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[Luchielene]

Hi all,

I started Evorel Sequi 3 days ago, I am 46, my last period was in December but have been suffering with perimenopausal symptoms for a while now, particularly anxiety, poor quality of sleep, then my hair started thinning and facial hair appeared 
No hot flushes though!
Now hoping this will help, I have issues concentrating and generally don't recognize myself anymore...
Spent many year fighting endometriosis and infertility and now this!

[PeriWhat?!]

Hi all,

I started Evorel Sequi 3 days ago, I am 46, my last period was in December but have been suffering with perimenopausal symptoms for a while now, particularly anxiety, poor quality of sleep, then my hair started thinning and facial hair appeared 
No hot flushes though!
Now hoping this will help, I have issues concentrating and generally don't recognize myself anymore...
Spent many year fighting endometriosis and infertility and now this!

I hope it helps your symptoms, Luchielene. The sleep and anxiety issues can be a real vicious circle, can't they?

[PeriWhat?!]

Update: Almost at the end of my second month of Evorel Sequi patches as a first-time HRT user and this time the bleed has started on the same day as the last Evorel Conti patch of the month. It looks more 'normal' this time.

Everyone's experiences and situation will be different, but here's what I've noticed so far re: how the patches are affecting my perimenopause symptoms.

Positives
- hot sweats day and night have completely disappeared 
- weak bladder/pelvic floor/stress incontinence issues have almost completely disappeared - which has got rid of a lot of stress and embarrassment
- sleep is improving, have even had a few nights with a solid 6 hours. That's still not the greatest amount of sleep, but it's about 2/3 times better than it was
- skin crawling feeling has gone
- sore boobs have improved and can actually wear a bra again

Neutrals 
- headaches
- weirdly sensitive sense of smell (on the plus side, at least I know I don't have Covid!)

Symptoms I still really really want to improve 
- anxiety
- extreme mood swings
- concentration / ability to focus
- sleep
- memory

New symptoms 
- occasional migraines
- painful heels/feet (not sure if this is relevant or not enough exercise due to lockdown tbh)

[sheila99]

Don't be disheartened yet, my anxiety and insomnia took 3 months to go though if anxiety didn't come with meno it's possible there is a different cause. I think the improvement in sleep will continue. My brain still isn't as sharp as it used to be particularly when I'm tired. Can't remember where I was with mood swings at 2 months but I would expect that to improve too.

[PeriWhat?!]

That's really good to hear, thanks @sheila99!

Just trying to plan ahead and book my three-month check with the GP, obviouslyly I'll need to book it before the end of three months, otherwise I'll run out of patches.

Does anyone know if you need to book a blood test ahead of the three-month check? GP was v vague... also, they didn't do a blood test before they put me on the patches, so there'll be nothing recent to compare it to.

[sheila99]

You could ask when you book the appointment but I would think not. The nhs treat according to symptoms and rarely test levels. My oestrogen has never been measured, testosterone was after I'd been on it for 2 years when I had a new GP.

[PeriWhat?!]

Thank you.

[Mogster71]

Hi PeriWhat?!

Wow, I'm glad you have noticed some pretty amazing improvements to your physical symptoms, thanks again for starting this really useful thread. I am slightly ahead of you timings wise and am 3 days into month 3, and truly hopeful that this month is better than 1 and 2! My second period started a full week before the end of the conti patches and was much heavier, but maybe a day or so shorter. My GP warned me that I might get another bleed when I finished the conti patches as well but that hasn't happened so far - I'm just a bit worried about what to do if it comes even earlier again this month!

So:
Neutrals - headaches not really improved

New symptoms: nausea and slightly upset tum. Dry skin? Sleep worse. More irritable (if that's possible haha) I also seem to be losing a bit more hair than usual when I wash it


Unless things improve in a big way then I will either ask to extend the trial for another month or go back to Femoston. The only reason I moved to Evorel was to try and see if I could reduce the headaches I was getting, but this is adding in more issues than were there before, everything else was pretty well controlled and the bleeds were regular as clockwork. I might just have to slog it out for another year or so until it's time to have a continuous progesterone. Oh what fun, eh??

xx

[PeriWhat?!]

Hi Mogster71, thanks for posting here, yes you're three days ahead of me with Evorel Sequi. It's really great to able to compare notes like this and just have a space to talk about it without people's eyes glazing over tbh, haha.

That is v frustrating about Evorel giving you more symptoms than before, I wonder if your body could still be adjusting? Someone more knowledgeable about this than me will come along soon, I'm sure!

My second bleed on Evorel was also much heavier and is still going on as I move into day 1 of month 3, but at least it's lighter now.

What were the positives of Femoston for you? x

[Mogster71]

Hi PeriWhat?!

It really is useful to compare notes, isn't it? My husband is pretty good to bounce ideas or thoughts off but yes, try as he might it's not quite possible to empathise fully! The Femoston 2/10 has the kindest progesterone for me, and other than the lip up in headaches, everything else has been ok. My doc is fab but now says we could be "chasing rainbows" so to speak, I think that HE thinks I'm looking for perfect (which I doubt exists but we can live in hope!)

You are of course quite right in that it may be my body still adjusting and if I feel ok towards the end of the month I will ask the doctor if I can extend the trial by another month or two, to give it a bit more time to calm down.

Fingers crossed things stay positive for both of us x

[PeriWhat?!]

Update: Almost at the end of my second month of Evorel Sequi patches as a first-time HRT user and this time the bleed has started on the same day as the last Evorel Conti patch of the month. It looks more 'normal' this time.

Everyone's experiences and situation will be different, but here's what I've noticed so far re: how the patches are affecting my perimenopause symptoms.

Positives
- hot sweats day and night have completely disappeared 
- weak bladder/pelvic floor/stress incontinence issues have almost completely disappeared - which has got rid of a lot of stress and embarrassment
- sleep is improving, have even had a few nights with a solid 6 hours. That's still not the greatest amount of sleep, but it's about 2/3 times better than it was
- skin crawling feeling has gone
- sore boobs have improved and can actually wear a bra again

Neutrals 
- headaches
- weirdly sensitive sense of smell (on the plus side, at least I know I don't have Covid!)

Symptoms I still really really want to improve 
- anxiety
- extreme mood swings
- concentration / ability to focus
- sleep
- memory

New symptoms 
- occasional migraines
- painful heels/feet (not sure if this is relevant or not enough exercise due to lockdown tbh)

I had my HRT 3-month review as phone call with a nurse based at a GP surgery last night, so thought I'd post an update.

Things are still more or less at this point symptoms-wise ^^^^ and since being on Sequi, I've noticed that the awful mood swings really kick in after the start of the combined oestrogen/progestogen patch.

The nurse gave me a few options and I decided to try changing just the progestogen element to see if that helps with the mood swings and concentration.

So I'm now going to try Evorel 50 oestrogen patches, with Utrogestagen tablets for the last two weeks of the month.

After the call, she ran it past a GP, who approved the prescription and I've just had a text to say I should be able to pick it up from the pharmacy in a day or so.

She also recommended Yes vaginal moisturiser, which it sounds like I'll need to buy online or over the counter. I've been in denial about the need for this, if I am honest. Every time I see the words "vaginal atrophy" on this forum or anywhere else, I feel like  I want to zap the words from my brain before my poor vagina realises and dies of shock, haha. It's real, unfortunately, I just wish it had another name. 

I was really impressed with the nurse, she was far more knowledgeable than any of the GPs I've seen, really took her time, going through original symptoms, changes and new symptoms.

The only spanner in the works is the new migraines I've been getting, but stupidly, I didn't make a note of when these have been happening, so I couldn't tell her what they might have been a response to. I need to remember to write everything down for future reference, even if it's only on this thread!

On the whole I'm feeling positive that the original prescription helped with quite a lot of symptoms, and I'm really hoping this new prescription will improve the really big issues. Fingers crossed!

[PeriWhat?!]

Hi you could have used the oestrogen patches and Utrogestan tablets in peri menopause quite safely. You take the tablets for 12 days of every month. x

This is what I've now been prescribed @Dotty - I got there in the end!

[PeriWhat?!]

Hi PeriWhat?!

It really is useful to compare notes, isn't it? My husband is pretty good to bounce ideas or thoughts off but yes, try as he might it's not quite possible to empathise fully! The Femoston 2/10 has the kindest progesterone for me, and other than the lip up in headaches, everything else has been ok. My doc is fab but now says we could be "chasing rainbows" so to speak, I think that HE thinks I'm looking for perfect (which I doubt exists but we can live in hope!)

You are of course quite right in that it may be my body still adjusting and if I feel ok towards the end of the month I will ask the doctor if I can extend the trial by another month or two, to give it a bit more time to calm down.

Fingers crossed things stay positive for both of us x

How are you getting on, @Mogster71 ? x

[Mogster71]

Hi!

This is very, very timely
I'm sorry the patches didn't improve things massively for you, and I really truly hope that the Evorel/Utrogestan does the trick.

I have done a proper 180 on this...3 month trial, six weeks in I was ready to throw in the towel, in fact I cried when my GP said could we just see it through for the full trial and then you can either have your old regime back or we can try the next thing (even though running out of options!). As month 2 progressed and month 3 began, felt much better and half way through the last pack I asked the doctor if we could continue with the trial for a bit longer. I've got another 3 months of Evorel Sequi and have actually started pack 4 today, along with my period!!

So in all, I definitely feel better, still a bit of nausea here and there but that's pretty typical for me, headaches dramatically reduced. I'm exercising at least 5 days a week and feel like the duracell bunny haha. I do get these frantic busy days where I am very industrious, and less of the "can't be bothered with anything".

On a negative I think the progesterone does still flatten my mood a little bit, just the odd part of a day for example. And boobs a bit sore in the week leading to period. All liveable-with kind of stuff for me. Oh and this weird sort of buzzy head, not a headache but like my face and forhead feel "fizzy".


I think a lot of ladies find the Utrogestan/separate oestrogen works well for them. The Utro did knock me out a bit for the first few nights but I freely admit I didn't give it very long at all, and based on the above it might have ended up being the best thing for me if I had done. I also think I wasn't using enough oestrogen at the time to balance things.

Keeping everything crossed for you lovely!
All the best

Mog xx

[PeriWhat?!]

That's amazing, @Mogster71! I'm so pleased it's working out well. Fabulous to hear it's made such a big difference to your headaches and massive well done at managing to fit so much much exercise in. That must be making a big difference overall as well.

I hope I get my industrious times back soon before I jeopardise my work situation completely! You're giving me hope.

Utrogestan! I keep getting the names confused, I'll get there in the end.