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[MadameOvary]

Hi Reb
Let us know how you get on with Qlaira. I'm 2.5 months in and have just ordered a repeat prescription because I definitely feel much better than I did before I started taking it.
The short, light periods are a real bonus - hopefully that will make a big difference to your anaemia.
X

[RebJT]

Hiya

Thanks, will do.  Had my second pill today.  I feel high histamine, crampy and a bit buzzy but then again I always feel like that as my period starts.  I also take tranexamic acid to slow the bleeding (not at full steam yet) so will be interesting to see how it is this time with a big dollop of estrogen in the mix, hoping it'll shorten things.

I am trying to have a positive attitude - 'this is going to help me' - and just try and not get into hypervigilance (famous last words I realise!) and just see if I can roll with it. 

I'm also doing meditation and breathing exercises and yoga as I think part of my issue is I'm a high stress person (for reasons I won't elaborate here) and have historically been through the mill, so I think part of problem with progesterone maybe is my body steals it (there is in fact a thing called the 'progesterone steal') to make stress hormones because I'm often stuck in fight or flight without realising it.  I think perhaps some of my hormone disregulation is because my nervous system is disregulated.  So I'm also on a mission to lower my cortisol and try and stay in parasympathetic as much as I can, to give my body the best chance.  We'll see.  I realise that sounds a bit 'woo' but there is in fact some science to it!! 

Anyway, day 2, still sane!

Reb
x

[MadameOvary]

That's really interesting about the progesterone steal. I've never heard of that or thought about the link with cortisol. I'm sorry to hear you've been through the mill but it sounds like you're taking really positive steps to deal with your stress as well as your heavy bleeding.
I'm afraid the period I had on week 1 of the pill was as heavy as ever. It was the period after the 1st pack that was super light and short. You may need to wait a month or two before you see results.
Good luck and keep us posted x

[CrispyChick]

Fed up. 5 full weeks of microgynon and all OK in terms of peri symptoms... But geez, I can't take the moods much more. The same pattern every single day. Mega grumpy avd narky/angry in morning then mood dips low for a few hours in late afternoon and I feel depressed.

General feeling of 'I can't be bothered' even although I am exercising.

Someone tell me, its ONLY week 5, rather than my current thought process of... Geez that's 5 whole weeks and still feel dreadful. Sigh.

How is every one else getting on??? X

[RebJT]

Hi ladies

Sorry about the low mood Crispy, that sounds rubbish.  At the risk of sounding woo, have you tried meditation or yoga, sometimes helps to 'swim under the waves' as it were.

Day 5 of Qlaira, happy to report I'm still sane, and actually feel pretty good today.  No vibrations, mood is good, feeling pretty chipper.  Tail end of period, has been pretty heavy, but not quite as bad as usual, and still have some crampy pain.  I am hoping that one advantage of a good clear out with synethtic progestin is my distended stomach might be something that dissipates, as I've noticed recently that in the two weeks before my period my stomach starts to swell, which I suppose it would given I know that this month I know my endometrium was at over 10.5mm on day 17.

Only other thing to report is I'm a couple of pounds up, but might be water retention, hard to tell given it's time of the month.

I am trying to be very self disciplined with my thoughts, 'this is going to help me, everything is fine' - famous last words I realise, but trying to keep my mind on other things rather than obsess about potential side effects as it's too soon to say, and I've been such a basket case with my hormones lately, it's impossible to say anyway, what belongs where.

Will keep you posted,

Reb
x

[MadameOvary]

Sorry about the moods Crispy. I find it hard to separate out the effects of the pill from general life stuff! We've just lived through the craziest year, especially the last few months, I do sometimes wonder if my "symptoms" (insomnia, moodiness etc) are actually just because of anxiety, disruption to routine, stress etc. Reb, I'd say the same about weight gain. I don't think I've gained weight on Qlaira but if I had, I wouldn't know if it was because of the pill or because my life is so much more sedentary in lockdown and I've been comfort eating my way through winter!

[CrispyChick]

This is very true madameovary. I've got 2 kids homeschooling whilst working from home. No wonder I'm bloody grumpy 🤣🤣🤣.

I hear you. I think it doesn't help. I actually find I'm worse on thd weekends where we have no routine or structure... And nothing to do!!!

Today I'm exhausted. That horrible fatigue that comes from nowhere even although I'm getting plenty sleep. I'll take that over low and narky though.

All I keep coming back to is the time I started a pill before all this peri nonsense. I was nauseous and exhausted and it really was like a switch at the 3 month mark... So here's hoping.

Good luck ladies. Perhaps we'll feel brighter after tonight's announcements 🤞

[MadameOvary]

Feeling the same Crispy. Home schooling, working from home, worrying about everything, all takes its toll. I slept so badly last night. I'm totally shattered and can barely focus on the laptop screen 

[RebJT]

Hey

Two things, Crispy how is your iron?  I've just had an IV iron infusion I was so bad, and it's totally transformed my life, would recommend googling 'iron deficiency without anaemia' and having a read, low iron is badly misunderstood in primary care.  My mood is so much better but the fatigue was just something else!  Ditto thyroid, that often goes on the wonk with our other hormones, worth ruling out.

Secondly had an email from my (private) gynae this morning, supply issues April to November for Qlaira are due, I've just had a big prescription so I'm covered but I'd recommend if you need more getting your doctor to prescribe you enough to see you through.

Reb
x

[CrispyChick]

Oh... I never thought about iron.

I take a full multi vit as I was low on D and B12 before avd it's helped greatly (no more sore tongue) and I take magnesium as peri was giving me migraines. Now I'm assuming this pill has stopped the migraines, but it might be the magnesium, so I'm not stopping.

But iron... Never thought of that.

Are u saying you had low mood with low iron (as well as the fatigue)?

I will have had my levels tested I'm sure as I had every test under the sun, but that was at least 12 months ago. Plus, my b12 was borderline and I had low b12 symptoms.

Hope u all bet your qlaira in in time... Such a pain. X

[MadameOvary]

Oh that's worrying about Qlaira supplies Reb. I ordered my repeat prescription early (still got 2 weeks or so of my last pack). I went to pick it up on Saturday but it hadn't arrived. They said to try again today but I was too busy at work. Now I'm worried they won't be able to get any. What will I do then?!

[RebJT]

Crispy

Yes that's exactly what I'm saying, low iron will make you feel depressed, anxious, low, tired etc etc and it's very very badly understood in primary care and gynaecology too, so often women will be shunted to psych or to gynae when most of their issues would be solved by fixing their iron.  See here: https://www.oatext.com/iron-deficiency-without-anemia-common-important-neglected.php

If you were low D and low B12 then it's pretty much a dead cert you'll also be iron deficient, I'd also wager your folate is low.  Dig out your results and let's have a look.  You are considered iron deficient with an HB of 127 or below and a ferritin anywhere under 100 (ie you will be unwell and symptomatic).  Vitally important to sort that out.  Also low iron causes heavy periods, as well as being a consequence of them.  Honestly I felt mad as a hatter, terribly emotional, mood all over the place, anxious, jittery, and just not myself, it's made a HUGE difference getting iron up.  Starting on Qlaira is to try and treat the cause of the low iron, heavy periods.  Btw we need sufficient iron and blood builders (B12, folate etc) to make our hormones.  I had a long chat with my gynae about this, as I think a lot of women rock up in gynaecologist consulting rooms, and can't get settled on HRT when in fact the symptoms they are describing are in fact low iron, and not hormone disreguation.

Madame Ovary - I know, bloomin' typical isn't it!  A good pharmacist is worth their weight in gold I've found.  If the pharmacist can get it (and can confirm the coming supply issue) can you then appeal to your GP to prescribe it?  Failing that you can get stuff prescribed privately with an online GP or something?  My script just now with enough to cover April to Nov cost me £94, so not ideal but not impossible either.

Reb
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[CrispyChick]

Thank you. That's very interesting. I think it's the one thing that's not been considered through my 3 years of hell.

I've ordered some iron spray. I use oral sprays of the other vitamins. I love them and believe they cause less stomach issues.

I had an endoscopy for celiac, but I'm not. So can't blame that.

Also my periods were very light... So again, couldn't bland that. But, it's worth a try. I've just got up after a good sleep and again feel drained. I do think it might be this pill though. And, like I said yesterday, I'd rather feel drained than low avd depressed...see what today brings...

I really hope you get your supply madame ovary. I can't find any stock issues notified online... Hopefully you can get a good stock!!!

[RebJT]

Hiya

Just to say spray probably won't be the dose you need, you need to know what your results are, your full blood count and your iron panel (at the very least ferritin) and most iron deficient women need at least 200mg of *elemental iron* per day to get their levels up and keep them up, and lots of people have malabsorption issues (me included) without having coeliac.  Haem iron is better absorbed than non haem, but haem iron can be harder on the gut.  Non haem iron needs to be taken with plenty of vitamin C well away from coffee, tea, calcium containing foods etc.  Really worth reading up on iron deficiency, as your doctor will tell you everything is normal when it isn't.  Your pharmacist is probably the best person to ask.

Reb
x

[Gilla999]

Hi ladies

Just to quickly say Crispy I can totally understand how when you're feeling so crap that 5 weeks seems like forever, but 5 weeks of starting a Pill is still very new. I know it's so hard when the side effects make you feel so rubbish though.

I've not been too bad at all - not had any night sweats and insomnia in the last couple of weeks which has been nice. I feel very strongly though that my own natural cycle is still going on underneath though - a couple of weeks ago when I last had my night sweats and insomnia I noticed I was also feeling extremely emotional and depressed for a few days too, which is my classic PMT. I'm still hoping that will subside over the coming weeks but if I'm nearly 3 months in and my cycle hasn't been fully suppressed then I wouldn't be surprised to hear you ladies Crispy and MadameOvary are still experiencing symptoms too. Keeping my fingers crossed it will improve over the next few weeks for you xx