HRT causing extreme fatigue and anxiety?

[Lovemusic82]

I’m coming to the end of my first month of HRT, due to stop the progesterone tomorrow for the break, I’m on one pump of gel and 2 progesterone tablets a day. When I started the gel I was waking up early feeling anxious, heart racing and feeling tired, I stuck with it, started the progesterone and for a few days felt a little better but now I just feel totally drained to the point I’m feeling like I need a nap by 2pm. I am tempted to stop completely?

I am 42, was experiencing heavy irregular periods, hot and cold sweats, achy joints and forgetfulness, i am waiting for a hysterectomy. The only symptom that’s vanished with HRT are the hot/cold sweats, everything else is still there but I feel exhausted, almost feels like I have low blood pressure. Is this normal?

Have you had your iron levels checked? Heavy bleeding could cause anemia.

Also worth checking your thyroid.

< glares at Thyroid bitterly, for joining Peri-meno on The Opposition bench >

My bloods came back with wonky thyroid, borderline anemia, low iron & low D (despite 3 tins of sardines a week).

I wrote the crashing fatigue off as low blood pressure for months, but when I finally had it checked it was perfectly normal.

I feel quite a bit more alive since I started treatment for the thyroid. Mind you, I forgot to buy my micronised progesterone this week (100 a day, 25 days on / 3 days off ish, cos I lose track), and I think over time it might also have played a part in making me somewhat zombified. Cos I don’t think the thyroid meds usually kick in so fast.

I may have to revisit my protocol and change it to the 12 week cycle if progesterone was more than a minor factor in turning me into a slug on the sofa.

When I was on progesterone 200 a day 2 weeks on / 2 weeks off it made me very serene, then tired beyond all belief but I didn’t care due to excess serene, before finally making my mood plummet so low I stopped taking it on day 10. That was when I was on only one sachet of Sandrena a day, which I think is about a pump and half of the other gel. On less estrogen I suspect it would have felt even more “not good”.

Are you on continuous progesterone? The normal dose is 1 per night not 2. If you're taking it for 12 days the dose is 2. One pump of estrogen in comparison seems low, I thought the starting dose was normally 2 pumps.

Progesterone for 12 days only, started the oestrogen gel, then after 15 days started the progesterone, am on day 11 of progesterone. I pump of gel and 2 tablets. If feel like I have no energy between 11am and 7pm, I seem to perk up later in the evening when i guess it’s wearing off (I am taking both at night). My anxiety and mood is just awful, I'm getting angry at things on the tv and emotional over everything.

My bloods were normal, was given HRT based on my symptoms, i’m also being accessed for ADHD so I am wary that some of my symptoms are just ADHD symptoms possibly heightened by my age.

I have had such a awful few days and I have decided to just stop taking the HRT (from today), I just can’t cope feeling like this as I have a disabled dd to care for 😬.

I have taken iron this evening because the inside of my eyelids are white, my last bloods were all ok but that was almost 2 months ago. I’m bleeding heavy now so thought I would take a iron tablet just incase as I do get low iron.

It can take a few months to take effect, also there is different regimes out there. They say it takes 3 months for your body to settle. 1
pump is a low dose. Would try 2 pumps x

It took a long time for HRT to work for me. I'd wait 3 mths then go for a review.