If Estrogel & Utrogestan don't work...

[NickyNora]

What other HRTs can I try?
Dr wants to put me on The Pill. I'm really not happy at the prospect of The Pill

Been on Femoston, was awful. Im struggling with tbe Utrogestan.
Any other good HRTs to try?

Thanks

Evorel Sequi patches?

What symptoms are you having and why do you want HRT?

Sorry should have said, I can't have patches as I'm very allergic to all adhesives used in plasters/tape/micropore tape etc.

I've been on HRT 8 months.
Periods stopped abruptly last year I was 43.

Symptoms are Hot flushes, zero libido, rage, mood swings, sore joints, depressed, exhausted, fat gathering round my middle, skin crapy, dry mouth & eyes.

I'm using HRT as I'm at high risk of osteoporosis and heart disease due to family etc.

The contraceptive pill? Is that indicated for post-menopausal women? I thought it was only used in perimenopausal women (obviously apart from its use as a contraceptive in fertile women.) Isn't Femoston only for women who have stopped menstruating? There are other combined HRT pills but I don't know how different they would be - slightly different levels and formulations of hormones are used so you might react differently to another pill.

I'm still considered Perimenopausal as i haven't had a full year of no periods. (August).

Femoston is prescribed to perimenopausal women.

The problem is the progesterone. As I will be on HRT for many years, I'm wondering how I will tolerate it.

Utrogestan is one of the better tolerated progesterones.

Oh, ok - I'm not an expert at all but looked the drugs you mentioned up to see what they contained compared to what I'm taking, and the page for Femoston says it is to be prescribed when a woman hasn't had a period for at least 6 months, so I assumed post-men but see you'd fit into that. How long were you on it for and why was it so bad?

I was on it for 3-months.
The estrogen was ok but the progesterone mafe me feel mike i haf severe PMT. I was angry & aggressive. When i wasn't angry i was depressed, also severely bloated stomach.
Each month the symptons got worse. Except no-one told me HRT could do that to me & I thought I was going mad.

My dc became terrified of me. My youngest dc was only 3.

sorry for typos... I'm rushing!

What other hrt were you on Nicky? There are a lot you can try except Femoston. Ask your gyn and stay positive.

That's my point, my Gynecologist wants me to prescribe me The Pill.

I've not been on any other HRT.

I think I might need to accept I'm not suited to HRT. Same as when i was on The Pill.

I think Nicky that you can try other types of hrt before you go to the Pill. Hrt is safer than Pill for long term use.
I tried Tibolone, a disaster for me, cyclo progynova, I couldn’t stand the 7 days of break and Femoston 2/10 for the last 7 months, no side effects, touch wood.

Isn't there a Pill that is used as a kind of HRT for younger women- Qlaira?

Other option is to reduce the amount of Utrogestan per month. How much were you using? You could try 7 days a month with supervision. It's used like that women who are intolerant. Or, have you used it vaginally instead of orally? That gives fewer side effects.

Or the Mirena coil and Oestrogel? Or you could have Oestrogel and Norethisterone ( type of progestogen.)

It's far too early to rule out HRT. if you are under a consultant they ought to have some more options to offer you (as above.)

She told me The Pill is as safe as HRT. Yet everything I've read says it's not.

I struggle with all things medical so this is driving me insane as there is no end to it!!

The Pill is often recommended for young ladies with POF who need higher doses of estrogen.
For ladies after 40 the hrt is preferable. Qlaira and Zoely contain estradiol and not synthetic estrogen as in the other Pills. Qlaira is safer than the others but Hrt is safer.
Actually you can try it and see if it is better for you.

She wants me to try Loestrin 20.

She said I could reduce the progesterone to 10 days at my appointment on Friday.
I will never have a Mirena. Though at every appointment she has brought it up.

She's not giving me the option of different HRT.

She ignored me when I said about my total lack of libido.

I asked for as low a dose of progesterone as possible from my very first appointment. Yet I've been taking it for 14 days every month as she told me to.

We didn't discuss stopping the HRT. She's sent me an email summary of the appointment. I'm really annoyed.

She's also referring me for for a bone density scan. Again never mentioned it during the appointmemt

I've seen a total of 6 doctors. 4 were GPs.1 was a GP with specialist knowledge. Current doctor is a specialist.
I'm really losing confidence in doctors.

I see...try to find a gyn who listens and cares. The majority of docs don’t know how to handle and treat menopause. You don’t deserve not to feel good.

Check some of the videos here nutritionfacts.org/topics/menopause/ and see if they can help

I've come of it because I couldn't cope with the progesterone. Reducing the dose didn't take away the issues, just made them slightly less bad but still making me miserable, and I was then worried of the impact of the reduce dose, so decided to stop it.

What I have found is that I can tolerate the symptoms that led to me take hrt in the first place much better. Out of the two devils, I have found that hrt was the worse for me!

She's not giving me the option of different HRT.
well, as the PP says, you need to find a sympathetic dr who will!
Is this an NHS referral to a gynae consultant or have you found someone privately? (Or is it a GP?)

My gynae is the complete opposite- he says women often need to try 3-4 types to get the right 'fit'.

He also says that 10 days Utro a month is quite enough.

some women use it for 7 days or on longer cycles where they take it only every 6 to 8 weeks.( This means they have to be aware of any possible thickening of the lining and pay for a scan maybe now and then.)

I can't say I am symptom-free on Utrogestan. Sometimes I feel nauseous in the morning, it makes me feel hotter and it makes me pee more. But in all honesty, it's safer than other types and I only use it long cycle so I put up with it.

You may well find your symptoms reduce if you use it vaginally. Or if you can stick with it for 7 days.

If not you have to give Qlaira a try and see how that goes.

I agree that you haven't reached the end of your choices here.
At the end of the day this is all about what is the best option for you in this situation. There is no right answer you have to try things out.
Medically it is likely that oestrogen replacement is going to benefit you in the short and the long term because of your young age.
Gel or patch oestrogen is the safest so try the different progesterone delivery systems ie oral/ patch/vaginal ( your gynae would be remiss in not offering mirena as it is lowest dose and very safe )
If that scenario doesn't work for you then you are looking at oral oestrogen and as pps have said the combined pill is quite often used in your situation.
I would say; stick to one person for your advice; try the options your gynae is suggesting one by one to see which is best for you. I cannot see the benefit of paying for gynae unless you feel that communication/ relationship with the current one is not helping you in which case a gynae with special interest is the way to go.the only benefit to paying is likely to be that you feel listened to and perhaps longer in the explanation of all the pros and cons purely as a time thing.

Sorry I see patch not suitable ,

a gynae with special interest is the way to go.the only benefit to paying is likely to be that you feel listened to and perhaps longer in the explanation of all the pros and cons purely as a time thing.

The other important difference is that consultants who work outside the NHS are able to prescribe what they feel is best regardless of 'dosage guidelines'. yes of course they have to be be aware of safety but they know- being highly qualified- that a lot of the dosages and HRT regimes are a one-size fits all approach and not suitable for every woman.

I use long cycle HRT where I only use Utrogestan every 6 to 8 weeks. This would not be allowed under an NHS dr.

The arrangement I have is that if necessary I will have a scan (and I do anyway for peace of mind) which I pay for. The NHS would not fund these scans so they can't offer these different dosage options.

I've contacted 20 chemists today to try to get the Estrogel. So i can safely say I've exhsusted Estrogel as an option!
I will run out in the next few days.

It's an NHS Gynecologist that I have been seeing but I've managed to get another appointment for next week.

If I don't feel happier with the Doctor I see next week, I will be going private.

I know there are loads of alternative HRT/medications but the doctor hasn't made them an option or discussed them with me. She didn't discuss The Pill with me at all, just mentioned it in passing.

I might very well decide i can't tolerate the side effects from Utrogestan anymore & stop HRT.

I've managed to get another appointment with a different NHS Gynecologist- just to clarify!