Hello everybody, I'm new here and have read your posts with great interest. This is long, but I think explains exactly what's happening with me.
I'm 48 and have not had a period in about 15 months. On the plus side Hot flushes not bad now, they were a couple of years ago, but never woke up completely drenched, muscle ache not bad.
On the bad side sleep not good, waking up at 3am most nights and difficulty in getting back to sleep. Libido g o n e !! I suffered horrendously with kidney infections, cystitis etc a couple of years back, I think maybe due to being peri menopausal, but no dr suggested that at the time. That is just my theory from recent research. I also have a very weak bladder/pelvic floor.
I've been prescribed vagifem, and have used for almost two weeks, but haven't 'tried it out' yet; due to lack of libido!
G.p's lovely but didn't know much so advised going to see female in practice. I did, she was lovely and we spoke about libido, hrt, bio identical HRT and Tibolone.
She explained she didn't know about bio identical HRT, would ask advice from gynae and come back to me. She said she wouldn't give me Tibolone first regardless. She suggested an oestrogen patch, I said, no, that if I had to have oestrogen, I'd like gel, again she didn't know doses etc., but would ask. I waited a week and despite chasing, no reply. She is only there 3 days a week.
I had to go to normal male gp for something else. He asked how I was getting on regarding appointment with other dr, and I explained everything. I also said that I had read up on Tibolone and thought regarding libido that this seemed to tick most boxes, but female dr wasn't keen. He said prescribing wouldn't be a problem, but neither of us wanted to do it without her knowledge. We agreed to not fill prescription until she had spoken to female dr and take it from there.
The go ahead was given, with just one months prescription, and go back after a month. I filled the prescription and got cold feet about taking it! I had also asked to be referred to Nick Panay, a menopause consultant in London, which he duly did. I have an appoint mid July, so 10 weeks away.
Now here is where I am at; Are my symptoms bad enough, apart from libido, to take Tibolone?
I thought if I took Tibolone alone I wouldn't get breakout bleeding, which is what I didn't want. I know that there can be spotting for first few months, which is fine. I presume I would need any extra oestrogen and progesterone, as this creates both of these, plus androgen.
When I do take Tibolone, once I stop taking it, do flushes return?
If I didn't take Tibolone, would oestrogen gel and separate progesterone help libido?
Should I take Tibolone for next 10 weeks and see what the specialist says? I would then be able to report on how I felt?
Would I be messing everything up if I did take for 10 weeks and he then took me off it; as in would I be back to flushes etc?
Plus lastly, does vagifem cause flushes to return? Not sure if it's just due to nice weather!!!
Thank you.
