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Menopause

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1st week on HRT at 45 needing reassurance

11 replies

Glasgow51 · 11/09/2022 18:10

Hello all, I’ve been lurking here for a while and have found these threads so helpful. I’m 45 and started Estradot patch 50mcg last Thursday after a month of what’s basically been a mental health crisis. Non stop anxiety and panic attacks, feeling lost and unreal. This is so unlike me - I’ve had intermittent mild anxiety but I’m usually a confident, active person in a high-pressure job. Also having annoying peri symptoms like night sweats and long/heavy periods but the mental disaster was the last straw. I’ve not been able to work at all since then.

The first morning of HRT, I felt transformed, as if someone had put a cosy blanket over my anxiety. Not perfect, just calmer. Friday and Saturday, felt so ‘normal’ and even positive/optimistic for the first time in ages. A bit of insomnia and ‘buzzy’ feeling but nothing major.

Today it’s as if I can feel the patch wearing off: panicky, shaky and anxious, with a gripping tension headache/migraine. Changed my patch now but worrying that I’ll be on this roller coaster forever, with only tiny glimpses of the old me. Someone please tell me it will get better! I just can’t seem to see my way through this.

OP posts:
Oopsilot · 11/09/2022 18:18

Oh it gets WAY better -honestly.

I had a little blip where I returned to being a wreck after a couple of years, the lovely nurse that does HRT reviews increased my dose so I’m back to being fine again. You will get back to your old self, it really does get better. Hang on in there Flowers

JinglingHellsBells · 11/09/2022 20:07

You might find you are better off on gel rather than a patch because that is the same dose every day (you control it) whereas with a patch it does start to 'wear off' by the end of the patch.

You could experiment and change your patch earlier, or go to a higher dose.

If you are Estradot, what progesterone are you using?

Glasgow51 · 11/09/2022 20:13

Thank you, that’s so encouraging! And I really must be a hormonal mess because your wee flower emoji made me well up xx

OP posts:
LaMariposa · 11/09/2022 20:16

I wear my patches for exactly 3.5days. The one I change in the morning is fine, but the day I change one in the evening can get a bit wobbly. Also if the patch falls off at all.
In the main though they are great, amazing things.

Glasgow51 · 11/09/2022 20:16

Thank you, I’ll see how the next few days go and if I get that odd feeling again like it’s wearing off, I will definitely consider changing the patch sooner or talking to my doc (at the Newson clinic) about a swap to gel. I’m on 200 mg utrogestan but haven’t tried it yet as still only on the first half of my cycle. Planning to take it vaginally as my moods were very sensitive to the progesterone pill many years ago.

OP posts:
Glasgow51 · 11/09/2022 20:18

Good to know, thank you! I ended up changing the patch early afternoon which would work out almost exactly 3.5 days. I think I’ll need to hang in there and bear this in mind next week too.

OP posts:
bluejelly · 11/09/2022 23:32

Hang in there, it takes a while to get to the optimum levels. I got better and better over several weeks/months.

hatsofftoyouall · 13/09/2022 06:37

I've been so bad recently (wasn't anywhere near on enough) that I'm changing every 3 days till I feel this 100 patch has settled. Then I'll do 3.5

Glasgow51 · 13/09/2022 13:36

Good to know that others need to tweak
their dose too. I think I just have to give myself permission to change the patch every three days if needed. Have been feeling great again since I changed mine 48hrs ago! So clearly something is working.

OP posts:
WhereAreWeNow · 17/09/2022 17:00

I had to up my dose and that sorted it out. I was the same as you - I felt like I was having a complete breakdown but HRT has turned things around.

Ellami · 20/09/2022 22:43

I’m on the gel - started off on 2 pumps for four months and was good. Few weeks ago I started to get a return of anxiety symptoms and consultant told me to up dose. I’m now on 3.5 pumps and all sorted (for now).

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