I'm not sure we can compare patches, but when I was on one, it was the Combipatch. I tolerated it much better than the pills, but they made me itch terribly. When I called the company, they said for some reason, women started itching after wearing them for a year. I had round red spots all over my abdomen from them! But I was willing to put up with the itch.
When I decided to come off HRT, I just began cutting small portions of the patch off over several months, until it was all gone.
Good luck to you. I've heard the patches work better because they don't go through the liver. (I think).

i have had to come off the patches because they were making me extreemly bad tempered and giving me the most horrible nightmares i wont go back on the patches again i think ill go back on the tablets i was placed on originally but just take less of them

im definatly struggling with this hrt dilemma the patches are making me soo evil feel soo tired and having palps again with them im coming off them and thats it cant see an end to the problems with them ive tried 3 different types now and they all having a negative effect so im gonna do my best to manage without the hrt what a letdown i really feel depressed that i cant find anything that works without all the side effects ah well just wait for the hot flushes to come back and cripple me now

is anyone out there on clonidine ive been given this because the hrt doesnt suit me making my bp go up a lot am worried about taking this new med cos the side effects listed on the packet are putting me off any positive results ?

Hi beauty, how are you? I was beginning to get worried about you. Is this new medication for the hot flashes or for the whole shebang? I've been feeling awful recently. It would be nice to talk. S

Hi hun 49 sorry havent been on for a while ive been on holiday in answer to your qstn about the clonidine its a blood pressure med but its meant to stop the hot flushes , i must be honest when i read the poss side effects i binned them so what i do now is i take half of a 1mg elleste solo for 2 weeks then nothing for about 3-4 weeks that gets rid of the flushes for the 3-4 wks and i get the benefits rather than the side effects , ive tried all ways of easing my physical problems and this seems to work the best for me , i know when i need to start taking my half again because the sweats come back ,my bp goes up ,i feel constantly tired my bowels are disrupted and i get an ache in my side where my ovary is , i feel instantly better within days of starting on the half its only literally half a mg for 2 wks and ive found this method on my own really it works for me anyway i cannot cope with the fatigue and sweats and all , my gp keeps banging on about putting me on bp meds but im very wary of that probably worrying needlessly but hey ho ,all the time i was on holiday my bp was good little high but as soon as i get home bang up it goes , whats up anyway you sound so fed up ? shelly x

hi Beauty, nice to hear from you again, I was beginning to think you had given up on us. Glad to hear you're managing to sort something out for yourself. Being on holiday definately helps to make you feel better for a while. I go in 3 weeks and I can't bloody wait. I'm actually not feeling too bad at the moment except for the weird head sensations. Its a bit like the muscle twitches I've had in the past except its on my scalp. It started out of the blue in April and after 2 visits to my GP I'm told its just one of these things I have to put up with!! I went to a really interesting talk on hormones few weeks ago and started taking some supplements that were recommended. I'm now taking vit B complex, fish oil capsules,magnesium and vit E every day. I also started using natural progesterone cream which comes highly recommended. The biggest difference I have noticed is my libido is better and the horrible vaginal itching and dryness has gone. Hey, I've got a sex life again!!!(much happier husband, lol). It hasn't been perfect in the last couple of months and there are still days when I feel awful but I've decided I've got to make the most of the days that are good. Susan x

Hi susan nice to hear from you where are you going on hols?ive just had 2 weeks in gumbet in turkey it was lovely and very hot, i get a twitching in my eyes occasionally, ive been taking vit b complex and magnesium and vit c for ages it definatly helps , whats with the natural progesterone cream ive heard about this before where do you get it from whats it for and where do you put it and how much do you use cos i ant ad a sex life for ages im sooooo dry all the time and its very offputting , if i have an off day i usually go to bed and cabbage or sink a nice bottle of wine lol, let me know about the cream please that sounds interesting, so glad you feeling better anyway x shelly

Hello again Shelly,
The progesterone cream is available from the internet. If you type in Serenity cream you will find the website and you can read all about it. You only use the tiniest amount for 24 days and then have 7 off. When you buy it they will send you a booklet and there is all the info you need in that. I'm still getting the occasional hot flash but its definately helped everything else. I don't know if the combination of the supplements and the cream is whats making things better but I'm going to keep on using both for the foreseeable future. I still can't drink more than a couple of small glasses of wine. Alcohol just doesn't agree with me anymore,which isn't a bad thing really cos it keeps my weight down. I'm off to the french/swiss border for my hols and I'm soooo looking forward to it. Never been to switzerland before. We're really short staffed at work just now and today is going to be my second last day off for 2 1/2 weeks and thats including Sundays!. I'm going to be knackered. Not looking forward to doing all these hours I have to say. Have a good day.Susan x

Hi susan ill get on to that serenity cream website tonite thing is ive had a hysterectomy can you still use it when you have had a hysterectomy?, i really do suffer from dryness and no sex drive at all, ive had really bad pains in my legs recently do you ever get this ive even started taking a painkiller to get to sleep the pains that bad i thinkl they call ir restless leg syndrome it feels just like growing pains i use to get as a teenager, hope you have a fab holiday the weather has certainly improved now hasnt it i must admit it was very hot in turkey 35 most days i had to go for a sleep in the afternoon , ill be away again in sept back to turkey i think we love it there we go to the same hotel cos its very nice suits me right on the beach and all the staff are so lovely they get upset when we are going home gotta be honest tho the 3 hours delay on our flight back was a pain i was knackered i took a diazepham and slept on the marble floor lol, what do you do for a job i am a chef anyway keep in touch keep well and take care shelly x

Hi shelly, had a look at the info booklet and it seems the cream is still suitable if you've had a hysterectomy. I know how you feel not having any sex drive. Its really soul destroying. I think this cream will help if you give it a go. I get two different types of pains in my legs. I get unbelievable hip pain during the night which wakes me and it radiates down my leg. I only get it on the right side tho'. I also just recently had pain in both thigh muscles which was really odd. I thought I had a DVT. I have read that women are more supple than men because of the amount of progesterone, therefore when this hormone is in short supply it affects the ligaments.(I think thats about right)Whatever it is it bloody aches! I work with food too BTW. I work in a really busy large deli/cafe and do a bit of cooking as well as serving the great British public. I've got a bit of what I call "customer fatigue" at the moment. I cant wait to get away. Hope you're well this week. Take care, Susan

Hi susan thanks for your post exactly where do you get this cream from how much is it and how do you use it do you have a measured amount or what could you post me the address of the company you get it from , id like to give it a try thanks again hun keep well shelly.

morning Shelly,
just type in www.progesterone.co.uk and you'll find it on there. Hope you're well today. Susan

thanks susan ill do that have a nice day hun shelly x

Hi susan how ru? i started with ma hot flushes again big time so av given in and had 3 weeks of doing half a tablet every other day i always know when ive had enough because i start feeling sick and get a tender tummy when i stopped taking them my god i had about 5 days of feeling totally wiped out knackered with a dull headache and sinus pain in my head thankfully today has been much better i am sleeping a lot tho ,Hows you hope your ok , I pray to god that this doesnt go on forever it feels as tho it will i will be so happy when it ends and my body and mind become 1 again i will be relieved when my bp returns to normal its still a bit high at mo do not want to end up on bp tablets ive noticed when im having the hot sweats really bad my bp goes sky high it actually started to come down whilst i was taking the hrt its good that the hrt i take makes me feel better even tho im only taking it for 2 wks at a time its just a bummer that i have like a 5 day comedown anyway take care speak soon shelly xx

hi shelly, how're you doing? Did you get the progesterone cream. I have to say that since coming back from my holiday I have been feeling better. I think stress has a lot to do with my symptoms. I'm still using the progesterone cream but only in tiny quantities and it has definately helped my libido. I had a bit of a health scare in the past couple of weeks which wasn't menopause related. I have a small mark on my back and I went to my Gp who wasn't sure what it was. She made an appointment for the dermatologist to rule out skin cancer but you know what the NHS is like and I had to wait 2 weeks for the appointment. I was an absolute wreck! Anyway, the good news is it was something else which is harmless but can be confused with melanoma if you are not a specialist. I'm still taking all my supplements too and I definately think they've contributed to me feeling a bit better in myself. I am making the most of the days when I feel good and although I'm loathe to say it, I actually feel like maybe I've turned a corner here. Hope you're well. Susan x

Hi susan glad your feeling better and that you had a nice holiday , i think i need another holiday i feel terrible lately i ache all over i cant sleep properly for weird dreams i have pain in my breast again i feel tired tired tired it just comes on me so suddenly i think some days im going crazy i dont wanna do any more hrt because the immediate after effects are too much i feel sick all the time as well dont quite know what to do with myself feel so bad tempered as well ah well hey ho shelly x

Hi all,

I have been in surgical menopause since 1987. I tried pills, patches, creams and gels. In 2004 I found Bioidentical Hormone Pellets. These are little compressed pellets of either estrogen or testosterone that are smaller than a tic tac but larger than a grain of rice. My gynecologist inserts then into my hip. I get them 3-4 times per year. These bypass the liver when metabolized and provide a low, consistent dose.

They totally changed my life for the better. I have no more hot flashes, night sweats, moodiness, sleeplessness, I look and feel 10 years younger.
The best improvement is I LOVE SEX again!

I'm posting a link to a good website for information about the pellets. It's a doctor's website in St. Louis. I go to a doctor in Arizona, but Dr. Maupin in St. Louis is a pellet doctor with a good website for information.

Another site is www.homonebalance.org

If anyone wants more information about the pellets, please email me at njw_753@yahoo.com.

All I can say is I got my life back and it's better than ever!

njw

Here is a link that might be useful: Biobalance4women

Hi shelly,
just wondered how you were as I haven't been here for a few weeks and noticed you hadn't posted anything. Hope you're well. I spoke to soon on my last post when I said I thought I'd maybe turned a corner. The past 2/3 weeks have seen a return of some bad hot flushes and feeling lousy again. Nothing has changed in my routine so I can only assume its the stress catching up with me again. I'm at the end of my tether and I honestly don't think I can take much more of this, its been going on too long. I'm finding it difficult to keep my sense of humour with this now. If anyone reads this and has an answer on how to cope I'd love to hear it. 7 years of symptoms including almost 3 of hot flashes is turning me into a freekin nutcase. Would love to hear from you shelly. x

Hi njw753, I have also tried everything for menopausal symptoms. I am using vivelle estrogen patch and taking prometrium. This combination has helped with hot flashes, night sweats, painful intercourse, but not with anxiety, panic, fatigue, weakness and the list goes on. Could you tell me if the pellets help with most of the symptoms. I've been thinking about switching to bio-identical hormone therapy but not sure if switching wll help me get thru this awful hell any better. I also tried switching to premarin but was allergic to the pills and got very sick. I would appreciate it so much if you could respond I am desperate and can't seem to get any answers from the long list of doctors I see. Thank you so much.

Hi Hun49 how ru chick? ive bin totally awful lately backwards and forwards to the docs ,bp has bin very high and meno symptoms awful no sleep moody moody moody weepy hot hot hot breathless fed up totally with myself ,doc put me on clonidine for sweats wow that was weird for 5 days i didnt leave me room i could have starred in a zombie film and been totally realistic it did bring bp down tho and clear up the wheezing but i couldnt cope with side effects its very commonly used for hot flushes ?ah well so off i went bk to the doc and now im told not to take the hrt but to take perindapril 2mg purely for bp hope this works cos i really dont fancy a stroke lol , flushes are not as bad as they were last year tho and palps have gone away so i can see a light at the end of the tunnel if this treatment brings down bp i may be able to go bk to hrt but you know wat not sure if i want to it has helped me tho i think at timea i might have gone ga ga without something maybe you should give it a go see if it makes you feel any better it doesnt have to be forever its bin a gud help 4 me 4 about 6 months anyway let me know how u r chick love to chat wi u take care shelly xxx

Hi hun 49 where r u ? r u ok ? ive ended up back on the hrt and dumped the clonidine which just didnt help at all ive had to go back to the doctor bp med increased and am now on hrt patches hope they work tried 3 weeks off the hrt and felt horrible miserable tired hot hot and more hot av ended up gettin really stressed with this meno crap hope it ends soon bin at it nearly 3 yrs now anyway hope you ok love to chat to you take care shelly x

hi shelly,
how are you, glad to see your posting. I'm ok at the moment. Still having the odd symptoms but nothing I cant cope with. I'm still taking all my supplements and I really think they've helped me. I can't believe another year has passed and we're STILL complaining about how we're feeling. I feel as though I've been doing this for such a long time now. I realised yesterday that I haven't had a period for exactly a year so hopefully that means this all has to stop soon? What do you think LOL. Anyway,
hope you're ok. Take care. S.

Hi Hun 49 nice to see you had posted brill that you have gone a year wi no p im back on the hrt tablets again cant seem to manage without them now ive tried the patches bt they dont seem to work as well im totally fed up with myself at mo bp tablets are making me dopey but i gotta take em im on 4 mg a day now some days i just dont get out of bed i cant be bothered i love a few glasses of wine in the evening but i cant do that without feeling poo i hope that all this lot ends before i end up commited to some sort of lunatic asylum im gonna book me jollys to turkey soon that cant come soon enough for me fed up totally

hi hun 49 how ru ? im a lot better at mo off the hrt and i think coming to the end of the tunnel sweats are not as bad and am feeling near enough normal lately ive just booked me hols in turkey for may looking forward to that hope your feeling better than you did last time you came on tek care shelly

hi shelly, good to hear from you again. Glad you're feeling better without the HRT. You didn't tell me if you ever tried the cream I told you about. I don't use it anymore cos I really didn't notice any difference in the flashes or the night sweats. I've noticed that the night sweats are worse if I drink more than 1 glass of wine in the evening. Had 2 or 3 last night and was absolutely burning up during the night!The duvet was off and on constantly,lol. Wish I was off to Turkey on holiday, could do with some sunshine. Its been so cold here its doing my head in. If I'm not having a hot flash I'm bloody freezing! No happy medium at all,lol. Take care and keep well.

Hi hun 49 hows u ? I never did try that cream i feel like everything i try i get a kind of honeymoon period with it ive had a terrible time with the sweats lately they seem to come back with a vengence very uncomfortable being soooo hot all day and night it brings me to tears sometimes im sick of showering 3 times a day ive ended up back on the hrt but even stronger than the last lot ,my duvet is on and off all night every night ive bin in this world now for 3 yrs and its driving me crazy im on blood pressure pills hrt inhalers i think im keeping the chemist in business anyway im off to turkey in 3 weeks ill be having me 48th birthday there i always go for my birthday they dont half make a fuss of me its great they get me a cake and balloons and all its great fun the thaught of that cheers me up for once i cannot wait to hit the airport im very excited already i have had such a rough year already my son and his girlfriend are coming with us this time and he is going to propose to her aww and my daughter katie is expecting her first baby girl in august so im chuffed about that its about time shes 28 ha ha anyway take care keep your chin up and come on for a chat i love to hear from you xxxs shelly.

Hi hun49 how ru keeping i do hope your ok im a bit better at the moment me chest is loads better not wheezing am off the hrt again and ive stopped the bp tablets as well and ive packed the fags in im looking forward to my hols in 10 days to turkey cant wait am very excited ive discovered that a new matress topper i got is making me night sweats much worse so ive ditched that anyway would love to hear from you x

hi shelly,
just wanted to say congratulations on your news. You must be so excited about having a grandchild on the way.Good to hear your off the HRT cos it isn't good for BP. I hope you have a great holiday. I'm on holiday in June and can't wait. Take care, Susan