Peri hell - please help

[feettothestars]

Could really do with some help before I see my GP this week. I am having a tough time with peri and gave up my career this year to take pause and get myself sorted which sadly means I can't continue financially with Louise Newson.

I'm on two pumps of estrogel/utro 12 days a month. 45, peri, still periods every month or two months.

I think I've had an estrogen slump this autumn as I started to get flushes back, had my first hideous UTI (has taken two months to resolve-still not right has now have immovable thrush from antibiotics and SO dry - new symptom) insomnia crippling. For the first time in my life I have depression and raging anxiety.

Three pumps made insomnia worse and I went back to two and things feel on a cusp where two is ok some days and other days I need an extra half pump. I hate this faff and the wet gel which is a preference thing I think but also my consultant did suggest patch might suit me better. I'd like not to think about applying stuff as often.

One problem I also have is light spotting all the time I'm NOT on the utro. Do we think this is too low estrogen? I'm desperate to stop it as it isn't helping my vag flora to be always spotting. It stops when I take the utro and my period comes when I stop the utro but evolves into spotting that goes on and on. Had a scan - small fibroid but lining up was deemed fine.

Sooo. Patch - 50 or 75? Can you ask for 50 and 25 to experiment? HRT in peri for me has been a real mixed bag but without it I have no memory, hot flushes every hour, joint pain and wrecked sleep.

If you are peri and having spotting try the mini pill as part of your HRT - I take the mini pill, 3 pumps of oestrogel and utrogestan 100mg every single night. The mini pill has stopped my periods / bleeding completely and because I’m taking the utrogestan every night I don’t get the slumps and highs that others here tend to talk about. (This regime was recommended to me by Dr Boden at the Newson Health clinic). I’m 41 and have been doing this since 39 - early menopause due to autoimmune conditions.

Also if you are very dry and struggling with thrush add in some internal oestrogen if you haven’t already done that - Ovestin or Vagifem. I prefer Ovestin as it’s more moisturising. You can apply some externally too as well as internally. You may need a longer course of Fluconazole to get rid of the thrush.

Thanks @Bagelsandbrie I hadn't heard of adding in the mini pill too, will look into that as spotting is something I'm prone too.

I have Blissel as ovestin was stinging and was told to build up to be able to use ovestin I think my VA was quite bad but in honesty I'm not sure if it's making the thrush worse. What a mess.

It can take a while for everything to start working. With the mini pill you’ll probably have a few months of spotting if you decide to do that but it should stop completely after a while. Same with the Ovestin stuff- as in the soreness etc, it takes a while to start working.

I have sjorgens syndrome as one of my autoimmune issues (have a google) and so the Ovestin is really important to me to help prevent thrush. (I’m actually under a specialist for thrush as I get it vaginally and orally very badly because of the sjorgens). I use Ovestin 3 times a week (more than the recommended twice) and use Replens on the other days - Replens is non hormonal, you can get it prescribed or from Amazon etc. I find it really helpful with the dryness but just a heads up if you do try it initially you might get some white clumps coming out after a day or so like dried toilet paper - it’s just dry skin cells and it stops the more you use it.

I still get thrush regularly but I think that’s more to do with my autoimmune stuff. I use Canestan internal cream every few weeks and a 150mg Fluconazole capsule once a month to keep it at bay. When I’ve had it really badly I’ve had 50mg Fluconazole daily for 2 months.

All really helpful. Sorry you have so much to be wrangling with.

It's been hard to know if discharge is thrush or blissell but the itch/discomfort has been what I've gone with. Took my third weekly tablet last night and it does feel easier today.

Hope you manage to get somewhere with it all 💐💐