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Author Topic: What a wonderful world!  (Read 2777 times)

nicky_boo

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What a wonderful world!
« on: January 16, 2019, 06:32:09 PM »

Hi Everyone,
I think the compassion and the information on this website is absolutely amazing. You are all amazing!

Some background about me: I just turned 46. A lot of life happened in my 40s.

At 40, I had my first and only child. I was breastfeeding so skipped periods for 8 months. A year later at 41, I lost my mother suddenly and tragically. Skipped periods for 3-4 months. I was put on ADs. I am a full time working mother with a stressfull job. At 43, due to work stress (at least that is what I thought) missed periods again for 3 months. At 44, I lost may dad suddenly and tragically (again!) and this really hit me. After that periods went totally irregular.

My main problem was mood swings. I was ready to fight anyone. My sleep was really disturbed. Saw the doctor at 45 (5 months ago), she mentioned HRT. I was i complete denial and I did not start it until over a month ago.
Main reason behind starting HRT was raised blood pressure (coinciding with the period of skipping periods) in the past year. I read somewhere that decrease in oestrogen during perimenapause can trigger high blood pressure if it is already in your genes. And it is in mine.

I am on Evorel Sequi 50. Oh I forgot to mention I have endometriosis and had laparoscopy 10 years ago.

Thanks for reading this far. I am not totally happy on HRT but I am not too unhappy to give it up either. It made some difference. My blood pressure still rises but not to crazy heights. My sleep did not get better, may even be worse. I am not raging but I don't feel great either. I feel low and inconfident. This is new. Also my palpitations got worse. Are these side effects? Will they get better? On oestrogen only days, I am so bloated, I look pregnant. I had a bleed after the first month as expected. There was a lot of blood (sorry, TMI)

My question to you if you care to tell more about your initial HRT experiences, would these side effects go away after 3 months or should I try a lower dose- my plan is to cut patches in half?

Thanks very much ladies. Not happy to be here in life but happy to be here on this website if you understand what I mean.

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jaypo

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Re: What a wonderful world!
« Reply #1 on: January 16, 2019, 06:42:36 PM »

Hi Nicky,I'm not on hrt but just wanted to say hello and so sorry about your parents.
As women it's hard enough getting through life but then menopause hits on top of everything else.
Advice here will vary,as obviously everyone is different. I chose not to go on hrt,my only struggle has been anxiety so I'm luckier than some.
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Conolly

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Re: What a wonderful world!
« Reply #2 on: January 16, 2019, 07:05:10 PM »

Hello nicky_boo,

Like jaypo, I'm not on HRT, but I'm learning everything I can about it, because maybe I'll need it soon.

So sorry you've been through such dramatic events in a short time and coinciding with perimenopause, not fair!

All I can tell you is that you are still in perimenopause and hormones fluctuate wildly, so you should give HRT more time to settle, at least 3 months. If you still have symptoms, then you can tweak the dose or change regimen. It's not advisable to cut patches in half now, you will only add fuel to the fire by changing hormones levels.

I'm sure lots of ladies will come to tell their experience.

Conolly X
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CLKD

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Re: What a wonderful world!
« Reply #3 on: January 16, 2019, 07:36:13 PM »

Hi!  Maybe put the product name into the search box here and see what pops up?

Hormone Replacement Therapy - replacing the hormones that we lack at peri-menopause.  Usually the body doesn't get where it is suddenly so it will take a while for the up-take of the replacement.

Browse round.  Make notes. 
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BlueButterfly

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Re: What a wonderful world!
« Reply #4 on: January 16, 2019, 08:08:09 PM »

hello and welcome.

I'm only on progesterone for my HRT...can't use estrogen. But it works for me right now. I have endometriosis as well...awful family history of it as well. That alone can cause heavy bleeds but with endometriosis, you tend to make a bit more estrogen too so that's the only thing I'd personally want to keep on eye on.
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nicky_boo

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Re: What a wonderful world!
« Reply #5 on: January 16, 2019, 08:32:17 PM »

Thanks Everyone.

Jaypo, thank you. I thought my grief was causing missed periods rather than the peri-menopause. That is why I mentioned the chain of events. I really think they sped things up a bit.

BlueButterfly, are you peri or post? On conti days with progesteron, I felt I was on constant PMT. I read about progesteron intolerance here. Interesting.

I have been reading this website and forum religiously for a while now, CLKD. That is how I got the idea of cutting up the patches. Conolly, I did not realise this was not advisable any more. Do you know why?

I actually went ahead and cut a patch after writing my message and before reading yours as I was fed up feeling weird, worse than before. One other thing that I forgot to mention, in the past month, I kept waking up with numb arms and/or hands in the middle of my terrible night's sleep. It is doing something to my blood circulation - God forbit of getting blood cloths due to HRT. Also, worrying about oestrogen's effect on my endometrisis - the GP did not mention this when she prescribed HRT. I read about it later on in the leaflet.

As many of you say, I should give it some time but whilst some side effects decreasing (such us tummy problems), the others are persistent. All these things made me think that maybe there is too much oestrogen in my body now.

Anyone with similar experience? Maybe I should stat a new thread. I will wait for any answers first.

I spoke to a BUPA GP today. She was young and told me that I shouldn't have prescribed HRT without blood tests. However, they don't seem to do it anymore if you are 45 or above.

Would a GP refer to a menopause clinic or are they walk in? Also, do people get better results if they go private or is it always trial and error?

Many questions, I know... Any answers would be appreciated.
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CLKD

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Re: What a wonderful world!
« Reply #6 on: January 16, 2019, 10:19:58 PM »

Well my Gynae doesn't do blood tests as hormones are up and down all the while, even without menopause.  He goes on symptoms.  Blood tests are reliably un-reliable  ::)

Do you keep a mood/symptom/food diary, many find it useful to refer back and chart symptoms.

If cutting a patch suits you right now, then maybe keep with that for a while?  Each is formulated to give a measured dose of hormones [I think]. 

As for waking with pins and needles - well carpal tunnel syndrome can worsen during pregnancy so it stands to reason that when hormones start their up-rising a lady may suffer.  Particularly if laying face down to sleep. 

How is your diet over-all?  Also, now we are getting towards Spring, do you have an exercise regime.  [I do, in m y head  :D].  We have lots of threads about exercise here.

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BlueButterfly

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Re: What a wonderful world!
« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2019, 11:30:39 PM »

Nicky,

I'm early Peri...young, only 36. Panic and anxiety started out of the blue for me late May for no apparent reason and my body decided it didn't want to work the same anymore.
I can only handle one synthetic progesterone I'm aware of...any other I tried in the contraceptive made me not well. The bio-identical progesterone cream seems to really agree with me though. It's even reversing some endometrial growth (scans show it on ovaries getting smaller). Periods lighter and shorter, thank goodness! I know it's not the usual course of action though and that cream isn't always looked at so well but it works for me and my gynecologist approves of it. It might be looked at a bit differently here in the US as well...not sure but I've talked to quite a few women recently who have used it with good results as well.

From what I've read Peri can make endometriosis worse when it starts because progesterone is the first to drop and the estrogen jumps all over, even getting higher than usual sometimes and crashing to nothing others. Just watch for the symptoms since you've had it before. That should give you an idea if what you have going is enough to keep it managed. If you notice problems you can talk to them about what to do with your HRT. 
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NorthArm

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Re: What a wonderful world!
« Reply #8 on: January 27, 2019, 01:41:46 AM »

Hi Nicky

I'm so sorry that you lost both your parents at such a young age 🙁🙁

Have you thought about going on the contraceptive pill as you're still under 50? Or even having a Mirena (levonorgestrel impregnated) coil fitted and using oestrogen patches alongside? There's also the option of gel or patch oestrogen with Utrogestan (natural progesterone).

The norethisterone in the patches and some pills I have a real intolerance to, as do many others.

Some brand names that don't contain norethisterone or levonorgestrel are Diane 35 (contains cyproterone), Yazz (drospirenone). There is an HRT called Angelique 1/2 which also contains drospirenone and I've heard it's marvellous. The beauty of the cyproterone and drospirenone is that they act on your womb lining to keep it really thin, which might help your endometriosis too.

It's such a minefield this hormone malarkey isn't it?
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nicky_boo

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Re: What a wonderful world!
« Reply #9 on: February 04, 2019, 05:54:26 PM »

Thanks everyone. Today, I started a new regime of Evorel 25 + Ultragestan 100mg for the second half of the cycle. Let's see how I will get on this time.
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Hurdity

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Re: What a wonderful world!
« Reply #10 on: February 06, 2019, 12:58:15 PM »

Hi nicky_boo

 :welcomemm:

So glad you find the forum and website helpful - we like it too!!

So sorry to hear about your parents early deaths. I would imagine this is bound to have an effect on your cycle to some extent and maybe even precipitate menopause.

You have been given good advice - I think NorthArm's suggestion of the contraceptive pill could help. There are also a couple (called QLAIRA and ZOELY) which contain estradiol rather than synthetic oestrogens and so are more suited to peri-menopausal women, and will suppress your cycle hence reduce mood swings.

Re endometriosis - how bad was this? Do you know if you had deposits outside the womb? Oestrogen can cause this to become worse so you need to be careful re the HRT. This is what it says on this website:

Endometriosis   
    There is a small risk of reactivation of endometriosis with HRT use and any recurrence of symptoms should be reported. If a hysterectomy has been performed for endometriosis, the choice of HRT use thereafter should be influenced by the extent of endometriosis at the time of the operation. Since hysterectomy often causes a premature menopause, it is often advised to take HRT until the average age of the menopause; 51 years. HRT after hysterectomy usually consists of estrogen only. However, in the presence of endometriosis, estrogen may cause stimulation of residual deposits and consideration should be given to using continuous combined (estrogen plus daily progestogen) therapy, or tibolone, though little research has been done on the effect of different types and duration of therapy. Medical treatment of endometriosis often involves ovarian suppression which, along with ovarian removal, may increase the risk of osteoporosis. at it says on this website:

https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/atoz.php#GlossE

Re cutting the patches - this is actually OK. Dr Currie (manager of MM) has endorsed this off-licence (there was a question in the magazine about it a while back) - provided of course that both phases of the patch are cut to make sure you get enough progestogen.

However I see you are now on a half patch anyway so hope this suits you better - do let us know!

Hurdity x
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nicky_boo

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Re: What a wonderful world!
« Reply #11 on: February 20, 2019, 10:40:56 AM »

Thanks Hurdity.
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