HRT advice I’m desperate please.

[Ceciliab]

Hi, I’m having periods every 3 weeks and feeling incredibly tired, moody and occasionally suicidal. I’m basically miserable. I’m 47 I have 2 kids aged 4,8.Ihave always had regular periods, conceived ridiculously easy (even after 40) & never had a miscarriage. I have fibrocystic breasts and painful periods (have always had) but now those symptoms have increased by a million. I have scheduled an appointment with an hrt nurse (from my surgery) . I had a husteroscopy 1.5 year ago - everything normal & no endometriosis. Anyone with similar symptoms or any advice? I’m desperate. Please.

You need to take a blood test and understand which markers are out of place. I had the same problem and I resorted to take bio identical hormones for one year.
I went to the outrageously expensive Marion Gluck Clinic but it was the best choice of my life as, like you, I had young children. I understand that there are good cheaper alternatives...

Hi, I have been on “natpro” progesteron cream for a year and have not felt a difference sadly :( I’ve had hystetoscopy and no issues detected - bloods are all normal .. hence my hope is HRT

what advice do you want?

Progesterone cream is useless. It can't be absorbed and anything that is prescription strength can't be bought over the counter.

Just tell the nurse that you want to try HRT.
If you have periods still you might want to try the Mirena coil as the progesterone part and use estrogen as a patch or gel.

You don't need blood tests and the NHS prescribes licensed body-identical HRT. The British Menopause Society does not recommend or endorse bio-identical hrt given by private clinics, as in many cases it's not safe and it's not licensed.

You can get the same from the NHS where you use the right dose of gel or a patch to ease your symptoms.

Have you tried the mini pill to reduce / control your periods? I had dreadful clotting and find the mini pill completely stops any periods which is fantastic- I did bleed on and off for the first 2/3 months but it got less and less and then stopped completely so worth going on with it. I also take HRT alongside this - oestrogel and utrogestan 100mg once every night (as the mini pill provides part of the progesterone side of the HRT).

Thank you , no haven’t tried mini pill as in the past I tried taking the pill several times and I always felt aweful on it. I’m having an HRT app in 10 days but wanted to gather as much info as possible prior. Thank you so much for advice

Thank you for replying to my post. I was not asking for advice re the p Cream as I have figured that is not working for me . Just NHS HRT. As I have always had severe period pain and fybrocystic breast tissue I feel there has probably always been a hormonal imbalance that might make me more difficult to treat ..

Just re Mirena coil , I am worried that if I react badly I will need to take it out and I guess a tablet or gel seems more manageable to start with

If you reallly want to try it then insist. One thing we have all learned is that we need to fight for ourselves - no one will do it for us.
My advise would be to read the threads here carefully, get a handle on the language you need. Write everything down in case you are agitated on the day. Insist.

Thank you for this. Are you on HRT atm?

@Ceciliab

Thank you , no haven’t tried mini pill as in the past I tried taking the pill several times and I always felt aweful on it. I’m having an HRT app in 10 days but wanted to gather as much info as possible prior. Thank you so much for advice

There are many different pills. Some with oestrogen (combined) and some without (mini pill- the type I mentioned) and many brands / different formulations of each. It’s really worth trying a mini pill for a few months and seeing if it helps.

The factsheets here are very good-

www.menopausedoctor.co.uk/resources/booklets-fact-sheets

@Ceciliab

Hi, I’m having periods every 3 weeks and feeling incredibly tired, moody and occasionally suicidal. I’m basically miserable. I’m 47 I have 2 kids aged 4,8.Ihave always had regular periods, conceived ridiculously easy (even after 40) & never had a miscarriage. I have fibrocystic breasts and painful periods (have always had) but now those symptoms have increased by a million. I have scheduled an appointment with an hrt nurse (from my surgery) . I had a husteroscopy 1.5 year ago - everything normal & no endometriosis. Anyone with similar symptoms or any advice? I’m desperate. Please.

I had a couple of short cycles at 47 OP. I think it means you are failing to ovulate, hence a shorter 'luteal' (post ovulation)phase. I.e. there is no egg to make progesterone, therefore your mood is falling off a cliff. Some months you will, ovulate some you won't. It's a frustratingly long -drawn out process.

I then started to get bad hot flushes, they had always been mild before. Then my periods just stopped June last year. Went on HRT cos I felt so horrible.

It is not easy to have young children while feeling under par like this, so do be firm at the appointment. Though an 'hrt nurse' sounds promising!

Op you poor pet. I had similar (and anemic), am 47, had mirena put in at Christmas, have oestrogen patches too, that’s my hrt, periods virtually stopped, iron levels climbing I FEEL MUCH BETTER!