Hormone replacement symptoms and conditions

I am so glad I am not crazy and all alone. I've had my Mirena since January for perimenopause and was still getting my period every month until this month. No I have such cramping, joint pain I can barely walk and my lower back is killing me. I am scheduled for a hysterectomy this Wednesday, I CAN'T WAIT, I'll be done forever.

I just came off Geodon 48 hours ago, I took 20 mgs at night for mood disorder which was caused by PMDD. I am not on a micro pill so thought I should go off Geodon to see if the hormone replacement is really working. I feel horrible and cried non stop yesterday, hope this passes soon.

I have severe endometriosis and am even severely anemic from the cysts that developed and my monthly cycle. I was going to an Oncologist for a year to receive iron infusions every three months. It is a two hour process. Not bad, but boring and sad because I was surrounded by cancer patients there getting chemo. I began my lupron shots May 2009 and it has been a Godsend! The pain is gone, I have more energy, I feel more alert and I am not sleepy all the time. My OB/GYN did put me on Wellbutrin as soon as I started getting the mood swings and that has been a tremendous help as well. The hot flashes and night sweats are really the only side effects I have to contend with. My OB/GYN wants to give me a prescription for low dose hormones but I refuse. I have lost a lot of weight over the years (174 lbs.) and am PETRIFIED of gaining it back. She told me that it was very likely that I would gain weight with the hormone replacement. I'd rather have the hot flashes and night sweats than gain any weight back as I worked sooooo hard to get it off and keep it off. Does anyone have any suggestions of any natural products such as herbs, minerals, vitamins, etc... that would help with those two side-effects?

Hi, I am a mother of two very young children. I am also a stay-at-home mom. Prior to December 2008 I had been feeling possible peri-menopause symptoms such as (night sweats, memory loss, some what crazy period) and decided to go to my obgyn and get a checkup. She decided to put me on Yaz for the hormone replacement thinking that would help me. I have been on Yaz since December and my life has been horrible as well for my family. I have not been myself and have been progressively getting worse. I think this medicine should be taken off the market because it could severely cause someone to harm themselves. Here are my side effects using this drug:
1. severe headaches coming from the spine up the neck
2. severe mood swings (felt as though something terrible/irritating under the skin) - my children have taken the brunt of my terrible moods, so badly so at times they hid from me
3. severe loss of sleep (forget sleeping can't shut the brain down)
4. severe joint pain (stiffness and ache's in the knees, elbows, back and neck)
5. feeling as though I had a cold
6. severe mental cloudiness (i would get to the grocery store and forget half of the things on my list)
7. severe gas
8. blurred vision
9. overall tiredness and loss of enthusiasm for life (no joy or peace)
10. total loss for sex (my poor husband has been such a trooper through all of this)
I am sure of more side effects, but these are what really are coming to me at the moment. Look I have been praying for a sign as to why I was feeling so terrible these last few months. I have quit taking this medicine as of yesterday. I still feel the effects but have the faith that I am going to get better. Please if you are reading this and think maybe you are crazy, you are not. Yaz is the cause of your problems. Think about it, pray about it, consider getting off. It just might save your life.

I suffered with pre-menopausal symptoms for 2 years before having the Mirena inserted in May 2007. My symptoms included bad menstrual cramping, heaving bleeding, hot flashes, night sweats, moodiness and lack of libido. But since having the Mirena all those symptoms have gone away. My OBGYN is using it for Hormone Replacement because I am too young (34 yrs old) to have menopause. I felt a lot better after about 3 months, I still have some side effects like hand numbness (mostly when I wake up in the morning or at night). Every couple of months I have some mild break through bleeding and I have PMS symptoms before it happens. I would have gone crazy without Mirena. I do have 1 symptom that I haven't heard anyone mention. Increased bladder infections, I don't know if this is caused by the Mirena or maybe its something else. If anyone has had this symptom can you post it?

Have been on Lipitor for a year. I'm fighting fatigue and depression, difficulty sleeping and slight dizziness, a generalized backache, and a sensitivity to touch. After finding this website, I'm going to try going without it. I hate having no energy, I used to be very active and am now too tired to do anything. I hope statins do not turn out to be the hormone replacement scandal of the 2000s.

I am taking .65 mg premarin but still having sever hot flash's and mood swings. I was on the patch but the adhesive made me break out and I could not wear it. Does anyone know of any tablet form of hormone replacement I might try. These hot flashs and mood swings are drivng me crazy!!

Thanks!!

Oh alos ladies
Yaz Yasmine advertise they lower testosterone so have that checked 3 of us have and ours were low

Natural biodentical hormone replacement may be a alternative check them out

I had the Sotto Pellets inserted a week ago wil report if it helps
I truly think the only thing that helps is time
I just pray to God that I stop the rollercoaster and get back to normal
Want to enjoy life

Anyone feel totally back to normal after all the horror?

I have been having a lot of trouble with rapid heart beat. I was taking 112mcg. which my endocrinologist increased to 125 because of my blood results, and then the heart problems kicked in. Since then I have tried all sorts of dosages, even going off it for a couple of days (which did calm my heart down considerably). I'm working with 75 mcg now, but after 7 days of that, my heart start pounding away again. I had thyroid cancer so I have to take some kind of hormone replacement, but this is a challenge. I am wondering if Armour might work better.

Hello All,
I'm responding to Silke's post(attached below).

Silke,

I found that "mainstream" doctors that I went to or spoke with were unable or unwilling to help me.Which is why I SPECIFICALLY did a search for a NATUROPATHIC endocrinologist. Please don't take this as a "blanket" criticism of all doctors. Some are more helpful than others. My current doctor has been incredibly helpful. I have had 2 periods since starting the hormone replacement cream 1.5 mos ago. I'm 49 and hadn't had a period in more than a year; I thought I was finished! As for the dehydration, it was explained to me that my adrenals were totally stressed out, and even though I drink a LOT of water, I was unable to retain in(even though I was bloated!) There are many supplements that can be taken to get your adrenal system under control; remember, they're hormones, too!

As for MY weight gain, he told me it won't come off on it's own, but with the continued supplements and hormone cream to get all of the hormone levels balanced out, it will start to kick in(soon, I hope!)

I simply did a search in my metro area for "Naturopathic Endocrinologist". Fortunately, this doctor was recently listed as one of the Top 100 Doctors in my region. I feel truly blessed to have found him. Write me directly and I will supply his website, which contains many helpful articles.

Blessings,
Rita
PS - I hope I answered all of your questions!

Hey Rita!!

Thank you so much for your post!! That sounds very interesting and could be a solution for many of us. But I'm really afraid of perhaps again not finding the right doctor, who finally admits that our problems (I'm off Yasmin for over 1 year now, and still not 100% back to normal life......) are connected and brought on by Yasmin...

Exactly as you told, my gyn told me last year around july (had a blood test done there) that my hormone levels are "pretty" normal, though they were at the edge of what's normal (totally low)..... But I know, that this is already enough (hormones at the edge of being too low) to cause severe problems!!

I feel a little encouraged now to go and search again for an endocrinologist who could perhaps help me, too. I also have to mention, that I still didn't get my period. I had only one normal period around easter 2005 after getting off the pill!! So there definitely IS a connection between my still lasting symptoms (sometimes dizzyness, a little anxiety, a little weakness and so on, though everything much lighter as it was last year!!!) and my hormone levels, which are obviousely still messed up.

Did your doc tell anything further about that dehydration and the effects of that diuretic in Yasmin?? I would be so thankful to hear, if he thinks that this stuff could have caused my very heavy muscle weakness and muscle aching during the last year (has eased up but is STILL not completely gone!!).

Well I think that the dehydration brought on by that diuretic is on the other hand causing a heavy loss of vitamines and electrolytes. That could be an explanation for the fact, that in my case (I guess many other women would say the same) the symptoms slowly increased over the years and always got a little worse while I had some illness like a flu or such or while I was working out (because of the sweating)...

Over summer 2004 I got weaker and weaker and after a heavy cold with fever and sweating over 3 weeks in october 2004 i broke down completely with muscle aches, weakness and dizzyness and many more symptoms......

Sorry, if my posts always get that long, but I'm still searching for reasons of my severe illness I've been going through and which has lasted for over 8 months (that were only the hardest months... There were another 12 months where I didn't feel really fit and already had problems....) and is still just very slowly getting better...

God bless you all!!

Silke

Joodles here with a 4 month update OFF of Yasmin....

So far I have had 5 periods in the past 4 months but they have been lasting only 3 days.

I have lost 8 of the 10 pounds I gained off of Yasmin. My blood pressure has returned to the normal range, the heart palpatations have ended. The skin rashes that I was having are gone, the dizziness has subsided but I do still get occational spells, My knees are no longer sore at night and the leg cramps are gone. My hair loss has slowed dramatically andmy acne has cleared up.

I am on a holistic approach to hormone replacement. I take Omega 3 fish oil pill, Flax seed oil and a natural vitamin formula that has black cohosh. I take the menopuase formula of Enzymatic Therapy vitamins as I am 46 years old.

I had been on Yasmin 1 year and other types of the Pill for 24 years stright. Needless to say I was really nervous stopping the Pill after 25 years but I can't get over how much better I feel.

Ladies, we have been through Hell with the Yasmin and it DOES get better. My irregular periods are still due to the body adjusting to the normal hormones versus synthetic.

Let us gather strength from each others messages and know that we are not suffering alone!

God Bless,

Joodles

I was prescribed this stuff for 10 days from memory. 40gm first 5 days then 20mg next 5 days. Took for 6 - 7 days and then stopped. This stuff had many of the side effects as already listed and was not curing the thing it was prescribed for which was a cough that just would not go away. I stopped taking it as I was feeling terrible on it. It left me feeling depressed and really messed me up unable to think clearly - diarreaha........ I think it completey mucked up my hormone system. It has taken me 3 -4 mths to start feeling okay again. I have been taking lots of vitamins - even took hormone replacement for a couple of months to try and help me. This stuff is crape and I would never never ever ever take it again.

I have taken Levoxyl for over 2 years and am still having big problems with hair loss. I have complained to my doctor numerous times, but she always says that it is the thyroid condition not the drug (I had no problems wtih hair loss until I started taking Levoxyl). I can't believe there are so many people with this problem. I thought I was just sensitive.

Has anyone found a solution? I hate going off it, because before taking Levoxyl, I was always tired.