What HRT sorts the aching joints please? :( :( :(

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I am 55. I started on Premique Low Dose and it worked like a miracle. I had all the awfulness of the menopause but including terrible muscle and joint pain. It became unavailable so the Doc put me on the next strength up but to take it every other day. That also went unavailable and I went onto Femoston Conti. I have been on FC for best part of a year.
The thing is that for me, Femoston is not a patch on Premique. It lessens all the horrors but Premique gave me my life back basically. Two days ago I went to see a locum Doc and she would barely let me speak. I asked for Premarin and Medroxyprogesterone as a separate tablet as from Googling, it is the nearest to Premique. I know it's made from mares urine and I know it's old fashioned but she would not listen or ask why I wanted to change. She told me she was prescribing Ellest Duet and there was no conversation to be had. I didn't have a chance to tell her it was the joint aches that I was most concerned about. I was out the door with a script so fast!
I still have the script. I don't know whether to try Ellest Duet or wait until my regular Doc gets back and go through it with her.

Has anyone found Ellest Duet good for the terrible aching joints please?

I think that maybe it’s better to find another doc! It is very important you to have the treatment and the caring you deserve! Her behavior sounds rude and arrogant to me!

Hi Emerald Yes my gut feeling is not to get the script filled and stay on the Femoston until I see my regular GP but I wondered if others would say it works marvels for joint ache? Maybe I don't need to change just up the dose. That wasn't even considered. she just wanted me out the door basically.

I am on Femoston 2/10 and for me it is my magic pill! I don’t feel that I am on meno, no insomnia, no sweats, no brain fog, no aches. But I do believe that it’s better to find an informed and caring gyn.

I asked for Premarin and Medroxyprogesterone as a separate tablet as from Googling, it is the nearest to Premique.

I don't think these are available.

I've never heard of anyone getting medroxy as a separate progesterone. In the' risk league' for breast cancer, it is at the top so if I were you I'd avoid it at all costs. The progesterone in Femoston is safer and Utrogestan (used with a separate estrogen) is the safest.

It is usually estrogen that stops joints aching and TBH you are better off using one that is body identical, not one made from mares urine.

Sorry to just reiterate what your dr said but if you are on HRT long term, it's worth getting off the riskier types.

Thanks for the responses so far. Currently then perhaps I am on the right drug but not a high enough dose maybe? I am pretty decided to try and get to see my regular GP when she is back at work in about a month.

As much as I understand that you are suffering with your symptoms - I think taken any medication made from pregnant mares is absolutely abhorrent. You need to look into the conditions these horses are kept in, in order to extract the hormones from them. I am menopausal and suffering with a lot of symptoms myself but there is no way I could possibly take a medication that requires mares to live a entire life of torture just so I could feel better.

There are synthetic alternatives. Please, please look into those and don’t contribute to the torture and abuse of these horses. I won’t post details of the way they are kept in order to obtain the medication on here - I leave you to look that up and research it yourself - but I can assure you it is disgusting and totally inhumane and forcing another living creature to go through that for their entire live just to alleviate symptoms that you can manage in other ways is very wrong in my opinion.

Wyatt thanks for that. I have just briefly researched it and am shuddering. I suspect that the reason Premique has gone off and the Doc was insisting on synthetics is partly (or hopefully totally) because of this reason. Not going to consider PMU now.

I take Premarin which is still available and for me it's amazing.

There are synthetic alternatives.

Body identical estrogen (estradiol) is not synthetic. It's molecular structure is the same as our own ovaries produce and it's made from yams.

Conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) is the synthetic form- that's the one from horses, as horse estrogen is nowhere the same as humans!

I apologise Queen - I should have phrased it better - there are alternatives to ones that come from pregnant mares was my meaning - ones that don’t come from living animals.

HerestoyouMrsRobinson - have you actually looked into where Premarin comes from? By taking it you are supporting the production of the lifetime of mysery for these mares - I understand it may work for you to alleviate your symptoms but there are other options - you need to understand what you are contributing to by continuing to use this particular HRT:

horsefund.org/pmu-fact-sheet.php

OP - thank you for looking into it - I unfortunately think a lot of people have an image in their head of happy mares wandering around a green field with their urine being collected by them being trained to pee into a container or something - the reality of their lives when you look into it is so far from that, that it makes you cry. I wouldn’t wish that existence on any creature and I think if it was more publicised about the conditions these mares live in then I suspect a lot of women wouldn’t even consider taking this form of HRT.

I am on Elleste Solo as had a full hysterectomy nearly 3 years ago. Not the same as you I know but no aches anymore at all.

Thanks Misu It's the aches. I could deal with the flushing, the sleeplessness and the anxiety as well as all the rest but the feeling like I have been steamrollered every day is utter misery. I am terrified for when I am eventually forced to come off it as I think I will need steroids to live a normal life :(

Can you maybe see a doctor that specialises in meno? I had trouble finding HRT that suited me and when I finally went to a meno doctor she said that my own GP had been basically prescribing the same tablet but in different brands
I completed a questionnaire of all my symptoms and she prescribed the most suitable one and for the first time in 2 years I felt "normal".
She stated that there was no reason to come off HRT after a certain amount of time either.

Thanks Deadbod who did you see? You might be right. I might need more specialized help.

Folder are you using a continuous type (no bleed?) It's best to start a new regime on a sequential sort. That way you can see which of the 2 hormones are affecting you (if they are.) There is no rule about having conti or sequi. Many women prefer a no bleed type for convenience but the downside is you have to take 2 hormones every day so it's never clear if the estrogen is too low or if the progestogen is a type you can't get on with.

It tends to be the progestogens that cause all the tiredness, moods and feeling yuck.

A friend recommeneded the meno doctor to me. She did appointments around the area at various GP surgeries. I wonder if you can Google a similar service in your area? She was NHS, not private.

I've had a quick Google for my area and it's the sexual health clinic that offers the menopause service.

OK thanks for that. Queen I am on conti. I had a Mirena put in in 2005 and I haven't had a bleed since. I have no idea where I am with periods. I asked my regular GP if I should have the thing out and she said to leave it in as it wasn't causing any problems. Thanks for the responses by the way.

You have had a Mirena in place for 13 years? Or is it out now?
If you got on ok with the Mirena for birth control or heavy periods, you can have another one as part of HRT. It's licensed for 4 years as HRT then it needs changing. You only need estrogen on its own (gel is great so you can adjust the dose yourself) if you have a Mirena.

Not sure why this wasn't offered...many gynaes consider it the gold standard combo.

Ok...I'll look at alternatives, thanks for the info

Hi Queen Yes correct. The Mirena was inserted in 2005. It was because I had such hellish periods and it worked like a charm. It is still in there. I have never had children and so had to have it inserted under sedation? GA? I was given Propofol in my hand so assume GA. I was out anyway. GP said to leave it in there as although the hormone side is long gone 'It's not doing any harm'. I wonder if she is trying to avoid me having another GA? I am fit otherwise though so that doesn't make sense.
I went for HRT originally for hot flushes and hadn't slept as a result for months. I was dead on my feet and also very anxious and tearful which is not like me. I am a robust character normally. I also had terrible aching joints. A proper polyarthritis.

Within two days of taking Premique low dose I felt great and that is why I was miserable when they stopped manufacturing it. I went on Femoston conti and that has been a pale shadow of Premique only. I get flushes although nothing like as bad. The aches are a constant life wrecking feature day in and day out. In fact I am wondering if there is something else wrong with me as some days I am almost like a RA patient or I have fibromyalgia maybe but the femoston stops it to a degree. I know this as I have tried to come off it on four occasions and am driven back to it for all of the above issues but mainly the aches. Each time the aches subside first but nothing like to the degree with Premique.
I just wish I could take HRT that works as well as the Premique but maybe I am at a different stage in the proceedings and thus I have to reassess things. It's been three and a half years since I started HRT.
Thanks for your imput.

It is JUST possible that you may have had the same issues with Premique as you slip further into menopause. Maybe you need a higher dose - 2mgs? You lose a lot with tablets as they are digested. And you are taking conti which means the progesterone is having a daily effect too.
Some women get on really well with patches like Estradot and micronised progesterone either daily or sequentially.

Yes, that is what I am thinking. If I took Premique now it wouldn't work so well maybe. I am going to wait until my regular GP is back. I have an appointment to see her in September and hopefully she will sort it.