Feel like shit

[namechangedyetagain]

Bear with me because I'm a mess

I'm on Elleste 2mg and have been for about a year. I'm also on citalopram 40mg and have been for 5 years or so.

I feel like shit. So low, down, just meh. No oomph, no energy, have put on 3 stone or thereabouts, find daily life a struggle. Can't sleep properly. Hot sweats where I feel I'm going to faint. Forgetful. Clumsy. Anxiety and panic is through the roof. About everything. And I hate it. It comes from nowhere and I can't breathe. I hate it . But I mostly hate that I'm just waiting to die as this existence is shit.

Where do I begin to unpick? I'm loathe to come off the ADs as ci suffer during the dark Winter (and this dark summer). Do I try something different hrt wise? Dr said I was already on maximum dose.

I'm 51. Period still going, still regular though heavy and sometimes debilitating as in flooding. Have been checked and just fibroid nothing offered there to fix things.

Is this depression or peri? Or both? And most importantly how do I get back to me ?

OP does that mean you aren't on HRT?

I had awful flooding and started HRT and it was sorted out almost in month one. Though I'm surprised they didn't offer you anything for the fibroid?

I can't speak to the anxiety as that isn't a peri symptom for me, but HRT has dealt with the following:

Endless crying (though I'm left with total exhaustion)
Bladder issues all gone
Sleep through the night now, only waking once for a wee (last night I slept from 8.30pm to 5.30am with a wee break at 1.30am)
Night sweats, pretty much gone. I'm on the highest patch of oestrogen so can't have any more sadly!

Still have exhaustion and forgetfulness though.

I should add, I used to sleep for about 6hrs with many wees during the night!

On the down side, I do feel too tired sometimes, like I'm sleeping too deeply and can't shake the grogginess. Am on mirena coil so could be that.

Yes I'm currently on HRT but I'm wondering if I should change it somehow as I still feel pretty awful. I couldn't have the mirena unless they gave me a general anaesthetic!

What HRT are you taking?

I'm on elleste duet 2mg. A daily tablet.

It's pretty uncommon to have pull form HRT these days as transdermal HRT is much safer. Were you not offered gel or patch?

I was offered that only if I had a mirena. So I think pill was the only option. I couldn't have a coil due to birth trauma

I tried 3 different types of hrt and umpteen antidepressants before I kind of 'stabilized 'so keep going back to gp and be bloomin persistent if you aren't right. Also vits, sleep, exercise blah blah helped .good luck

You should be able to have gel or patch form of HRT I would have thought. I tried patch and it made no difference and a blood test showed I wasn’t absorbing it so I was switched onto gel instead and this suits me well. Much reduced menopause symptoms but it’s not a magic bullet and I also need to add in high protein/low carb /healthy fat diet, reduced or even no alcohol intake, regular strength training exercise, plenty of sleep in addition to HRT in order to full the full benefit - I can feel absolutely marvellous if I do all the above but I’m not always consistent, it’s something I’m always striving for.

Are you uk based? You don't need a merina coil, you should be offered utrogesten along with the patch or gel.