Hi ladies - I'm 51, have had 3 light periods in the last year, FSH= 72. My Gyn says FSH that high shows me well into menopause, so I shouldn't be having any periods. That's probably why I have felt so lousy for the past year - nausea almost 24/7, no appetite, insomnia, night sweats, foggy head at times, the usual. I started HRT(PremPhase) 6 days ago and really don't feel any better, maybe even a bit worse. How long should I give it before jumping ship? (I'm on the verge now.) If PremPhase doesn't work, should I not bother with any others? Should I give BHRT a chance? Or should I just forget the drugs and try to muddle through this myself. I'm REALLY sick of feeling lousy. The month before I started the HRT, I actually had about 4-5 good days. Maybe I was beginning to pull out of it. Have I muddied the waters with the HRT? Looking forward to hearing your ideas! Power Surge is such a lifeline.

Hi there,
The more time I spend on Power Surge the more I realise that every lady is so individual that it is difficult to give any useful advice on this one. The great thing is that you can access the experiences of those who have had success with HRT and those who are trying to blunder on alone. My individual experience has led me to believe that if you are willing to give it enough time, you will come out on the 'other side.' If however you really 'crash and burn' what other option is there than to try medication? In that case, I think that it can take quite a while to get things balanced. There are no quick fixes here.
Today I visited a 70 year old lady who suffered such bad hot flashes at menopause, that she sought help in the form of HRT. I asked her that if she could have her time again would she take HRT and she said absolutely not. She said that when she had to come off the medication all the symptoms started again and she was much older, which made it very difficult to cope. The trouble is all these things are sooooo subjective.
Touch wood things are improving for me, although I will admit that things are not what they were. My symptoms were very severe and I could not have worked full time during my worst times. I just had to kind of vegetate, during the transition period. At one stage my life was being destroyed by vaso-motor symptoms. I now find it difficult to remember when I had my last hot flash. I really did have to hang on during the eye of the storm and feel that if I had taken HRT at the worst stage I may have muddied the water and just prolonged the whole situation. I just feel that if we ladies have to go through the wringer I would rather do it at 50 than 60. That is of course only personal opinion.
That said, my mind is always open and if my life becomes intolerable as I venture further into post menopause, I shall assess the situation again.


Regards,

XIII[size="6"][/size]

I don't think you should judge how you feel on Premphase as how you would necessarily feel on other forms of hormone replacement. The synthetic hormone molecules do not fit into the receptor sites as perfectly as bioidentical hormones do and the result can be unpleasant side effects. There are many other brands of hormones your gyn can prescribe, including pills, patches and gels... maybe you can ask your gyn to switch you to another type if you are not finding improvement with your current prescription.

XIII - Thanks for your input! I was wondering how that worked - does HRT cover up the problem until your body gets through it or does it just prolong the inevitable miserable withdrawal and put you through it when you decide to give up the HRT? If thats the case, I guess maybe it's better to **** it up and get through it the first time? I'm going to try and make up my mind in the next week about whether I want to continue with the drugs or give them up. If I don't get some miraculous improvement in the next week, I guess I'll probably ditch them. I so want a quick fix, but, as you said, that's not happening. When all this started a year ago, I was so dissappointed when I left numerous tests/appts. without a quick solution. I was used to going to the Dr., getting a pill, and feeling better in a day or two. As weeks turned into months, and now months to a year, I sadly realize that's not happening. Very discouraging and not fair!

Not fair indeed!
Being a woman should carry a government health warning!
When I think back over all the grot I have suffered because of hormones, I cringe. The worst bit was when I suspect that I was in full imbalance with oestrogen dominance. Constant pelvic and neck pain with brain crushing migraines several times per month. Then came brain death, and mind numbing fatigue and the loss of body temperature control. Gorgeous!
The good news is that I think that I am breaking through into calmer water. The life I lost is slowly sneaking back. Looking back on it all I am just so angry that apart from PowerSurge I was totally alone. I only found PS at the tail end of my journey. The other day I went on BBC radio and recommended the site to menopausal ladies in the UK. Hopefully they can join PS at the start of their journey rather than toward the end as I did!

Cheers,

XIII

I can tell you my experience with HRT. I didn't have the same set of symptoms as you though. My worse symptom was anxiety which of course produced insomnia - that's why it was prescribed in the first place. The hot flashes I'd had before taking it were only mild. I found when I first took it that some of the symptoms actually got worse initially. Not the hot flashes though - it was very successful in dealing with those. I didn't have one the entire time I was on it. It took me a few months to settle down on it however. If you consider, your hormones are probably fluctuating in peri anyway - then you add more hormones in the form of HRT. It might take your body a while to adjust.

I stopped taking it two and a half years later. The doctor advised to take to the end of the packet and then simply stop which in retrospect, was very bad advice (it would have been more successful to taper off I suspect). If when you go through peri and menopause you're taking HRT, you're receiving a high level of estrogen. If you stop abruptly and your body is no longer producing high levels of its own estrogen, your estrogen level falls rapidly. That's what happened to me. I was more or less OK for two to three weeks after stopping, with the odd minor effect, then I was plunged into very severe symptoms indeed. I consulted a doctor privately at that time who specialised in menopause and with her help and bioidentical progesterone prescribed by her and other supplements, the symptoms eventually abated and now I feel fine.

My problem with GP's in the UK (I don't know if it's different in the States) is that they prescribe HRT as standard for menopausal symptoms but don't seem to have any protocol for when the woman has to stop taking it. In the UK recommended practice is that it should not be prescribed for longer than five years and ideally, no longer than two, so the woman is going to have to come off it sometime.

I've read on this board of people who know other women (older I think) who withdrew from HRT with no problem. Perhaps it depends how far through peri and menopause you are when you withdraw, or how sensitive to hormones you are or what symptoms you initially took it for.

I can so identify with what you say about going to the doctor and expecting a quick fix, as was the case prior to peri. That was my attitude too! I couldn't know then it would go on for four years! I seem ok now though. For me, HRT didn't take away all the symptoms - I still experienced anxiety from time to time - quite badly on some occasions. However your symptoms are different so you may find it more effective. It certainly did deal with hot flushes efficiently as I say.

If any of your symptoms are progesterone related rather than estrogen related or as a result hormone fluctuation generally, remember that the progesterone in HRT is synthetic and there for the sole purpose of protecting the uterine lining. The progesterone that the body makes itself has more functions in the body I think than just protecting the lining of the uterus. I think this is why I continued to suffer anxiety whilst on HRT but why using natural progesterone cured the anxiety.

When I first started taking HRT I too thought that it just helped your body through it and then once you were through menopause you could stop with no ill effects. I think that's because I didn't understand at the time that of course your body becomes dependent on the hormones you're receiving from the HRT. Years prior to peri I'd twice taken the birth control pill and stopped with no problem. I think that's because at the time, my own body was still capable of producing high levels of its own estrogen and progesterone. Not so two and a half years into peri, so when I stopped HRT my body couldn't produce the same high levels and my hormones had to rebalance. Estrogen gradually declines as women go through peri and menopause. If you suddenly stop taking HRT some years into peri or menopause, you go from a high level of estrogen to a lower level very rapidly.

As you know there are different brands of HRT. My GP at the time said that if I had side effects with one we could switch to another. I never did switch to another brand but it makes me think that perhaps different brands might suit different people.

Whether to take hormones or go the bioidentical route if so is an individual decision. If I was starting all over again, I'd go the bioidentical route - but then I'm someone who has no objection to taking hormones (of the bioidentical variety) whereas many women do. We all make our own judgment calls of course, depending on the information we've acquired and what we feel comfortable with. I'm contraindicated for systemic estrogen supplementation, but I supplement with natural progesterone and estriol cream vaginally and I don't intend ever stopping! I feel very well on this regime and I have regular medical check ups and was just so relieved to find something that made me feel well.

Wishing you all the best.

Well done!

I'm having a similar experience to yours, except I haven't had a period in 20 months. I have, however, been on Prempro (not sure if it is the same as premphase, but prob is) for six days with no relief of my symptoms.

I was bound and determined to tough it through the hot flashes, insomnia, mood swings, bloating, nausea, etc. And I did. I survived perimenopause for six years with no hormones. I patted myself on the back when my periods stopped finally and when I hit the 12 month mark, I did a little dance, anticipating that things were going to improve. In my case, however, I was wrong. The hot flashes got worse....much worse. My husband told me today that last night, about 3 pm, he got up to go the bathroom, and noticed that I looked...well..'shiny.' He said he reached out to touch my arm and it was soaking wet. Not damp, or moist, but literallly dripping.

And the insomina got worse...and the mood swings. A week ago I had a meltdown. I simply could not live like this anymore. I'm a very strong person, but this was proving to be my undoing. I am on 28 days of synthetic HRT, and then I'm starting bioidenticals. The thought that it's possible that none of it will help leaves me in tears.

I should add that I've also been through unbelievable stress in the last two years. Really bad stuff. So some of this could be post traumatic stress disorder. Or depression. In fact, I'm sure it's a factor. I take pills for anxiety, anti-depressants...heck, my night table drawer looks like a pharmacy.

I'm a very unhappy person right now. I cry pretty much every day. I can't remember the last time I felt good. Mostly I keep busy, try not to think too much, and rest a lot. And pray.

I hope things get better for you...I'd give the HRT a full 2 weeks before making a judgment. You'll be in my thoughts...

***
Dear Science Lady:

I would give the Premphase about 7 to 10 days longer, at most. Then I would check in with Bellevue Pharmacy, and find out what you should have your Doctor order for you in the way of natural Bio-identical hormones. They can also be cycled, and dosed correctly so that you can get good relief of the insomnia, night sweats, and brain fog. The best dose form to use for the best absorption and relief of symptoms is the sublingual tablets. Don't give up.
Sincerely,
Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.

Dear Science Lady
Just read this Post after I had congratulated you for feeling better.You really have to give it more time as these things take up to about a month to really kick in so in my opinion you are expecting to feel better a little to soon which I certainly understand.After about a month if you still feel lousy you may need to change your medication.

When I was fully Menopausal was put on Tri-sequens.It took about a month to feel o.k. again and it did include a monthly withdrawal bleed.At 53 my Gyno. decided to put me on Angeliq,this has no monthly bleed but a little spotting for about a month or two.Am 57 still on the HRT and feeling very good.I have regular check ups and so far so good.I think I mentioned to you before that my quality of life here in the now is of supreme importance to me.Frankly,like all of us I do not know my life span but want to feel well

I also mentioned that I took Zanax,as needed for Anxiety.Well I never got dependent or needed to up the dose and now I rarely ever use it but know it is there if needed.

So in my humble opinion you have not muddied the waters but slightly stirred them' as your body is getting used to some estrogen returning.I have friends who have been on HRT for many years and are doing well.It is a very personal decision but eventually each one has to find what works for them.this could take some "Experimentation"

hope this info.is helpful
Always stay posted and let us know your news
Blessings
Elizabeth

P.S.If I had the choice of Bio-Identicals would defimitely use them but they are not even known about here in The Middle East as I have approached Compounding Pharmacists and Gynos.on the subject.So getting in touch with Doctor Pete is excellent advice