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[Waitykaty]

One week of Femosten and one year of Vagifem.
I'm 50, no periods for 2 months. Main issue burning no longer controlled by Vagifem hence the Femosten. I'm a bit teary, brain fog, one or two hot flushes.

However I have had my blood pressure taken today and it is 170/100. It was at home so I did a few so it's not white coat syndrome ( which I tend to have)
It's always been high end of normal and I am overweight ( 4 stones).

Just when I thought I had enough to deal with. So..what now? Diet and lose weight ( down 7lbs in a moth or so ). But weight loss won't help quickly enough will it? Can I have BO medication and HRT?  Back to GP on Monday I suppose. Don't want to stop HRT

Can anyone help and advise please? Just when I thought things couldn't get much worse.
Thanks

[CLKD]

It's a roller coaster sometimes!

Did your GP not take your BP prior to prescribing?

How often do you use the 'vagifem', maybe go back to every night to ease symptoms.  I find taking a pain relief helps too as does keeping the whole area moist.

Your Surgery should be able to advice on dieting too.  The trick is not to loose too much too quickly!  Perhaps keep a food diary for 2 weeks to see what you actually eat, it is easy to forget those little nibbles when cooking for example: the 'this needs tasting to check' ;-).  Or those bits that one takes from the fridge whilst passing  .

Maybe take a list to discuss with your GP on Monday.  Is there a dietician attached to the Surgery, it may say on the web-site.

[Waitykaty]

No blood pressure taken.  Nothing attached to the surgery as far as I know but as I work full time I couldn't go in regularly.

I am happy to diet on my own, cut out caffeine and exercise more. Don't have alcohol and don't know if there is anything I'm missing?

I wondered if I should carry on with HRT and ask for BP Meds until I can get my weight down? Or if the BP was too high full stop.
I have no clue how quickly it can reduce with or without medication? Days? Weeks? Months!

Vagifem daily and various internal creams haven't helped the burning. I don't seem to feel physically dry ‘down there'
I was working on the basis that Vagifem worked before it should work again and the Femosten should top it up.
Stupid blood pressure! Stupid Menopause!

[CLKD]

Yep!  It focuses us away from enjoying Life 

Our Surgery offers very early and some late appts., does the one that you attend?  Should say on their web-site. 

Do you keep a record of your blood pressure?  It needs to be taken at the same time every day - DH used to take his at 7.00 a.m. B4 breakfast as food intake can alter the result  .  He keeps a record for 3 weeks then hands it to the Surgery for his annual review.

Would weighing less lower the BP?  having been stick thin for years I wouldn't really know .....

If you can cut down what you eat - smaller portions.  The other trick I found a few years ago is that if I wait 20-25 mins. between eating my main evening meal and thinking about a pud - me with a sweet tooth  - I find that I often don't have room.  My main meal takes it's route and I find I'm full enough.  One friend finds that drinking a glass of cold water 20 mins. prior to eating helps her lose weight, because she isn't as hungry so doesn't eat as much. 

DH batch cooks for freezing  [did I say already  ] - so we have something to heat up quickly on a bed of rice or with pasta.  We both snack: bananas, dried fruits and nuts, Brazil nuts - I often have 3 mid-afternoon.  A banana mid morning which helps my restless leg syndrome. 

What do you like to eat?  I don't 'do' salads  nor exercise 

[Waitykaty]

Thanks for the reply.

We have one late  evening a week. I've booked onto the next free one...inJuly.

Being overweight increases BP.  I knew but I ignored. As does caffeine, salt etc
Last month I was fine. Vagifem working nicely. I seem to have fallen to pieces since.
I'm fine with what to eat. It's will power!

I was hoping full HRT was the answer to the bladder issues.  I wasn't expecting side effects.

I've googled there don't seem to be any short fixes for high BP. And it's not clear if I can take BP meds and HRT.

I want my life back!!!

[Joaniepat]

Look under the "Health at Menopause" section on this site, and you will find guidance there for using HRT if you have hypertension. If you can get your BP down by whatever means, you should be fine with transdermal.

I have high BP which is under control with medication. (I  am not overweight.) I use oestrogen patches plus local oestrogen for VA, although don't need progesterone.

As to how long it takes for BP medication to work, that's a tricky one. They would start you off on the lowest possible dose, and take it from there to find the dose that's right for you.

JP x

[CLKD]

Of course.  Maybe have a chat with a Pharmacist at your local chemist, most have private rooms these days.  He/she can tell you what is contra-indicated re BP etc.. 

My M in L found out what she needed to eat each day and cut it onto saucers, in the fridge; once the saucer was empty, that was it until the next day.  It worked.  DH comes from a large family with late onset diabetes .........

The body needs salt!! and some fats and sugars.  M in L was told to cut her salt intake until she could hardly move, the advice almost killed her.   The Consultant wondered out loud how she was still upright!!

Now if we could bottle Will Power 

Tnx JP!

[Tinkerbell]

You can take systemic HRT, but transdermal is advised, if you are on BP medication. I take Atenolol, a beta blocker and that lowers it quickly, but it is not the one GPs prescribe now unless you have problems with other BP medications and I don't know how long they take to lower it.
How many Vagifem are you using a week?

[Waitykaty]

I'm using   Vagifem daily. I had the same pain last year and it worked then but doesn't now.. I'm not on any BP medication.
My bladder is the main problem. Or vaginal pain pretending to be a UTI
It's burning 24 hours a day. I haven't found a pain killer that works yet.

[CLKD]

Maybe you are sensitive to the fillers rather than the active ingredient.  I would ask for 'ovestin', same idea in that it's a 2 weeks evening load .... it is delivered by applicator in the correct dose.  Consider 'yes' or 'sylc' as well to keep outer labia moist and supple, reduces the itchiness.

[Waitykaty]

Thanks. Luckily no itching. Vagifem used to be so good. I'd have paid hundreds of pounds for it.

I don't feel physically dry and don't have painful sex ( thankfully)

I've seen Yes mentioned a lot in my trawl for information I will give it a try just in case

[CLKD]

You may, by going to their web-site, get samples ;-)