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[catlover68]

Hi all

I have been posting recently in new members board.  I'm having a rough time taking hrt so have decided to come off it. I have mirena since Oct 18 and have tried patches,tablets and currently taking oestrogel but I can no longer bear the side effects and I'm feeling awful. I'm having awful headaches/migraines,dizziness,nausea and anxiety. I know it's the gel as the symptoms appear about 20 mins after I apply it. My head feels muzzy all day everyday and I'm sick of it.

I know I will suffer with usual menopause symptoms if I stop but I just don't know what else to do. It's almost like I'm allergic to oestrogen if there is such a thing. It's not like I'm on a high dose,maybe half to 1 pump in morning and evening so cannot understand why I'm feeling this way.

Has anyone else stopped taking hrt and how should I do it?

Thanks

[CLKD]

I really don't know why you haven't had an answer.  I don't take HRT but maybe put the product name into the search box on the Forum and see what threads pop up?

One cannot be allergic to hormones.  It's the bodies natural balance that gets thrown out at peri-menopause.  Until then we go along without thinking much about how our bodies work.

Maybe keep a mood/food/symptom diary to chart how you get on.  Decide which symptom you would like to ease first then again, use the search box.  Many ladies have stopped HRT due to side effects.

Let us know how you get on.

[Dancinggirl]

Hi catlover68 - sadly some women simply can't tolerate HRT of any kind - hormones are funny things and we are all different.

I used HRT on and off for 25 odd years and I have tried tapering off gradually and going cold turkey and there really isn't any difference.
So much depends on where you are in you menopause journey and how well your body adjusts when withdrawing all hormones.

As you are using so little oestrogen, then I would simply have the Mirena removed and stop the oestrogen at the same time.

Sadly when I stopped HRT my headaches increased and I now loose 24-72 hours each week to awful headache pain - I can't take painkillers except Paracetamol and that doesn't seem to do anything!

I'm 63 now and still get hot flushes and a good nights sleep is a distant memory - I'm one of the unlucky ones.

If you are post menopause you could be lucky and just get a few months of flushes and nights sweats and then things calm down.
Good luck. DG x

[Cazikins]

I started HRT 12 years ago. I have tried to come off it 2 - 3 times but haven't had good results.

I am now 61 & have managed to cut down to 1/2 tablet a day. I must point out that I am on the most lowest type I know of (Femoston Conti Ultra Low Dose), so it's not a very strong one to begin with but it takes the edge off of my symptoms & enables me to carry on working.

It took me about a year of gradually / slowly cutting down.

At the beginning of this year I took the decision to  stop altogether - I mean surely the small amount of estrogen (0.25mg) & progesterone (1.25mg) I was getting from 1/2 a tablet wasn't making a lot of difference, & surely I was out the other side by now.

The first 3 weeks were fine but then the hot flushes started to return, then the aches & pains. Ride it out for a few more weeks Cazikins I thought. But after 6 weeks I thought sod it I can't put up with this - I've got a life to lead so I'm back to my 1/2 tablet a day.

My advise would be to try & cut down your dose very slowly. I wouldn't recommend stopping it altogether as you will take a nose dive. I do feel for you & you have my sympathy. I really hope you find a solution.

Cazikins

[catlover68]

Awww Thankyou ladies for your replies. I'm feeling awful today,I put one pump on last night and had no sleep then half a pump this morning and a few hours later I felt terrible! Awful dizziness,my head felt like it was going to explode and my anxiety is sky high. Cazikins I'm wondering whether I should try that femoston tablet as it's a really low dose. Trouble is I've already tried patches and tablets and again I get side effects.

Dancinggirl I think I'm still in peri though difficult to tell as got mirena. Do you think I should try another brand of oestrogen? I don't want to have this coil removed if I can help it.

I know quite a few people on hrt and none of them have experienced these side effects.

I'm going to see my doctor on Tuesday so will see what hrt alternatives there are though she has mentioned antidepressants but again I'm loathed to take them due to side effects.

Thanks to all of you lovely ladies.

[Kathleen]

Hello catlover68.

I totally sympathise with your plight! I am 62 now and began using HRT at 57, three years after my last period. I feel as if the last five years have been one long HRT experiment and I'm still looking for the feel good effects that some women report. I am also  on two pumps of gel and have recently changed from using two pumps in the morning to one in the morning and one at night to see if that helps. I also worry about the effects of daily Utrogestan, albeit vaginally but it seems no matter how little oestrogen we use we are stuck with 100mg of Utrogestan.

I am sorry that I can't answer your question but you are not alone in your suffering. I hope you get some help from your GP on Tuesday and I will follow your story with interest.

Wishing you well.

K.

[Cazikins]

. Cazikins I'm wondering whether I should try that femoston tablet as it's a really low dose. Trouble is I've already tried patches and tablets and again I get side effects.

Hi again catlover68 - sorry you can't have Femoston Conti Ultra Low Dose as it is has progesterone in it & you already get that from the mirena coil. So sorry I wasn't much help with an alternative for you. I just wanted to give you my experiences of stopping HRT.

Hope you get a result.

Cazikins x

[catlover68]

Hello catlover68.

I totally sympathise with your plight! I am 62 now and began using HRT at 57, three years after my last period. I feel as if the last five years have been one long HRT experiment and I'm still looking for the feel good effects that some women report. I am also  on two pumps of gel and have recently changed from using two pumps in the morning to one in the morning and one at night to see if that helps. I also worry about the effects of daily Utrogestan, albeit vaginally but it seems no matter how little oestrogen we use we are stuck with 100mg of Utrogestan.

I am sorry that I can't answer your question but you are not alone in your suffering. I hope you get some help from your GP on Tuesday and I will follow your story with interest.

Wishing you well.

K.

Hi Kathleen thanks for replying. I'm glad I'm not the only one trying to find the right combination to help my symptoms. I've tried Estelle solo tablet,oestrogel and can't remember patch name and still feel side effects. The gel has been the worst,feeling terrible on it and I'm really not on a high dose.  I nearly fainted a couple of times as felt so dizzy and lightheaded. And the migraine type headache is horrible. I'm weaning off this now and my head already feels a bit better but can feel my hot flushes creeping back and insomnia and anxiety has reared it's ugly head🙄 I just don't know what to do,I feel I want to persevere and try something else but oestrogen is the same thing no matter what way shape or form you take it. I was also intolerant to the progesterone hence the reason I have had the coil fitted. I've read posts where ladies are struggling with this and thought if I had coil then at least I won't need to take it.

Hope you find something to help you as well,I'm finding this menopause a real uphill struggle to be honest,it effects every part of your life.

I've got friends who are sailing through menopause with hardly any symptoms without hrt and a couple who are taking hrt with no issues,god wish I was one of them.

Thanks Cazikins I'll know not to ask doctor for these now,didn't realise it came with progesterone but thanks anyway.

Country girl I'm glad your getting on ok with the patch. What one are you on? I've heard estrodot is ok but surely that's got same ingredients as the gel?

Thanks again ladies and any other advice would be greatly received.

[catlover68]

Hi ladies

I tried to take the gel yesterday thinking ok let's give this one more chance and I did half a pump and bam half an hour later I had a migraine! I know now this isn't right and shouldn't be happening. I have not taken any today and feel awful tonight. My anxiety is through the roof and I feel rough. I know this is to be expected but I don't know if I can cope to be honest.

I have got a pack of citalopram and propanalol in the draw that I was prescribed a while back and am so tempted to start one of these though really don't want to. I'm trying to ride this out if I can.

I'm so gutted that I can not tolerate hrt and cannot understand why. I wonder if I could try another patch and see if that will work? I just don't want my mental health to suffer as I can feel this could happen if I don't get something sorted.

Thanks

[Hurdity]

Hi again catlover - if you really feel the gel doesn't suit you due to the migraines then why not leave this off for a week or two or even a month and see whether you get any more headaches or migraines. Depending on the outcome and how you feel then perhaps start again with a very low dose patch (which one did you try in the past?). Estradot starts at 25 mcg so you could start very low and slow and if it suits you then go to 37.5 mcg and then 50 mcg.

You also mentioned alcohol intolerance in your other posts and just checking whether you have been drinking alcohol at all eg the day before the migraines. It can have a strange effect in triggering migraines and along with HRT - I have to be really careful with alcohol. Sometimes even one small glass of something can trigger a migraine - not sure if it;s to do with menopause or hRT. ANyway if you have had the odd drink ( and who doesn't?!) I would suggest also giving this up completely for a month or two and see if things improve?

Also maybe actually mention to the doc about the migraines if they are coming on that quickly. How long do they last when you get them and what do you take? Perhaps your blood pressure is high?

Sorry I can't really help except for one or two suggestions.

Hurdity x