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[TraceyTracey]

Do you take starflower oil as normal... I read you need to take it in large doses though to get any results?  Does anyone have any experience of this. I started estrogen 2 weeks ago and breast tenderness is worse and constant - it was a problem before starting estrogen and still is now I had lumpy breasts that my doctor advised me is hormone related due to my age 43... Thanks

[Rowan]

In my opinion at 43 estrogen is not needed to replace, you say that before you started HRT you had breast tenderness and lumpiness, this is a sign of  too much estrogen, adding more will make matters worse.

It is progesterone that is in decline leaving estrogen  to have free reign. Your hormones are in a flux and it is difficult to balance them with or without HRT.

You are young to be starting HRT, you don't say if you have had a hysterectomy or early menopause.

Using a low dose birth control pill maybe a better option.

Some women use a progesterone cream at that age when estrogen starts to dominate and it will help with lumpy and tender breasts.

Using starflower may help but don't expect immediate results.

Balancing hormones is such a difficult balancing act, but your breasts are a good barometer of what is going on in your body.

Hope this helps a little.

[TraceyTracey]

Thank you.. Your advice makes sense to me definitely.. I have thought the same myself.

 I have been diagnosed as peri menopausal. I have the Mirena fitted.. I am on my third Mirena and for nearly a year have been having missed periods, increased pms symptoms, night sweats and insomnia. I had my thyroid checked and it's ok. My doc who is female and going through peri herself  (started at 44, now she is 47) agreed peri menopause.   She said I have the progesterone I need due to Mirena... I had a new Mirena  fitted in January this yr and the peri symptoms were still there.   What do you think... ?

[Rowan]

The Mirena as I understand is a synthetic progestin which does not work in the same way as progesterone and could add to your breast problems.

Some women do OK on it other women hate it.

Its hard to advise as your Doctor obviously thinks that the progesterone answer is the Mirena (progestin) other then having it out and see how your body reacts without it and then reconsider treatment I don't what to advise, some may come along and advise upping the estrogen but its not what I would do.

As far as an over abundance of estrogen is concerned I do have another suggestion and that is DIM supplement, there have been trials and studies on it and some Doctors have told their patients about it especially breast cancer patients. 

Here is some info, I have chosen simple information for the link, but can post more scientific info if wanted.

natural-fertility-info.com/estrogen-dominance

[TraceyTracey]

The Mirena as I understand is a synthetic progestin which does not work in the same way as progesterone and could add to your breast problems.

Some women do OK on it other women hate it.

Its hard to advise as your Doctor obviously thinks that the progesterone answer is the Mirena (progestin) other then having it out and see how your body reacts without it and then reconsider treatment I don't what to advise, some may come along and advise upping the estrogen but its not what I would do.

As far as an over abundance of estrogen is concerned I do have another suggestion and that is DIM supplement, there have been trials and studies on it and some Doctors have told their patients about it especially breast cancer patients. 

Here is some info, I have chosen simple information for the link, but can post more scientific info if wanted.

http://natural-fertility-info.com/estrogen-dominance

Thank you.   I have thought the same as you but because I am no medic and due it awful low mood to the point that I thought I was depressed I asked my doc if I could try estrogen.


I could easily try DIMS, because I am happy to juice and take the supplement. Would I need to come off the estrogen to make it work... Yes?


I reacted well to the menopace plus tablets which contain vitamins to counteract the estrogen problems along with a few veg juices per day but the depressive mood that comes and goes for 7 to 10 days a month was getting too much... I feel really down and have no interest in things and I think the mood is cycle related.    Right now I feel good but I am off on holiday and my life is peaceful... 

[Rowan]

Here is some info on DIM (the science part)  http://examine.com/supplements/Diindolylmethane/

Some ladies on Hystersisters take it along side their HRT, in fact some doctors say ladies who are on HRT may benefit from taking it. Its a personal choice as always and whether it works for you.

You are obviously still having a cycle you don't say which part of the month your low moods happen, my advice is too keep up the vitamins and juices and good diet and when you get back from holiday see your Doctor and ask if you can have the Mirena removed, give your body a break from the constant absorption of progestin's.

I would not try the DIM until you sort out the MIrena,  if you do decide to keep taking the estrogen patches ask for progesterone not progestin.

If you decide to try progesterone cream which is transdermal, don't use it with the estrogen patches, use it as instructed to help balance your natural cycle.

You will probably get more post from ladies who come from a different prospective according to their own experiences and views, or even prejudices. 

 I hope you can find some answers 43 is too young to not be enjoying life. 

[Hurdity]

Hi TraceyTracey

Firstly - if you are at or close to menopause, then your symptoms are due to oestrogen deficiency which you are advised to replace at your age - and to take until at least the average age of natural menopause. There is no controversy about this and you will find all the information on this website!

As silverlady says you are clearly still have a cycle because you have cycle related mood changes.

The problme with the mirena - as silverlady points out, is firstly that it is a synthetic progestogen, which itself can cause side effects in some women ( although you say you have had one for 10 years presumably without problems). Secondly it is difficult to see where your cycle is at all. In many women Mirena stops periods because it thins the womb lining so much. In your case you have just missed some periods. If you were given it for very heavy periods (rather than contraception), and if you still have a fairly strong cycle, then if you remove it, you might get a resumption of heavy bleeding - but it depends where you are in menopause.

Some women do seem to suffer from the symptoms of flushes and sweats well before their periods stop.

Depending on your reason for having the Mirena, I agree with silverlady's point that removal will enable the progestins to clear from your system.

You could then use micronised progesterone (Utrogestan) as the progesterone part of HRT - but if you are still having heavy periods, probably not yet.

Painful lumpy breasts are not necessarily due to oestrogen - many women find they are like this just before a period when progesterone levels are high. I suffered from painful lumpy breasts a lot of the time before I was menopausal - fibro-adenosis - and had a couple of different lumps investigated. Also I got mastitis quite a lot when breastfeeding. They were more painful when I was peri-menopausal and I'm sure due to hormonal fluctuations - not a lot you can do about these. I used to take Evening Primrose Oil (then available on NHS!) but not sure that's recommended any more.

Personally I wouldn't get side-tracked re supplements - but make sure you have a very good varied diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables etc, keep your weight down take exercise etc, and sort out what you want to do re hormones.

It may well be that while you are peri-menopausal you will still get some symptoms, which are unavoidable really.

I hope the breast pain does settle soon for you.

Hurdity x

[TraceyTracey]

Thank you Hurdity.  I don't know when exactly the periods are now.  Since my Merina was replaced in January they have stopped entirely. I used to only get spotting anyway and very mild pms if at all.   Since mid last year all that changed and the night sweats and insomnia and bad pmt and missed periods all started.   Gynae thought it was the merina running out of estrogen at 4 plus yrs, so it was replaced.  The symptoms  all carried on and that's when I discussed peri menopause with doc.    Also this was after having bloods checked for thyroid, but my thyroid is fine. 

I use the merina for lighter periods - they used to be very heavy and painful to the point they would keep me awake and it's my contraception.   I would be concerned to go back to the painful periods... Before the merina I had to take a high dosage of ibuprofen to relax my tubes because I was passing large blood clots. This all changed 10 yrs ago when I started with the merina and my periods become a breeze once it was fitted. .


Could the merina's progestins causing some of my problems?

Would a progesterone cream help along with the estrogen and merina?

[TraceyTracey]

Here is some info on DIM (the science part)  http://examine.com/supplements/Diindolylmethane/

Some ladies on Hystersisters take it along side their HRT, in fact some doctors say ladies who are on HRT may benefit from taking it. Its a personal choice as always and whether it works for you.

You are obviously still having a cycle you don't say which part of the month your low moods happen, my advice is too keep up the vitamins and juices and good diet and when you get back from holiday see your Doctor and ask if you can have the Mirena removed, give your body a break from the constant absorption of progestin's.

I would not try the DIM until you sort out the MIrena,  if you do decide to keep taking the estrogen patches ask for progesterone not progestin.

If you decide to try progesterone cream which is transdermal, don't use it with the estrogen patches, us it as instructed to help balance your natural cycle.

You will probably get more post from ladies who come from a different prospective according to their own experiences and views, or even prejudices. 

 I hope you can find some answers 43 is too young to not be enjoying life.

Thank you Hurdity.   I will definitely consider what I can do on the progesterone side of things.   The merina has been a life saver stopping painful periods but it may have to go.

I will definitely try the DIMS diet if the merina comes out.    I would say that I have had the most improvements due to diet change and supplements so far...  So I am a believer.

I am confused a little now... As there are so many things to try...  And it's not a one size fits all hey