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[Rosie63]

Morning ladies

I'm now a year down the road with trying to find a replacement hrt for the Prempak I was taking for a number of years.  I've tried several different regimes both conti and sequi and although a couple of them have helped with symptoms to some extent, all of them have caused digestive problems for me which has mostly been the reason I have stopped taking the meds.  I've also tried having a complete break from everything and although I feel much better for a while, the old meno symptoms soon start to creep back in so I don't think this is an option for me.

So, this week I've tried Premarin again as I understand this is more like Prempak with Utrogestan which I plan to take for the last 12/14 days of cycle.  At the moment it hasn't affected my stomach like the plant based meds did but I have to say I don't feel great.  My joints are aching, constant headache, nausea and the biggest spot I've ever had has appeared on my face 😳  The thing I'm not sure about is whether I might be getting too much estrogen or not enough to cause these side effects. I'm on the 1.25mg.

I was wondering if anyone else has had any experience of Premarin and, if so, how long it took for things to settle, if in fact they did?  I have searched Premarin on here but I can't see anything that really answers my question so any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks ladies.

Rosie63 x

[Dancinggirl]

I can't remember whether you have tried transdermal HRT?  My advice would be to try either Oestrogel or oestrogen patches with Utrogestan - use the Utrogestan vaginally.  This regime would be all bio identical and transdermal so nothing going through your digestive system.
My other thought is; digestive problems, as we age, are common anyway and looking at your diet and the way you eat may be necessary to see if some small adjustments might help.

Hormones should, in theory, help to maintain the digestive system, especially if it is transdermal HRT.  The oestrogen will support muscle and skin so help to keep the muscles of the digestive system working well.  HRT can only do so much and many women blame HRT for giving side effects when in fact these issues may have occurred anyway and are simply down to ageing.  Aching joints are common whether on HRT or not and getting some good exercise to keep the joints moving and muscles toned is particularly important as we age. I saw a rheumatologist last year and his key advice to me was ”keep moving and don't sit down for too long”.  I get up in the morning and all my joints are sore and stiff - I get on with housework and walk the dog and then I usually feel my aches and pains gradually subside. 
DG x

[Rosie63]

Hi DG. Thank you for taking the time to reply to me and as always your comments are well informed and have really helped me have a re-think.  As someone who has always suffered with digestive issues, I think you could be right that I might have had these issues anyway as I've got older and I think the fact that it's coincided with changing hrt could be just that, a coincidence.  I have tried patches, Estrogel and tablet form so I'm now thinking the digestive issues may not be connected.  I think I have a pretty well balanced and  healthy diet but I'm definitely going to make some changes, I might even try gluten free for a while, to see if I can settle things down. 

I still think the joint aches could be due to low estrogen and they seem to coincide with other symptoms such as palpitations and a general feeling of unwellness (not sure that's even a word but you know what I mean 😊). I try to be as active as possible and do swim regularly.

Thanks again and I hope you're keeping well.

Rosie xx

[Dancinggirl]

Rosie - it is so difficult to separate out the various health issues we encounter as we age. I am finding I cannot tolerate any drugs these days - I can't take any painkillers any more, which is awful because I suffer with bad headaches.
Have you tried digestive enzymes?  I have found they help a lot with reducing heartburn, flatulence etc.

Oestrogen does help joints and I do wish I could still take HRT for this reason. Sadly the tummy cramps and erratic bleedings made the side effects of HRT outweigh the benefits for me.

The stormy weather last night meant I slept badly and woke this morning feeing awful, stiff and achy - so far I've changed the bed sheets, done 3 lots of washing and cleaned the bathroom and all these physical things have eased the aches - I just need a snooze this afternoon that will hopefully prevent the headache that usual happens due to the sleep deprivation. I often feel as though I am wading through my day - I'm 62 and today I feel really old.

It's about finding a balance - an HRT that brings some benefits with few side effects. DG x

[Rosie63]

Thanks DG. No I haven't tried enzymes so will look into that.  I thought of also trying ginger and camomile teas to see if they help.  I feel sometimes that I'm poisoning myself with the meds I'm taking.  I know that sounds a bit dramatic but that's how I feel.

It sounds as though you have a difficult time of things sometimes DG but you have a very pragmatic approach, I think.

Yesterday was a bad day for me because I had a lousy night's sleep on Wednesday so I can understand what you're saying about the affects of sleep deprivation.  Today I'm definitely not aching so much and no headache or palpitations so feeling a bit more positive.

Thanks again.

Rosie xx

[Dancinggirl]

Rosie - what meds are you taking?  I hope you aren't on PPIs?  These really do muck up the digestive system.
I don't view HRT as a medication but more of a supplement as it, more or less, replaces what our body needs. Whether the body wants to respond well to these hormones is another matter and this will vary from women to women.
If one has an underachieve thyroid, thyroxine is replacing a necessary hormone the body needs to function well but this needs monitoring.  If there was better choice, monitoring and advice with HRT then life would be very different. 
I see ‘medication' as something that changes the bodies natural functions and I think we should always question how much good medication is doing, particularly taken for the long term - anything that changes things in the body is likely to have a negative effect in some other way. PPIs reduce the natural digestive acids/ enzymes, so will in the short term will reduce acid reflux and burning but will also effect the ability to digest and absorb food.   
IT's a minefield.  DG x

[Rosie63]

Oh no, sorry DG, when I said meds I meant the HRT. I had some blood tests quite recently including thyroid and other things and all was good except my Estrogen was a bit low.  You are right, it is all a bit of minefield but thanks to people like you, it makes it a bit easier to navigate 😊

I've been shopping and bought some camomile tea and Pukka three ginger tea which has ginger, galangal and turmeric. I hope it's as impressive as it sounds ! 

Thanks again for your time today DG.  Have a good weekend.

Rosie xx

[Dancinggirl]

I drink a lot of Peppermint tea - really good for digestion. Camomile, Fennel, Ginger etc are also good.  It's definitely worth trying different herbal teas and they will of course be good for hydration which is beneficial overall.   DG x

[SueLW]

I have tried long and hard with herbal teas.  Especially the Pukka brand which look so pretty.  I have loads of them.  They all pretty much taste like the cardboard box they came in would if I steeped that in hot water.  I have to leave them to soak for ages, squeeze the bag hard and then stick the mug back in the microwave to warm it up to get any flavour I can cope with out of them. 

Herbal teas = promise that fails to deliver. 

I do however, love mint tea made with fresh mint.