Hrt symptoms and conditions

LADIES.... PLEASE HELP!!!

I had my Mirena removed 6 weeks ago. Unlike most, I didn't bleed right away. It took me 3 weeks before I bleed and it wasn't heavy. I felt better knowing it was out of me but still was EXTREMELY TIRED, brain fogged, depressed. (The only side effects which have diminished were the irritability, greasy hair/skin, and acne.)

It's now been 6 weeks since it was removed and for the past 2 weeks I've been experiencing horrific anxiety and panic attacks. I'm afraid to leave the house... can't focus. Wake up anxious. Don't want to go anywhere or do anything. I'm also depressed about this. I'm still very very very tired all the time. AND THE MENSTRUAL MIGRAINES ARE STILL HERE.

IS THIS ANXIETY THE "CRASH"??? Can it happen so late? My body seems to be "behind" the norm by about 3 weeks. So really this is about the 2-3 week mark past my first withdrawal bleed.

I'M SOOOOOOOOO SCARED

I'm loving it.

After trying every HRT and pill under the sun for surgical menopause, and I'm in my 30's, I'm glad I've finally found something that makes me feel better.

Trust me here. Everyone is different and it may take you a thousand different medications until you find the right one, especially with hormones, but when you find the one that works for you life as you know it changes for the better.

Don't listen to that bollocks about HRT or the Pill causing you breast cancer and death... not having HRT or the pill etc can cause you just as many difficulties. Some of you may get osteopenia, vaginal atrophy, and other things that are very private. Let's face it, death can come after you even if you're not on hormones, just look at a children's hospital if you want proof.

I wish all of you suffering from hormonal conditions a healthy long happy life. I know the journey there is hard, but never give up. Just try something else. Even giving hormone therapy a break for a few months and then trying a different drug or approach such as a smaller dose.

Perhaps it's not even your hormones causing the problem, perhaps you should seek a specialist physician, immunologist, endocrinologist or just find another doctor that understands what they are doing and actually helps you.

All of the above saved my life. All of it. Together. It is a long hard road ladies but it's your life.

Blessings to you all.

Wow, thank you all for your postings. I just wished I had found this before I had Mirena put in. I had it placed in Feb 2009, it's been exactly 5 months. I have been extremely tired and agitated. I didn't really associate this with the Mirena until reading the other posts. My hair comes out by the handful (with root attached), I never have solid stools, I have gained about 10 pounds even though I have been trying to lose weight through a diet and exercise program. All the weight is in my stomach and people keep asking me if I'm pregnant. I started to wonder if I could be seeing as I was crying all the time, extremely moody, and that I look at least 4 or 5 months pregnant. All pregnancy tests have come back negative. I got this put in the day before my fiance and I got engaged ( not knowing at the time) and last week we were about to call of the wedding because of my emotional state and constant conflicts. I have to wonder how much of this is caused by the Mirena. I have already made an appointment to talk to my doctor after reading what all these other women have been through. It's just so tough because with any type of birth control their are side effects so I don't want to make it out to be like this is the worst thing ever, it may be exactly what someone is looking for, but just be informed that there are some side effects because I like a lot of other women on this post was lead to believe that there were no side effects or very little side effects.

I am a 39 year old mother of two teenager daughters. I had my original Mirena inserted in July, 2002 due to extreme bleeding for many months. I would bleed for about 24 days out of every month and felt horrible. As I was only 32 years old at the time, my GYN did not want to perform a hysterectomy and suggested the Mirena. I bled for a couple of months after insertion, but shortly thereafter I had no bleeding and have had no period ever since. This is the side effect that is fantastic!

Shortly after having the Mirena inserted, my marriage fell apart and I was feeling very depressed, EXTREMELY EXHAUSTED and overall "crappy". I assumed that this was all due to my life circumstances. I gained significant weight in my mid-section, I had (and still have) constant headaches, I am always still very very tired, am dizzy, fuzzy-minded, blurred vision, achey, etc. etc. etc. I never once thought about the Mirena being the cause of any of these symptoms.

My doctor has checked my bloodwork numerous time to ensure my iron levels, etc. were okay as well as my thyroid - every time the results were normal so I thought it must all be in my head and all be due to me being somewhat depressed, etc. due to my marital breakdown.

I had my 2nd Mirena put in in December, 2009 as the first one was in for the full 5 years. It was a little painful getting it taken out and the new one put in, but for me the pain was worth it to continue to be period-free for another 5 years!

Recently I have been experiencing hot flashes and night sweats so I asked my doctor if I could be going through menopause. She ordered bloodwork to check my hormones and informed me last week that yes, in fact I am quite far into menopause!!! (remember, age 39)! Because I have not had a period in almost 6 years, I did have the early warning signs of menopause such as missed or irregular periods.

I wondered why I would be going through it so early so googled "Mirena and early menopause" which brought me to this site. When I started reading all the side effects, I wondered if it was maybe the Mirena that cause a lot my problems over the years and it wasn't in fact the dissolving of my marriage and change in life circumstances.

I now have to decide what to do. My doctor stated that I should (because of my young age) go on Hormone Replacement for quality of life. (I am close to my decision and believe that HRT is beneficial for me) - hopefully this will help with the terrible symptoms of menopause I have been having.

I am wondering if having the Mirena inserted had any part in accelerating my body into menopause. I am thinking of having it removed before starting HRT because even though the doctor told me that there is a very low hormone dosage in the Mirena, I don't want to over-do it with hormones as that could cause me even more problems. It would be amazing if I had it removed that I would feel the way I used to feel back 6 years ago (minus the husband)

FYI, before I had the Mirena inserted the first time I read and re-read the pamphlet which contained all the possible side effects, etc. But, as I stated above, my life changed dramatically very shortly after insertion so it never occurred to me that some of my problems may be related to the Mirena.

If this device does accelerate a woman's body into menopause, this should be well publicized as it would be tragic for young women who use this as a form of contraception early in their life to only find out later that they are no longer able to conceive due to their body going though "the change".

Oh, and I forgot to mention.... the bloating is actually WORSE and I have GAINED 2 lbs since removal. Not to mention the headaches are worse and the tingling in the foot is still there.

I had been taking Wellbutrin XL 300mg for a number of years with great results I told all of my friends how great it was. Then when the generic Budeprion XL came out my insurance company automatically filled my Rx with it. The nest time I saw my Dr. and was to get a new refill he didn't even know about the generic. I guess I have been taking the Budeprion XL for almost 2 years, since it first became available. I started noticing brain fog and as time went on more depression and anxiety, no zest, frumpy, and just not feeling like I used to. Last June when I saw my Dr. I asked him if a patient could become tolerant of a drug after taking it a while since I was experiencing more depression. We talked of HRT as a thing to try since I was experiencing perimenopausal symptoms as well. However I was faced with a cancer scare a week after that appointment and all thought s of HRT went out the window for me. I received the Prevention newsletter this am which contained the article on Wellbutrin XL vs the generic. I am upset that this can be happening, but also happy to know that there may be a solution to my problem as simple as a change of my Rx.

my ob/gyn recommended this IUD highly..said she had it in herself and it was great for all her patients...i read the physicians brochure on the mirena website and i think that should have been provided to me...if i had known that this thing causes blood pressure, anemia and blood sugar problems...i never would have gotten it since i already had those problems to begin with...i wasn't given enough info..i wish i had researched this better beforehand...the nurse wrote me last night and said it needed to come out as it has caused a pelvic infection from the insertion...this wasn't put in for birth control..as i haven't had anyone to be with in over a year anyway..it was put in to stop heavy bleeding...sounded like a great idea...i have every symptom you guys have had except fot the acne and hair loss issues...the anxiety and pain is the worst ever ..and sweating...geez...how long after it comes out does one get back to normal...i'd rather hear it from your experience...than listen to the "experience" of my doctor...i used to have the copper T and if it's still avail..i'm getting it back...i don't like the idea of hormones running loose that don't need to be...also if you read that brochure it increases breast cancer rates for some...and lots and lots of other symptoms...i expected the breast and abdominal tenderness and maybe some mood issues considering it was a hormone...but this is ridiculous....i'm 43 and feel 143! if i had the nerve i'd pull it out myself...but with my luck...something i need might come with it..lol ..don't need the reproductive junk anymore since that did it's job and there are no returns...i checked..lol...thanks for listening

I started taking Lipitor in 2004 and by 2008 was taking 40mg daily. I'm not sure exactly when certain symptoms manifested themselves, as looking back they now seem insidious, but I do know they became bad enough in 2008 I went off the drug myself, especially after reading postings like those at this website. After being off the drug for a month, it was clear to me the most of the symptoms dissipated, but it did have a residual affect. I realized I had suffered a loss of range of motion (ROM) in my left arm (frozen shoulder) and have been in physical therapy for over a month to restored 80% of it. I could not have done this while staying on Lipitor as I was experiencing “deep” muscle pain and weakness. I still have some weakness and pain in my left arm and shoulder and don’t know if it is permanent.

I am Hypothyroid and take Synthroid and am currently going through menopause and am on partial HRT. I took no other meds other than the Lipitor. At one point, I thought my symptoms were stress related, but realized my symptoms were causing the stress. Aside from the muscle pain, spasms, tingling and numbness experienced in my left extremities, I experienced gastro intestinal disturbances, occasional vertigo, some lower back problems and other aching in other extremities (like that of flu symptoms). I also suffered recurrent mental fogs, which I initially attributed to some lack of regular exercise (although I lead a relatively an active life), but that was not the case, as even after aerobic activity the tingling and pain would resume.

When I told my physician I had stopped taking the Lipitor (at that time for nearly a month), he didn't blink an eye. I agree with previous blog; the idea of statins are to lengthen your life, but what kind of life is it when you are in misery and nothing short of ceasing the medication brings relief?

I'm not advocating everyone "doctor themselves. Listen to your physician, but most importantly listen to your body and trust your instincts when it comes to these types of medications. Symptoms listed about scripts described as "rare" are usually not that rare at all. You are not crazy.

I have PCOS, and was experiencing dysplasia of the endometrium. After some search, a doctor recommended the Mirena. This was November of 2008. The installation should have been a clue of things to come. I have never had children, and had a tipped uterus, and as a result they had to use the clamps that look like needle nose pliers to grab my cervix, and after 45 minutes of stuffing, got it in. It was excruciating. I was working out 6 days a week, 2 1/2 hours a day, and eating South Beach Phase 2- and had lost 80 lbs and had maintained for 1 year. I asked if it would in any way cause weight gain, and was told it would not. Within the first month my diet/exercise regimen failed, and despite working out 7 days a week and resuming Phase 1, I was gaining 10 lbs a month- which my Doctor would not discuss with me except to dismiss it. To make a long story short, after life threatening edema and bleeding 22 or 23 days straight and with my now discovered sensitivity to progesterone, I required a total abdominal hysterectomy to remove an enlarged, boggy, and fibroid riddled uterus. I am doing 200% better now, and I am sure there are some women the Mirena works well for, but I was not one of them, and I feel the Mirena actually endangered my life (that and the arrogant doctor who inserted it and told me to be patient. I had it in from 11/2005 to 7/2007- is that time enough?) Please, please,please. If something does not feel right, do not NO for an answer. I did not want children so I was okay with losing the ability to bear children, but having a TAH at 38 is a life change that most younger women would not want. Would I have had to have it anyway? Perhaps. But I could have been in a position to be navigator in my care rather than reactive as I was forced to be.

My son was born March 2007, when he was 8wks old, to much of my surprise I found out that I was pregnant again. Mirena sounded perfect!!!! I had it placed 7 weeks after my 2nd son was born in Jan 2008. I had what I still assume is normal with any type of birth control method, irregular bleeding,cramping,some slight mood swings. That all seems normal to me when you mess with you body like that. Aug 1, 2008 I woke up at4am with awful abdominal pain sooo bad that I turned to my husband and said that I think I have to go to the hospital. I decided that if I could fall back asleep then its probably nothing major. I fell back asleep (or passed out, I don't know) The next morning I was hurting so bad I couldn't lift anything, couldn't stand up straight, felt weak and felt as though I had rocks in my stomach but had an empty feeling at the same time. The pain was all over my abdomen, stabbing, shooting,pinching. I also had pain aroung my belly button and a noticeable discomfort about my pevic bone. Finally I called my husband to come home, went to the hospital, they took blood, cultures, did an exam and did a ctscan. All normal! WHAT!! Aug 11th still having pain and now having MAJOR HOT FLASHES. I find myself getting so hot and irritated that I cant be around the babies because I am afraid I will yell at them. If I get in a little disagreement with my husband it will most likely end with me saying I want a divorce (I noticed another lady with that same problem) Today I had a ultra sound done and it came back what my (new) doctor says is normal. The problem with that is that one of my ovaries is split and is NOW shaped like a horse-shoe. I was pregnant for almost 2yrs straight and had lots of ultrasounds NOT ONE TIME did anyone say anything about a odd ovary. I'm just going to make a educated guess that it wasn't deformed till after the Mirena. Now I am wanting to remove it but feel like I should get every test known to man first to rule out any other possibility. I really don't want to remove it. I am afraid of getting it removed and even more of getting pregnant when I already have two 10 months apart and still in diapers.
My biggest question is wanting to know if hot flashes are related or if I might be having something else going on. Am I the only one with he hot flashes? I have them all day long!!!!!!!!
Also I noticed after reading other post that some other things may be related like, piercing headaches, itchy flaky oily scalp, weight gain, ear drainage, lower back pain, oily skin, increased smoking, in-grown hairs in inner thigh area, joint pain, fatigue, decrease sex drive.

I started Eltroxin/Levothyroxin a month ago. I was warned about side effects to my eyes which started watering and stinging then my nose started to drip. Suddenly I crashed into depression and am having trouble stabilizing this so everyday I feel unwell. I am also having hot flushing at 68years of age! I haven't the energy to do much.

Have found that the brand Goldshield made in Britian has few side effects so will be paying for these rather than be miserable all the time

march 17, i was given a kenalog shot. it is now may 15th and I have had a been going through bad bad pain, weakness,cant carry a conversation. Around 21/2 weeks ago had a bad period. I haven't had one for three years. It lasted for 5 days. now I am going through severe PMS. I am post menopausal, now the kenalog messed my body up on my body and mental functions. I had a TIA 6 years ago. I can not take any HRT.. . I have been very dizzy,very weak, cant drive because my motor skills are not right. I taught aerobics for 24 years . so I was very fit. Im now 53 years old, had very little side effects from my TIA. this horrible shot has now has hampered all the hard work I have done to recover from my past illnesses. This shot has put my body into peri-menapose again..

Does any one start bleeding when you lift or do workouts.I have had my iud since July 2006.Is this normal?I also have weight gain ,breakouts on my face,body always aches and is sore.I have had to go to a chiro to help with the pain in my body also!Help is this the iud?I am almost 49 years old do i need this at all now???

I am not sure but I think I may be experiencing a higher blood pressure reading than normal since I started on Femhrt. It has been running in the 140's over 70's. Of course I know my BP will never be like it was when I was 25 and running 5 miles a day(111/65) and I am 52 now. Anyone else experiencing higher BP on HRT???

I am a 53 years old female diagnosed with diabetis for about 5 years, now. Currently, I take 1500 mg of metformin to treat the diabetis. A year ago this month, my bp went up to 164/88. That's when my doctor put me on 5 mg of lisnopril. The 5 mg dosage brought my bp down to about 140/84, it never went down to 120/80, even after using for one year. I can say that since I've been on this medication, I have been extremely fatigue. Several times I told my doctor about the tireness and that I thought it was due to the Lisinopril. She just sort of disregarded my complaint. She said that what I was feeling was due to menopause and the diabetis. About three weeks ago my bp went up to 171/88, so she decided that it was time to increase the dosage to 10 mg and to put me on hormone replacement therapy to reduce the fatigue. I told her that I didn't want the 10 mg of Lisinopril because I believed my fatigue was due to it. She insisted that it was best for me and that HRT would help.

Well, what I've done was decrease the dosage to about 2.5 mg on my own. And what I notice was that my energy level seems to be returning. I been feeling better and my goal is to start taking the 2.5 mg every other day until I can completely stop taking this stuff.

Today, I noticed that my arms felt a little heavy like and my heart seems to flutter a bit. I would like to hear from some of you that stopped taking Lisinopril, what were some of the symptoms that you experienced and for how long. I know that getting off a med can be dangerous, but staying on them can be just as dangerous, too.

My Aunt is 61 and had a one sided Mastectomy in January of this year. She had been suffering for about 8 years with the menopause (she took HRT for 18 months a few years back). She was told her cancer was hormonal and once she had the tumour removed (behind her milk gland) she was advised that she didn't need any chemo or radiation. She had 6 lymph nodes taken and all were clear. She was originally put on Tamoxifen for 4 months and then switched to Arimidex. She has suffered with hot flushes and extreme coldness (she had this beforehand) but has increasingly suffered with very painful indigestion/heartburn/acid reflux or possibly IBS. She has tried all the over counter indigestion medications to no effect. Is this normal? I am trying to get her to go to the DR about it - but she is very apprehensive. Is there another drug she could try other than Arimidex and Tamoxifen? Are these stomach problems normal? I would also say she seems to suffer with depression and tiredness. She doesn't sleep well because of the hot sweats etc. She also bloats out quite a bit and is still numb from where they took the lymph nodes under her arm. She also says her scar gets sore. Her mastectomy was Jan 3, 2007. She obviously didn't have reconstruction and doesn't intend to.

Is there anything I can get for her to make life easier? I am at a bit of a loss as to how to help her. Any thoughts would be very much appreciated.

I have confusion.Difficulty speaking certain words.Memory seems altered.I have been using the tablets of estradiol for almost a year My problems seem to be increasing in severity. I use this medication due to hysterectomy. I am 47 years old.I also wake up at night with horrible itching on legs.,ankles,knees.What do you think.Possible reaction?.

Hi again. I think some readers may be misunderstanding what I am talking about when I posted my story and talked about natural progesterone. Natural progesterone is a bioidentical hormone derived from plants. It's only side effects are that it may make you sleepy, and it may calm you. It is NATURAL; I am not talking about synthetic hormones like in BC pills or HRT. You can buy natural progesterone cream in any health food store OTC. I happen to have mine compounded into a capsule in a compounding pharmacy. Natural progesterone and other bioidentical hormones are not manufactured by the pharmaceutical companies, and are therefore, not pushed by doctors. You will not hear about them from your general practitioner or your OBGYN. They are generally recommended & prescribed by holistic & wellness minded physicians. Dr. John Lee is a famous author who has written many books on the subject if you want to research him for more information. Or just google bioidentical hormones for more information. I just wanted to clarify what I was recommending. I think some of you just heard "hormone" and got scared. I totally understand. I think synthetic hormones are evil too. My friend and I have been suffering from anxiety as the result of Yasmin for a few years now, and we have tried several things together trying to recover ourselves. This is the only thing we found that works for us. I'm not saying it is the answer for everybody.

i had constant headaches whilst on yasmin,my friend who suffers from migrains found that they become much worse and she stopped taking it. i think it can be quite a common side effect with a lot of birth control pills and synthetic hormones,another friend of mine has just started HRT and is suffering badly with headaches.

Hi Sarah (Flowerbabies, 10/02),

Thanks for your response to my question (nightowl, 10/02). I've been away from home/computer for a couple of weeks, so I haven't had a chance to read your response before today. As you suggested, I'm reading all the other site postings about Yasmin and I'm amazed at the amount of problems people are posting. It's not always clear in each case the extent to which Yasmin may be the cause of these concerns. Still--if there are so many problems, why do doctors routinely prescribe this medication? I realize that big Pharma stands to make money from Yasmin, but there are other pills.

Also, your question about why I've been prescribed Yasmin at my age is a reasonable one. I've asked as well. I'm not a good candidate for HRT (is anyone really a good candidate for that?) because my mother had (and survived) removal of an estrogen-receptive breast tumor. So, apparently, "low-dose" contraceptives are a good alternative for perimenapause and menapause symptoms when the usual HRT is not an option. I have stopped taking the Yasmin and will live with the symptoms. I've increased my calcium/magnesium intake to prevent bone loss. I'll research the alternatives you suggested. Meanwhile, my sleeping has improved a lot, despite the hot flashes (which at this point are minimal for me). Thanks again. nightowl (by day!)

I have also suffered with mood swings. I would get so angry that I couldn't contain myself. It has affected me to the point that my job may now be on the line after an episode with my supervisor. I am in my 50's and my doctor thought it was due to menopause, and he put me on HRT. I was still having the aggression and was surprised when I happened along to this site to find out that it may not have been menopause after all.

When an ophthalmologist friend heard that my PCP prescribed 50 mg/day for PCV, he warned me to watch out for depression. I experienced the typical nightmares during my first weeks on this medication. I allso experienced such tiredness that just the thought of the effort it would take to move from one room to another was practically overwhelming. I asked my PCP for permission to reduce dosage to 25 mg and later to 12.5 mg (lowest available). I understand withdrawal from this drug, like HRT, must be reduced slowly (allow several weeks between changes in dosage). I continue to experience great bouts of sleepiness during the daytime and insomnia at night. Headaches, weight gain, pain shooting from ball of feet into all toes when I walk, giving me the sensation that all toes are on fire (like blisters), wanting to claw at my skin from a sensation of itching, and periodic blurred vision are on my list of complaints. I also thought I'd made it through hot flashes but now I find myself dealing with huge wringing wet series of flashes 24/7. I don't want to forget the shortness of breath that wakes me often during the night and the dizziness that periodically comes out of nowhere when I bend over to pick up something or move too quickly from a sitting position. I can't tell you the number of times I've brought these symptoms to the attention of my PCP and each time I'm given the impression that because I'm female in the final stages of menopause (10 years and counting), it's mostly all in my head. The only other items I knowingly place in my system are B-12 time release 1000/day due to removal of several inches of my ileum (the body's manufacturing source for B-12) which housed the remains of my shattered appendix and a periodic aspirin. Go figure!

I've been taking Synthroid (Levothyroxine) for about 17 YEARS. I was diagnosed with Grave's Disease, and opted for the radioactive iodine. After two years of trying to control the disease with PTU (which has serious bone marrow depletion side effects) I decided to go for the one thing I knew would work. Of course, the treatment with the radioactive iodine is very tough to estimate, and I went from hyperactive to hypoactive. As a result, I'll take 200mcg (0.2mg) for life.

I think it's important to understand that Synthroid is not a drug. It is a hormone. When you take Synthroid, you're engaging in hormone replacement therapy (HRT). You really won't experience side effects from the hormone, but you will experience problems if the amount of hormone is not within a "normal" range. Too much or too little will be a problem for anyone. What's critical here is to take the hormone at the same time every day (without food -- calcium will block its absorption), and monitor your hormone level frequently to establish a solid baseline.

The hormone will take days, or even weeks to reach its peak, and the duration is variable. BECAUSE IT'S A HORMONE, TAKING MORE OR LESS THAN IS NECESSARY WILL PRODUCE UNDESIRABLE RESULTS. Any "side effects" are really the result of improper dosing.

Having said all of that, I've never had a problem with Synthroid -- once my optimal level was determined. I worked closely with my MD and together decided that I was best at the upper side of "normal." I've made only one change in the 17 years, and that was to increase the dose.

Here's something to consider: If it weren't for this hormone, and the science behind HRT, I probably would have died years ago.

I have been on Warfarin for about 7 weeks because of blood clots in the lung. They think my HRT caused this so I have had to come off the HRT. I have now got back the hot flushes and am not very comfortable. Is there any herbal stuff I can take or any thing at all that will help with the hot flushes and be compatable with the Warfarin.

I also take Zocor 80 mg and Somac.

My problem is I have been taken off my HRT tablets and am experiencing hot flushes and don't know what I can take to help with these.

I also Take Zocor 80 mg and Somac for reflux.

can you help