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[PeriWhat?!]

Hi, I've been browsing on here for a while and would like to ask people who've chosen HRT how bad your symptoms got before you asked for help? At what point of peri did you ask for HRT? And what type?

I've been trying to ride this perimenopause thing out as the symptoms keep changing. Hot sweats have switched from daytime to night time now, which stops me sleeping.

Anxiety is high. I'm forgetting things a lot. Bad headaches. Sleep would help these a lot.

Periods and mood swings have been in overdrive for a couple of years, but I haven't had a period for almost two months now. I feel as though I've been getting phantom period pains and sore boobs though.

Standing up after a long time sitting or slumping in front of the TV is a game of incontinence Russian roulette - this is the symptom that's most upsetting me right now and I don't know if HRT would help this?

My gut feeling is that maybe it's time for me to ask for more help. But what if this isn't as bad as it gets?! I'm 45, if that helps and think I've been in peri for approx 4yrs.

[Stockport1965]

Hi, I've been browsing on here for a while and would like to ask people who've chosen HRT how bad your symptoms got before you asked for help? At what point of peri did you ask for HRT? And what type?

I've been trying to ride this perimenopause thing out as the symptoms keep changing. Hot sweats have switched from daytime to night time now, which stops me sleeping.

Anxiety is high. I'm forgetting things a lot. Bad headaches. Sleep would help these a lot.

Periods and mood swings have been in overdrive for a couple of years, but I haven't had a period for almost two months now. I feel as though I've been getting phantom period pains and sore boobs though.

Standing up after a long time sitting or slumping in front of the TV is a game of incontinence Russian roulette - this is the symptom that's most upsetting me right now and I don't know if HRT would help this?

My gut feeling is that maybe it's time for me to ask for more help. But what if this isn't as bad as it gets?! I'm 45, if that helps and think I've been in peri for approx 4yrs.

I would definitely enquire about it. It's a young age and speaking from experience, you need to protect against Osteoporosis. I wasn't offered it by error, and now I am paying the price!

[PeriWhat?!]

I would definitely enquire about it. It's a young age and speaking from experience, you need to protect against Osteoporosis. I wasn't offered it by error, and now I am paying the price!
[/quote]

Sorry to hear that Stockport1965 - are you suffering with osteoporosis now?

[Stockport1965]

I would definitely enquire about it. It's a young age and speaking from experience, you need to protect against Osteoporosis. I wasn't offered it by error, and now I am paying the price!

Sorry to hear that Stockport1965 - are you suffering with osteoporosis now?
[/quote]

yes, just been diagnosed with it

[sheila99]

Periwhat I agree with the above. Regardless of symptoms you should be on it to protect your bones and heart.

[PeriWhat?!]

@Sheila99 That is good to know, thank you. I guess I am wary of going on it too soon and peaking too early.
I'm wary of long-term medication as I prefer to try natural, low-intervention options first, but I don't feel that I'm coping too well right now. Thanks for replying.

[PeriWhat?!]

I'll try to get a GP appointment and see what they say. I've been putting it off.

[sheila99]

Don't think of it as medication. Rather it's replacing what your body should be producing but isn't, perhaps similar to taking vit D in winter. Hrt is the other way round, it's best to start it before you've had a long period of oestrogen deficiency. I decided quality of life was more important. I thought my anxiety and insomnia were bad but osteoporosis has to be worse. Hope your appointment goes well and you have a knowledgeable GP.

[Alice 76]

Hi, I've been browsing on here for a while and would like to ask people who've chosen HRT how bad your symptoms got before you asked for help? At what point of peri did you ask for HRT? And what type?

I've been trying to ride this perimenopause thing out as the symptoms keep changing. Hot sweats have switched from daytime to night time now, which stops me sleeping.

Anxiety is high. I'm forgetting things a lot. Bad headaches. Sleep would help these a lot.

Periods and mood swings have been in overdrive for a couple of years, but I haven't had a period for almost two months now. I feel as though I've been getting phantom period pains and sore boobs though.

Standing up after a long time sitting or slumping in front of the TV is a game of incontinence Russian roulette - this is the symptom that's most upsetting me right now and I don't know if HRT would help this?

My gut feeling is that maybe it's time for me to ask for more help. But what if this isn't as bad as it gets?! I'm 45, if that helps and think I've been in peri for approx 4yrs.

I am 44 and have had peri menopausal symptoms about 4 years now. I started combined HRT two months ago and it has made a huge difference for me. My mood swings have more or less gone, I have a lot more energy and I'm able to concentrate more, I don't forget things which was causing me problems at work. My period hasn't changed, I have a little spotting but it's irregular, up to 6-8 weeks.
I never imagined I would feel this different and would definitely recommend it.

[PeriWhat?!]

I am 44 and have had peri menopausal symptoms about 4 years now. I started combined HRT two months ago and it has made a huge difference for me. My mood swings have more or less gone, I have a lot more energy and I'm able to concentrate more, I don't forget things which was causing me problems at work. My period hasn't changed, I have a little spotting but it's irregular, up to 6-8 weeks.
I never imagined I would feel this different and would definitely recommend it.
[/quote]

Thanks for this Alice 76, it's really good to hear it's improved your quality of life so much. I started taking it 5wks ago and some things are starting to get better already - you're giving me hope that it will keep going! I really wish I could concentrate on my work right now.

[Lizp]

Hi, I too have been, and still am, unsure about HRT. I believe that the body is amazing and nature has its own strengths and resources to deal with things. However, I had a slight prolapse, osteopenia, zero interest in sex and aching joints. I was recommended by two GPs to try HRT. I have been on continuous oestrogen gel and Utrogestan for about 5 months now. Still have the prolapse but it feels slightly better, no aching joints, but still no interest in sex. I had quite a lot of bleeding every third week for the first 3 months which then stopped. However when my oestrogen gel was changed I bled again and my GP has talked about thickening lining of my uterus??? Do we just swap one lot of problems for another?

And it's now a months wait to speak with my GP.

Well, what a day for starting this thread.

I am right now in the midst of weighing up what to do.  My gynaecologist has prescribed Oestradol valerate but I just cannot decide whether to take it.  He did a blood test and then rang me to say he had done a prescription for me.  We have had no discussion on the pros and cons and I have many doubts.

Reading the posts here, makes me more inclined to try.  My only problems are heat intolerance, poor sleeping and missing libido and I have been post menopausal for nearly four years.

Frankly I would do almost anything now to get my sex drive back so I am pretty much at a thinking point of nothing ventured nothing gained.

Like marymouse, I have tried to take a balanced picture of it all but as soon as I decide I should give it a try, I find a reason why I shouldn't.

[JazzyJ]

Hi there. This is my first time here. My head is just about exploding from over thinking this so I thought it would be good to get some input from other ladies who have walked this path before me. I’m 56 (6 years in) and I thought I’d done a damn good job of getting through the worst of menopause and felt I was nearly on the other side when VA struck in full force in March!!! Vagifem was hopeless (I kept going with it for far too long thinking it might kick in) but when my GP swapped me over to Ovestin 2 weeks ago I’ve had a lot of improvement. Not perfect by any means, but way better. She also said she would be happy to start me on systemic hrt in addition. That’s the bit I’m confused about. Whether I should stick with just Ovestin hoping it will keep on improving. Or whether I should take up the window I have left before age 60 to start on hrt, getting a more satisfactory improvement, and also reap the benefits of hrt while I can. Has anyone here found that when they stop hrt that the VA is less of a problem going forward? Or does it come back in full force once hrt is stopped? Thank you in advance. I come from NZ where there is a big reluctance towards HRT, believe it or not . I don’t know a single person on it so it is a big shift for me to see it as a good thing.

if it helps I'm in a similar position to you. 8 years post menopause and my VA (or genito urinary symptoms of menopause as they are now called, GUSM) were awful,  then had cystitis type symptoms for 3 months too. What I hadn't appreciated is that if you are on vagifem or local creams you will need to take for life to maintain  vaginal and urinary health. I was using creams haphazardly which was stupid as I felt scared using it. I was finally examined by a gynaecologist following 2 months in vagifem regime and told I still had significant dryness high in vagina. Decided to try systemic hrt for this reason, apparently 20 percent of women with VA need both, maybe you are one too. I've been on oestrogen gel and utrogestan for 10 days, vagina improving BUT progesterone making feel exhausted. I'm going to carry on to see if things settle though. Don't give up, I'm not

[Anj63]

Hi, I’m new on here.
I’m not sure where to post medical type questions...
 I have two queries- has anyone else suffered from hormone related migraines? And has anyone returned to HRT after a long break?
I was using estrogel for several years, my new doctor raised safety issues as 1) I had been on it for a long time and 2) I’d started getting chronic migraines with aura.
I got a bit worried and decided to come off it, just before the first lockdown. My GP prescribed beta blockers for the migraines. At first this seemed to work, though the migraines didn’t  really go away completely and are now increasing again. I’ve had a horrible time with low mood and extreme tiredness painful joints etc..
I watched the Davina mc call channel 4 programme recently and then looked up menopause doctor. I now think I should have stayed on estrogel, as I still have menopausal symptoms- do they ever go away? I’m 64 btw and used to be lively, happy and fit. I’m now fat, unfit and miserable.

[CDouch]

I think it’s excellent, I only suffered night sweats for about 2 weeks and couldn’t put up with it 😂 At the time I was studying for a degree in psychology (mature student) and we studied the psychology of women’s health and our professor was so in favour of HRT and provided loads of info so I went to the GP armed with lots of knowledge. I was prescribed Femoston 2/10 and as I was peri menopausal I was on a cyclical regime which I stayed on for quite a few years.  I then watched Dr Louise Newson, the Menopause Doctor, which recommended Utrogestan and Oestrogel so once again I went armed with lots of info and requested I change to a continuous regime with Utrogestan and Oestrogel. The Doctor agreed and I’ve been taking that for 2 months and feel great.  I definitely recommend watching Dr Louise Newson’s video, it explains it all so well 👍

[Denise Didi]

I'm on so many things now I'm not sure what's helping and what's not. Ive been on antidepressants for years to help with pmt then hrt when peri kicked in. Tried various hrt patches and utrogestan. Got the mirena fitted 18 months ago which was horrible for months before settling down. Using 100mc estradot patches. Then faffed about with testogel/tostran. Now using ovestin for va which helped. But still feel depressed. It was hoped I could wean off antidepressants when hrt settled down but don't think it ever will.