Apologies is I am going over old ground, but I am keen to know what causes fatigue? Is it low oestrogen, high or the fluctuation between the two?
My initial symptoms have improved massively since taking HRT and then the pill. However, I do still get periods of really crushing 'stops everything' fatigue, often just for 30 minutes or so up to a few hours. Given that I had severe fatigue when I knew my oestrogen was low (41pmol), I assumed more oestrogen would mean less fatigue. However, if that is the case, why do many women have extreme fatigue at the start of their pregnancy (when I assume hormones are on the increase?). It's so confusing.
This time around, as before, the fatigue has occurred at the end of an old pack of Qlaira and the start of a new pack - ie when you have two days of low hormones, two days of none and, two days of the highest dose (it's also when my 'natural' period would have occurred, time wise). I get no others problems with Qlaira, and mentally, I feel a lot stronger, so I really don't want to stop taking it - but am wondering whether in fact I need an even higher dose of pill/HRT? Perhaps it's the fluctuations in the dosage so a constant high dose HRT would be better?
Has anyone found their fatigue has got better or worse with an increased oestrogen dose? I am 43, so at an age when I would have assumed I need more oestrogen rather than less. However, having always had irregular periods (and so lower oestrogen?), perhaps it's too much for my body?
Just read this through and it's not very coherent. Sorry - hope it makes sense to you! x