Stop the world I wanna get off: Menopause is not going to plan so I'm cancelling it!

[KatyMac]

HRT here I come!!!

A combination of:
Emotional numbness/lack of interest
Insomnia (which for someone with chronic fatigue is a bloody nightmare)
Eating and drinking all night - blood sugar dropping so much about 3am!
And so bloated I could cry! never mind the bowel issues

I had a surgical menopause and was looking out for hot flushes/night sweats....but I can deal with them! The other crap? Hell no! I need drugs

I was hoping for a nice gentle wind down not staring numb exhaustion and wind

I have been using HRT for 12 years - it saved my life. I was changing the bed in the middle of the night and sleeping on towels, no sleep - life was pretty tough. Tried all the herbal remedies and wish I had gone to HRT the day after a total hysterectomy as my Specialist advised.

I now use patches as I do several long haul flights a year and the risk of DVT is lower with patches.

I hope it works for you - the menopause can be really really shit.

Seeing the GP on Thursday - we've been considering it but weren't sure if I 'needed' it - well I bloody do!

I've got an appointment booked for next week to ask for HRT too.
I don't get hot flushes or night sweats (well, only a tiny bit)
It's the brain fog, lack of focus, insomnia etc.
I'm so tired and confused !

Yep - DH & DD start talking to me and after about 3 minutes I have to get them to go back to the beginning......or I just stand up and walk away, without even realising they were talking

Yup ! It makes work meetings pretty difficult.....

I'm not back at work yet - well I gave up my job as I thought my recovery was going to be rough and I didn't want to be guilty about not working

I was right about my recovery - 3 months post and no significant improvement

I can't imagine working right now - I hope you're OK

The number of signs and symptoms are numerous. I think I am working through the list .
Sometimes one goes, then it reappears again. HRT has been a benefit for me .

I think if it had come on more gradually I would be thinking depression/anxiety - but as it's been fairly sudden I'm sure it's menopase

I've just come off anti-depressants as that's what they thought it was, but looking at everything together I think it's more likely to be down to the menopause (although the high-dose Vit D I was on for a while seemed to help with my energy levels, but my get up and go dropped off a cliff again as soon as I stopped taking them).

I've been taking D for a while - K2 (I think) goes with it and magnesium

B12 is good for general tiredness too (with methyl foliate or just folic acid)

But NOTHING is making me sleep

Katy, is is falling asleep you struggle with or waking up early? I feel that I would have walk through the menopause if it wasn't for the sleep issue.

I used to put down all my symptoms to hormones fluctuation but I now think most of my symptoms are triggered by the affect of sleep deprivation. Sadly for me, hrt made no difference, nor everything I've tried. Mindfulness helps but I feel its going to take some time to master it fully so that it works every night.

Umm, it's the not being tired, wanting to eat a full meal at 3am and drink all through the night, going to the loo at about 1am & having energy then but not in the day

It is driving me beserk!

I am so short on sleep and after hours of fighting to stay awake I now have no desire to sleep and am ready to clean the house

Katy, you and I are in similar positions. This time last year I was noticing some peri symptoms, but having chemo rushed me straight in to menopause. At first I thought it was all a breeze and HRT wouldn't be necessary, but recently the lack of sleep thanks to constantly changing temperature all night and stiff joints like an old lady are making me reconsider an HRT patch.
I've been doing this trial for a fortnight so should get the gynae consult soon, and will know exactly what to ask my GP for. May be worth you signing up too? www.hotflush.info/all-hot-stuff/informed-decisions-about-the-menopause-are-good-decisions-an-exciting-study-and-opportunity

The GP was looking at a combined oestrogen and progesterone - she is keen on a patch but I have contact allergies to plasters.....so I'm in a quandry

And of course Menopause can cause anxiety so I am stressed beyond belief! Never mind the crap about bone density & bloated tummy

That site looks interesting

Hmm, I never have any desire to clean the house, so maybe mine's not the menopause

Yes, I'm still awake at 2am regularly and can't get to sleep, then in the morning I can't wake up

Foldyroll - thanks for that link - I've booked in for their event in Dulwich on the 26th, it looks interesting

@KatyMac You don't need progestogen as you have no ovaries- though you will if you kept your uterus.

Yes I have my iterus as I have a partial prolappse and they thought removing it might make it worse

The gp gave me evorel sequi, and I can't have my vagifem anymore

Not sure how I feel about that!

I am allergic to plasters and use HRT patches - I have no problem with them at all. May be worth a try just to see if you do react.

@KatyMac

You always seem to get the bad drs!

There is no reason why you can't have patches and Vagifem. Thousands of women use both systemic HRT and vaginal estrogen- the stats are that 1 in 4 women need / use both.

If you are working with a GP who isn't up to speed, either do your own research, print off and take in to them, or change to another dr.

You might also do better on a sequi regime because that means you get to try to get the right dose of estrogen first for a while without the downside that sometimes comes with some progestogens- and hence women feel HRT isn't for them (when in fact they just need a different type.)

Sometimes unless GPs are HRT experts, you have t0 guide them :)

do you think I'm an inefficient/bad patient? Or just a nightmare?

I try to be accurate and exact with my symptoms and what I want - I dunno

It's not about you- it's about why your GP has said you can't have Vagifem!

what's going on there- why did they say you can't have it?

Post on Menopause Matters and tell them the same- you'll get the same answers!