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Menopause anxiety - HRT information

Posted , 9 users are following.

lorraine59875
lorraine59875

Hi ladies,

I was told by my GP a couple of months ago that i am in perimenopause. It was kind of a relief because for the past 4 years I thought I was going mad. My doctor at the time took me off the combined pill when i turned 40 and put me on the mini pill, about 6 months later i started suffering with really bad anxiety, then panic attacks then fatigue. Over the past 4 years more and more things started to change until earlier this year my fatigue got so bad i felt like i had ran into a wall. I kept going to the doctors but they just kept saying all my symptoms were down to anxiety. I changed doctors and when i explained my symptoms to my new doctor he told me i was in perimenopause. I tested the theory by coming off the mini pill and 6 weeks later the hot flushes started aling with this strange inner tremble. I am 44 and every day is a struggle. I am not the person i used to be. I have no energy and no desire to do anything. I have gone from sleeping 8hrs a night to 5.

I was surprised however that GP's don't seem to know much about menopause. I asked about HRT and although they are happy to prescribe them they don't know much about them.

So ladies is there anyone out there who is currently taking HRT who can tell me if they stop the symptons of menopause including fatigue & anxiety ?

How do you know what levels/strength of HRT you need?

What happens when you at some point in the future come off them, do your symptoms come back?

And if all these symptoms are down to a fall in hormone levels why do some ladies choose to take anti depressants rather than hormone repkacement?

Lorraine x

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • dora_39625
    dora_39625 lorraine59875

    Posted

    Hi Lorraine.

    I'm 42 years old and have been experiencing exact same symptoms for past year.

    I too was robbed off by doctors (male) because of my age, but found female doctor who diagnosed perimenopsuse.

    I did a lot of research online and found all my symptoms point to perimenopause. I had no idea...

    Didn't think possible at my age but genetics on my mum's side definitely point to it!

    My doctor advised me to not use HRT because of my age as you're on it for the long haul and to be honest, I'm glad as didn't want to go down the medication route but totally understand why lots of women do.

    I was advised to try and not become too overwhelmed and sucked up in the menopause trap and to try lead a healthy life and continue living as I always have prior perimenopause symptoms.

    It's difficult some days but understanding and knowing why we're experiencing these symptoms definitely helps.

    It's not as frightening now and for me I've learned to push it to the back of my mind and focus on the present and all things positive. Whenever a new sympton appears I try and remain calm and rationalise it in my own mind and tell myself it's connected to perimenopause.

    There is light at the end of the tunnel. Take each day as it comes...

    Hope this helps

    Dora x

    • zoe62821
      zoe62821 dora_39625

      Posted

      Hi dora

      I am 43 and was advised to try HRT because of my age. The benefits outweigh the risks at a younger age apparently. I've been on them 6 months and although things are not perfect and I've changed twice I have some pattern to my symptoms now which helps me plan.

  • karen60759
    karen60759 lorraine59875

    Edited

    Hi Lorraine, I'm 41 and have been struggling with these symptoms for the past 18 months, and I've looked into lots of different treatments. What is interesting is that in peri menopause we may not actually be deficient in hormones, in fact oestrogen levels are known to rise rapidly at times and it's the instability of the levels that causes the problems, so when they peak and then fall it takes a big toll of the body physically and mentally. Before I knew this I was put on oestrogen gel, which really didnt work - probably because my oestrogen levels were actually fine so it just made me oestrogen dominant. I now realise that you should only really take oestrogen once we are nearing or In menopause (when periods stop). So unless this is the case for you, I would be wary of oestrogen hrt.

    I came off it and starting taking dim which is a supplement which manages oestrogen levels and other vitamins, plus some progesterone to balance out the oestrogen (because I had lots of signs of oestrogen dominance - cysts and endometriosis) and I have been better over the past few months, though I've experienced symptoms return this week, lots of night sweats nausea and brain fog, I think I'm going through a drop in estrogen which I'm just trying to cope with through excercise, healthy eating and coming on here for reassurance 🙂 So I hope that helps, but I'm no doctor so definitely talk through options with a specialist x

  • karen77710
    karen77710 lorraine59875

    Posted

    Hi Lorraine, I’ve been on hrt conti patches for 18 monthes and I’ve been a lot better. I’m 51 and been in menapause a few years. I’ve had no side effects with tjis form of hrt xx
    • lorraine59875
      lorraine59875 karen77710

      Posted

      Hi Karen,

      Thanks for your reply. Did you suffer with anxiety or fatigue as part of your menopause symptoms and would you say HRT has helpped with this?

      Lorrainex

    • karen60759
      karen60759 lorraine59875

      Posted

      Hi Lorraine, yes I did - the gel made me feel great for a couple of months and then stopped working and actually made symptoms worse, which apparently happens quite often in early peri menopausal women, but no doctor has explained why - just to say my body grew tolerant of it so it stopped having an effect. You should get your hormones checked with a specialist - I did a saliva test for a month which is better than a one off blood test because it can see the fluctuations, this would determine if you were deficient in any hormones, but I think at 42 that is unlikely. In the mean time order some dim and calcium glucarate from Amazon - these supplements have made a very positive difference for me - I still experience symptoms but they are less intense and over quicker so i would definitely recommend those, good luck!
    • karen77710
      karen77710 lorraine59875

      Posted

      Hi Lorraine yes I did and also every other symptom going. Yes it as helped loads. I’m was very weiry about going on hrt and throught about it for quite a while but I’m so glad I did. I’m hopefully coming off it in June only wanted a couple of years on it xx
  • zoe62821
    zoe62821 lorraine59875

    Posted

    Hi lorraine

    I am 43 and been on HRT 6months

    It's not the magic cure but things are better.

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