I am 60 years old, post menopausal, and have been experiencing a great deal of anxiety, depression, flashes, mood swings, etc. for a year. I also have a very unstable thyroid gland. The new endo I just saw thinks its estrogen that is causing the symptoms and not thyroid and put me on a combi patch almost two weeks ago. I haven't noticed any changes yet and wondered if anyone knows how long it would take for the estrogen/progesterone to stabilize and begin to change symptoms. I go back in three weeks, get thyroid retested in two. If its not related to sexual hormones I want to be ready to try something different. I am about at the end of my rope with these unbelievably awful feelings. They seem to be the worst early morning, about 5 am.
Thanks,
Barbara

i feel for you Barbara. Some of us get a myriad of symptoms that make life all
but un-doable. (I have 32 of the 34 recognized peri-menopause symptoms).

I started hormones approximately 2 and a half months ago. I have just now begun to think
they are working. One friend I know said, "it takes about a week." Another said, "it takes at least a month. And
then it will be like a light switch - you'll be your old self again."

That didn't happen for me. I kept waiting for the hormones to "kick in." I finally started feeling better at about the 2 month mark. I continued to have all the same symptoms - just the volume knob got turned down.
And i still have them. For me, the HRT just turns it all down to a level in which I can function. And I hope it gets better. As far as I know, it takes a full 3 months of being on a certain HRT to know if it is working for you.

I have a friend who just finished her 3 month mark of Angelique. I take the same hormone. I ran into her at our doctor's office and she was in there to ask for something STRONGER. I can only imagine how miserable she is and she doesn't get the panic attacks/anxiety/ depression like I do.

I'm just grateful there are drugs out there for those of us who can't do it any other way.

Hi Barbara and Karla-

What is Angelique? Never heard of it. Does it help with horrible morning anxiety? Barbara- My anxiety start at 3:00 AM. It actually wakes me from my pitful excuse for sleep and I feel as though someone has plugged me into a light socket.

I am in a relapse ( my NHRT stopped working) it is generally takes me at least a month to feel like myself again sometimes two so HANG IN THERE.

I know how hard this can be. I am soooooooooooooooooo sick of this crap coming and going. The low moods and crazy out of control feelings. God I would never have thought my forties could be like this.

I am starting regular exercise and am cutting way back on caffine (no chocolate at all) No soda. I hope this helps.

Keep iin touch

Sandy

Hi Karla & 40something,

I'm at the 6 month mark on my NHRT, and it seems to be not helping as much as it did in the begining. My worst thing (amoung many), was the awful fatigue and feeling down. This seemed to lift as I began my NHRT, now it seems to be back, feeling tired and just don't want to do anything.

For the past couple of weeks, I have started exercising, 4x per week. Trying so hard to get out from under this black cloud.

It's the dread of having to get up and go, I'd rather not, these days!!! I think the NHRT, makes it better, but certainly not great.

Big hugs to all, Jules

I really feel for you ladies and know where you're coming from. I started on the estrogen patch last July and after 2 months I began to feel better. I too had many of the physical symptoms but I had to take something because I also have one daughter graduating high school this year and two boys in college. I am also an office manager for a chiropractic clinic. It helped for a while and then the symptoms started to creep back up again, especially the anxiety. My problem is I am dealing with doctors who would rather prescribe anti-depressants then try to help me tweek my medicine or find another hormone replacement. So I sent all my blood work to Pete and have worked with them since December.
Several times I have felt like my old self again but then like yesterday and today, I feel just BLAH! No anxiety or depression but I just don't feel like myself. I guess I just need to up my estrogen a little more but I didn't want to do that because I thought I wanted to try to take the lowest dose possible for me and get used to that and just try to ride out days like today by just resting. I too have felt like getting out to exercise but I get as far as putting my shoes on and then forget it. I'm an avid walker and just started lifting weights so it's not like I haven't done it before.
But I do remember reading a book by Pamela Peeke and she too is going thru perimenopause and she mentioned there are days when she just can't exercise so she just watches what she eats for those days and then gets right back into her exercise regimen. I just keep telling myself THIS TOO SHALL PASS!

Kat

Hi All

It is so depressing reading your posts - I identify with all your comments.

I am 44 and have been a confident outgoing energetic woman for all my adult life - last year this all changed - I am now out of work, knackered and have totally lost my pazazz (is that how you spell it?). The anxiety is the pits - I just loathe it but cant seem to escape it totally - most days i can just about cope with it. This is the loneliest and most unpleasant time of my life - I feel my life is over and I dont want to feel like that.

I have just come back from another wasted visit to my GP - tried to discuss the various HRT options but he just doesnt seem to have got a clue what is out there - except what he is allowed to prescribe by the NHS - I even asked for a gynae referral (yet again) and he said - perhaps I should be left alone by medics for a while???? WEll they have not done much for me for the last year - so maybe he is right !

I tried HRT last year - pills and patches - it just didnt take away any of my symptoms - and I didnt tolerate the progesterone very well.

I am doing the healthy diet, exercise and relaxation thing - but it is hard work - some days - I just drag myself through.

I feel for all of you - and am going through the same thing

I am not feeling my young self either - BLAH is a good description of me at the moment!!!

Sandy - I am with you - I thought my forties would be an exciting time - not this mess up - I also wake at 3am (and that is after sleeping tablets) - and have the light bulb phenomena.......grrrrrrrrrrrrrr

But I am still here 18 months into peri - roll on equilibrium......

Mele

I can't imagine starting this in my 40's. i had a partial hysterectomy at 43 - 9 years ago, i opted to keep my ovaries to keep off hormones - bad idea - when meno hit i had no idea what it was. it took 5 doctors. today i have been on hrt for 9 weeks. still waiting for my old self but today is a good day and i love them when i have them. i went to a sleep specialist yesterday and he agreed my insomnia is because of stress and hormones. ambien cr was a nightmare for me i started it in november and haven't slept since. only 3-4 hours a night. yesterday my gyno and the sleep doctor agreed the ambien was not for me and i was switched to lunesta - hope they have it in Canada and the UK. i took it at 9:00 last night i got a phone call at 9:45 and that is the last thing i remember until this morning at 9:00. i did wake up but unlike with the ambien i went right back to sleep. i woke up probably 4-5 times, looked at the clock and rolled back over. on ambien i would have been pacing the floor and crying for my sleep. so hopefully we're on to something. even today i still have my anxiety - i don't go anywhere without my xanax - take it religiously 3 times a day. panic attacks are not for me. i do walk around in a fog, i can't remember who i tell what to and what i did 5 minutes before - so i've decided i just need to keep my mouth shut and do nothing. except here of course. my gyno took me off the patch last week, i was going down hill each week as the patch weakened so did i so he switched me to a femring. who knows if it's working - i called his office this morning because my BP is back up and after talking to the pharmacist that is the only change we have made to my therapy. i go see my cardiologist next week and we'll see what she says - i switched to a female - i thought she might be more sympathetic about not putting me back on BP medicine and work thru the menopause with my gyno. i also started on high does of B vitamins for energy and they may be helping but i forget to take them alot of the time, i take non-flushing niacin 2000 mg per day and omega 3 to try to lower my cholesteral naturally. i also take compounded dhea 15 mg per day and 200 mg of prometrium. Do they have any of these in Canada or the UK? the pharmacist also ordered me some sort of a protein powder (choclate flavor) that you mix with cold water or you can blend it with water and ice. he said to try it for a month every morning - i don't eat breakfast - only my morning dr. pepper. he said as did the drug rep that this would level out my glucose levels and help stop the highs and lows of the day when i start crashing and need more sugar. everyone says protein, protein, protein or soy and i'm highly alleric to soy - so that only leaves protein, i'm allergic to most fish so that leaves chicken, pork and beef, and since hitting meno - i don't cook it's fast food or starve around our house. hope some of this helps give you all some ideas. tomorrow could be a horrible day but i celebrate today for its goodness!!!!!

I apologize for not having responded sooner. I finally figured out how to be notified of someone's post on a particular topic. (DUH!)

Angeliq is a hormone therapy put out by Shering. The package says "Estradiol - Drospirenona" so I assume those are the hormones in it. I got it prescribed here in Mexico (where it seems they treat menopause more readily than other countries) but I'm sure there is an equivalent in the states, etc. Shering is a big company.

ANyway, I am just finishing up my 3rd month on Angeliq. I definitely feel better being on hormones than I did without. I know they're not for everyone. What I am experiencing (and which seems to be common) is periodic relapses. I'll be going along fine for maybe a week and then whammo! Anxiety and Depression back again.
These relapses are nowhere near as severe as my first drop in hormone levels last December. i was ready for the nut house then.

But it's hard to feel improvement and then go back in the toilet for while. This latest relapse lasted two weeks and the depression was very bad.

I have a life-long history of depression, so I have to be on anti-depressants and I too rely on Xanax (and valium) for the anxiety. I just can't function without it.

It seems that there will be relapses all along the way even when you're on HRT. Forewarned is forearmed and just knowing this (from all the posts I've read from you dear ladies) helps immensely.

Two steps forward, one step back, two steps forward, one step back . . .

Pamela Peeke is one of the many hundreds of guests that Dearest has had in Power Surge Guest Chats. She was a wonderful guest and answered all out questions. The transcript is available in the Power Surge Transcript Library.



Enjoy!

Hi all -

I started a new topic to discuss similar matters, but haven't heard any response, so I thought I'd try here. I'm 47 and starting last year, changed from a normal person to an anxiety ridden, depressed and exhausted wreck. You know the story. I have been trying xanax, lexapro and don't feel anything like I did before, although I'm willing to give the Lexapro a bit longer to see. I'm also getting vaginal pains which are being investigated. The new gyno I saw wants to put me on low dose bc (loestrin) but I'm terrified as my one experience with bc was the Nuvaring which made me feel worse. Her colleague supposedly does natural hormones, which is a consideration. The gyno I went to feels a hormone is a hormone. I don't know what to do - I've read some of you say NHRT worked for a while, then stopped. Have any of you whose symptoms are primarily emotional - anxiety, depression, spaciness taken low dose bc with any success?

I've read the book "Could it Be Perimenopause" by Steven Goldstein, who is in the expert section of Power Surge. He is very big on low dose b/c for peri symptoms and his books has all these so-called suceess stories. I'm not sure if that applies to emotional symptoms. Any opinions on that?

In the same vein, has anyone had success with NHRT for anxiety and depresssion? My gyno talks about trial and error, but I can't tolerate going any lower than I am now - Any experiences you could share would be so much appreciated! Between the anxiety and now the pain I desperately need to find help!



Lidge

i hear you when you say you can't function without your xanax. it was my salvation. i take lexapro and have been able to decrease my xanax to once a day. i don't care if i have to take the lexapro for the rest of my life as long as i don't slip back to where i was 6 months ago, then i felt like i was on the edge of a huge black hole and cried all the time, had no energy and was totally disfunctional. i too take 2 steps forward, one step back but now i am up to three steps forward one back. the real test will be the next three weeks. my daughter is in houston starting today doing an internship with a pediatric heart surgeon, she passes out easily and the thought of her driving in houston traffic. my husband and one of my son's took her down yesterday and on to the hospital today, now she is on her own. i'm giving my hubby the cell phone for the next 3 weeks so if she gets in a car wreck, passes out, gets sick etc he can deal with it, the stess and anxiety i can't handle at this time - i don't want another set back. hang in there

I have been on Angeliq for 6 weeks now and the hot flashes and night sweats have subsided BUT I have these awful mood swings, crying spells, and feeling SORRY for myself. Is this a downside to taking this hormone? Any help is GREATLY appreciated.
I am 52 and have been going through the flashes and sweats for the last 9 yrs, this year they became intolerable and I needed some sleep so that is why I started the hormone and now I am having a period - last period was Feb.09
Is this another downside to the hormone?
How long do you safely stay on this hormone? I look at my age and health conditions and I do not want to stay on it very long.