happened. I felt lousy and decided to change my gp. As I was nearly 60, and with my history, she would not prescribe HRT but referred me straight away to the meno clinic. 12 months in I'm happy with the HRT and there is no way I'm giving them up. My consultant says there should be no reason not to keep taking them for as long as I want to. 3 months ago we added Testogel which I'm also happy with so I need to check at my next appointment what the long term plans are for that. I'm hoping he will say the same, that it's up to me to make an informed decision.

[CLKD]

GillyA - sorry that you haven't had instant replies but people have been busy with 'stuff' as well as sometimes, there is a time difference 

My go-to foods are: chicken curry, on rice - filling.  Dried fruits and nuts to graze on.  Fruit bars (regardless of sugar content).  Dextrose tablets as I did have low blood sugar drops during peri - advised to eat every 3 hours by NAPS that is, 24/7!  Bananas for slow release and I eat a good quality muesli for breakfast which can be a supper stand-by too.

[GillyA]

Hi All

thanks for replies after a quiet spell. Some have misunderstood as I'm NOT having periods but when GP put me on Fem 7 conti it caused a massive amount of bleeding for almost 3 weeks. Prior to this I'd not had a period for a year. It didn't stop until I took the patches off. I've still no relief from daytime flushes and night sweats. My original post was about my reluctance to go back on the Conti as I don't want this bleeding. Since I stopped the patches (because of the bleeding) I've not had a period or any bleeding at all. My sleep pattern is dreadful because of the sweats.

It seems I have to either put up with heavy bleeding and periods to get rid of sweats or remain bleed free and suffer with the sweats, low mood, anxiety etc