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Menopause

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Original poster

Anyone found their HRT not working following Covid?

30 replies

fortyfifty · 07/09/2022 13:37

I had covid in July and since then some p/menopause symptoms have returned and new ones started.A colleague mentioned to me that she was having to increase her dosage of HRT and she had Covid in June. She said that she'd chatted with other women whose HRT wasn't working following having Covid.

It's difficult to pick out what's post-covid, peri or just the hot weather. 5am waking has returned, along with tiredness and aching. New to me is waking in the night sweating and feeling generally hot all the time - although not a flush that comes and goes and not a temperature, I'm just hot all the time!

I've contacted my GP surgery to request a change in dose of my estrogen. I'm just curious to see if anyone has experienced something similar.

OP posts:
Original poster
fortyfifty · 09/09/2022 13:00

Little bump

I contacted my GP and have been given an appointment for 3 weeks time

OP posts:
magnic · 09/09/2022 13:04

Hi, I had to have my HRT increased post Covid as well.

I felt the difference immediately after it was increased.

I have done a little research and seems a common result of COVID. I have no idea how long we need to increase for but mine has been 5 months on higher dose so far.

Hope this helps 🙂

Runaround50 · 09/09/2022 18:15

I had covid the last week of August.
My HRT appears to have stopped working completely as result.
I've asked the specialist to up my patch from 75 to100, but can't get a GP appointment to get the prescription!

Does anyone have a few Evorel or Estradot 100 patches I could buy in the interim please??

HarryBlackberry1 · 09/09/2022 18:18

That's so weird. I suspect I've had Covid lately and my aches, etc, have returned with a vengeance. I never even thought it could be this.

Veeragall · 09/09/2022 18:19

That's so strange. I'd noticed some menopause type symptoms and was a bit concerned but didn't make any connection. I had covid in July. I'm on Evorel Conti patches.

Saynotothefishtank · 09/09/2022 19:20

@Runaround50 For £50 you can speak to a private GP online and maybe get a prescription within a few minutes for your local pharmacy…

sovielverloren · 09/09/2022 20:48

Yes! Almost word for word. Covid in May, 2 months off work and by the time I felt better I was all hot flushes, aches and the anxiety was making a return.. increased HRT and things are back on an even keel so far.

stirling · 09/09/2022 21:18

Add my experience too. So thats what it could be. I was wondering why on earth my bladder symptoms had returned with a vengeance plus all my arthritis type aches back. Argh. I would up it if I could get hold of the damn stuff

Runaround50 · 09/09/2022 21:43

@Saynotothefishtank it probably won’t be as simple as that.
Ive had breast cancer, so specialist only for me.
Will send an econsult next week to try and speed things up ( assuming I’m not dead by then, as I feel so wretched!).

Original poster
fortyfifty · 10/09/2022 11:52

Thanks everyone for your responses. If I'm still not sleeping I will ring the GP surgery on Monday and see if I can get an appointment sooner. I did an econsult originally.

I did a bit of a search to see if I could find anything about other women experiencing this but it's not been written about anywhere that I searched. However, I did find articles which talked about women who weren't on HRT, who had long covid in the first waves (12 months+ for many), whose symptoms went away when they started HRT. Also something about women of our age group who were on HRT not suffering as severe symptoms of covid than those that weren't.

OP posts:
Original poster
fortyfifty · 10/09/2022 14:27

Sorry for my poorly written sentences. I'm back to not being able to find the right words in the right order.... 🙄

OP posts:
ScooperPooper · 11/09/2022 14:54

I’ve noticed it. Covid positive test in July. I don’t know if the covid is causal but my peri symptoms have worsened since then. I still get post exertional malaise so I’m limited on trying exercise to help me sleep which is annoying because that has helped in the past.

Glasgow51 · 17/09/2022 15:09

This is such an interesting thread. I had very bad Covid in early July followed by delayed period, almost constant anxiety and racing pulse. Finally had to stop work a month ago after massive panic attacks. Started HRT 2 weeks ago and feeling much calmer already. I also started counselling and my therapist said she has seen lots of women who’ve had ‘coinciding’ Covid and onset/worsening of perimenopause. I suspect there’s a definite link between the virus and hormonal activity but, funding for womens health being what it is, we probably won’t understand it for years, if ever! I feel less mad knowing that you all have similar stories though. Thought I had really lost it.

Homewardbound2022 · 17/09/2022 15:18

Very interesting. Never considered a link.
I had Covid for the second time in July and it was horrendous.
First time was last October with no symptoms.
I've had occasional mega night sweats after a very long absence.
More annoyingly, I am very dry downstairs, even when in the mood, and need lubrication before sex.
Will definitely have a chat with my GP.
Thanks for raising this topic, OP!

HerdyMum · 17/09/2022 16:01

That's me! I've been on Evorel Conti quite fine for a while then bad Covid early July, bled for about eight weeks and all my symptoms returned x10. Going to GP but not holding out a lot of hope as very little seems to be known about Covid and HRT. In a bizarre way though I'm glad others are experiencing the same thing so might add some weight to my argument.

WarriorN · 18/09/2022 06:09

Unfortunately it's a known issue. I think I've had the same and had to raise but have also had blood tests so the higher dose is supposed to be better for me anyway (I think!)

WarriorN · 18/09/2022 06:11

Had it badly in Jan and was just starting to feel better when I got it again in June. Not as bad second time but seem to be following similar pattern. I actually think it (not responding to hrt) gets worse a couple of months afterwards in me.

marlowe5 · 18/09/2022 11:27

Yes! I had covid at Easter. Anxiety suddenly back. Night sweats back. I've a series of blood tests scheduled next week. I hadn't made the connection thank you! I'm already at the highest dose of hrt so this is very interesting.

SarahWo · 18/09/2022 13:46

My menopause systems coincided with having Covid for the first time in June 2022, then we had the heatwave & it wasn’t until I spoke to friends who had made the same link; poor sleep, sweats, aches to ankles & wrists, lethargic, migraine on right side that this seems to be more than coincidence… So much so I’ve started taking Evorel Sequi to see if this gets rid of what I thought was just age/heatwave/post-Covid symptoms

Silverpossum · 18/09/2022 21:22

SarahWo · 18/09/2022 13:46

My menopause systems coincided with having Covid for the first time in June 2022, then we had the heatwave & it wasn’t until I spoke to friends who had made the same link; poor sleep, sweats, aches to ankles & wrists, lethargic, migraine on right side that this seems to be more than coincidence… So much so I’ve started taking Evorel Sequi to see if this gets rid of what I thought was just age/heatwave/post-Covid symptoms

Exactly the same here! Started patches last week so hoping that helps.

WarriorN · 19/09/2022 08:18

I've just remembered that my Gp suggested taking an anti histamine daily after my second bout in June. There's some cross over with histamine intolerance in peri (see dr Newson) and also in long covid. She said it seems to help brain fog and headaches.

A big peri issue and why she suggested it has been tingling/ burning hands and feet which I think is something to do with Raynauds gone wonky. Hrt helped that loads at first but it all got worse a few months after first covid infection. Antihistamines haven't made a difference there though. But if covid affects hormones or as in the clip I posted, oestrogen receptors, it could be a post covid low oestrogen thing

Teacherteachernotapreacher · 19/09/2022 08:30

This is so interesting - especially the link. I’m not on HRT but my periods have stopped since covid vaccinations and having covid and my symptoms/blood tests have shown I’m in peri/menopause. I’m only 41 and Theres no family history of this either. Prior to covid my periods were spot on. The GP has been adamant it won’t be a result of covid but this says otherwise. Friends my age have experienced the same and the same denial from GP too.

WarriorN · 19/09/2022 09:23

A friend who is a Gp said he'd had a lot of women reporting period issues post covid vax, especially heavier periods. He also felt it could even take as long as 6 months to settle down.

I feel I had a hormonal crash a month or two after both initial AZ jabs as well as after covid infection (which was much worse). Periods were barely there.

nonstoprenovation · 19/09/2022 20:45

I had covid in 2019, needed you needed surgery for endometriosis that I had had for pretty much my whole life but this flare up was beyond manageable.

The surgeon was reporting huge increase in survey and a flare ups post covid infections.

As a oestrogen driven disease he was back in 2019 reporting that covid was directly impacting womens hormones in ways that needed to be fully understood, at the time he advised me not to take any vaccinations as the risk of future hormone disruption was high.

Everyone I know who have vaccinations ended up with missed periods. Peri symptoms an hormone distribution.

It's just been totally ignored.