I,d like to let all the ladies with all the horrible, scary menopause symptoms know that although it takes time, you can overcome this and beat it. A few months ago, I was at the end of my rope, having been messed about by various doctors, experimenting with dosages and types of hrt.I was suicidal and offered ad,s, sleeping tablets, beta blockers etc. I didn't go down that route. I discovered magnesium which, because I had a major issue swallowing anything bigger than the hrt tablet, I took in the form of cell salts. These little tabs. settled my system down and I added Kali phos, for nerves. These are natural salts, and non addictive, just something your body is low on. So after the head doctor took over my care and put me back on the hrt I had been on and which I was taken off due to my age, 60, he then put me back on to the original hrt. However, the 1mg of estrogen was too low, and it was changed to 2mg. This was the sequi version, which kick started my period, but things generally settled down considerably. So, although I Have worked through and had to put up with a fairly uncomfortable few months, I now feel pretty normal. My regime is now the hrt conti 2mg estrogen and 1mg progesterone, vitamin b12 complex, vitamin d, cell salts, mag phos and kali phos in the morning, and magnesium night spray at bedtime, I now sleep for about 6 hours (at one point I did not sleep at all!) and can even go back to sleep for a couple of hours after waking. I don't have hot flushes, the panic attacks have gone, the anxiety has calmed down, the dry , burning mouth is soon much better, the reflux has cleared, the dry nose is much better and I can once again cope with every day life. I get the occasional shakes still, but that is settling down too. I have more good days and can even contemplate booking our annual holiday, when we drive to France and rent a gite. I couldn't have even thought about this before. I have been on distance trips for work and have done a presentation with no problems,. So for all you ladies who have been struggling, hang in there as you too, can overcome the menopause horrors. My doctor finally did hormone checks a couple of weeks ago, and acknowledged that I had been right and that the low hormones were to blame for all of my symptoms and I had been right not to take all the meds prescribed because I would now be dependant on them. As it is, he actually said that I could probably do with an even higher dose of hormones and as that is not possible, he is quite happy for me to stay on my current regime as it is so obviously helped. I hope this long message can help some of you, I know we are all different and one size does not fit all, but stand by your guns, as we have got to be heard. Best wishes to all who are still in "the dark place".
So good to read your story and that it had a happy ending. I too have had a happy ending after a short but extremely unpleasant Peri Menopause. I went down the BHRT route after suffering extreme mood swings with terrible depression that almost sent to crazy. I had all the other typical symptoms but they seemed to settle down reasonably fast and the depression and uncontrollable mood swings set in like nothing I have ever experienced before. The BHRT wasn't an instant fix and the first 6 weeks for me was unpleasant as my doctor gave me a bit too much estrogen and it sent my mood swings into overdrive. Its since been adjusted and I am leveling out nicely. I have a troche with estrogen progesterone & testosterone all levels are according to my bloods and symptoms. Iv been on BHRT 12 weeks now, I still have ups and downs but I can cope with life again too.
I feel I was very fortunate to have found a doctor with the level of care and understanding he has for what we go through as woman.
I completely agree that it is a very individual thing as to what will work for you, but those with success story need to share and hopefully it will help someone else have a happy ending too.
Goodluck to everyone with your journey through menopause. Please never give up hope.
This is great news. I just want to give a shout out for magnesium as well. I was like you, sleeping very little or not at all. I tried melatonin but had trouble with side effects. Magnesium has been a godsend. I sleep at least 6 hours most nights, sometimes more.
But do you think you are better because you finally came out the other side? Or do you attribute it to the hrt and supplements?
If I listened to my doctors I'd now be on Lexapro, birth control pills and klonopin! Screw that!!
It'll be a week tomorrow that I've started the BHRT. I've had some waves of shakes and flu feeling, but much less then before. This week would be my bad week and I'm finding, even though I'm having some symptoms, it's more manageable and I'm able to function. I don't want to say too early but maybe it's starting to work?
I'm still having spotting, it started the day of ovulation and has been non stop. My period was due last week and I never got it. Just annoying spotting. Will it ever stop? And what happened to my period? I'm crampy but nothing. I told the GYN office about it and the answer was 'we will check you after you start the bc pills', well first off they said to start the bc pills day one of my period, but I never got a period AND I threw those pills in the garbage. My GYN is against bios so now what? I have to tell her, she will be angry that I didn't take her advice. Hoping I don't have uterine cancer or something ominous..
I wish i could go into the the healing process without the medications. I am going through some serious symptoms right now and i am trying to hold down a job and raise a daughter. But thank you for the encouraging words. Meno-hell is got me in its claws and wont let go. Help is you know of any holistic meno treatment. Meno sister.
Supermack, so glad to hear that you have gotten things to calm down. I do have a question though. You said you are doing 2 mg of estrogen with 1 mg progesterone?
That's a very low dose of progesterone. And I'm not sure what "conti" or "sequi version" means. I'm sure this is some different term used in Europe. Could you please describe what that indicates. And if you don't mind, what form (route of administration) are you taking your hormones?
You had the BMS, I do too. I've been taking over the counter stuff for menopause/ energy but only been in it for 3 weeks but noticed my hot flashes are a lot less now, energy, well still have that. My BMS I've been using the b12 melts 1500mcg and brushing my teeth with Jay baking soda, it seems to be pretty good, not totally gone but a lot better, hopefully gone all together soon. Maybe the magnesium I should try too for fatigue right?
Hi Gailannie, there seems to have been a problem getting responses through over the last few days,so I am late in replying. The sequi hrt means you take 1mg/2mg estrogen for 16 days, then 1mg /2mg estrogen plus 1mg progesterone for 12 days, then when you go back onto the estrogen only, you have a period. The conti means you take the joint hrt every day, with no bleed. Basically, I had my periods kick started to resolve the horrific symptoms I was having. However, I have now been put onto the conti version, as I thought it was ridiculous to be having periods at my age! My GP has finally acknowledged that I was right all along and that my symptoms were all menopausal and had no other issues causing the anxiety, insomnia, major panic attacks, constant muscle pains, depression etc.etc. He is now super supportive and understanding. The 1mg of progesterone is the amount in the particular hrt I take. But I have noted that there seems to be much higher levels in other brands. I was given a variety of other brands which during the horrendous time I went through a few months ago, did not work for me. I have asked about patches, but the conversion from oral to transdermal is quite difficult to work out, and my GP has actually said that he does not want me to go back to how I was and that it is beyond his level of expertise! I would like the patches because I could then reduce, gradually, the dosage but apparently I need the level of estrogen I take. Hope this answers your question? X
I take a vit b12 complex and that seems to help with the BMS. But magnesium has been an absolute godsend, as it is non addictive and apparently all of us are low in magnesium. I always believed that our bodies should get enough benefits from a normal diet, but that was before menopause! Doctors are good at handing out anti-depressants, sleeping tablets and beta blockers and if I had gone along with this regime, I would now be dependant on all of them. As it is, I now feel almost back to normal, with no dependancies. Getting through this may have been easier and possibly quicker, but I feel stronger without having the medication which all had side effects of their own. Nearly all of my symptoms have gone and I can actually "feel" again.
I attribute everything settling down to the hrt, although it took time to find the right level. Although my symptoms became unmanageable around six months ago, I only had my hormone levels checked about three weeks ago, whe it was finally acknowledged that my very low levels of estrogen, even while now taking 2mg, was what was causing the symptoms. The doctor even said I should have even higher doses, but he can't prescibe them. I have had a biopsy etc. and everything was normal. Personally, I would prefer to go on to patches as I could then reduce slowly, but the doctor does not want to rock the boat, so it looks like I will be on hrt indefinately.
Thank you Supemack for the info, I might just go out and get some of the magnesium today! I too hate depending on pills, I do, like I think I said, take clonazepam for years though, way before menopause and blood pressure pill 25 mg. so no more pills unless it's really needed and all natural for my menopause if I can help it! Thanks again!
Good luck Cindy. Hope I have helped you. X
Thanks for that explanation. So a couple more questions if that's ok. How old are you? And do you still have a uterus?
And as I understand it this is a combined pill? And that one pill contains 2 mg estradiol a 1 mg of progesterone daily?
Thanks for all my questions. Obviously we are on different continents, and things are a little different. But I'm curious about your HRT.
Hi Gailannie.I am 60 (have felt a lot older during all of this rubbish!) And yes, it's a combined pill that gives 2mg esrogen and 1mg progesterone daily.And yes, I still have all my internal bits!!, I,m in Scotland.
Well how bout that? I'm 60 also, and have all my "bits" as well.
But don't get me started on the 60 thing. Holy heck have things changed, felt really pretty good until I started to crash, got vaginal atrophy, dyness, and painful sex. Who knew that things could change so rapidly? Very unpleasant.
I haven't slept with my husband since all of this went out of control.For months, I slept on the settee, then I tried the spare room, a few hours, then back to the settee. Now I manage the whole night in the spare room.However, I have "visited "a few times recently, much to the relief of both of us! It's our anniversary today...43 years....and he,s stuck with me through all of the difficult days and nights. Poor man.....He didn't sign up for this.
How long may I ask did you go through meno? Been going on 9 years for me but the past 1 year has been the roughest for me with the BMS,hot flashes, anxiety, panic attacks and fatigue, light headed too off and on, all just nasty things!
My husband has been very patient as well. I'm starting to realize that men's midlife crisis are having to put up with us going through all of this!
Difficult to say really, as I had the disturbed sleep, anxiety etc. approx ten years ago, then went on to hrt. So until last September, I didn't really have any problem. Then, when the patches which I was put on three months before because of my age,were not giving me enough hormones, the proverbial hit the fan. Now things have settled down after roughly six months and there is not a chance of me stopping the hrt and going back to how I was!