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[Flan747]

I’ve been on various HRT regimes for the past 20 months and cant get it right! Have mostly bad days and was wondering if I should try stopping the HRT to see what happens? Obviously my mine concern is all my symptoms return as bad as they were in the beginning But I feel I can’t continue feeling this rubbish everyday! At present I am on Sandrena 3mg and have the Mirena coil in since September! I give each HRT a good 3
Months as advised
Any thoughts would be very much appreciated

[Becr]

Similar to you, I have tried lots of different versions Novofem, Femoston and finally Estrogel and Utrogestan. I just never felt good for any length of time. The sequential regime was okay for around a week each month (strangely better in the progesterone phase) and the continuous regime I started off feeling good but then my sleep began to suffer again.

I decided to stop cold turkey 10 days ago but I am on a very low dose of Oestrogen. So far no problems. Sleep is still good and if anything I am less irritable. What issues are you having?

[sed]

Same.  I started on Femonston, Evorel Sequi and Evorel Conti.  I am now with the Mirena and Oestrogel and also struggling to get the dose right.  I can’t seem to pinpoint what’s causing the problem.  I had a horrendous day yesterday and despite good advice on here I am losing confidence with HRT.  It’s been 8:9 months.  I have a last ditch attempt with further advice with a Meno consultant this morning but it doesn’t help that I have lost confidence and thinking of what I can do to stop.

[Flan747]

Hi becr
My main problems are anxiety fatigue and gut issues! I’m on a new diet so hoping that will help! I just feel awful in many different ways every single day it doesn’t let up! Life is miserable I know I’m not depressed just fed up up with it all
I have seen 2 different specialist both of which were help bent on getting my bloods above 500 no matter what the symptoms were !
Just need the confidence to stop!
I thought about having the coils removed and see if I’m ok with estrogen and work with that?

[Becr]

It's hard isn't it. I started having problems when I came off the pill in 2014 because I was having a breast reduction. Started with low mood, extreme anxiety and night sweats. I ended up reducing my self employed work because the anxiety was crippling my confidence. I continued without HRT and noticed that by the time I was 47 I would go without a period for months at a time. I felt more level in my mood during these long stretches without a period but the mood was quite flat and then when a natural period came (after ovulation) I would get almost high and a bit manic. After a very long stretch without a period I decided to give HRT a go. Initially it was good, the first couple of months but I have never really found an HRT that keeps me on an even keel - that said I was always best in the Progesterone phase after about 5 days in. I tried continuous but I think the oestrogen dose of one pump was too low.

I feel for you with the anxiety but what I would say is depending on where you are in peri, for me it was part of the process of heading to menopause and I wonder if HRT can only do so much because of the fluctuations with your own hormones kicking in. The anxiety phase did end for me but only when my periods pretty much stopped. As I say I only ever took a very low dose of Oestrogen therefore I wonder if it wasn't really making a difference in the end. I might be wrong but since I have been off it I don't seem to feel any worse, possibly a bit less foggy. 

[Flan747]

That’s how I feel about HRT working with the estrogen highs and lows in Peri! Up until I started HRT back in June 2019 i had regular periods like clockwork but obviously since having mirena coil fitted Sept 2020 I have no idea where I am ! Which is another reason for thinking about stopping HRT to see where I’m at and try and ride it out ?

[Jaylow]

I’m also thinking similar to you both. Been on hrt for about 3 years now, not really feeling too good and I don’t know if I’d feel better without hrt. I’m not sure if I can bring myself to just stop suddenly in case I do feel worse. I’m scared to risk feeling worse but I’m also not good where I’m at. Would be good to know where I’m at naturally too regarding periods, I was early peri when I started hrt.

[Flan747]

My main concern is all my original symptoms return But as I’m not feeling great everyday and am just going through the motions on a daily basis of life basically would it be worth the risk of reducing/ stopping maybe the Sandrena and see how it goes then maybe if they goes ok get three coil removed? Such a hard decision but just know my life is miserable at the moment!

[Becr]

I've been off HRT exactly two weeks now and the only big negative is bloating but I would have bloating in the Oestrogen part of HRT anyway. I think some fatigue is creeping back in but my mood is happier. Yesterday I had my first daytime deep sleep. I was doing those daily in Peri and before I agreed to try HRT about 16 months ago.

The thing that got me down with HRT was feeling lousy but taking the hormones and never really knowing if it would improve. I tried 3 different regimes and none gave me a sustained feeling of wellness. I do think just one pump of Oestrogel was too little but I was always fearful of taking more incase coming off would be made harder. I', glad I tried it and I may have to go back to it but I shall keep on seeing how I go and let you know if it is of any help.

I know I am searching for something that doesn't exist anymore and that is my old younger self. I am having to let go of ever getting back to that energised feeling and the long runs I used to do. I can only manage long walks now. My muscles are sore and tender on and off HRT. Helpful to talk to you ladies so thanks.

[Flan747]

Becr I wish you luck and will post as I go if I can work up the courage to come off HRT! I feel lousy everyday so something is not right it’s just a big decision after being on it for so long, maybe too long or not long enough who knows !
Keep us posted with hopefully good stories as those are so rare on here!

[Kathleen]

Hello ladies.

I came off HRT about eighteen months ago and have recently restarted it.

I tried several regimes but still struggled with symptoms so when I weaned myself off it I felt no different.

However over time I became very low and tearful which hadn't been much of a problem whilst taking HRT. I struggled on hoping that these  intense symptoms would resolve but they didn't and a few months ago I became so worried about my mental health that I agreed to try HRT again. I now have to wait at least three months to see if it is helping. I can only conclude that the HRT was actually  keeping some of the emotional symptoms at bay.

Obviously we are all different but I now think that I will always need some form of HRT  as even though my body has adapted to post meno life my brain clearly has not!

Wishing you well ladies.

K.

[Flan747]

Hi Kathleen sorry to hear things have returned! That’s my biggest concern and why I’ve been holding back! Won’t know til I try but not sure if I’m prepared! Life is no fun at the moment but I am able to function just about on a daily basis!
Good luck

[Kathleen]

Hello again Flan 747

I completely understand your dilemma. In hindsight (and isn't that a wonderful thing) I wish I had considered all options before deciding to come off HRT.

 Initially I felt the same off it as on it, in other words sometimes feeling okay and sometimes feeling terrible. I hoped that the good days would begin to outnumber the bad days especially as I am ten years post meno. However I started to get a type of low mood that I had never had before and crying several times a day.  About six months without HRT I saw my GP who said it was hormonal but in most women it did resolve eventually. I was due to see him for a follow-up but this was in February last year and we all went into the first Lockdown so appointments became difficult. I struggled on but a few months ago I decided to give HRT another go.

Looking back the new and intense feelings crept up on me and my occasional good moods gave me false hope that I would soon be out of the woods.

Obviously my experience may be very different to yours and you may feel lots better off of HRT. However I suggest you keep a record of how you feel so if there are new problems you can get help sooner rather than later.

Take care.

K.

[Flan747]

I had regular periods up until starting HRT so nowhere near post unfortunately! I have the mirena coil so having that removed would be a good starting point I suppose to see where I am! Good idea about the diary when I’m having an ok day I think I should stick with HRT but that never lasts always another symptom pops up! Just fed up with feeling rubbish! I know I’m not depressed just low mood because of the way I feel!

[Kathleen]

Hello yet again Flan 747.

I know exactly how you feel. Sometimes I wonder if I'm depressed but I also think that maybe I'm just miserable because I feel horrible so much of the time. It's enough to get anyone down. Having said that, the low moods I had recently did feel different which may indicate actual depression or just another meno symptom.

Incidentally I've been reading up on CBT and it seems that you are supposed to note how you link your feelings to your thoughts and then separate and study them. I tried this briefly and my frequently occuring thought was I wish I didn't feel crap again, so perhaps CBT isn't the right way to go lol.

Whatever you decide to do please keep the forum updated so that the lovely ladies here can support and guide you.

Take care.

K.