Peri and menopause - how are we all doing? Chat thread.

[Slavica]

I keep reading the threads in the menopause topic and think we might profit from a general chat thread. A lot of the questions get asked, in different ways, in separate threads - maybe it would be useful to have a general chat thread?

I am 48, in perimenopause, started taking 200mg utrogestan this cycle. My symptoms are mood swings, low mood, hot flashes and night sweats - but the latter two don't really bother me, it's the mood and lack of motivation that really concern me. Currently on cd35 (my cycles have been 21-24 days during the last three years), I guess maybe I'm missing my first ever period.

Anyone else getting a lot of skin tags? My mother's family all have them, I had some since pregnancy, but now I am developing a lot of them (including the really tiny annoying ones). I might be turning into a hag, for some reason the skin tags really, really bug me even though I've never been much into looks.

How are you doing? Stable? Still looking for a solution? Please share.

Has anyone found a solution to an over active bladder? I tried hrt it didn't help much, am currently on oxybutynin but i don't like the side effects. Pelvic floor exercises didn't do a thing. Has anyone found anything that helped them?

@ssd i have had a bad bladder for the last 20 years. Overactive , urgency frequency. I have found that

1. change ur food and what u drink. To start with follow the IC bladder diet to find ur triggers.
2. bladder training. Ur bladder learns from what u do. So if u go Everytime u feel u need to it learns that. So Everytime u feel u need to. Hold off for one min. Then next time two mins and so on.
3. I also don’t drink after 6pm this has helped with the going to the loo over night.

never found any medication that worked. And the doctors were no help so I learnt this all on my own. But by far , 100% the most effective were these two. And if I had to pick the best one it would be what I put on my mouth.

I had my 3 month HRT review today. My GP has switched me to daily progesterone (half dose) with a 3 day break for the next 3 months to see if it helps with my sleep. We are keeping the oestrogen at the same level so we can see which change makes the difference, but he’s open to adjusting the oestrogen too. Wish me luck. 🤞

Thanks @Sleeplessinseattle234 , I'm just not sure what works, I've changed my diet and nothing seems to be consistent in irritating it. I feel its definitely hormone led as it comes and goes.
I really don't know what to do.

I’m 49, on Estradot 75mcg and testogel (small blob🤨daily)

Insomnia is my nightmare currently. Most of my other symptoms have improved but my sleep is awful, worse over the past 2 months. I fall asleep okay but see 3 or 4am most days and it takes me 2 hours to drift off again just for my alarm to go off. It’s slowly breaking me!

I see my Dr privately so trying to hold out for my year review in Feb and might ask for progesterone. I was offered before but have had history of cervical cancer and was told it could increase my risk of other cancers (can’t recall which). Sleep is so bad, think I need to do something now though.

42, been on HRT for about 3.5 months although the first three months was a bit shaky (especially the progesterone weeks), I'm a new woman! The rage, anger, hating my husband, blood boiling, heart racing, flatlined pre period and sugar cravings are virtually gone!

@itsonlyme44 that's great to hear. I felt like a different person when I started HRT.

I'm about 7 months in and feel my oestrogen needs tweaking as my symptoms are returning - aching, tired and lack of energy. Will enquire about increasing my patch dose.

Vaginal oestrogen (vagifem) sorted this out for me, stopped the night trips to the loo and the urgent need to pee in the day for just an egg cup full 🙄

I’ve just finished my second cycle and on reflection, I feel so much better in so many aspects of my life. Things I didn’t even realise were issues. My heart feels a lot better, no more palpitations etc. and since being put back into place by my chiropractor I now have no breathlessness or chest pain. My anxiety is hugely diminished. Not just the ‘attacks’ but the daily ongoing low level anxiety that used to simmer away.

one thing i do find is that when it’s time to change my patch, i really feel it, it’s like it builds up in my system and I need the ‘release’ of the change. The progesterone makes me very tired, last week I was struggling with brain fog and exhaustion. Switched to my oestrogen only today and I already feel a bit lighter and brighter.

I just had a gynaecologist appointment and the dr suggested I try switching my oestrogen dose to one pump in the morning and 2 at night (I was on 2 at night, which was great for about six months to a year, but I upped it myself to 3 a few weeks ago, as I was getting tearful spells out of nowhere and some period-like bleeding).

Anyone know if it genuinely makes a difference spreading it out like this (morning and night)?

I wake up in the night a lot, which makes it hard working and makes me feel low with the tiredness. Otherwise I've been ok since taking hrt. Was struggling before that with bad pms, heavy periods and mood swings as well as the lack of sleep.

That's interesting! I'm on two vagifem a week and it's solved the dryness, but I still need the loo loads day and night.

How many a week do you do?

Im the same, on vagifem twice a week but was up at the loo loads again, am really sick of it. A menopause expert told me we can use vagifem daily if needed, im planning on asking my gp this week. Am really sick of the urgency thing too. Have been using oxybutynin but not sure how much it helps but it does give me constipation which i dont like so ive stopped them.

I use between 2 and 4 a week. I up it if I feel like symptoms are coming back. Gp doesn't seem to question how often I ask for a repeat. I believe they used to be higher dose the vagifem.

Do you mean a higher dose than the one at present?

I was diagnosed in perimenopause about a year and half ago. I'm 46. I started an HRT tablet...cant even remember what it was called. I took it for 2 and half months but stopped as I was bleeding every 2 weeks for 5 days and I was having not very nice thoughts.
I tried to go without but have gave in and started Evorel Sequi. I am just started the last week of my 1st box. I sometimes feel like I'm losing my mind. I can't focus on things properly...lose my train of thought..feel paranoid..have at time uncontrollable rage!!! I could literally kill dead things. Please someone tell me it will get better??? My husband god love him tries to joke and tells me to relax and that just makes me even more mad!!!! I feel like my head is going to explode with anger 😠

I take a bit of hope from your post!! Fingers crossed my rage subsides before I'm up in court for murder lol

Hello, can I join? Knackered, achy, so anxious and spend hours gazing into the fridge trying to remember what I opened it to fetch.

BUT, periods regular as clockwork and no hot flushes, so according to GP, this is probably due to something else (I'm 50 FFS!!).

Had appointment in July, given blood test which diagnosed anaemia, given iron tablets via text and told to go back in 3 months following another blood test.

Am not entirely sure I can be arsed!

I can manage so long as I only focus on family and work, write multiple lists and don't try to do anything other than what is strictly necessary (I.e. work, looking after other people....).

Comments for my next GP appointment very welcome, I have somewhat given up (it took a lot to go there in July).

My sympathies to those who are struggling with worse.

Yes, if my poor menopausal brain remembers correctly, I'm sure I read they used to come in 2 different doses. Sorry can't remember exactly! But I don't worry about taking a bit more when needed.

Thank you @ildaogden , that is interesting I'll look into that. I have a gp appointment tomorrow to discuss this but i sometimes feel with the gp they just want to give you something to get rid of you, they dont really understand menopausal womens problems.

I googled it now, vagifem used to be 25mcg a few years ago, same regime. Then some small research concluded that 10mcg did the same job so it was all reduced. This is why I don't worry if I use a bit more. Not that I'm medical so please don't take my word for it!
We are alone with menopause a lot of the time, I value my sisters and female friends right now!

Can I join you? I’m currently sat here experiencing my first withdrawal bleed (ouch!). I’ve just completed my first cycle of oestrogen (2 pumps) and 12 days of utrogestan. Hoping this bleed isn’t like the one I had with the sequi patches which just wouldn't stop. I’m 55 and was having issues with hot flushes, poor sleep, joint pain and (tmi) anal fissures. So far those issues have all calmed down but it’s early days. Has anyone found they’ve had bad weight gain on HRT? I’m struggling with a thickened waist as it is and hope that won’t get worse.

@ildaogden , isnt that annoying they reduced the dose so much, i bet it was because the 10mg is cheaper..and it was decided by a man!!

Can anyone tell me how it makes a difference taking oestrogel some in the morning, some at night?

My dr has suggested I spread my 3 pumps to one morning, two night, or the other way round, so I've started trying onr in the morning and two at night.

How is it meant to affect me differently, doing it that way?

@ildaogden , ive got different bladder medication to try and the go ahead to increase the vagifem to 4 doses a week, the gp said vagifem is one of the few medications with no side effects whatsoever so fine to increase it

Hi all 🖐

I'm 54 and started my HRT journey nearly a year ago.

I was Premenopausal when I started. Crippling anxiety, brain fog so bad I lost my job, completely lost myself. It was only subtle changes in my period that made me even think it may be hormonal issues causes the psychological problems. I've never had a hot flush but was having trouble sleeping.

Was put on continuous Hrt, Sandrena gel and Utrogestan. Lasted about 6 weeks on the Utrogestan but made me feel horrendous, just couldn't function. Changed to Provera and felt so much better. Then started bleeding lightly ,almost constantly along with PMT symptoms. Tried to speak to the HRT nurse at the surgery but couldn't get an appointment, so doing my own research, saw that as I was still peri, my own cycle was probably trying to over ride the hormones, so worked out when my period usually appeared and switched to Cyclical.

It has been so much better, actually felt the benefit of the Sandrena gel. It means I have to take twice the amount of the Provera for the progesterone phase, which even though no where near as bad as the Utrogestan, can make me feel a bit rough for those days.

Anxiety has considerably improved and I can actually remember things again!
I still don't feel like the person I was, for example, I don't think I will ever work in a position like the one I had previously, my confidence just isn't there anymore. But I'm coming to terms with that.

One thing that keeps hanging about though, is the digestive issues! sometimes, I feel so full of gas, I could take off! I'm starting on some probiotics to see if they help, so fingers crossed. Joint pain as well, considerably worse when I stop the progesterone phase but don't know what that's about!

Sorry for such a long rant but it's nice to be able to hear everyone's else's stories, as I haven't got anyone in real life in the same situation.