Laura_45

Hi,

I am 45 y.o. and was tested for menopause using the FSH and LH tests in March of this year. The results came back post-menopausal as the FSH was very high and LH was low. At the time, I was under a lot of stress with a new job and had hot flashes, night sweats, palpitations and no periods for 3 months, but also had been having peri symptoms for 3 years. My GP said I have "complete ovarian failure." He did not recommend HRT due to the health risks. Since I've been suffering with most of the awful symptoms for so long, I decided to go to a different clinic and get a prescription for birth control pills - Loestrin 1.5/20. I've been on them for two months and feel much better. When I reported this to my GP he nearly had a stroke because the hormone dose in the Loestrin is higher than conventional HRT, but he does not want to switch me if the Loestrin is "working." He couldn't understand why the clinic gave me birth control when I had undergone complete ovarian failure. I spoke with a gal at work who has been going thru the same thing and she said she tried conventional HRT and it did not work for her, so that's why she's taking Loestrin. I wasn't going to take it for long, just 4 or 5 months, but now I'm afraid to stop taking it because I feel so much better. On the otherhand, I certainly don't want to put my health at risk. I still have periods. My GP said that is not uncommon.

I've heard birth control pill therapy is sometimes used in the "first phase" of menopause (does that mean peri?) because it's so rough on the body adjusting to the change in hormone levels, that's why I decided to try it. How long does the first phase last?

I'm just seeking what other women have gone thru who have tried different HRTs during this phase of their life. If there's a good herbal combination out there that does NOT contain kava kava, please let me know. By the way, I tried the peri-zapper stuff and that didn't work for me.

Thanks!
Laura