Menopause/Hormonal Support

[[Vi...]]

I am almost eighteen months past jumping, after a two and a half year taper from benzos, and I'm worse than when I started tapering, worse than acute. Does anybody know why? Does this mean I will never recover? I have all the symptoms: terrible nerve and burning pain, fear, panic, depression, despair, agoraphobia, and more. Also, I have been on progesterone since my first year of tapering (I am postmenopausal), recommended by my therapist. I did not know it acted like a "soft" benzo. Am I in tolerance withdrawal from the progesterone? I have tried tapering, and the symptoms ramp up to intolerable. I feel trapped. I have no life. Can anyone please help.

MirandaJane

Hi Miranda, I saw you having some burning too. That's is my worst symptoms. Where is your burning?

Mine is in my head and scalp.

Vica

[[Mi...]]

My arms.

[[Vi...]]

Hi Miranda, do you feel the projesterone helping  you?

I stoped 2-3 weeks ago and my head burning is maybe 10-20% better.

Projesterone never helped me, actually I think it made my symptoms much worst and is deleted my healing for a long time. I was on the cream 1.5 year.

Next month im officials in menapouse.

When did you had your last period?

Vica

[[Mi...]]

The progesterone helped me a lot during benzo taper, and now that I'm tapering the progesterone it is like benzo taper again. I started menopause at age 35, then got uterine cancer at age 49 and had a hysterectomy.

[[Vi...]]

The progesterone helped me a lot during benzo taper, and now that I'm tapering the progesterone it is like benzo taper again. I started menopause at age 35, then got uterine cancer at age 49 and had a hysterectomy.

Are you on cream or pills?

I know it is har to come off projesterone. I tried before when I stoped benzo and just could not do it.

Now im off 30 months benzo and 8 months Remeron hoping I can come off projesterone too. I'm almost 3 weeks off and feeling my anxiety and depression a little better but my head symptoms is still very severe.

What symptoms do you have?

Vica

[[Vi...]]

How long dos it take to clear your body from progesterone?

I had very bad anxiety on projesterone so I had to stop using it.

How long I will have a withrawl from it? Is it same like benzo?

Vica

 

[[Vi...]]

Anybody take some natural supplements for menapouse symptoms and is helping?

I’m desperate to find something for my hot flashes insomnia.

Thank you

Vica

 

[[Sa...]]

posting to follow this.  I have always had bad symptoms during ovulation and premenstrual.  I took promethium in the past but after a while I think it started doing some harm.  I did like how I felt though.  I am so hopeful that hormones will balance better after my taper.  Best wishes.

[[Aj...]]

When I did first too fast taper my periods stopped. They returned after a couple of months once reinstated and stopped again as dose got lower about 3 months later.

 

I have lots of hot flushes and sweats.

 

I am 50 so am unsure of it is WD or menopause.

 

So hope ot’s Ok to join this group.

 

My plan for menopause prior to WD was to eat loads of soya but now that is not possible,...

 

Prior to WD I always gotintense chocolate cravings prior to period. I now have this all day everyday. Is that related do you think?

[[Sa...]]

Do you get the hot flashes at certain times of your cycle or all month?  I’m guessing both Benzos and hormones play a part. I was happy to read here that many have better cycles after they taper. Hoping!!!

[[Aj...]]

Not sure because can’t remember when cycle is as no periods for months.

 

I will need to look in old diary to see if can work out where it would be now if it was a regular 28 days as it always had been right up to WD.

 

I get hot flashes everyday that get worse as dose wears off and then again after I take it. Worse in evening and at night.

[[Fi...]]

Hi

 

I could use some perspective.

 

I had been using progesterone creme foe aboi 4 years, I'm post menopausal and turning 60.  I had done HRT earlier on minipaose but then was poly drugged for depression.

 

 

I stopped by progesterone creme probably too fast this summer and on top of that our dog unexpectedly died,husband had surgery and I had to jump from Lamictal abruptly due to an adverse reaction. 

 

Ler myself be talked into benzos to handle it.

 

Getting ready to start a taper next month.

 

All this to say is that I'm pretty nonfunctional at this time.  Gyno and hubby think going back on HRT might help.  Shw prescriber a combo patch but it's not bio identical.

 

So two questions

Has anyone gone on HRT at 60 or above?

And has anyone used non bio identical homones?

 

I have a friend who is 70 and had been on synthetic HRT for years with no issues.

 

Thanks

 

 

 

 

[[Ma...]]

Hi

 

I could use some perspective.

 

I had been using progesterone creme foe aboi 4 years, I'm post menopausal and turning 60.  I had done HRT earlier on minipaose but then was poly drugged for depression.

 

 

I stopped by progesterone creme probably too fast this summer and on top of that our dog unexpectedly died,husband had surgery and I had to jump from Lamictal abruptly due to an adverse reaction. 

 

Ler myself be talked into benzos to handle it.

 

Getting ready to start a taper next month.

 

All this to say is that I'm pretty nonfunctional at this time.  Gyno and hubby think going back on HRT might help.  Shw prescriber a combo patch but it's not bio identical.

 

So two questions

Has anyone gone on HRT at 60 or above?

And has anyone used non bio identical 

 

I have a friend who is 70 and had been on synthetic HRT for years with no issues.

 

Thanks

 

I am 63 and have been taking synthetic for several years.  I had to have a very stable dose and did not seem to able to do that on bio.  Mary 

[[Fi...]]

Thank you. 

 

Did you start them in your 60s.?

[[Ma...]]

Thank you. 

 

Did you start them in your 60s.?

 

Late 50's

[[Fi...]]

What are some of the benefits you have noticed by using them?

 

Mood, sleep, etc

 

Thanks!

[[Ma...]]

What are some of the benefits you have noticed by using them?

 

Mood, sleep, etc

 

Thanks!

 

I took them for chronic migraines, my migraines were hormonal and taking a steady amount, I was able to cut the migraines way down. 

[[Fi...]]

Ok thanks. 

[[Mi...]]

Read the posts about progesterone (do a search) being a "soft benzo." It's true! I am now 70 and started taking progesterone during benzo withdrawal because my therapist said it would ease my withdrawal. It did, slightly. After I tapered off benzos (it took two-and-a-half years and was hell) I still didn't make any progress after a year. Then I was hospitalized for a few days due to unexplained pancreatitis. I was only in pain in the emergency room, but they kept me in the hospital for tests. I missed one of my two daily doses of natural progesterone cream (Progensa 20). I started to get hyper, and after 36 hours I totally freaked out and my blood pressure went to 208. When I got home, I was back on the progesterone, but I started wondering if the progesterone had caused my panic and high BP. I experimented, and realized it was like missing a benzo dose. I was heartbroken. That meant I had to taper off it. I'm now in month four of the taper, and it is just like benzo taper; and I had 60 different symptoms. Most sx now are terrible pain throughout my body, fear, terrible anxiety, depression, confusion, insomnia, nightmares, muscle spasms, myoclonic jerks. I am housebound again. I'm having to slow down the taper and hope to finish this summer.  I wish I had never started taking it.

 

I wouldn't suggest tapering off both benzos and progesterone at the same time; that would be too much. One damn step at a time.

 

Good luck,

MirandaJane

[[Fi...]]

Yes, I think I stopped my progesterone creme to  abruptly this summer.  Probably why, among other things my Lamictal taper has been so brutal. 

 

 

I really messed things up and fear I will never recover. 

 

But if I start the patch and it helps, I'm willing to stay on it. Having a really bad day.  No sleep and its awful.

[[Fi...]]

I also added back in some low dose progesterone creme lately to see if it would help. 

[[Mi...]]

I'm tapering the progesterone because I fear missing a dose - or two or three - and having a total and horrific panic attack, like I was being dragged into hell, like I did when I missed a dose. That's how I know I'm addicted to it, and I don't want that. It's not worth it. The hospital will not give patients an over-the-counter medication, so I would be in big trouble if I were unable to apply the cream myself. There are other circumstances when I might miss a dose - or you might miss a patch. When I was younger (started menopause at age 36) and had an estrogen patch, I ran out of patches one day and couldn't get refills because there was a blizzard for days. that's when I realized that estrogen was causing panic, and stopped it. I'm so sick of drugs. I hope to be drug-free someday.

 

MirandaJane

[[Vi...]]

Read the posts about progesterone (do a search) being a "soft benzo." It's true! I am now 70 and started taking progesterone during benzo withdrawal because my therapist said it would ease my withdrawal. It did, slightly. After I tapered off benzos (it took two-and-a-half years and was hell) I still didn't make any progress after a year. Then I was hospitalized for a few days due to unexplained pancreatitis. I was only in pain in the emergency room, but they kept me in the hospital for tests. I missed one of my two daily doses of natural progesterone cream (Progensa 20). I started to get hyper, and after 36 hours I totally freaked out and my blood pressure went to 208. When I got home, I was back on the progesterone, but I started wondering if the progesterone had caused my panic and high BP. I experimented, and realized it was like missing a benzo dose. I was heartbroken. That meant I had to taper off it. I'm now in month four of the taper, and it is just like benzo taper; and I had 60 different symptoms. Most sx now are terrible pain throughout my body, fear, terrible anxiety, depression, confusion, insomnia, nightmares, muscle spasms, myoclonic jerks. I am housebound again. I'm having to slow down the taper and hope to finish this summer.  I wish I had never started taking it.

 

I wouldn't suggest tapering off both benzos and progesterone at the same time; that would be too much. One damn step at a time.

 

Good luck,

MirandaJane

Same happened to me. I was in peri menapouse when sleep was not good and doctor recommended Clonazepam for sleep. I never took any pills before and belived doctors so I took the pills for 2.5 months every night and sometimes day too. Very fast developed anxiety and I knew it was the benzo. They told me to stop CT and I listen to them. Terrible sick after.

Then they put me on remeron 2 times and back on benzo bc severe anxiety and depression.

Then I find BB and everything was making sense.

Later I went full blown menapouse and they recommended BIHR cream projesterone. Used it for 1.5 years and never helped me. Later he put me on estrogen too ....omg terrible panic attacks.Not able to work or function. I stoped both 4 months ago and same withrawl like benzo or remeron.

Suffering now 4 years and is taking over my life.

I would not use hormones again or benzo or depression pills ever.

Those 3 medication completely ruined my life and I’m not sure ever going to get it back.

Love and healing to you all

vica

[[kr...]]

Hi everyone! I took some time off BB cause i would get obsessed over it. Im 3 yrs off clonopin

Ive been looking around here a bit cause Im 53 this april and over a year and a half no period. Im confused .. I hear some do well on bio, some do well w synthetic, then also i hear estrogen causing panic and that progesterone is a soft benzo. Im so close to getting bloodwork and trying something. worst sx is the anxiety, moods, depression, anger. (I have to say i am in a LT relationship, well i got back w him 7yrs ago after a 5yr break. And its up and down and toxic sometimes..i dont know how much i can point to hormones?!)

I just don't know what to do! I heard also that protracted wd can last 5 yrs! (i have still had occass attacks that dont last too long. other mild sx of menopause too.)

If NATURAL hormone replacement was actually bad, wouldn't it need updosing over and over like benzos? And are we ever at a safe point yrs after quitting to try it?

[[Mi...]]

kris1967 - I started on progesterone (an over-the-counter cream) during my taper, at my therapist's recommendation. I wish I had not. I am 70, and hit benzo tolerance withdrawal four and a half years ago. Began tapering four years ago and finished two and a half years later. I had terrible symptoms the entire time. Symptoms continued, but progesterone made tapering easier. After one year post-withdrawal, I missed a dose of progesterone and went into horrible, terrible panic. I finally put two and two together and decided to taper off progesterone, starting six months ago. It's been awful, as bad as the worst of benzo taper. I truly believe progesterone is like a benzo. Last month I hit a wall, with jerking breaths every five to ten minutes, with total inability to sleep. I've been holding my dose for three weeks, and it has improved. After I stabilize, I will start tapering again, but go slower. I recommend not starting progesterone. Tapering will take me another year, then I will have to heal from that. My good doctor agrees. Best of luck to you.

MirandaJane