I have been taking Elleste Duet for 2 years now, however, I stopped taking them 6 weeks ago on my GP's suggestion. I felt so ill with stress and I was crying all the time. The GP has prescribed me Prozac, which has sorted out the mood problems. I still feel very unwell though; I'm tired, nauseous, and I'm getting hot flushes day and night. Can you help?

Unfortunately coming off HRT, especially if it is done quickly i.e. in less than 6 months, can trigger withdrawal symptoms that can mimic menopausal ones and it can be a miserable time until the body re-balances itself.

I would suggest a female multi-vitamin with high levels of B vitamins and a separate magnesium supplement to help with supporting your system generally.

Acupuncture can be really effective for balancing whilst coming off HRT so it is worth looking into.

Avoid foods that can stress the nervous system such as caffeine, high salt and sugar foods, processed foods, and try to drink plenty of plain water every day.

Daily relaxation is really important for this as it helps to strengthen the nervous system and the stronger this is, the less likely you are to get symptoms.

In the meantime, you may find sage helpful for the flushes.

Eileen Durward