HRT is making me feel anxious

[VioletLillyRoseDaisyIrisJasmineDahlia]

FFS Why does it do this?
I'm only on a really low dose of oestrogen after coming off it for 3 months (after 2 years on) to see the difference it was making.

Good things about being on HRT:

I don't feel like an 80 year old riddled with arthritis when I wake up in the morning.
Lighter periods
Better energy levels
Sharper brain

Bad things:

Anxiety
Heart palpitations
Feeling like it all goes out the window when I take the progesterone
Having to shove progesterone up my vag because if I take it orally I feel like I am going to have a nervous breakdown
I'm huge when I take it

What's the answer here?! 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

Is it just the utrogestan phase that causes the anxiety? If so, try the patches instead. I found utrogestan to be a nightmare, however I took it, awful stuff. I don't have any problems with the progestogen in the Evorel patches, although unfortunately it is not bioidentical.

I came off HRT and felt better. Sleep returned to normal and anxiety levelled out. I do have bad brain fog which drives me mad but don't feel it's worth being on HRT for.

@VioletLillyRoseDaisyIrisJasmineDahlia Have you considered that it is too little estrogen that's causing this?

The anxiety and palpitations are a common peri symptom. The horrible feeling on Utrogestan can sometimes be improved by using a bit more estrogen on those days.

If you are on gel, you could increase by 1 pump on the Utro days.

Or you could consider a Mirena coil.

Or you could follow the NICE guidance for women who are intolerant to progesterone, and have a 12 week, not a 4 week cycle.
That's using 14 days of Utrogestan every 12 weeks (starting on week 10.)

There are these options which many women are not aware of.

No ... that isn't possible. HRT is wonderful for everyone & never causes problems. If it does seem to cause problems, then the problem is You for doing it wrong. #Irony

Sorry, I'm not any help. Hope you sort out what does work best for you.

I was the same. Got a coil, increased the oestrogen and added testosterone. Feel much much better.

I realise you are being sarcastic, but I haven't found that to be the case, it's just a balancing act to get the best type and dosage and sometimes HCPs aren't that well informed. It can also be a bit Hobson's choice, with the choice between side effects or meno symptoms.

It's definitely the HET causing the anxiety. I don't have it when I'm not on it. I don't weigh as much when I'm not on it either.

I've tried all the types of HRT. Currently trying a lower dose. Was on a much higher dose before I came off it. Only on oestrogen at the moment, on the advice of a private menopause Dr. We are trying a longer period on oestrogen before reintroducing the progesterone so it's definitely the oestrogen!

The main benefit I get from taking it is the ache & pain reduction. That's significant for me.

But the weight gain and palpitations/ anxiety are a horrible side effect.

It's a nightmare. I'm so fed up of thinking about it.

Right?!!

That's interesting. Did you have the weight gain?

The weight gain from HRT? A bit but it was mainly bloating when I introduced oestrogen. I knew it would happen and it subsided after a few months. I went on a diet at about month four and lost half a stone and I was back to normal.

I've since put that half a stone back on through lack of willpower! My breasts are normal again.

I had a month of sore breasts once the coil went in too, but nothing since.

OP i was prepared to deal with weight gain for the postive benefits of sleeping well, not needing a wee every five minutes, not crying randomly, not shouting as much at my family, and no night sweats.

I don't see weight gain as a massively bad thing. I'm a normal size, I can live with a few extra pounds.

I also really struggle with Utrogestan. I’m all bouncy & positive during the oestrogen-only 2 weeks, then turn into a hideous monster who yells at everyone, has a permanent headache & can’t cope with life as soon as I start taking Utrogestan.

@VioletLillyRoseDaisyIrisJasmineDahlia It's encouraging that your private dr is offering some variation in the dose and doing estrogen only to start with.
I've always been on a dose that is tailored to me, through a consultant. When I first started HRT I was on the 3-monthly cycle so had 10 weeks on only estrogen, to get the dose right.

I'm not sure of the timescale of what you're doing now.

The advise is to give each dose 3 months (or thereabouts) because things like weight gain often settle down. I've never had any weight gain using gel and the max dose I've ever used is 2 pumps.

Maybe you are going to hit the sweet spot once you get the dose right?
Are you using gel ? That way you can adjust the dose easily compared with patches.

If too much gave you symptoms and now a lower dose is, maybe there is a dose somewhere in between that's going to be right for you?

Are you also making all the lifestyle changes that we need, in peri and post meno?
My consultant is very much into all of that - says HRT is not a silver bullet and we all need to address exercise, diet, etc as well.

It's worth trying a different type of progesterone. I couldn't tolerate utrogesteran either so swapped to Provera which doesn't seem to give me any side effects at all.

Has your GP run bloods to rule out anything else? I thought my HRT wasn't working because I was feeling achy, anxious and experiencing heart palpitations and it turns out I was shockingly low in vitamin D and had a severe deficiency. I'm now fine again after taking a daily dose to get my level back up.

@JinglingSpringbells agree re: the lifestyle changes! Exercise, cutting right back on alcohol & sugar, stress reduction, low carbs all key!

V@VioletCharlotte is provera a tablet?

I take vit D
Have done bloods at the start of the journey

Yes it's a tablet. I take them for the last 12 days of my cycle. I don't get any side effects whatsoever, utrogestan made me feel awful.

Thank you @VioletCharlotte will check them out! 💜