I'm 53 next month. Was on HRT for 3 years (Evorel + oral progesterone), came off last summer as I thought it might be the cause of my vulvodynia. Periods and hormonal migraines returned and didn't make any difference to the vulvodynia so went back on it beginning of January as the migraines were frequent and intolerable. Migraines are less frequent since Jan but sometimes I get spotting, period pain, in-nostril zits and occasionally (like now) really awful mood (as in near suicidal) for several days. So I think the HRT isn't damping down my underlying cycle.
I'm also finding that when I am near to patch change time I get quite a bad headache and sometimes period pain so I often start the new patch a few hours or a half day earlier than normal and the symptoms stop.
I've a GP appointment tomorrow and will ask to put my oestrogen up to 75mcg but I am utterly fed up. I can't understand how I managed to cope with the awful mood swings when I was having periods every month, but I can't cope now.
I do have a number of fairly major life stressors going on (93 year old mum with advanced dementia, verbally abusive unco-operative brother that I am meant to be a co-attorney with, several long term health conditions that aren't being well managed, noisy neighbours, no job and financially dependent on husband) and I am having counselling at the moment but I was just about coping until recently. I've read on here about women who still have periods at 58 and it gives me the horrors.
I'm not really sure what I am looking for, just venting really.