Fatigue

[chatandcoffee]

I am 51 and I am about to switch to Evorel Sequi patches as patches and progesterone tablets didn't agree with me.

I feel so tired at the moment even if I get 8 hours sleep. I try to go for walks but a lot of the time I feel like I can't be bothered to do anything. Getting the housework done is a huge effort

I'm wondering whether to have blood tests done to see if I have anaemia or something.

Anyone else feel like this or can offer any advice? I should add that life is really unexciting at the moment and I am under stress with certain situations.

I had terrible fatigue before I was put on the right HRT regime. It got to the point where I could barely climb the stairs, and I had awful brain fog, wasn’t getting refreshing sleep, felt anxious all the time and all my muscles, joints and glands always ached. I lost my job because of how incapacitated I became. I even got diagnosed with ME at one point, the symptoms I had were so similar. But it turned out to be all hormone related and after a lot of trial and error with adjusting my type and dose of HRT I’m finally better (or near enough).

Personally I had trouble with the patches and complete intolerance to progesterone pessaries. I’m now on a fairly high dose of Evorel gel and have had a mirena coil fitted which delivers progesterone in only tiny doses, which my system can manage.

Of course I can’t say for sure that your current problems are menopause/hormone related, but after my terrible experience and years of suffering before getting to the bottom of it, I’d say it’s definitely worth investigating as a first port of call.

If I may offer my advice, don’t put up with suffering from this level of fatigue, and don’t let yourself get into the state I did! Find an experienced menopause specialist and see if they can help you by adjusting your HRT regime.