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[warwick01]

Hi

Well here I go again

Up until 18 months ago I was using 3/4 pumps of oestrogel with separate northisterone 7 days per month. I held down my job and was doing ok.

Then all changed, I was 55 and told to try and reduce HRT to something like Kliovance. Tried Klovance, Livial none really suited me so have decided to go back onto the gel. It's been 5 weeks and I am applying 2 eve and 1 in the morning. What I am suffering is extreme anxiety (through the roof) usually starts around 10;00am 2 hours after applying the gel.

I have been sleeping o.k after applying 2 pumps at 8:00pm evening. The anxiety is at it's worst from 10:00 - mid afternoon. Evenings I feel fine a little exhausted. Just to add I have a real urgency to rush to the looe mornings is this IBS.

I am 57 now and really want to feel better. My question is could the oestrogel be too high or too low causing this anxiety? shall I carry on with 3 pumps for longer?? or could it be I need progesterone daily??

My GP is a waste of time. I have tried to stop but it was hell anxiety, adrenalin rush every hour feeling of loosing control etc

Your advice as always is welcome

Wx

[dazned]

Its horrible feeling like that isn't it !
At age 57 if it was me I personally would drop down to 2 pumps,see how it goes. A few ladies on here have posted about getting more anxiety on high estrogen,sometimes less is better 
Hope you start to pick up soon.

[warwick01]

Hi dazned - thank you

This is the worse feeling ever. I can't understand why I was doing ok and used the gel for 3 years. now I am a quivering wreck, I can only explain it as being in the fight/flight response all the time full of adrenalin. The anxiety was not this bad on the Kliovance or Livial but other symptoms became problematic.

I feel no one (my family) understands how I feel and because it's been going on for so long they are running out of patience with me. I avoid going out etc all because of anxiety and panic attacks.

If I reduce to 2 pumps will it help?? I thought I may need more?? 5 pumps to control symptoms. Has anyone else felt like me at age 57??

Wx

[dazned]

I was fine on 1mg hrt age 49 through to age 55 then anxiety,palps,etc went sky high ! After trying this that the other hrt with no success started an AD and made the decision to stop hrt all together. As I said a few ladies have found they were actually better on lower doses as counter intuitive as that seems . Its easy with the gel to try this ,you have nothing to lose,you can always go back up cant you.

[MIS71MUM]

Hi Warwick

Yes - I defintely felt an extreme hit of anxiety when using the gel.  I was only using 1 pump at the time, but could set my watch by it.  I even tried to move it to evening time, and it woke me up in the night.  I am not sure of the doseage of your other types of HRT, but maybe you need to start off very slowly until your body gets used to it.  Then build it back up again.

Failing that, you could try a patch because for me, it gives a more even delivery throughout the day rather than a sudden surge.

I take a 50mg patch and had very little side effects on start compared to the gel.

[Mary G]

warwick01, sorry to hear you have been put through this.  My view is, if it ain't broke, never, ever try to fix it and I can't think why your doctor wanted you to change to Kliovance when your regime was working, it doesn't make any sense.  OK, you might want to try and reduce the gel dose from time to time in an effort to have lighter periods but it is difficult enough to find a regime that works without changing to something (radically) different when you finally find something that does work.

Have you tried using exactly the same formula that you were on before i.e. same gel dose at the same time with the same amount of norethisterone?  If it worked before, it should work again in theory. 

I would definitely not stop HRT altogether and I very much doubt you need progesterone daily.  It could just be that you have messed up your system by trying different types of HRT and it might take quite a while to get back to where you were before.  I think the important thing with HRT is to get into a routine with it and it does take a while to feel normal again. 

[Joesmum]

Hi Warwick,
Im so sorry that you're having such a dreadful time and I sympathise because I've experienced exactly the same thing.

I've had 5 years of implants with an oestrodial level around 650 p/mols which is high but I never noticed because I felt great. Once the last implant ran low and they discontinued them I was left with a level around 200 p/mols and a lot of menopausal symptoms. I was given Estrogel - 4 pumps. 2 am x 2 pm.

Well!.....the anxiety was THROUGH THE ROOF!! I have never known anything like it. I couldn't sit, talk think, I was pacing like a caged animal. Horrific. I cannot begin to tell you how awful it was.

It was as though because I had allowed my estrodial levels to drop so low they were reluctant to go back up again. As though the receptors weren't ...receptive anymore ....or Too Receptive?

I stopped taking the Estrogel and moved onto EVOREL patches 50mcgs but I am struggling to raise these higher without awful symptoms. Not anxiety just awful nausea and dizziness and weepiness.It may be that our bodies just need lower levels of oestrogen now but I have heard that in some women it can be difficult to raise oestrogen levels once they have dropped??

[warwick01]

Hi Ladies

Thank you for the advice.

Joesmum - this is how I feel....... my anxiety is sky high can't sit still, agitated tense oh my god went to the hairdresser today and was to tense......it's unbelievable how I'm feeling. I just can't seem to get sorted and back to where I was 2 years ago.

I think since stopping the gel and restarting it the anxiety is horrendous. I regret trying to change and just want to feel calm again.

I feel like crying today........

Wx

[CLKD]

Why do GPs alter a regime that works  and why do patients agree?

[warwick01]

Thanks CLKD

Soooo true. We think they know best

If I could only go back 2 years!

Wx

[CLKD]

Why not?  Make a doulbe appt. and discuss what did work for you and why it was considered necessary 2 alter the regime?

[Annidav]

Hi Warwick -sorry to hear you are suffering; I am really struggling with anxiety and panic attacks lately; I have done for several years but it eased; however, lately (and I am wondering if it is since I have been on the HRT in several doses and forms) I have noticed  it has got really bad again; I do have a follow up appointment with the GP next Monday and it may be that the HRT will be changed again- I absolutely hate all of this chopping and changing on top of the changes we are going through at the same time - I hope you can get sorted and that this horrible symptom can be helped.x   

[Joesmum]

Warwick,
Have you checked your thyroxine levels?
I posted recently about my horrific anxiety which you commented on and it turned out that my thyroxine levels were too high and I was having Hyper symptoms.
 
I've lowered my thyroxine now and am feeling much better but not totally better yet.

Currently I'm taking 100 mcgs levo and 75mcg EVOREL.
I'm sure this will still need fine tuning so I'll keep you posted but boy do I feel better since lowering my thyroxine.
I know that ESTROGEN and thyroxine have a relationship so it might be worth checking your levels especially as you have changed your method of estrogen replacement.

[Tempest]

Bumping this as it's almost IDENTICAL to what happened to me (and what followed later) on the Estrogel.

I think my estrogen receptors had become non receptive, or something. As I had been over a year post oopherectomy with no HRT at 47, this makes sense.

I'm beginning to despair that I'll never be able to start HRT now, and I need it as physical symptoms are horrendous. Sorry I don't have anything positive to bring to the discussion and I hope we can find something to help us!