New here, 1 year on HRT and still suffering 😓

[sickandsore]

Hi I’ve had an eventful year! A few cardiac issues last year, thankfully turned out to be mild CAD so I’m on s low dose statin.

My peri menopausal symptoms started in my mid 40s I’m now 50. It took until early last year when my bleeding was so excessively bad I couldn’t leave the house, my moods were rock bottom, my memory shot to pieces and my hot flushes and sleep pattern worsened, that a GP was willing to help. I was put on HRT 2 pumps of oestrogel and 1 utrogestan tablet. It took a few months but I did find things settled down. However the last two months my moods have dipped, my bleeds are happening during the time I’m still taking the utrogestan rather than when I have a break, and the bleeds are heavier again and lasting 10 days or more.

Since increasing the pumps to 3 and the utrogestan to 2, nothings changed other than I now get crippling migraines as well as the bleeding ( also worsened).

I’ve just had a blood clot scare which thankfully amounted to nothing but an inflamed varicose vein, so the GP is trialling me on patches to see if they might work better for me.

I’m wondering how common the heavy bleeds are for other women on HRT ? I had scans early last year to check for fibroids and my womb lining but all looked normal. I haven’t been referred to a as gynae yet but the GP will if things don’t settle in a few months after trying patches.

I’m feeling quite low as fed up of the unpredictability of the bleeding, the impact of these migraines too on my working and family life. I’ve recently just remarried and I was looking forward to our honeymoon which is booked for July, but I’m now terrified I may be suffering the whole time we are away as it falls during the week before I would stop my progesterone and that’s the week I’m bleeding and get migraine’s at the moment!😱

I’m so hopeful that patches are better, if anyone else here has switched from tablet/gel to patches please reach out and let me know how they are working for you as I’m quite anxious!!!

[Loopylegs]

Poor you, you really are having a tough time, I'm afraid it's trial & error until you find something that suits, I'm 50 too and started peri menopause around 45, like you had a lot of issues, the patches didn't work for me they made me feel insane, dreadful bad mood swings, the progesterone tabs didn't agree with me either, causing awful headaches. I switched to the gel and am on 4 pumps a day but what really helped me was getting the mirena coil inserted, I had been putting it off for years because I kept hearing awful stories about it, then my periods got so bad I decided I'd try anything, and when it was inserted for a couple of months I didn't feel great, i had breakthrough bleeding and bad cramps and almost had it removed, but I persevered and by the 3rd month my periods stopped completely and i haven't had one now for 4 years apart from the odd spot bleeding. I hope this helps, but I think it really is a case of trying different forms of HRT until something works, and in time you will find a combination that works, I have no symptoms of menopause now, I just have severe restless leg syndrome which has got worse as I've aged but not sure if it is menopause related as I've had it since my teens, anyway, best of luck, I really hope you find a combination that eases your symptoms.

[sickandsore]

Thanks for your response.

I did stop the statins for a while but the GP was concerned as even though my cholesterol is normal, I have heart disease so the statins are a good prevention for plaque breaking off and causing a blockage/MI.

I have the patches to try but I’m going to need to wait until I bleed which is now going to stuff up my system😓 but hey ho, gotta give it a try.