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.

After being on the oestrogel in the funnel shaped bottle and feeling pretty much fine, aftee having a major downturn in symptoms with the cylindrical ones a while ago, I was delighted to see the funnel shaped bottles on the most recent prescription.

Spoke too soon. Same shaped bottle, different label with swirl on the front. Honestly wasn't expecting it to be any different but I feel shit again.

Waking up with a feeling of dread every morning...mood swings...aches and pains. Fuck you Besins.

I am getting a hysterectomy next week after years of horrible, heavy periods caused by fibroids, and trying everything else. I am on HRT; can;t say it has made much difference to me. What has made a difference is losing about a stone this year and becoming more active.

Has anyone found it beneficial to split the oestrogel dose morning and night? I find my mood is lowest in the morning so might be worth a try.

It seems I'm starting my period today - no indication any longer that one is on the way, other than, maybe, more middle of the night wakings in the week preceding. However, since I started taking utrogestan, I am able to go back to sleep rather than wake up for the day at 3-5 am.
Generally, I've been a bit more with it in the recent months, with occasional dips. I'll take it.

Periods have been one of the downsides of HRT for me. I'd been having them every few months and now they're back with the regularity they were before peri.

I’m a bit better, touch wood. Mood has been fine & hair shedding seems less. Ive had the mirena coil 13 weeks now & the spotting has finally stopped, apart from the odd bit on wiping.
I cannot use the Ovestin though as it causes heavy red bleeding for a few hours after. I have got a large cervical ectropian though so I’m wondering if it’s irritating that?

I have stopped my HRT. It obviously doesn't agree with me. My moods dip so low and experiencing self harm & suicidal thoughts..felt so much better again within a few days. I tried tablet form last year and went through the same thing. It was patches this time. Maybe HRT is not for me

How is everyone? I am having more rage/anxiety/mood swings this cycle, but it's so hard to know whether it's just life or my hormones.

Well, I had my hysterectomy! Early days, and still in recovery, but I suspect it will be one of my better life decisions.

@Slavica completely agree - it is so hard to know what is hormones and what is daily life! It doesn't help that they say you have to wait 3 months to see the effect of HRT.

@BansheeofInisherin hope your recovery is quick and has a positive effect.

I am still struggling badly with the mental issues and currently can't cope with work. The GP has said to swap the sertraline with mirtazapine. I feel so much better as it helps me sleep the only problem is it makes me really hungry, tired and I have a dizzy/whizzing feeling in my head. However at least I am not having terrible dark intrusive thoughts.

Fingers crossed all will settle down and I can go back to work in the New Year.

I’m still sulking about my thyroid joining with the peri so they can gang-up on me together.

But I’m about a week into thyroid medication and can feel that green shoots are imminent.

So, just holding the line until hormonal harmony is revived.

🥳 to everybody feeling better than they were !

And mucho sympathy🤗 to everybody whose not.

I hope all of you are doing ok during this traditionally stressful week. I'll be traveling tomorrow, I'm looking forward to it but of course I'll get stressed out about silly things.
If my symptoms stay like this, I'll take it. I haven't had days upon days of rage (just occasional flareups).

Hope everyone is enjoying the festive season.

After my last round of blood tests some of which were lost and had to be done privately so I'd have them in time for the appointment with the specialist I was switched from patches to Sandrena. Looks like I'm not absorbing.

Fingers crossed for the gel, I'm so tired and grumpy. Strangely I don't feel as ragey as I did so either they've been having some effect or maybe I'm just setting the bar much lower for everything. I think discontinuing the Utrogestan and having a Mirena has made the world of difference too.

I identify strongly with what I read here somewhere about feeling like a cat who wants to look out the window all day.

I feel great about solving the annual Christmas problem with my mum, which meant staying with her for Christmas instead of working out a more elaborate plan (long story, she says she doesn't want to be alone but paints herself into a corner so she runs out of options). In November Dh had an illuminating chat with her about how she felt and reassured her that he'd be fine seeing his parents at Christmas. It was so freeing not to be left hanging, so this will make things easier in future.

I didn't think I had so much to say about it but there you go.

Helloooo, please may I join?

My journey with HRT has only just started at the, ahem, tender age of 57, nearly 58, with a trip to see my GP on Thursday. She has started me on a three month course of Femeston Conti, 1mg/5mg in tablet form.

I am kicking myself as I know I should have gone to see my GP much much earlier, especially just over a year ago as I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorder, due to the ever changing pressures I was going through at work.
From the Pandemic onwards, the Trust I worked for changed, so did the staff, the rules, and then the computer software. All pretty much bang bang bang.

I couldn’t cope. Brain fog, forgetfulness, high state of anxiety and poor sleep.

My GP (different one than before) gave me a fit note for time off and a short course of Sertraline which helped, but looking back these symptoms played a part of the menopause and I couldn’t see it at the time. I just couldn’t see the wood from the trees, and I ended up leaving my job, which looking back now, was a foolish thing to do. I often wonder if I’d have got sorted with HRT earlier I wouldn’t have found all the work changes so difficult.

The one good thing about leaving work is adopting a dog which helps, especially with plenty of walks and affection.

Sorry this is long, I had to get it out of my system.

💐 to all who are going through this also. I am looking forward to the HRT kicking in.

@ForgottenwhoIam I have read somewhere that 1 in 10 women change their job and/or reduce their hours when going through the perimenopause. I was talking to my elderly aunt who was talking about how she gave up her job and looking back she realises that it was all probably caused by the menopause. She also remembers what a terrible time her mother had. I hope you find the HRT helps you. It can be tricky to find the right balance of hormones.

Thank you @lorisparkle , that is reassuring to read. I feel for your elderly Aunt and her Mum 💐

Have you tried cutting caffeine. I have had endometriosis for a long time and I am now perimenopausal. The one thing that always irritates my bladder is caffeine. I have cut it out now and it is much better especially at night. Also this seems strange but the more dehydrated I am the worse my bladder is irritated at night. You could also look up Saw palmetto. This is very good for bladder issues for women and men. Not sure if I am allowed to suggest where to get it from but British Supplements is good as they do not put any nasty fillers in their supplements and they are very good quality. The other plus side of this is it lowers DHT in the body and as a result your hair should she's less. Hope that helps.

I re-joined to post on this thread because some of what I've been through/discovered for myself may be helpful.

I'm 52, and have been on HRT for about 2.5 years now. I have also had a recent history of recurrent UTIs.

My peri-meno symptoms were less about hot flashes, and more about insomnia, intrusive thoughts, anxiety, memory loss/brain fog, and the things they don't generally tell you about: tinnitus, itching skin, vulval atrophy (which intensified the UTIs), and 'depression'.

I go privately (put it on the credit card) via the Newson Clinic, but they then send the prescription request to my GP, so I get my HRT via the NHS, with the exception of the testosterone, which unfortunately isn't available.

My HRT medication:

Estradot 75 (which has at some points been 50, and others 100; I've had to vary as my hormones vary and to find what works best in a fine balancing act with other hormones/symptoms)
Utrogestan - 1 x capsule daily after I was on oestrogen for about 1 year. Before that it was 14 days on two capsules, and 14 days off
Imvaggis pessaries - about 2 - 3 per week, which I currently need to really stick to, due to forgetting regularly, and I can feel the atrophy setting in again
Ovestin cream - a pea-size amount applied daily to the vulva to help with the atrophy that causes drip incontinence - which has significant enough effects even if mild
Androfeme - female testosterone. I apply 75mcl daily on my upper thigh. Testosterone is so seldom prescribed but really made a HUGE difference to my energy levels and libido

Other medication:

For recurrent, embedded UTIs - Hiprex, 1 g twice a day. A game-changer. It is a disinfectant, and best taken to prevent infections. I'll probably be on this permanently because as soon as I'm off it, then I'm invariably back on to antibiotics for yet another infection. Some people find it hard to stomach, in which case buy "000" capsule cases and pop the tablet in there before taking it. It then dissolves in the intestine, and not the stomach.

For sleep - Triple Magnesium, 260mcg. I take this with the utrogestan about 30 minutes before I go to bed.

For thinning hair - 3W drops from Philip Kingsley for female pattern baldness prevention. This is a new formulation which counteracts the hair-loss that comes from taking testosterone. As I say: balancing act!

For general health - 1,000 IU Vitamin D, taken with some dairy to aid absorption; Vitamin B12; antioxidant supplement

I've also cut out sugar as much as possible. It's demonic. Given it's Christmas, this has not worked out entirely well, and I can feel the UTI symptoms creeping in!

I know that this is not going to work in the same way for everyone, nor is it going to be possible for everyone; but perhaps elements will work/be possible for some of you who read this.

I've done quite a lot of research about this these past few years, and especially the UTI aspect, which no-one warns you about if you've been prone throughout your life (or even if you haven't and they've just suddenly appeared), and knowledge is most definitely power - while I also know that that is only the first step, and the next is to find a sympathetic, experienced practitioner who can help/prescribe/refer as needed.

Totally agree with you re: caffeine and not drinking enough water.

@JungsWordTest thank you so much for your post. I have cut out caffeine, and struggling with cutting out sugar.

I was struggling so badly with the intrusive thoughts that the GP prescribed mirtazapine. (I am on what the NHS says is maximum HRT) It has been amazing but I have vivid dreams and a constant hunger. I am hoping that I will be able to come off them again but in effect they did save my life.

I am looking at taking magnesium- I will have a look at the ones you take.

Have you tried d-mannose?

I really hope that you'll eventually be able to come off the mirtazapine while avoiding the intrusive thoughts. They're awful, aren't they?

Yes, I take D-Mannose every now and then when I feel I need an extra boost, but for the most part they didn't work quite well enough to stave off a bout of cystitis.

Hi joining here nice thread to have. Happy New Year everyone. I am struggling with some pre existing health problems but peri has really made things so much harder. I’m 47.

My moods range from bleak to murderous and the night time insomnia and anxiety is terrible. Everything aches, dryness and itchiness everywhere is killing me. Due a replacement mirena in a few months time, maybe that will help. Asking GP for testosterone. Oestrogen levels are ok since last blood test. Patches preferable to gel, to me at least. Still need to use vagirux almost daily and can only imagine things would be worse without. Constant lower back pain, headaches, hair loss, melasma, skin tags, can’t remember anything, can’t make a decision. I was always good at getting things done and wasn’t anxious or stressed and slept well. I was fun to be around once!
DC and DH can’t understand any of this. Is there a point when meno ends and women feel normal (OK, a new normal but something consistent?) or is this just how life is going to be here on in