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[DottyD68]

Hi there everyone,

I have finally got round to registering after using the forum for a long time as a guest. It has been a life-saver for me especially in times of high menopausal health-anxiety, of which there have been lots!

I am 54. I am ashamed to say the Menopause years appeared as a great shock to me because I ignorantly thought "your periods just stop when you are about 60". How wrong I was. I was fortunate to have had good health before peri-menopause. I always loved exercise both for physical and mental health and didn't have any previous health issues.

Looking back think I have now been peri-menopausal for 7-8 years approx. Despite having white coat syndrome I visited various GPs A LOT with various ailments during my late 40's which I now know to be menopause symptoms but were never picked up on despite my age. Once I realised that they were all different  menopausal symptoms, and after a lot of deliberation, I built up the courage to ask a lady GP about trying HRT. I was speechless when she told me that (at 50!) I was categorically NOT peri-menopausal because I was still having periods and not having hot flushes. I was having a raft of other symptoms (too many to list here) including night sweats but she wouldn't have it.

I have always kept fit and active and tried to manage my symptoms with a healthy diet, daily exercise, supplements, meditation, acupuncture, yoga. You name it, I've tried it. I finally managed to convince the same GP to let me try HRT in August 2021 at 53. She prescribed Oestrogel and Utrogestan on a sequi basis (15-28). Most of my symptoms improved within 2-3 months.

In August 2022 I had a yearly review with yet another lady GP with a view to move me onto conti based because I was 54. I was recovering from Covid at the time. I was moved onto Evorel 50 patch. I had concerns as I was not only changing regime, I was changing from gel to patch and the dosage (50mg) was half the dose of gel I was on (100mg). GP said it was fine. It wasn't and I fell off a cliff within 5 days - debilitating anxiety, night sweats, muscle aches and allergies/sensitivities amongst other things. Having had a follow-on call with another lady GP she said that I shouldn't have changed HRT whilst recovering from Covid. She suggested I go back to original regime - sequi Oestrogel and Utrogestan - and let everything settle down. After a month it seems to have settled again and Im due another review in 2 months. I would be happy to stay on this regime for the foreseeable if i can and then try and gradually wean myself off in a few years.

Apologies for the long post. Thanks for reading if you got this far  and thanks for your helpful posts so far.

[CLKD]

Some GPs have no idea 

 

Why wean off HRT if the regime works?  If you begin to feel better on what suits you, why risk going backwards?  One can take it for ever if it helps.

Browse round. Make notes.

[DottyD68]

Hi CLKD,

Thanks for the reply  .

Firstly I still need to have the conversation with a GP to ask/understand if I can stay on the sequi regime assuming that I am now post-menopausal at 54. Having had a short disasterous trial at changing it, I agree with you, why change something that works. There must be a reason why they want you to go on a conti regime and I need to understand what that is.

The second thing is more from a practical basis. I have gone from the fortunate position of being prescription-free to having to administer a number of menopause-related medications at various times of the day/month. I frequently wake up in the middle of the night panicking that I haven't taken something, so in an ideal world I would prefer not to be reliant on medications. But obviously I wouldn't stop HRT if it made me feel worse. I already regret not having started it sooner.

[CLKD]

Peri-menopause are the years leading to our last period = menopause.  However, we need to count 12 months without a bleed, sometimes Nature throws in the curved ball and produces a period ......... then we begin counting again.

Mine waxed and waned for several years B4 stopping in 2002.  I've been fortunate in not having too many symptoms for too long, apart from Vaginal Atrophy - do read the 'bladder issues' thread and those relating to VA.

Let us know how you get on.

[DottyD68]

Thanks CLKD.

VA is one of the few symptoms I've not had ...... yet! I'm not looking forward to that one.

I've learnt to take one day at a time 

[CLKD]

VA doesn't affect everyone.  4 me it was like razor blades  up there.  It mimics repeated urine infection-type symptoms really really well which is why many GPs prescribe ABs instead of appropriate treatment.  Once under control the bladder area feels much better.