Help/advice needed

[SunnyC41]

Hi guys,

Can anyone offer advice? I'm so confused.

I'm 44 and get pretty severe PMT for up to 10 days a month. Periods are pretty regular but really light (and mainly just brown discharge rather than blood - sorry if that's too much information).

Sleep's generally fine but have some joint pain in the run up to my period.

It's the PMT/PMDD that's the killer.

The mini pill made me feel mad. Got a mirena fitted five months ago but feel no better and perhaps worse. Have tried half/one pump of oestrogel but felt jittery and agitated. FSH test on day 3 of cycle (before I started coil or gel) was only 7.

What do I do?

• get the coil removed on the basis the progestin is making me worse and that I'm not ready yet for oestrogel?

• persevere?

I'm so tired of feeling ratty and agitated.

Please advise / offer your experiences if you can

Hi, I can't help, sorry, but recommend posting your dilemma on Menopause Matters - there are some really helpful and knowledgeable people on the forum there for all things HRT. Good luck.

Thanks - have posted a message there 👍

Not the same in that I only went on HRT post hysterectomy, but I started off on gel - spoke to the GP after a couple of months and said I was ready to throw myself under a bus. She said to stop the gel immediately, which I did and I then started using patches. I haven't had any such feelings since and they are keeping other symptoms at bay.

Thanks. That's interesting. It's so confusing. I might switch to the combined pill and see if that helps.

@SunnyC41 If you can try estrogen gel again, you should give it a go. 1/2 or 1 pump is a VERY low dose and will barely touch the side of symptoms for someone as young as you.

How long did you try gel for?

Standard medical advice is try any new HRT/ dose for 3 months.

You should try one pump for a couple of weeks at least, then move to 1.5 pumps for a while and eventually move to 2.

It's perfectly normal to have some minor side effects with any medication (not just HRT) but you have to give it a proper trial.

Thanks. I haven't given it a proper chance to be honest. Maybe that's the way to go.
Was considering changing to the combined pill but not sure there's any point when they're likely to take me off it in a few years' time.