Menopause/Hormonal Support

[[no...]]

I guess I just wouldn’t want to add another progesterone to the mix. I know it’s basically the same thing, but as we see even between klonopin brands, it can cause issues.  I didn’t even go from 1mg to .05 mg while tapering because I was afraid there would be some difference.  I get what your trying to do to be more precise though.  But if your body is used to that type of progesterone and you switch, it might feel a withdrawal.  But, you know what’s best for you and that’s most important.

 

hey Saige 

 

yeah i wish i could just take a smaller pill of the progesterone, but it's not available to me.

at least the cream, though a little weaker, is more readily available since it absorbs right thru the skin into the bloodstream...bypassing the liver.

 

i read that taking progesterone orally , say if you take 100mg orally, only 20mg hits your bloodstream and body like it should and 80mg goes thru liver metabolizes and is excreted...so taking the cream you only have to use a tiny amount compared to taking the oral form.

 

yeah i go real slow on the clonazepam taper. woo i tried to go faster once and it was not good. btw, Welchie says to tell you and Pete hi! 

 

[[Sa...]]

Where’s Welchie? I love her!  Yes, I used to bite the football and just take part of it. I know it’s not precise, but I don’t think you need to be too precise.  But I see what your doing and hopefully that will work too.  Keep us posted please!

[[Li...]]

nomoredrugs....why are you tapering all three at once?  You brave lady.  I've always heard to taper the benzo first.  I remember back in the day I was taking a combo pill of Librium(benzo) and Amitriptyline.  After about a year I tried to taper off but couldn't then realized later it was because I was tapering off 2 at the same time. I then had them RX'd separately and I C/T'd off the benzo with not many issues and then worked on the Amitriptyline which was harder to do.  Now been on both way too long!  Good luck to you...keep us updated on weaning off the P...better to be safe than sorry.

 

Sounds like a good plan on the P.  Even people who aren't on benzos have issues with that hormone.  I think they probably gave it to you cause it can protect the breasts from all that E.  for me I can't tolerate a lot of E ...when my E to P ratio is off its' a bad thing.  All the sxs of Estrogen dominance I guess.  I haven't figured it all out yet.  It's maddening.

 

Saige....our history is very similar.  I started on my meds in 1992....quit, had a baby, then got back on...only once tho but damn, wish I hadn't!  But I was able to raise my son so grateful for that.  I think it's amazing you are doing so well after being on it for 25 years.  Are you still doing okay?  What hormones were you on during your taper and are you still on them? 

[[Sa...]]

Hi!  I only took progesterone occasionally.  I would try it here and there, like during my luteal  phase etc. I haven’t taken any estrogen or anything else.  I too am sensitive to estrogen I believe. I don’t take anything now but I have progesterone in case I want to try it again.

[[no...]]

nomoredrugs....why are you tapering all three at once?  You brave lady.  I've always heard to taper the benzo first.  I remember back in the day I was taking a combo pill of Librium(benzo) and Amitriptyline.  After about a year I tried to taper off but couldn't then realized later it was because I was tapering off 2 at the same time. I then had them RX'd separately and I C/T'd off the benzo with not many issues and then worked on the Amitriptyline which was harder to do.  Now been on both way too long!  Good luck to you...keep us updated on weaning off the P...better to be safe than sorry.

 

Sounds like a good plan on the P.  Even people who aren't on benzos have issues with that hormone.  I think they probably gave it to you cause it can protect the breasts from all that E.  for me I can't tolerate a lot of E ...when my E to P ratio is off its' a bad thing.  All the sxs of Estrogen dominance I guess.  I haven't figured it all out yet.  It's maddening.

 

hey Lib18

 

so last night was better than the night before. both nights were a great improvement over taking 300mg oral progesterone all at once tho!

 

so the first night i took 200mg oral prog at 10pm and at about 11pm i rubbed in 1/4 tsp (21mg) on each thigh of the cream prog.

(1/4 tsp = 21mg prog cream, & 40mg cream is equivalent to 100mg oral prog.)

i didn't get migraine at 10:20pm per my usual dosing, but i did get a bad headache about 20-30 minutes after the cream progesterone.

so i could tell reducing the dose to 200mg oral was helpful already.

 

then on the 2nd night i took 200 mg oral prog at 10pm and waited until 2am to rub in the 1/2 teaspoon cream progesterone.

i didn't get a migraine at all, but a mild headache at 8 minutes from the time i rubbed in the cream. that stuff absorbs to the bloodstream fast!!

and the headache i got was mild, very tolerable!

 

so tonight i'll do the same regime, 200mg oral progesterone at 10pm, then add the 1/4 tsp to each inner thigh but i'll move it out by anouth 30 minutes to an hour, closer to 3am. that way the doses will gradually be spread out opposite each other, for a more even blood level.

 

if it works then maybe i won't have such a bad wd?

 

the reason i am tapering 3 psych meds a t once is i have been having interdaose withdrawal sxs from all 3 for some time now. i spread the doses of all 3 out to 4 x a day, that's as often as i'm willing to dose.  can't move the doses out any more so now i just have to do the work of distracting myself in between dosing times and when the anxiety and jaw clenching and physical cravings for the drugs come on, until i'm totally weaned off everything.

 

i have been on over 53 RX'd psych drugs in almost 25 years. i have been very heavilypolydrugged, at high doses, and often taken off and started on other drugs without any tapering or time to adjust. now that i'm 47 i want to be free, and i am not willing to updose to alleviate interdose wd sxs. so i must come off the drugs. i already wasted 25 years being systematically destroyed by these drugs, so i am not willing to take one drug at a time so to speak with tapering. i spent 2 1/2 years tapering the first 3/4 of seroquel and still have 60mg to go. i held at that dose for a few months while i began to taper the clonazepam and most recently gabapentin.

 

the taper for clonaz will be a 3 year taper at least. i have to mix up my next day's doses in little bottles (4 bottles) for clonazepam, so i might as well be doing the same for the other 2 drugs which are also in liquid form, and taper them all at the same time i am not will ing to take 3 years for each drug taper. it may still take me a little longer than 3 years to taper all 3 simultaneously, but i am not in a race, i just go by my sxs daily and if i need to slow  down or hold i do so based on that. my theory is that my body likes the balance of drugs its bee getting, so coming down on all 3 at the same time but at a slower rate makes sense to me.

 

also i have a much higher chance of dementia/alzheimers/parkinsons due to all the drugs and classes of drugs i've been on for high doses for more than 10 years..so the sooner i'm off the better for me. also the drugs have a paradoxical effect on me, after taken them for so long. my clonazepam causes me anxiety and tension migraines jaw clenching etc...i feel worse taking it.  it wasn't always like that. yet my brody is dependent on it and i go into withdrawals about an hour to 2 hours before each dose. every single day. 4 times a day.  so perhaps you can understand why i'm ready to get off the poisons? the same thing has happened with the progesterone.

 

the gabapentin prevents brain growth/new brain synapses from forming, and i feel that it is holding back my healing from the other drug damage. it no longer even alleviates the spinal/muscle pain that i was prescribed it for. i don't have MS and i don't need to be on it for nerve pain.

 

the seroquel i am coming off because it caused me psychosis and gave me drug induced metabolic disorder. prediabetes, 70lb weight gain and mixed hyperlipidemia/high cholesterols especially stubborn high triglycerides, even aft going vegan for 2 years those won't come down. when i am off the last 60mg of seroquel, perhaps my metabolism will have a chance to recalibrate and heal. the longer i stay on it, the more my chances for diabetes type II and heart attack and death and dementia.

 

so by now it's probly pretty obvious that for my case, tapering off all 3 (plus progesterone) is the best option, after weighing the risks vs the benifits.

 

i don't recommend this to anyone else, it's up to each of us to discover what's in our best interest and to do our homework using everything we can get our hands on. for me that is family history, bloodwork to measure my a1c and cholesterols, and hormone workup on about every 3-4 months basis. also the info i gleaned from people at BB and menopause forums and twitter and youtube and google and other doctors, naturopaths, books on the different classes of drugs, etc. it might be different for someone else.

 

one thing i found out the hard way during the past 3 years of tapering is that vegan diet did not work for me personally. i was strict vegan for 2 years. at the end of it, i felt my body was missing something, and all i knew was i was craving fats, butter specifically. fats that don't come from an avocado. once i broke down and ate fatty meat and butter, i began to feel so much better. i started acting better/more balanced than the previous 2 years with no cholesterol. i recently found out our brains and nerve tissue, myelin sheaths covering our nerves are all made of cholesterol. so 2 years with a cholesterol deficient diet was what it took for me to feel bad. also sugar makes me feel bad. i eat it anyways sometimes but when i do i regret it. the thing i eat when tapering cuts are making sxs worse for a day or 2, is beans lentils and peas. i make soup with butter beans, curry, sriracha sauce, black pepper, baby bella mushrooms and minced garlic. that seems to stabilize me the most when polytapering these. if i get bored of butter beans i eat black eyed peas or lentils. and sometime some shredded chicken or roast beef. it's boring i know, but i feel so stable on that. and only distilled water to drink, even the ice cubes from distilled. herbal/non caffeinated tea (i like that red zinger and berry zinger one) with honey. caffeine makes my ears ring louder.

 

oh sorry i wrote a book!

[[no...]]

Where’s Welchie? I love her!  Yes, I used to bite the football and just take part of it. I know it’s not precise, but I don’t think you need to be too precise.  But I see what your doing and hopefully that will work too.  Keep us posted please!

 

woo grrl you didn't gross out at the oil inside?  you are stronger than me!

Welchie n me left BB about the same time cause of negativity and bias that seemed to follow us around.

we each had our own epiphanies and decided to leave the darkness and the distractions behind. life is too short for bad soap operas!

i came back just to check on the hormones thing, i knew that someone would be kind enough to help! there's a lot of wisdom in this thread.

but i stay off the boards now, just read what i need to learn and move on. this hasn't been my safeplace. luckily i found my safeplaces outside.

and friendships from here that became real life friendships.

but Welchie said you're a wonderful gal and said she misses you n Pete, and some other kind and funny souls here. She stays in touch with some.

She said she want s to know how you're doing, maybe you could send her a pm? i know she'd love to hear how you're getting on these days.

 

[[Sa...]]

oh Wow, thank you so much for the update! I’m sorry to hear you both had problems here, it should be  safe place.  She’s a wonderful caring person and I hope this is all behind her now.  And no I didn’t really freak out about the oil 🤣🤣🤣.

[[Li...]]

nomoredrugs.... You are being extra cautious with the P but that is a good thing.  We all are different for sure!  But it sounds like a great plan on weaning off the P.  I totally understand now why you would want to taper off those meds at once.  How horrifying to have each one cause issues for you.  I guess I've been lucky with my 2 meds but wish I was off.  BTW, I got on them due to a jaw injury...probably clinch as well...currently wearing a bite splint which helps. I get my jaw pain back when my Estradiol levels go up high...my jaw doesn't like E for some reason.  Too stimulating maybe. 

 

I can't believe how many meds you have been on ...bless your heart.  And now only 3!  You will be glad you are doing this now rather than your 60's and older.  I wish you the best of luck.  Yes, stay in your safe places.  I found the Facebook groups to be the worst.  And we each have our own individual diets that work for us.  I'm glad you have found one that works for you.  I do better with meat..I could never do a vegan or veggie diet.  My benzo levels got lowered after I stopped taking a med that decreased the metabolism for many years so I was getting more of the drug..it was a good thing tho cause all my jaw pain was gone.  It then came back when I stopped the med (which was BC pills).  Now I seem to be sensitive to things I wasn't before. I must have taken a big cut...sure did feel like it. 

 

Well like they say, slow as a turtle....you will then hopefully not have many issues.  Best of luck to you! 

 

 

[[Ma...]]

Nomoredrugs, I am so sorry that you were treated badly.  I often read your posts and have been wondering where you were.  You were always kind and helpful.  bb will miss you .  I hope you have found your place.  Love, Mary 💜💜

[[Th...]]

so i c/t klonopin in dec 2016 did great till jmay of 18 went into a horrific beyond reality wave that caused reinstatement.  took 6 months to feel somewhat better then as time has gone on after 18 months symptoms slowing disapperaing but for three days very sick and the whole 18 months my periods are jacked.  cramps alot periods 10 weeks late two weeks early symptoms were better at period time now really bad again.  i was almost symptom free but now cramps sick again.  late bu=y at least 4 weeks now but cramping bad. is this typical? i cant even think now of taper that i was going to start.

[[Ta...]]

Nomoredrugs, I am so sorry that you were treated badly.  I often read your posts and have been wondering where you were.  You were always kind and helpful.  bb will miss you .  I hope you have found your place.  Love, Mary 💜💜

 

Tater misses you too! Im glad you found safe spaces off BB and are doing well.

I miss all those good times on Welchie's blog! Love you both so much.

[[no...]]

Nomoredrugs, I am so sorry that you were treated badly.  I often read your posts and have been wondering where you were.  You were always kind and helpful.  bb will miss you .  I hope you have found your place.  Love, Mary 💜💜

 

Tater misses you too! Im glad you found safe spaces off BB and are doing well.

I miss all those good times on Welchie's blog! Love you both so much.

 

hey TaterTot! lol we were just talking about you...Welchie said she feels bad, you are one of the wonderful people she met here and it was really nice to all be together supportin each other during the "storms"...we had some fun memes going... too bad that didn't get to keep on going. but i'll tell her you said you miss her too, she'll be glad to hear that.

how r u doin these days?

[[va...]]

Mary I see this in this group too. I'm finding I'm perimenopausic. My periods were normal, they are still regular, however, the last one I've been bleeding for two weeks. The second week very little, but bleeding. I read this is a sign of perimenopausia. I'm turning 52 this month. I'm really lost because I see people who swear by bio identical HRT and others who are unable to taper the benzo due to problems with the HRT. I really don't know what to do. Stay put, or ask for HRT. Yes, I'd ask the doctor but only after I've heard many patients. Does HRT help with not losing your waist, thinning of the skin etc? I like the way I look. I know we'll deteriorate but slowing it down is a factor for me. My daughter is thirteen and I have no time for love, so I'm planning to date in my sixties 😉

[[Ma...]]

Mary I see this in this group too. I'm finding I'm perimenopausic. My periods were normal, they are still regular, however, the last one I've been bleeding for two weeks. The second week very little, but bleeding. I read this is a sign of perimenopausia. I'm turning 52 this month. I'm really lost because I see people who swear by bio identical HRT and others who are unable to taper the benzo due to problems with the HRT. I really don't know what to do. Stay put, or ask for HRT. Yes, I'd ask the doctor but only after I've heard many patients. Does HRT help with not losing your waist, thinning of the skin etc? I like the way I look. I know we'll deteriorate but slowing it down is a factor for me. My daughter is thirteen and I have no time for love, so I'm planning to date in my sixties 😉

 

Other than your periods not being normal, are you having any real symptoms, hot flashes, more cramping, things like that , that you are pretty sure aren't Withdrawal?  I went back on hormones because my migraines were hormonal and the hormones gave me some stability and helped lower the number of migraines  I was having a month , way before benzo's.  Now after benzo's I

have some different migraines sometimes, ocular for one, have auras once in awhile.  If it wasn't for migraines, I think being through menopause would have gone pretty ease for me. 

If you plan on dating in your 60's, which you certainly should, you may or may not need hormones. If you do, go to an hrt specialist and they will run tests to see if you are too low on anything.  You will be fine,I think the most important thing is a good interest in men.  :laugh:  Estrogen really kicks in your sexual feelings, likes a teenager 

 

Pp

 

 

 

[[va...]]

Mary I see this in this group too. I'm finding I'm perimenopausic. My periods were normal, they are still regular, however, the last one I've been bleeding for two weeks. The second week very little, but bleeding. I read this is a sign of perimenopausia. I'm turning 52 this month. I'm really lost because I see people who swear by bio identical HRT and others who are unable to taper the benzo due to problems with the HRT. I really don't know what to do. Stay put, or ask for HRT. Yes, I'd ask the doctor but only after I've heard many patients. Does HRT help with not losing your waist, thinning of the skin etc? I like the way I look. I know we'll deteriorate but slowing it down is a factor for me. My daughter is thirteen and I have no time for love, so I'm planning to date in my sixties 😉

 

Other than your periods not being normal, are you having any real symptoms, hot flashes, more cramping, things like that , that you are pretty sure aren't Withdrawal?  I went back on hormones because my migraines were hormonal and the hormones gave me some stability and helped lower the number of migraines  I was having a month , way before benzo's.  Now after benzo's I

have some different migraines sometimes, ocular for one, have auras once in awhile.  If it wasn't for migraines, I think being through menopause would have gone pretty ease for me. 

If you plan on dating in your 60's, which you certainly should, you may or may not need hormones. If you do, go to an hrt specialist and they will run tests to see if you are too low on anything.  You will be fine,I think the most important thing is a good interest in men.  :laugh:  Estrogen really kicks in your sexual feelings, likes a teenager 

 

Pp

 

Thank you Mary. I'll answer in depth when I have more time. I'm between classes now. I should take that estrogen then. That's all I really need. Some good old estrogen and I'll be a perimenopausal horny benzo buddy ready to rock the dating fields 

[[Ma...]]

Mary I see this in this group too. I'm finding I'm perimenopausic. My periods were normal, they are still regular, however, the last one I've been bleeding for two weeks. The second week very little, but bleeding. I read this is a sign of perimenopausia. I'm turning 52 this month. I'm really lost because I see people who swear by bio identical HRT and others who are unable to taper the benzo due to problems with the HRT. I really don't know what to do. Stay put, or ask for HRT. Yes, I'd ask the doctor but only after I've heard many patients. Does HRT help with not losing your waist, thinning of the skin etc? I like the way I look. I know we'll deteriorate but slowing it down is a factor for me. My daughter is thirteen and I have no time for love, so I'm planning to date in my sixties 😉

 

Other than your periods not being normal, are you having any real symptoms, hot flashes, more cramping, things like that , that you are pretty sure aren't Withdrawal?  I went back on hormones because my migraines were hormonal and the hormones gave me some stability and helped lower the number of migraines  I was having a month , way before benzo's.  Now after benzo's I

have some different migraines sometimes, ocular for one, have auras once in awhile.  If it wasn't for migraines, I think being through menopause would have gone pretty ease for me. 

If you plan on dating in your 60's, which you certainly should, you may or may not need hormones. If you do, go to an hrt specialist and they will run tests to see if you are too low on anything.  You will be fine,I think the most important thing is a good interest in men.  :laugh:  Estrogen really kicks in your sexual feelings, likes a teenager 

 

Pp

 

Thank you Mary. I'll answer in depth when I have more time. I'm between classes now. I should take that estrogen then. That's all I really need. Some good old estrogen and I'll be a perimenopausal horny benzo buddy ready to rock the dating fields 

 

:2funny:

[[Li...]]

Valiumnomore...if you have hormone tests done, make sure it's on Day 21 of your cycle.  In peri, it's the Progesterone that goes down first creating an imbalance between the Estradiol and Progesterone.  MOst find themselves Estrogen dominant causing all kinds of symptoms.  Also Testosterone goes down before Estradiol does (for some) hence lack of libido.  From everything I've read, if you are low on both E and T, getting them both up will get your libido going.  I've had my E up and my T low and zero libido but when my T gets up higher my libido is insane...so much that it's very uncomfortable.  Lawd!!!!  I recently lowered my T way down and now suffering with bad aches and pains.  T is very anti-inflammatory.  also, when I was on BC pills, I noticed my skin was very thin..so much that if I barely scratched it it would bleed.  Since starting T, it has stopped. 

 

Your E could be going down for sure but it's the drop in Progesterone that causes the issues it seems as it becomes very low compared to the E.  You could join a hormone group to learn more..may have already told you this but the administrator in my group is very knowledgeable on hormones. 

 

Mary...did you say you started on hormones while tapering...I see you are still tapering right?  My body just doesn't like Estradiol at all it seems.  Maybe cause it works on  glutamate? But when it's too low I suffer badly as well. 

[[va...]]

Hi girls. I really don't care about the libido because I'm single. I do think I'm having some kind of hot flashes. This is not withdrawal. I hadn't experienced it before. I don't want my libido to grow, God forbid I complicate my life right now with sex. I just don't want to add menopause anxiety and insomnia to bwd anxiety and insomnia. After reading you guys I think I'll try to ride it out with no pills. I'm not really crazy about having to taper yet one more med.

[[Ma...]]

Valiumnomore...if you have hormone tests done, make sure it's on Day 21 of your cycle.  In peri, it's the Progesterone that goes down first creating an imbalance between the Estradiol and Progesterone.  MOst find themselves Estrogen dominant causing all kinds of symptoms.  Also Testosterone goes down before Estradiol does (for some) hence lack of libido.  From everything I've read, if you are low on both E and T, getting them both up will get your libido going.  I've had my E up and my T low and zero libido but when my T gets up higher my libido is insane...so much that it's very uncomfortable.  Lawd!!!!  I recently lowered my T way down and now suffering with bad aches and pains.  T is very anti-inflammatory.  also, when I was on BC pills, I noticed my skin was very thin..so much that if I barely scratched it it would bleed.  Since starting T, it has stopped. 

 

Your E could be going down for sure but it's the drop in Progesterone that causes the issues it seems as it becomes very low compared to the E.  You could join a hormone group to learn more..may have already told you this but the administrator in my group is very knowledgeable on hormones. 

 

Mary...did you say you started on hormones while tapering...I see you are still tapering right?  My body just doesn't like Estradiol at all it seems.  Maybe cause it works on  glutamate? But when it's too low I suffer badly as well.

 

No, I started quite awhile before tapering, even benzo's.  I had really bad hormonal migraines, so after going through menopause, went on hormones and they lowered the amount of migraines per month.  They never but me on t though, I guess it didn't show up as something I needed.  Yes Vali, make sure baldy is around when you go on hormones, it is amazing what it does to your libido.  :laugh:  I take an estrogen patch, minivelle.  💜💜💜

[[va...]]

Mary that was so funny. I'll tell baldy I'm going to be put on hormones and that my sex drive is going to boost. I bet he'll flee the country 

[[Ma...]]

Mary that was so funny. I'll tell baldy I'm going to be put on hormones and that my sex drive is going to boost. I bet he'll flee the country 

 

I wouldn't bet on that!!    :2funny:

[[De...]]

I've been thinking about hormones lately too. I can't tell what is hormones or bwd. I'm afraid to add anything in the mix. Plus if you take estrogen you need progesterone. If you have a uterus. Then progesterone is bad in bwd. I do feel weird. Mood swings and I feel S if my boobs get big then hurt out of now were. I hate being a woman sometimes. The sparatic periods are a perimenopause sx v. That's what happened to me. I felt like I had PMS all the time. I still do. Ugh

[[va...]]

I've finally had time to read this thread properly.

 

Lib, thank you for all the advice you gave me. I find this is a whole universe and very difficult to get things right if you take hormones, and risky if you get it wrong, so I think I'll just try to go through this without hormones. I just want to hold until I stabilize enough to start tapering again. I don't want to complicate things. What if I take hormones trying to stabilize and I make things worse? Which I see happens quite often. DD we seem to be at a similar stage. My PMS is dreadful and I can't tell what's PMS and what's bwd. I hope we all get better.

[[De...]]

Hi v!

Believe me i understand. I can never figure it out. I would take the hormones but i am just to scared to add them in right now. When i added my thyroid med, it was a mess. I did finally adjust.  I guess I am that sensitive. Truly sucks. I figure once im off if im all emotional and anxios, ill probably try it. Idk. After this im afrais of any med. Perfect timing. All this would have to happen together. Ly dd

[[Ma...]]

I've finally had time to read this thread properly.

 

Lib, thank you for all the advice you gave me. I find this is a whole universe and very difficult to get things right if you take hormones, and risky if you get it wrong, so I think I'll just try to go through this without hormones. I just want to hold until I stabilize enough to start tapering again. I don't want to complicate things. What if I take hormones trying to stabilize and I make things worse? Which I see happens quite often. DD we seem to be at a similar stage. My PMS is dreadful and I can't tell what's PMS and what's bwd. I hope we all get better.

 

If I hadn't already been on them before benzo's and know what I know now, I would try not to take them Vali, but I took mine for migraines and they really helped.  I plan on going off mine one day, but I couldn't even begin to guess when.  But having your libido come back like a jolt was a pleasant surprise.  So maybe after you have finished tapering.   Night sweats kept waking me up, and my migraines just escalated, when you have migraines, you have to have regular sleep or you are really going to suffer.  But,as with everything else, it's only since joining bb, I realized what progesterone did to gaba receptors.  I hate benzo's  :tickedoff: 💜💜💜