Any HRT Advice Please - I am VERY desperate!

tillytop

Hello Peeps

I know that HRT and hot flushes have been discussed on here before but I am at my wits end and any advice would be really welcome.

The hot/cold flushes I have been struggling with for at least three years are currently absolutely relentless and, once again, they are keeping me virtually housebound. Although they are not always as bad as they are at the moment, this current phase has been going on without any kind of a break since at least July. I am also due to go to hospital for a week of physio and hydro in a couple of weeks time and, as things are (and daft as it might sound) I am going to have to cancel unless things have improved dramatically by then.

My new (brilliant ) GP felt that progesterone only pills may well help me but this is day 11 and the flushes have been getting worse and worse, day by day in spite of or maybe because of, the pills. So far I have resisted "full blown HRT" but enough is enough and I am going to talk to him again on Weds.

So my questions are as follows:

Has anyone had any success with progesterone only in treating hot flushes and, if so, how long did they take to help. (My pills are called "Micronor".)

Please can anyone on HRT tell me how long, in their experience, it took after starting for the hot flushes to go. I have read that it can be within days but don't know if that is actually the case.

Does anyone have HRT patches, rather than pills? I have, in the past, had very bad hormone related migraines and it has been suggested to me that patches might minimise the likelyhood of them happening again.

Do people go back to having periods while taking HRT? Might sound a daft question but I really know little about this

Finally - and this might sound a really silly question - do the patches have to be replaced if they get wet? Reason for my question if I do make it to hospital in couple of weeks I will have daily hydro.

Hope no-one is embarrassed by my post (I am blushing as I write :oops: cos I'm not used to sharing things like this) but I don't know who else to ask. (And because my problems are thought to be RA related, I feel it's ok to post this on the LWA forum.)

If anyone wants to answer but would prefer to pm rather than "airing all" on the forum, that's fine by me.

Thanks!

A very, very desperate Tillyxxx

stickywicket

Dear Tilly, I'm not remotely embarrassed but, unfortunately, I'm not remotely useful either as I skipped the menopause/hot flushes thing after a mastectomy and chemo. However, I do hope someone can help and I also hope very much that you will not feel you have to miss the hydro and physio. I'm sure this is a massive thing to you but, in the hospital, they will encounter people with this sort of trouble all the time. Fingers crossed that someone in the know will come up with something useful.

dotty123

Aw sorry to hear what you are going through. I cannot advise or comment as only just coming into early menopause myself. Though not fully sure yet. But I do have horrid night sweats and I really do get mortified by them and I dread the time they lead to day sweats.. Don't worry what other people say or think and most people understand, speak to your doctor/ nurse to help you through it .

xx

tillytop

Thanks Sticky and Dotty.

Sticky - I am sure you are right about the hospital being used to this kind of thing but my concern about the week in hospital is about how I will manage given that I spend much of each day dripping in front of my fan with palpitations aplenty or literally buried under piles of blankets shivering from cold. On really bad days I go from hot to cold and back to hot again without a break at all and on the very best days, I have the occasional break of 2 hours during the day if I am lucky. So quite where I would find the time to fit in hydro and physio I don't know! :roll:

Maybe I'm being unrealistic but I'm kind of hoping for a miracle pill (although you'd think I'd got over that kind of thinking with years of arthritis meds )

Dotty - thanks for your wise words. Mine is early menopause too - been going on since I was in mid to late 30s and I am 44 now. I sympathise hugely on the night-sweats and hope very much for you that that they don't start coming in the day too.

Tillyxxx

stickywicket

Tilly, those who have no experience should really not attempt to give advice. :oops: I do feel for you and it sounds dreadful. The only reason I was trying to get you in for hydro & physio at all costs is because I do have experience of this - 3 or 4 experiences - and I know how valuable it can be. I hope someone will come up with a solution that'll enable you to do it.

dreamdaisy

I did the dripping thing for years but the shivering thing was never much of an issue. Oh my poor tillytop, this must be so trying and rough for you: I have no advice apart from talking to the lovely GP (may we call him Dr Kildaire?) and perhaps he will have some sage words of wisdom, despite being a bloke. I reckon there is something amiss here, my lovely, but damned if I know what it is. Brace yourself: (((((())))) and rather sizeable smidge of love. DD

Wonkylegs

wonky here as pa for cris

Tilly, Cris is telling me what to say, so this is in her words:

I'm really sorry you're having such problems, and please have a hug (((()))).

Till it's really important that I stress to you, to make sure that what they give you is the synthetic stuff and not from the brood mares (a level of cruelty hard to exceed).

I've been on HRT for 14 years now (the synthetic stuff ) and they upped the dose of it as I started the change. Although I still get hot flushes they last about 2 seconds, so for me I would recommend wholeheartedly that you go on full-blown HRT as soon as possible. I'm on 'eileste duet'. It's stood me in good stead for the original problem I was given it for, but now that I'm going through the change ( :oops: :oops: I'm glad wonky's typing because it's deeply embarrassing :oops: :oops: ) it's come into its own, and I'm having very little bother.

Hugs again (((((()))))) and the deer is on its way with tea, a nudge and some CDM.

love Cris.

skezier

hi Tilly,

i couldn't type yesterday and Wonky was brilliant but today its a little easier just now so just dropping in a ((((( ))))) and the Deer has now got the owl box on his back and is on his way again. love Cris xx

valval

hi tilly am on elleste duet 1mg tabs they worked quite quickly and periods did start up again the down side as far as i am concerned good luck val

dreamdaisy

Morning soggy-then-shivery, how goes it all so far? I think a trip to Dr K is on the cards, yes? Don't google, tempting though that may be, talk to the doc who is getting a better understanding of you (and your complex situation) every time you see him. You are not being a bother or a nuisance, this is his job and what he is well-remunerated for. DD

tillytop

Thank you all for your replies. I knew I could rely on you for information

Lynn - I am so sorry you have flushes from the pred and I know exactly where you are coming from when you say that you sometimes wonder if the pain would be preferable. I too am on long-term pred and wonder if it makes my flushes worse. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place eh? But I think your idea of getting my new doc cloned is a reel good un

Sticky - really no need for the :oops:! Thanks for your enouraging words

DD - thanks for your kind words - and yes, henceforth my new doc will be referred to as "Dr Kildaire" Soggy then shivery describes it well and it continues in the same vein today :roll: But I have just had a
1 hour 20 minute break - yay!!!

Wonky - thanks so much for playing "pa" and posting on behalf of Cris. That was really kind of you.

Cris - thanks so much for taking the time to reply (twice!) when you are struggling so much. Thanks too for your point about synthetic hormones because I really didn't know any of that. I have checked the HRT brand which was mentioned to me before and am pleased to say that they are definitely synthetic hormones. Thanks for sending the (())s and the deer nudge Have just restocked the owl box and strapped it back on and he is on the way back to you now

Val - thanks for your post and really glad the HRT has helped you. I was glad to know that they worked quite quickly too.

Thanks again all - much appreciated.

TIlly (aka Lizzy Dripping )xxx

suzygirl

Hi Tilly, I am unable to help, but am sending a cool fan and a warm blanket your way. Have you seen a gynae? I saw one who beleived my problems were the immune system turning on that area. She did prescribe a couple of meds, which I am unable to take due to reynauds. Have a chat with your gp.

(((hugs)))

frogmorton

Hi Tilly

sorry sticky l have no experience, but am posting!!

Tilly l swim if l can as regularly as l can and put my patches for pain (bu-trans) on my upper arms, not lower body as my theory is those bits are pretty-well permanently under water in tha bath/pool.

having said that they are 7 day patches and never has one 'come off' in the pool.

Love and hugs

Toni xxx

dreamdaisy

Morning sogshiv, I hope you had a reasonable night without too many melts/freezes. :roll: Oh hon, I do remember it well and flaming miserable it is too. suzy's made a good point, hasn't she? I am sure Dr K will sort that out if required. I am thinking of you. DD

julie47

Morning Tilly

I am so very sorry that you are having these terrible problems

I have no advice to give as I am not on hrt, I just wanted to send you my love and hope that your appointment on wednesday is helpful and that the drug/patch works for you.

Take care
Love & hugs
Juliepf xxx

SheilaD

Hi Tilley

I so sympathise with you having the sweats and freezes, I had to go through the menopause without any HRT treatment as I have lost 6 of my Aunts and Grandmother on my mums side to breast cancer so my Dr would not put me on HRT. However she did put me on Clonidine which helped a little. Hope you get sorted soon I know it is very wearing.

Love n hugs
SheilaD xx

tillytop

Morning and a belated "thankyou" to Suzy, Toni, DD, Juliepf, and Sheila for your replies.

Suzy - thanks for the thought about the gynae. I did have a (very unpleasant) appt with the specialist menopause clinic a few years ago and the doc said first that "she had never heard of this before" ?!!!! and then "oh well use half of an HRT patch and if it give you problems just stop". So I am not keen to go there again if I can possibly help it. But my GP, like your doc, thinks my probls are immune system related and, if he thinks further referral is needed I will go along with his recommendations.

Toni - I was encouraged by what you said about the patches staying on cos that was a bit of a concern for me.

DD - I love the term "sogshiv" cos it describes things perfectly!

Juliepf - thanks for you kind words.

Sheila - so sorry you had to struggle on through without HRT. That must have been awful for you. Interesting to hear what you said about clonidine. I mentioned this to my (previous) GP recently and he was reluctant to give it to me because of my potential lung problem but I may mention it again to the new GP to see what he says.

Thanks again all, much appreciated.

Love Tillyxxx