Feeling dreadful

Women's health
1

I wonder if anyone can reassure me or offer some advice? I've just had an operation on my neck so am still feeling sore and am recovering slowly. Today I woke up and felt very sick, absolutely exhuasted and with everything aching (the backs of my legs, my back etc).

I am definitely peri-menopausal (nearly 52) and have Evorel oestrogen only patches. My periods are very erratic and I always feel worse when a period is due. Do these symptoms sound familiar to anyone and does anyone have any advice? I saw a Gynaecologist ages ago who said I should really be on full HRT rather than just oestrogen patches since I haven't had a hysterectomy, but my GP doesn't want to "rock the boat" since I am taking other medication for my neck problems. Does anyone think HRT would help this terrible tiredness, achiness and sickness?  Thank you!

 

2

Hi,

i am no medic, but if you had general anaesthetic it takes a couple of weeks to get out of your system.  Hope everything went well and speedy recovery.

i am 51 not seen a monthly for about 3 years now, but still getting severe ovary pain sickness tiredness joint and muscle aches and pains, I have tried lots of diffent hrt, and the merina coil for the progesterone, I was so ill had to have it removed 2 weeks later then I was hospitalised twice, they couldn't find infection and sent me home with morphine, I lost over 2 and 1/2 stone in 2 months and my GP was not concerned ? .

i also have thyroid problems possibly hypothyroidisum, but fluctuates to hyper, then when the little bit of eastrogen that's probably left/ or the eastrogen and progesterone that are not there, kicks in oh my god, my throat feels like something stuck in it, I get a cough and lack of voice, headache, feel sick, legs like jelly, trouble holding me up, shakes, the flushes are like infernos, and then the cold, I have to get in a boiling hot bath to try and warm up.

i am fed up with it all, it consumed my life and my body, my hair looks and feels like a hay bail, and falls out as soon as touched, I am going to try some natural progesterone, that you can buy online, had five years of this madness, on antidepressants it got so bad. 

Hrt works for some and not others, good luck with whatever you decide.

 

3

Thanks for your reply, It sounds as though you've had a terrible time! At least I am not alone! Maybe natural progesterone is a good idea

4

I can sympathise with you totally.  I HATE the menopause!!!  I am post menopausal and now on HRT because I just could not stand it any more.  Aches in joints, bladder problems hot flushes and just feeling ME.  Anxious too and angry; lost confidence, confused!!!!  Early days yet for HRT and I have started to bleed a bit which is very common in the early stages.  My joints are now much better and my bladder much improved so I do feel better.  I do feel a little dizzy and some palpitations but blood pressure is ok.....bit worried about this but then I worry about EVERYTHING!!!!  Hope the natural stuff works for you.  This is such a hard time for us all but we will get there.XXXX

5

Hi Brevis

hope your nexk soon feels better ..

i am age 50 and 19 months post menopause .. No HRT ... Cant take it as family history, been a long old road..

however, i do use ovestin vaginal ovules for the dryness 😏 but that just treats that vag dryness..

i would listen to your gyno... Estrogen only may be why you feel abit off.

especially if your not post meno..

jay x

6

This info may help 

https://patient.info/medicine/oestrogen-hrt

jay x

7

Thank you! I might go back to him and have a chat

 

8

Yes, it's rubbish isn't it? I just want to be ME again! May I ask which HRT you are taking? Thanks so much. xxxx

 

9

I hope you recover fine you just had surgery so just take it easy wait a couple of weeks and if you are not yourself talk to your doctor about what to do. What kind of surgery did you have on your neck may I ask 

Just get penty of rest and take it easy 

10

Hi

I Havnt been well since dec with back pain (now ok) but since early feb I've had excruciating knee pain in both knees saw my gp had MRI which shows dengenerative

Arthritis the pain been terrible I had it pointed our by my sister I cud be menopausal I had hysterectomy in 1990 left 1 ovary saw gp had bllodds n my FSH was high n should be low I've been put on HRT low dose I felt like I had morning sickness many morning n actual vomit red bile type stuff felt anxious & terribly emotional I've been on HRT now 6 days feel slightly better so fingers crossed it will help knee pain yesterday was there but not as full on as it's been & again today but right now it's twinging like hell n burning spasm type pain

Hope this helps x

11

Sorry that states red type bile ? Why it's that coz I'm not vomitting red bile lol

12

Oestrogen patches can be "full" hrt.  Depends on the strength.  They usually come in 100ug/day or 50 ug/day.  Usually 2 per week.  However, my body uses a lot of oestrogen so they (100) generally only lasted 3 days, so I topped it up with a satchet of oestrogen gel on the 7th day.  I also used Vagifem and oestrodiol cream for you know where.  Make sure you are using the MX or matrix patches which disseminate the oestrogen evenly rather than in one hit.

To answer your question about fatilgue, like Scampi says, surgery takes a while to recover from.  I had two surgeries within 13 days - boy did I feel bad.  I took Livatone to help speed the anaesthetic out of my liver.  It is excellent stuff - for me anyway.

My surgeries included removal of half thyroid - disturbing the thyroid really makes you feel sick, and the second was removal of a cancerous tumour on my parotid gland, again on my face and neck.  Not a good time.  You just have to rest up and keep resting until you feel better.  Sorry if you have kids and no help.

Ask you dr to test your Iron Studies if not already done so, and ask for copies of your blood tests to check for yourself.

 

13

It's now 3 months since the surgery. It was a fusion on my neck. I'm still getting terrible pain- I don't know if it's muscular or just wear and tear. I've only just gone back to work and I feel absolutely exhausted.

 

14

Thank you for your helpful comments. I just wonder if it's possible to go on something which "masks" the lead up to a period since it is no co-incidence that I feel particularly dreadful just before one is due (although they are now so erratic I can feel like this for 2 weeks)! I still don't think I should be on oestrogen only patches since I haven't had a hysterectomy. Have you? I have Evorel 50 patches so don't know if they are matrix patches or not...

I do have an iron supplement to drink which might be a good idea. I just don't know if I can take any additional vitamins on top of all the heavy duty pain killers I am taking at the moment.

15

Hi Brevis,

I can't speak to the medications you are taking, but if your iron levels are low, everything is going to feel bad. I take iron supplements in liquid form, like what they usually give to babies, and I take it with a meal, because my stomach would reject it otherwise. It isn't ideal, but it is enough, and in this case, enough is as good as a feast. I would take the iron supplements, if you have had your blood tested and your iron is low. I mean I REALLY would take it. It made an immense amount of difference to me. 

I have had really good results with progesterone cream too. I would talk to the doc about it. I don't think they can give any definitive answers, I would kind of ask to try it and see (not the cream, I mean the mixed hrt). 

Good luck and don't give up til you feel better.

16

Hi I am taking Elleste Duet Conti 2 and 1mg......like I say not major side effects as yet. Still bleeding abit which is worrying me sick but is just me and my deadful anxiety.  Take care.XX

17

Thank you so much. It's just such an effort to get through each day at the moment!

18

i have to ask because i see it a lot on this board - why are you all getting hrt and gyne meds/advice from your gp?  your gp has "general" knowledge; they look in a book and say, "ah this is what is normally done."  a gyne has experience in the specific area that you are having problems in.  that's their specialty. 

as others have said, anaesthetics, pain meds, fluids, antibiotics from your surgery have just invaded your body and it takes a while for the body to adjust, and their natural reaction is to flush them out. plus your cells are  mending the tissues from the procedure.  your body is working overtime right now.  that doesn't always feel good.  think of drinking too much alcohol or being addicted.  body reacts the same way to something it feels is strange.

hope you feel better soon.   

19

Hi kristi

i totally agree.. GP is general and i would never listen to a GP for Gyno issues, always a Gyno..

jay x

20

I don't disagree with you at all Kristi but it is quite normal in Scotland to be issued HRT by a  GP.  Thay often do this in consultation with the Menopause clinic and my GP did this.  A lot of women get referred to menopause clinic but through a hitch that was my fault I just could not wait to be seen and thought I was going to go crazy so I was prescribed...I will be going to gyn soon as advised by my GP and he is seeing my regularily.  The ideal is to beprescribed by a consultant but the numbers would be too large for the gyne department to cope with.XX