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[Sossie]

I've decided to come off HRT after 2 years. Although it initially helped with some symptoms I have never got the balance right and having been peri menopausal when I started I haven't a clue if my monthly bleeds are my own or a problem with the HRT. I just need to see where I am. With what feels like wildly fluctuating hormones it doesn't seem right adding more oestrogen to my own seemingly higher levels, causing the balance with progesterone to be low.

I'm fully expecting to want to go back on it after a few months but need to remind myself that I feel pretty rubbish most of the time when I'm on it. If it's not palpitations, jitters, anxiety, sore/swollen boobs, and allergies it's low mood, lack of motivation, insomnia, night sweats and internal buzzing. To name just a few! I'm sure there is a sweet spot there somewhere but I haven't found it. I'll probably wait til I get back from holiday before I take the plunge.

Would love to have an update when you’re back from holiday.  Hang in there!

[DottyD68]

Hi Sossie,

Sorry to hear you are feeling so rough. It's horrible isn't it.
I'm starting to panic now as I'm still on HRT but have low mood, anxiety, insomnia, low motivation etc etc which were never even my original symptoms. If HRT makes me feel like this I don't think I'll be able to cope when I stop it. If I increase it I get another collection of unbearable symptoms. I feel stuck. Just hope a break away from everything will literally give me a break from it all and reset my mindset too.

[Sossie]

i honestly felt the same, and now that I’ve experienced flushes and insomnia versus crippling suicidal depression, I know which one I prefer.  At least with the former I can exercise more, eat better and max up the magnesium and macrobiome but the latter feels totally out of my control.  DAMN THESE OVARIES (shakes fist at sky)!

Have an awesome holiday and good luck when you get back.  I’ll let you have an update on Series Two: Leaving the Circus in a few weeks (if I survive haha).

[Nas]

Hi
I’ve also decided to come off HRT. Been experiencing awful abdominal pain these last few months and I have a fibroid which i think is contributing to this.

Possibly osestrogen is making matters worse, but I’m
going to give things a go by taking myself off hormones and getting my coil removed.

Absolutely dreading how I may feel… 

[Ermin2trude]

I stopped oestrogen 8 weeks ago and had Mirena removed 4 weeks ago, so I’m HRT free and feel sooo much better. Maybe it’s partly relief that I’m not playing around trying to find a balance of HRT that suits me. It’s stopped the mind games I play with myself…..is it me or is it the HRT? I can’t believe how many hours, days, weeks, months I’ve lost to HRT side effects. All that’s gone and with it a whole heap of anxiety.

I’ve also accepted that irritability, declining libido, weight gain (hasn’t happened yet), ageing skin and hair, depression and anxiety might be just part of the natural ageing process, and affect men just as much.

As for the return of any menopausal symptoms, I’ve had a couple of night sweats which coincided with eating a lot of cake. Stopped eating cake, night sweats stopped. Otherwise, I feel so much better. Plus points  include the cessation of my daily migraines, increased energy levels  and my mojo is back.

 I do still envy those who it works for though. 😏

[Nas]

I think that’s what I’m
looking forward to the most Ermin, not having to worry about  the side effects and trying to decipher what’s HRT linked and what isn’t. Just don’t have the time or mental capacity for it any longer.

If I ever get this fibroid removed or have a hysterectomy, I think I would like to try HRT again.

For now, I want to be free and see where my body is at.

I do have my ‘ stash’ of products within easy reach however!

[DottyD68]

Thank you ladies. Sorry to hear you are also having a rough time of it but it makes me feel like I'm not alone. HA going through the roof today and I have self-diagnosed myself with several horrendous conditions today. My poor lovely husband. He is so patient. The number of times he has said "there is nothing there" when I can see a horrendous lump/lesion on various parts of my body. It is crazy.

[Sossie]

Oh wow, it’s wonderful to know that we’re all in the same boat.

@Nas when will you stop the oestrogen and have the coil removed?  I wonder if you’ll experience the increase in energy too. 

@Ermin2trude sugar and hot flushes?  Interesting!   I found that my hot flushes happened every time I had a cup of tea or a meal, literally had to strip off all clothes, but I know they won’t last forever.  I feel very inspired by your positive attitude!  The one thing I have struggled with is my hair falling out by the handful but I hope that settles down too. 

@Dotty this week I convinced myself that I have ovarian cancer, late-onset bipolar disorder, early-onset dementia and arthritis.  I’m pretty sure none of that is true haha.  I’m gonna try and go stoic from now on and ignore all symptoms that don’t include severe blood loss and/or a missing limb. 

[Nas]

Hi Sossie

Well I’ve got a gynae appointment next Wednesday, primarily to discuss my abdominal pain/fibroid and bulky uterus. I’ve also had some post menopause bleeding. In truth, I don’t know how I’m going to come off the HRT; painfully and grumpily I expect! I’ve tried a few times in the past to come off and each time, has ended disastrously! However, it has literally been a shit show of a circus being on HRT and I don’t really want to be on it at all.

How are you getting on Sossie?

I really want to adopt Ermins approach and overhaul my diet and lifestyle. Surely don’t need to be reliant on hormones to live well?

@Dotty, it’s so easy to develop HA, I’m exactly the same! Every ache and pain is a sign of imminent death!! 

Good luck to us all.. onwards and upwards as they say!

[Ermin2trude]

[quote author=Sossie link=topic=65658.msg918595#msg918595 date=

@Ermin2trude sugar and hot flushes?  Interesting!   I found that my hot flushes happened every time I had a cup of tea or a meal, literally had to strip off all clothes, but I know they won’t last forever.  I feel very inspired by your positive attitude!  The one thing I have struggled with is my hair falling out by the handful but I hope that settles down too. 

[/quote]

Hi Sossie,

It’s so interesting you have noticed your hot flushes happen when you have a cup of tea or a meal. When there are fluctuations in blood sugar levels symptoms such as mood swings, irritability, aggressive outbursts, crying spells, anxiety, tension, excessive sweating (hot flushes, night sweats), depression, tiredness, forgetfulness and lack of concentration can happen. Very similar to menopausal symptoms..

If your blood sugar level drops, your body automatically releases adrenaline - a major stress hormone -into the bloodstream to prompt your liver to produce more glucose to counteract the fall. It’s this release of adrenaline which produces wear and tear on the adrenal glands and this repeated stimulation can interfere with their functioning. The results can be particularly disturbing during the menopause because the adrenal glands produce the hormone oestrone, which takes over as the main source of oestrogen when your ovaries stop production.

The caffeine in your tea is a stimulant that triggers a sugar rush in your blood followed by a drop which contributes to the rollercoaster rose and fall of blood sugar levels. Stimulants also increase hot flushes by making blood vessels dilate.

You can try and regulate your blood sugar levels during the day by eating foods that give a slow rise in blood sugar. Complex carbohydrates are your friend in this case.

Hope this helps.

Ermin x

[Sossie]

Thanks Ermin!  I have a blood sugar monitor that I use when doing prolonged fasts so I”ll get that out and keep an eye on things.  I drink decaf tea/coffee or herbal tea so I don’t think it’s the caffeine, but it definitely feels like a reaction to hot drinks or food.  I should have mentioned that I had to take antibiotics last month so that would have destroyed my macrobiome.  I’ve been maxing out the kefir, kimchi and probiotics so hopefully it will be a bit better this time.

I was also very stressed as a number of huge challenges hit us all at once, and it sounds like that might have increased adrenaline.  My throat felt a bit swollen and my glands were a bit sore which usually happens when my body is exhausted. 

I’ll have a google about complex carbohydrates, thank you.  I eat a largely vegan diet so lots of fruit and vegetables but the histamines aren’t always my friend.  Really appreciate your advice x

[Ermin2trude]

Hey Sossie,

A really good supplement to take after you’ve been on antibiotics is milk thistle. This should help a bit with histamine issues too as it supports the waste disposal unit of your body (the liver) and helps it rebuild itself.

I have histamine intolerance too.  It’s one of the reasons I can’t tolerate HRT, the oestrogen part of it sends histamine into the stratosphere and beyond. My menopause specialist has prescribed testosterone only HRT. It helps histamine issues and all those more general menopause symptoms apparently. I haven’t started it yet because I feel so well and normal without HRT, especially emotionally/mentally.

I hope you find your hormonal balance in any way you can.

Ermin x

[Kathleen]

Hello again ladies.


I just wanted to say that when I came off all HRT a few years ago I felt better knowing that any reactions would be ' all me ' and not the result of too much or not enough added Oestrogen or progesterone. 

I am currently experimenting with adding more phytoestrogens  to my diet but I remain on a medium dose of gel,  perhaps I need to change that as well in the future.

Wishing you all well ladies.

K.

[Sossie]

Ermin, that’s a great recommendation, thanks.  I have some milk thistle seeds so I’ll grind up some powder this morning. 
I hadn’t thought about histamine and HRT, didn’t even know it was a thing! I wanted to give testosterone a go but, like you, only if I feel the need to fix a problem and I”m hoping things will settle down.

Kathleen, I’m going to focus a lot more on diet on exercise so would appreciate any specific recommendations for food.  I do seed cycling but not sure if it helps or not. 

[Kathleen]

Hello Sossie


I think Ermin2trude has some information on diet and the menopause but in my case I have been whole food plant based for over ten years. It just so happened that I became officially post meno the same month that I was diagnosed with an auto immune disease.
In all honesty I have had a rough ride with the Meno emotionally but some symptoms have escaped me although. I do know that high levels of inflammation in the body contributes to many illnesses and other conditions and because I have regular blood tests I know that my inflammation markers are very low.

There is a lot of information online about how to eat a whole foods plant based diet and one of the best sources of research is Dr Greger's NutritionFacts.org YouTube site.

I have recently included soy beans into my diet in the hope that their phytoestrogen effect will help my remaining symptoms. I will continue with this experiment for a while but again I think Ermin2trude has more knowledge on this.

I haven't heard of seed cycling so I can't comment on that but obviously a healthy diet and plenty of exercise should help us cope at this time in our lives.

Wishing you well and take care.


K.