Perimenopausal with high's and low's

Hi
Just wondering if anyone else has similar problems....I am 51 had a hysterectomy 5 years ago still have ovaries but no uterus...on bio identical hormones (estrogen) 2mg and progesterone cream...some days I am perfectly find, but for about 10 days each month I hit rock bottom with symptoms..so have the spiral effect...all different and weird things happen when I am having the low's...my doctor has labled me a depressed (which I am not) this is because I presented to her when experiencing weird symptoms and one time I cried in front of her with sheer frustration..and because no blood tests revealed anything remarkable ....now each time another doctor at the surgery sees my file - they just nod ..(even if I presented with my head cut off - they can't get past the notes she wrote) and because I sleep badly i.e. waking early hours of the morning she states this is deprssion......it could also be that my husband starts his snoring around this time as well...but they don't want to listen... she's not worrying about my blood pressure that is 150/90 which is very high for me......I suppose she thinks this is stress related...which is rubbish and the blood pressure is fluctuating and goes down to 120/70 during the day...I have actually changed doctors because I am too embarrased to go there again...I did try antidepressants years ago - but they made me feel horrid...so went back on HRT..any advice would be great thanks for your time
Merls1

[On a Clear Day...]

I am the same age, and have been experiencing a lot of weird things these last several months. I still have a period each month, but right before it starts (seems like 10 days of this at least) I am an absolute bear to be around. I have always been happy go lucky, but boy I get so agitated with everything and everyone. I recently felt I had a nervous breakdown. My symptoms were crying at the drop of a hat, feelings of wanting to be left alone, not wanting to answer the phone or talk to anyone, a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach, and anxiety I have never had before. My sister in law told me she went through the exact same during menopause and it lasted two years...great, huh? I have not been diagnosed with this, but from what I am hearing from others it sounds like this could be what is going on. I am on an anti-depressant,have been for years. I, too, have fluxuating blood pressure readings.
I am adding vitamins/supplements to my day to see if I can get some relief.
Not sure if any of this is helpful to you, but thought I would share my current situation to see if any of this relates.

Take good care

[merls]

Thanks On a Clear Day
I am actually learning to live with menopause - have a great GP now who says all my symptoms are "Normal" for menopause - and "It will get better"...she says no wonder I feel down when other GP's tell me I am depressed or have a rare disease or there's nothing wrong with me...she goes by a women's symptoms - not tests it's so nice to be "Validated" other GP's  just don't understand the severity of what can happen -  since using my estrogen (bio-identical hormones) internally it seems to be more efective and increasing my progesterone (which helps keeps me calmer and sleep better at night)t is making me feel better....still have the ups and downs and the agitation is just under the surface and short tempered but know it will pass...."do what ever you can to get your quality of life back" and remember we are NOT going mad - and no matter what the tests say - if you think you are menopausal you probably are.....hopefully the journey won't be too long!!
Cheers

[chrisanda]

I am 51. Very severe menopause. I haveonly one ovary which leaves me with a huge deficit.

I am experiencing big time anxiety, sleeplessness, flashes,fatigue, etc. My Dr just put me on bio identical estrogen cream. I did not know that it could be applied internally. Please explain and is this OK with your Doc?

My anxiety is raging and I don't have a very understanding husband which makes me worse. How long does it take for the BHRT cream to kick in?? Did you have dry mouth or throat tightness??
HELP SOMEONE!!

[Enoch Choi, MD]

i was concerned about the lack of improvement by the folks on this page after using BHRT, especially since some hormones may not be replaced in enough dose since it's all compounded together.  Consider this FDA report today:

thought you folks taking bio's, BHRT, would be interested in this report today from the FDA saying that bio's are not better than taking the individual hormones separately.  In fact, it can help to take them separately to individually adjust the dosing for each hormone:

FDA informed healthcare professionals and patients that the Agency sent letters warning seven pharmacy operations that the claims they make about the safety and effectiveness of their so-called "bio-identical hormone replacement therapy," or "BHRT" products are unsupported by medical evidence, and are considered false and misleading by the agency. The pharmacy operations improperly claim that their drugs, which contain hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, and estriol (which is not a component of an FDA-approved drug and has not been proven safe and effective for any use) are superior to FDA-approved menopausal hormone therapy drugs and prevent or treat serious diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and various forms of cancer. FDA is concerned that the claims for safety, effectiveness, and superiority that these pharmacy operations are making mislead patients, as well as doctors and other healthcare professionals. Compounded drugs are not reviewed by the FDA for safety and effectiveness.

Patients who use compounded hormone therapy drugs should discuss menopausal hormone therapy options with their healthcare provider to determine if compounded drugs are the best option for their specific medical needs.

Read the complete 2008 MedWatch Safety Summary including a link to the FDA New Release regarding this issue at:

http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2008/safety08.htm#Menopause