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[Liz]

Hi ladies. Just to recap, been on HRT for about 6 weeks now (first month was on Estradot 50 but changed a week ago to Oestrogel).  I started the gel on 1 pump and the increased to 2 pumps as was feeling very emotional.  I'm still feeling very tearful now and "unsettled" which I didn't have before starting the HRT. 

Do you think the emotions are due to the increase in hormones?  I'm 46 and peri.  I want to stick with the HRT if I can (at least for the 3 months to see how it goes) but not sure I can tolerate the tearfulness.   I use Utrogestan for days 15-26 of the month,so I don't think it's a Progesterone problem.

Has anyone else had this experience or found that their HRT takes quite a while to settle them emotionally?  Like I said, I wasn't a particularly emotional person before I started the HRT.

Thanks.

[Dancinggirl]

Hi Liz
Oestrogen doesn't necessarily help the anxiety and emotional side of things - it does for some women but not all.  I personally think that too much oestrogen can have a negative effect.  There have been number of threads lately with women using very high does of oestrogen on the advice of their doctors and many of them seem to find they feel unwell in various ways and my 'lay persons' view is that too much can be as bad as too little.  In the early stage of my peri meno I did try various HRt treatments and when I tried a patch that was quite high dose I felt very strange.
As you have only been on HRT for 6 weeks I think you increased your dosage too soon, particularly as you are still in peri menopause which means your own hormones will still be kicking in and fluctuating.
6 weeks is also a very short time as the oestrogen does build up in your body so the increase of dosage may now be giving you too much generally.
I used only one pump of Oestrogel through my peri stage and only ever increased to just under 2 pumps per day when I was post meno.  The level of oestrogen needed can vary from women to women but Oestogel is a very efficient way to administer oestrogen so gives you a good dose with each pump.
Why did you increase? What symptoms made you feel you needed more oestrogen e.g. flushes etc?  DG x

[Liz]

Hi DG - thanks for your thoughts.

I was initially prescribed Estradot 50, so the GP advised I start on 2 pumps Oestrogel.  I read that 2 pumps gel is still less than Estradot 50, after initially trying 1 pump gel I felt emotional and therefore decided to try the 2 pumps that the GP advised me to start with.  Perhaps I should go back down to 1 pump then??  Like you say, perhaps I'm getting too much oestrogen now?

I feel very strange........ "unsettled" and questioning things, etc.  Also feel very tearful, as though the littlest thing will set me off, which is not like me.  Do you think it could be too much oestrogen??

If you said you only used 1 pump during peri, perhaps that is the case and I'm getting too much..... I'm wondering if too much Oestrogen would make me more emotional??

To be honest, this morning I nearly didn't use the Oestrogen at all, I'm not sure I want to keep feeling like this.......

After reading what you've said, DG, I'm wondering whether to knock it down to 1 pump tomorrow and see how I go?  Not sure if that'll be detrimental now, but may be worth a go......

[Liz]

Thanks Stellajane - do you think this is advisable? What about the Utrogestan I'm supposed to use on days 15-26, I'm due to use that from Saturday onwards?

I don't know whether to cut down to 1 pump or do as you suggested and stop for a week or so.   

[Hurdity]

Hi Liz

It's always tricky getting the dose right during peri-menopause because you really cannot say what is down to your own cycle and what to do with changing the dose and mode of delivery of the HRT.

Definitely take the utrogestan as planned - you will have stimulated your uterus lining and it needs to be shed.

As for too much oestrogen - I haven't taken gel but oestrogen should not make you tearful at all! During the menstural cycle it rises dramatically to a peak just before ovulation and during the mid point of the cycle is when women feel at their best. That being said, taking it exogenously is a different thing altogether.

My view is that if you are feeling tearful then it is either due to falling oestrogen (external or internal) or the effects of progesterone (in your own cycle).  As others have said chopping and changing with the external doses won't allow any stability and you haven't allowed enough time for this yet if you only changed to oestrogel a week ago.

I know I am disagreeing with the others but I would continue with the two pumps for at least a month and if you are still feeling teary and emotional then think again. You haven't actually felt better yet on 1 pump so it can't be too much on 2 pumps I wouldn't have thought!

Remember you may be feeling emotional because of your own cycle and the fact you are peri-menopausal, and not because of the HRT - and in fact you might even feel worse without it.  How were you feeling on the patch and remind me why you changed - was it due to sticking problems?

Meanwhile try not to worry and just let the tears flow - I blubbed at the slightest thing when I was peri (including with difficult situations at work!) - although I didn't know it at the time!


Hurdity x

[Liz]

Hi Hurdity - thanks for your helpful reply.  The reason I started on HRT was my periods started to become close together, just over 2 weeks apart some times and almost 10 days long.  I had severe joint aches and was waking up at 4am and couldn't get back to sleep.  This has all improved, but like I said I'm now feeling so emotional (not like me at all) and quite down, to be honest.  I've got no reason to feel like this - happy enough home life, etc.

So, all in all, the physical symptoms have improved but I feel like I now have psychological issues at the moment.

Yes, patches were lifting, hence GP suggesting gel.  I felt OK on the patches, so perhaps my gel dosage isn't right. 

[Dancinggirl]

Hi Liz
I think Hurdity has given you good advice - she has a science background so has a better understanding of what the hormones do etc.
I think on balance she is right - stick with what you are doing and give things a bit of time.
Dg x

[Hurdity]

Hey Dancinggirl - you give brilliant advice - I am just guessing as much as you are from what I've read but maybe my logic works in different ways!  The big thing also is because we are all individuals and often at different stages of the big menopause journey somtimes the opposite can be the case from what you would predict as there are always exceptions!!! It helps also to have a discussion because it enables all of us to try and work out what's best for whoever needs our help - if we can!

Liz until the HRT settles down can you find other ways of dealing with the emotional side of things - eg looking for positive things that have happened in the day, or that you are looking forward to? Also I always find it helps to compare myself to others much worse off and then pulling myself together (easier to do when post-meno with even hormones tho'  ....) 

Hurdity x

[kiltgirl]

Hi ladies. Just to recap, been on HRT for about 6 weeks now (first month was on Estradot 50 but changed a week ago to Oestrogel).  I started the gel on 1 pump and the increased to 2 pumps as was feeling very emotional.  I'm still feeling very tearful now and "unsettled" which I didn't have before starting the HRT. 

Do you think the emotions are due to the increase in hormones?  I'm 46 and peri.  I want to stick with the HRT if I can (at least for the 3 months to see how it goes) but not sure I can tolerate the tearfulness.   I use Utrogestan for days 15-26 of the month,so I don't think it's a Progesterone problem.

Has anyone else had this experience or found that their HRT takes quite a while to settle them emotionally?  Like I said, I wasn't a particularly emotional person before I started the HRT.

Thanks.

Hi Liz, I can empathise with your post, I've been on Evorel Sequi for a few months now, (am 45, peri) really struggled with the estrogen-only phase, but much calmer and dare i say it, feel quite good on the progesterone phase. The estrogen seems to heighten my already-there anxiety and ditziness...I wake up really early in the morning and want to scream...in fact I have done into my pillow to get it out, so horrible. I've heard that progesterone is calming, certainly feels that way to me...maybe the 2 are out of balance with estrogen-only part of the cycle?

I have been cutting my patches in half as although the prog patches feel ok, the whole estrogen ones make me crazy...guessing that means i need to go back to my gp, tactfully suggest i might need prog more than estrogen?

I hope you start to get some relief soon, and that you have a good gp xxx

blimmin hormones...

[Dancinggirl]

Hi kiltgirl
Your story really illustrates how different we all are.  Most of us find the progesterone bit the toughest to cope with.  As you are in the peri stage you will find your own hormones will be fluctuating and this can bring mood swings etc.  It's probably not a good idea to be cutting your patches in half or changing your dosage in any way as your could then cause other imbalances.
If  the progesterone in this patch suits you then you could try a different approach.  Perhaps try a separate patch or gel for the oestrogen at a lower dose and take the progesterone as a tablet for those few days each month that induce a withdrawal bleed.
Perhaps have a another blood test done when you have been using your patch properly to see where you hormone levels are?
DG x
 

[Liz]

Well, I have something to report......  I thought about this more last night and decided, rightly or wrongly, to try 1 dose this morning rather than 2.  I can empathize with Kiltgirl's situation, I actually felt good on the Utrogestan phase.

Anyway, so far so good.  No tearfulness yet today - perhaps my oestrogen level (being peri) is not too low and I only need a small "top up".  I'm wondering if the 2 pumps were giving me too much on top of my own.... could be wrong, but I'm going to try 1 pump for a few weeks and see what happens.

Kiltgirl - we seem to be in similar circumstances so would be great to keep in touch and compare.