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[sweetcheeks]

Hi, I'm 51 and just started HRT patches. I was suffering hot flushes, sleep disturbance, vagina dryness and tiredness. Over the course of the last year, the symptoms have intensified and so I finally decided to try HRT. I wanted to diarise my progress to see how effective the treatment is.

Today is day 2. I put the patch on yesterday afternoon. I've had seven hot flushes over the course of today. No other symptoms. I slept soundly last night, perhaps helped by a few glasses of wine as it was the weekend.  My mood is stable.

I will post again tomorrow.

[NRGEE]

I have found a brilliant diary/book- a one year symptom tracker to record cycle, symptoms, sleep and mood.
It is called TRACK THE PERIMENOPAUSE medjournal lifeseries. There is a section to record what medication/HRT you are taking- the dose and when you started it.
Book is around £9 on amazon- but you also have to pay p+p
My nurse thought it was brilliant and is going to recommend it to other patients who are perimenopausal or indeed menopausal
I fill it in every evening. The area I find most useful is rating energy/mood/anxiety/stressful events- there is a small graph to fill in. There is a list of all the menopausal symptoms and you simply tick each day what ones you are experiencing. Can highly recommend this book if you are willing to fill it in daily

[sweetcheeks]

Thank you so much, I will look into that 

[Kathleen]

Hello  sweetcheeks and welcome to the forum.

I have kept a diary from the beginning of my menopause and I find it very useful. I use a large desk diary that I buy from a stationers.  I now have quite a collection which I refer to as 'the archive' lol.

Take care.

K.
PS I first read your user name as 'sweatcheeks' lol.

[sweetcheeks]

Ha ha, thanks Kathleen! Its defo a more fitting name 

I'm being optimistic at the moment and hoping I won't have to keep a diary for very long - if the patch works, I'll be able to just move on and get on with my life! I'm looking forward to better sleep and more energy! Compared to some though, my symptoms are quite mild so I'm not going to complain too loudly.

[CLKD]

 

[sweetcheeks]

Thank you all for your welcomes

So, we're on day 5.

For the last two days, I've been having roughly 6 hot flushes a day. Sleep quality is reasonably good, with just one hot flush during the night. So no major changes so far in physical symptoms.

What I have noticed though is quite a bit of irritability, which is quite unlike me.  I'm usually quite laid back.

Not sure if that's to do with the patch or not.....

[sweetcheeks]

Ok an update. I'm about 10 days into treatment. Still got quite a few hot flushes, particularly at night. I'm finding the sleep disturbance frustrating as it means I can't get on to do the things I want to do like go to the gym because I'm too tired. Daytime hot flushes seem to be reducing to two or three a day. Vaginal dryness is easing. So some progress but still quite a bit to go.

[CLKD]

Keep up with the vaginal treatment.

My head is tired first thing in the morning but if I Press On doing stuff around the house/garden by mid-morning I am OK enough to go out.  Could you alter the time you would go to the Gym ?

[sweetcheeks]

Afraid not CLKD. I start work at 9, so I have to be in the gym by 7am, otherwise I can't fit it in. And of course, I'm too tired again by nighttime - I don't usually get home til 630/7. Factor in domestic tasks and there's really not much time at night as I do try to be in bed by 930. OH well, will try again tomorrow......

I'm not taking any particular vaginal treatment. I'm just finding its easing off on its own with the patch. Should I be taking something for it?

[CLKD]

You may in future require something other than HRT to control vaginal atrophy.  We have threads here to browse.  Make notes 

Hey you do housework - no need for the Gym! get that hoovery-thing out from under the stairs, plug it in tomorrow and the next day push it around a bit?  . The day after, switch it on .........

[Sparkler]

Hi Sweetcheeks

It took me a good few weeks before I felt the patches were working as they should. I started on evorel 25 but am now on 50 - and much happier! Keeping a diary is such a good idea, as with your long hours and busy life you would have up and downs and tiredness anyway!

Sparkler
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