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[SilverFairy]

I have Graves disease and started the menopause just before my diagnosis. I have refused RAI and surgery for good reasons so I am on a decreasing dose of Carbimazole.  It's been a fine line trying to work out which symptoms come from the Graves and which from the menopause. When I had been on the Carbimazole for a few months most of the symptoms of being hyper thyroid were gone except for night time sweats so I worked out that those were down to the menopause. After I had been on Kliovance for two weeks they went. After a couple of months I had headaches. Unfortunately I have thyroid eye disease so a symptom of that and Carbimazole etc etc.
Finally had enough of daily headaches that didnt respond to painkillers and after searching through the HRT available (and noting it could be the type of progesterone) I asked to change to Femoston conti low dose. I didnt take a break between the two but after two weeks the headaches had gone. But....four to five weeks on my stomach has swelled up. It had gone down as my thyroid was balancing out and I was losing the weight I had put on due to being over medicated. Ive also been told that I have become confrontational and spikey 
This is also a Graves symptom, so, but I dont feel as if I have gone hyper again so I feel it is more to do with the menopause.
Where do I go now? I am still getting 'dryness' problems down there too so feel a different HRT regime needed maybe?
Please forgive me for the essay, but I thought I was doing so well......

[Rowan]

I know there is an interaction between the thyroid and estrogen http://women.webmd.com/news/20010608/estrogen-therapy-warning-for-women-with-thyroid-disease 

Have you discussed this with your doctor?

I am sure there will be some ladies who know more about this and can advise you Silverfairy.

I think you asked advise about an alternative to HRT on another post.

[Hurdity]

Hi Silverfairy

As silverlady says and according to the article in the link, if you take oestrogen while on thyroid medication it can affect the level of thyroxine in your blood so you need specialist advice here and regular blood tests to monitor your thyroid condition to check the dose is still right.

It sounds rather complex to me - and if you change HRT type then you would need to be re-tested as different oestrogen preparations may well result in different levels of oestrogen in your blood - in turn affecting the thyroxine?

In terms of dryness - many of us on here are on HRT for the major symptoms - which it deals with fine - but also need local oestrogen to help with the dryness. As very little is absorbed into the body after the first couple of weeks loading period, then using it shouldn't affect the thyroid medication and thyroxine in your blood, I shouldn't imagine.

I know almost nothing about thyroid disease and how the thyroid works, and especially the interaction with extra oestrogen so maybe someone else who is on both will come along soon with their experience on that issue?

Hope this helps a little

Therefore it should be OK to ask for something like Vagifem or Orthgynest pessaries which should do the trick - most of us swear by them!!

Hurdity x

[SilverFairy]

Thank you ladies. Graves is an autoimmune disorder that causes the thyroid to be attacked, resulting in hyperthyroidism so the HRT would be affecting me in the opposite way if anything, as it decreases the thyroxine in the blood causing hypOness. Maybe that is what is causing me to have more hypo symptoms, as I am only on 2.5mg of Carbimazole (a very low dose)  I have very regular blood tests re thyroid and Im still under the hospital. Unfortunately GP useless and Endo not much better as she specialises in diabetes!
I dont really like or want to be on HRT to be honest that's why I asked about natural treatments on the other thread.
Would water retention and irritability be a oestrogen or progesterone problem? err or both!

[Hurdity]

Thyroid issues aside, normally any irritation as a result of HRT comes from the progestogens - or just after withdrawal from them ie when the level falls dramatically just before your period.

Bloating and fluid retention is usually an effect of progesterone but I did read recently in the side effects for some estrogen only HRTs that fluid retention could also occur!

However local oestrogen should have very few if any side effects - especially after the first two weeks when the tissues are plumped up.

Hurdity x