Is this anxiety?

[treytwitty]

I'm not myself. I am aged 50. My periods were regular but different on a short cycle and heavy. I was getting an occasional hot flush or night sweat. My bladder went crazy.
I got HRt for repeated UTIs.
My discomfort feels like bladder burning but is thought to be dryness. My GP prescribed a Vagifem Pessary and oral tablets
Not a lot of help.

My HRT was changed to gel, tablets and vaginal cream. I thought I had found something great.

It seemed to be regulating my bladder issues, my energy levels were back to normal but I was over eating. Already overweight.

For the last 2 weeks or so I have been feeling awful. It's like mega PMT.
I don't want to do anything. I wake up and I'm crying for no reason. I'm taking comfort in food. My house is a mess. I don't want to go back to work. I have so many worries, most of which I could solve myself if I could find a way out. My weight gain has made my knees hurt, my blood pressure is high, my bladder burning is back, the paperwork needs sorting, my washing is piled up. There is so much to do.
All relatively minor problems in the big scheme of things. I can't make the first step. I feel nauseous. It's like I'm paralysed. I want to sob but have a husband and kids about to do exams who I don't want to worry.

What is this? What shall I do? I can't face the GP again.

Hi, that sounds miserable, I didn’t want to read and not reply. Not sure I will be much help though. I am 52 with kids revising for exams, not on hrt, still having heavy long periods. If I am feeling low and over whelmed I find forcing myself outdoors for a few minutes and walking in the fresh air always helps. Do you have a garden or park nearby?

Srry to hear that @treytwitty but there is hope.

it sounds to me as if you might simply need more of what you are using.

Gel- are you on 2 pumps? If not, increase to that or if you are on 2, start using 3. You can go up to 4 to get relief.

Utrogestan- (?) 12 days a month at present? Try extending the gel-only cycle for a few days as a test and see if that helps.

Ovestin/ Vagifem- if you are using twice a week only, increase it. Some women need these 4-5 times a week.

Give all of the above at least 2-4 weeks to see if that helps.

I am a long term HRT user (10+ years) of all of the above and the idea with gel is you adjust the dose till you feel better.

ps No it's not anxiety as such, it's low estrogen. You need more!

Thanks for the replies.

@JinglingHellsBells Yes I am on 2 x urogestan at bedtime on days 1 to 12 of the calendar month.

Can you explain what you mean about reducing the tablets please? ( with the disclaimer I understand you are not my GP etc)

Yesterday I improved a bit during the day but this morning although I didn't wake up in tears I did wake up like a startled rabbit and then shot right out of bed even though it's my day off.

I've had 10 days of work which I was so looking forward to but all I've have done is sit about. I had so many plans...

I'd say the first thing to consider is increasing the amount of gel @treytwitty This is usually medical advice for meno-triggered anxiety and moods like you are having.

Are you using 2 pumps now ( or less?) If so, go up to 3 each day, split morning and evening ( so maybe 2 in the morning and 1 at bedtime.)

Re the utrogestan.

Am a bit reluctant to 'advise' here as it's not licensed protocol.
However, some of us take Utrogestan less often under medical supervision. I use it only once every 6 weeks or so.

What I meant was - for example- instead of having only 2 weeks per month on gel only, you could try 3 weeks so that you create a 5- week cycle (instead of 4 weeks.)

The other option is to use Utrogestan vaginally- this is the preferred way in europe. You use the same tablets but insert them at bedtime ( just with your finger, as high as you can reach) This means they are absorbed only by the vagina and don't go through the blood-brain barrier which can reduce the sedative/ mood change effect.

Thanks @JinglingHellsBells

I appreciate you can't give any advice only relay experiences
I have been told to use the gel every day. No breaks. Is that untypical?
I upped to 4 pumps yesterday, 2 in the morning 2 at bedtime.

I just want to feel myself again, I'm almost frightened. But I have a good life. This is mad!

Although the menopause accentuates everything, many people feel shattered, demotivated, low in mood at the moment. A combination of the January blues coming a bit early, and lack of sunshine.

So don't beat yourself up and tell yourself that many people feel just like you do right now. One recommendation is to make sure to check your Vit D levels. I always feel utterly rubbish at this time of the year until last year, my GP tested my Vit D levels and they came back as low. I was surprised as I'm always outside, even in the cold, and had been on a winter sun holiday. This year, I started taking from November, and even I still feel a bit tired due to a manic time over the holidays, I don't feel half as low and sluggish as I used to.

You use the gel every day.

4 pumps is quite a bit so my feelings are if you were using two, it's better to go to 3 rather than 4. Stick with that for a good couple of weeks to see if it helps.