Feeling like shit generally - can't take HRT; any advice on supplements or vitamins? Pretty desperate.

[PunishmentRoundupWithJoon]

I feel like shit. Exhausted, depressed, can't be arsed with anything. All the usual stuff. Can't take HRT as it makes my hair fall out. I'm doing the best I can, but god, it's hard. No motivation.

I have ME too, and that doesn't help.

Does anyone have any advice on any vitamins, supplements etc that might help?

My iron is fine as I'm taking prescribed supplements and it must be edging towards 100 now.

Vitamin D fine, doctor said to stop supplements as it was way too high!

I'll try anything at this point (within reason!)

I've heard feel menopause supplement is good, a friend uses it and said it helps

I take vitamins from starpowa. They do a perimenopause vitamin and a specific one for menopause. Helped me as I no longer have hot flushes to the extent I used to and I feel better than I did. I still have low days and lack energy but I think that's more about my diet as it isn't great.

I was going to suggest iron and Vit D but you are already up on those.

Vitamin B complex is very important for general mood stability.
Magnesium can help too.
I used to take L-Tyrosine. it can give you a headache but helps with energy.
Vit C in a fizzy tablet is good too.

Drink plenty of water - infused with berries or herbs, citrus or ginger if you don't like water.

Increase protein, including dairy if you're not vegan, and add lots of veg and some fruit, with as much variety as you can, and small amounts of nuts and seeds.

Cut back on refined carbs and sugar. It is a cliche but they really do exhaust you. I rarely eat bread or anything with white flour these days and notice my energy dip if I do.

Weight-bearing exercise - even just 10 mins a day bodyweight workouts or kettlebells or resistance bands really help, as do yoga or pilates and some mental relaxation: meditation or visualisation or affirmations.

I started journalling too, to get all the frustration and lethargy out of my body onto the page, and to help focus on small tasks that would improve wellbeing.

@Meadowwild - Thanks you 🙂I already take magnesium as it is supposed to help with sleep. I take it most days. Am drinking enough I think, though some of it is lightly diluted with squash, not the best thing I know due to additives.

I have wholemeal bread and quite a lot of seeds. Allergic to peanuts and almonds so tend to steer clear of nuts. I eat too much chocolate and possibly need more protein.

I go to the gym when I can and use weights as I know that weight bearing exercise is vital for women in menopause. I do what I can, but it's limited due to the lack of stamina because of the ME.

You're right about the small tasks. I find that if I have a sense of accomplishment from even a small thing I can feel better. Sometimes it's a tiny thing but it might be all I can manage given my energy levels!

Will Look into L-Tyrosine.

Hi there it may be worth having your bloods done at the doctors to check out B12 levels, I had this done and it's made world of difference

@jackspratswife01 - thank you - I had b12 checked and it's fine. I take a b complex anyway, just in case!

How many types of HRT have you tried? And what doses?

It's quite unusual to cause hair loss because estrogen tends to make hair grow more. Some women react slightly to the cyclical use of Norethisterone, but there are several types of HRT that don't use this.

Not enough protein and low ferritin can cause hair loss.

Has your GP suggested different types of HRT?

Have you ever tried reflexology op? I am a science person so I'm dubious about the explanation for why it works but talking through how you feel with someone followed by a lovely foot massage really helps with menopause symptoms like feeling stressed, poor sleep, brain fog, low energy etc.

I take the tesco own brand menopause supplement which has slowed my hair loss dramatically (I had to get a fringe to hide the worst of the hair loss).

Forgot to say, when I was taking L-Tyrosine (not taking it now as it interferes with a medication I'm on) my hair was so thick and grew so quickly. It's great for hair and nails, and energy/brain fog too, allegedly.

@Meadowwild - thanks, have ordered some L-Tyrosine (sounds like a dinosaur!) and will give it a fair go. If it helps with hair too - bonus.

I take N-acetyl cysteine on the days I go to the gym, it possibly helps a bit. Tried Q10 a while back, twice, and didn't feel any difference.

If you're going to try alternative things, it's always a good idea to do some research on the efficacy of the products (google the topic.)
For example, people say Biotin helps hair growth but there is absolutely no evidence in research papers that it does.

The problem with anecdotal recommendations is that hair loss is something that happens for many reasons and for women it's hormones that swing up and down can be the cause.

As I mentioned earlier, the progestin in some HRT is a synthetic one (not a body-identical type) and called 'androgenic' (meaning it's closely linked to male hormones). This can be associated with hair loss (men lose hair because of high testosterone) .

There's no doubt that many /most women find their hair is thinner post menopause. The 'treatment' is HRT (as long as you need it for other symptoms, nit just hair) and finding the right type if often the answer.

You could try some caffeine shampoos like Plantur. These work by blocking the effects of testosterone on the hair follicles. Because in peri and post menopause, many women have more testosterone than estrogen. The manufacturers explain this .

Im post meno with some kind of ongoing fatigue post-viral thing too. I totally relate to that meh feeling.

Just some thoughts: even though your ferritin is now high, if you’ve been iron deficient for a while, it may take a few months to fully feel the effects of correcting it.

When I first went on Estrogel, I lost a lot of hair in the first six weeks (and also got greasy skin and acne), but then it corrected itself. I haven’t had hair loss on Evorel patches or Lenzetto spray.

Weight lifting is technically the best thing for post menopause physical health, but for mental well being and energy, 5 minutes of cardio (for me it would be running) give me more of a boost.

TBH the hair loss in those first 6 weeks may have happened anyway and not linked to the HRT.
Estrogen takes up to 3 months to reverse the loss of it in the body. Hair also goes through a cycle of growing and shedding which takes a few months.

My doctor suggested a soy supplement. I haven’t tried it. I take too many pills as it is, but I am working more soy into my diet.

Magnesium is supposed to help with sleep. I've used it for achy joints. Have heard B12 is good too. Good luck

I struggled with perimenopausal symptoms. I didn't want to take HRT and now use acupuncture instead. It's been really great so far. I highly recommend it.

@whiteorchids44 - that's an idea. I once had acupuncture for chronic tonsillitis and it effectively cured it. I went in with very low expectations, having had it for so long. Sadly, the woman who did it doesn't practice any more, but will have a look around. Really glad to hear it worked for you.

@clarepetal - thank you. I'm taking magnesium glycinate daily as I too heard it helps with sleep. If it helps with joints too, so much the better! Feel like I ache all over sometimes.

@Ponderingwindow - Keep meaning to do this. I have soya on cereal more often than milk, but not sure now else to incorporate it.

I'm afraid @JinglingSpringbells has it right. There is minimal evidence for 'supplements' but maximum marketing budget. I'm exhausted and have basically had to make a lot of adjustments to how I live, as you'll have done for your ME.

I'm 46 and have some peri-menopause symptoms. I can't take HRT due to my medical history. I started taking ashwagandha in January as there's a small amount of credible evidence that it helps with some of the symptoms. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ashwagandha-menopause I've been sleeping a lot better since then and feel less anxious. It could well be coincidental because a few things have got easier for me since then.

@LawrieForShepherdsBoy - thank you for that. Yes, as much as I know the weights are helping keep me strong, sometimes I just want to go for a long walk instead. It's hard choosing between them, and because of the ME, I can't do both. I have a limited amount of energy and I have to choose where it's best used. I used to run, and loved it.

Am due an iron test soon so hopefully, as been taking the ferritin for ages now, it's up to at least 100! One day I may risk trying HRT again.

@Summerhillsquare - yes, lots of adjustments. I still take NAC, as that seems to help somewhat.

I have M.S and fortunately for me I can take HRT. But initially it had no effect whatsoever on my energy levels, I was beyond knackered and thought I was going into the next stage of the M.S.

After seeing a menopause specialist she took some bloods to test my testosterone levels, wow, the results were shocking. I was down by 90% of where I should have been, a real eye opener.

After just two weeks on Tostran I felt as though someone had flicked a switch on, my god did I feel better, and I’ve never looked back absolutely bloody amazing. It has also addressed my low libido, which the HRT hadn’t. Your Dr can do the blood tests for you, mine weren’t confident with prescribing Testosterone though. After my experience with the specialist who has also given my G.Ps written guidance on the medication and dosage they are now more confident to help other menopausal patients, which is great. It’s the missing link, HRT isn’t enough for a lot of women, it’s crazy how we are so let down.

If you want anymore information on this issue feel free to message me. I want all women to get their lives back and testosterone does this, it’s amazing 🤩

@Meadowwild - just wanted to say thank you for recommending L-Tyrosine. Aside from any other effects, it's really curbed my cravings and I'm eating less. Given that I had a slight chocolate addiction, this is no small thing! My evening eating was a real problem, just seemed to have an urge to eat..and eat.. and now, that's gone. It's almost too good to be true so am expecting the effects to wear off once my body becomes used to it, but for now...I never knew it was possible not to crave chocolate!!

Thank you 😊