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[MIS71MUM]

I change my 75mg Evorel patches every Monday morning and Thursday afternoon.  Applied my patch Monday morning as usual, and I know it was still there on Tuesday 6pm ish!
Had a brilliant sleep Tuesday night and woke up feeling fine on Wednesday, but had a very brief "drunkish" feeling, mid morning.  As the day went on, I felt hotter and hotter.  No matter what I did, I couldn't cool down.  I had an appointment with a gastroenterolgist the same afternoon and felt embarassed that I had sweat pouring down the side of my face at each side by my ears, nice!
The following morning, woke up feeling normal, got myself and the kids ready as normal and went for my bus to work. On way to my bus, I began feeling breathless and I felt that my legs were aching.  Got on the bus, and then began feeling so hot, took my coat off, then began feeling dizzy, sick, sweating, disorientated, etc.  I felt that awful, I began to panick that I had taken 2 of my AD's instead of 1!  I began considering turning around and going straight back home, but decided it would be better to be at work around people.  Got off the bus, then started feeling really flat, as though something was dampening me down, morbid horrible thoughts followed.
At this point, I was worried and petrified that I was returning to my crisis stage of 2 years ago.
I got to work - told my work colleague who told me to eat something and take a break.
Aprroximately an hour later, I came round a bit after having lots of water to drink.
I went to the toilet - remembered it was Thursday, so patch changing day, put my hand down to check it....no patch!
I went into the mirrored area of the work toilets to check if I was looking in the wrong place, no patch!

Then the penny dropped - my funny turn was a hot flush/adrenaline surge, caused by lack of oestrogen!

I can't believe that in the space of 24 hours - the loss of oestrogen affected me so much.  For the rest of yesterday, I felt shaky, tearful and shaken up.  However, as the afternoon approached - the sweating stopped.

I read of others on here who have stopped taking patches and have not noticed any difference.

At 75mg, I've never really had any relief from the flushes and sweats, so now realise that I may need to increase again.

I had turns like that every single day 2 years ago for 3 months, there's no wonder I felt severely depressed as I had no idea what was happenning to me.

Just wanted to share this really - probably for my own benefit more than anything.  For some of us, this hormonal change can be a living hell.

[weathergirl]

Just goes to show that our bodies are all so different - that is really quite marked in terms of a response that quickly to lack of the estradiol.  It sounds as though your body needs quite high levels of estradiol very consistently.  I'm glad you are getting back on track!   I stopped HRT and was off it for about 5 weeks and got just very light flushes.  Nothing else. I think I very gradually had a decrease of it during the menopausal transition - guessing that it happens very slowly over a number of years (in peri) so my body adjusted with little complaint! 

I have read of women having severe withdrawal when they forget a patch or go without their prescription for a few days.   I really feel for you/them.  Makes me feel fortunate.   
Thank you for sharing your experience!  Hope you feel much better very quickly!

[peri]

I can believe it Mis71mum.  Occasionally I have forgotten to change my patch and recognize some of the symptoms you describe.  The main ones for me are feeling really flat with no energy, almost as though my batteries are running out if that makes sense.  When this happens and I put my patch on I feel better within 2 hours. 

Maybe it'll get better as we progress through the meno journey.  Even so it's one of the reasons I plan to stay on it forever x

[MIS71MUM]

Thanks for the replies ladies.
Thing is, if I presented at a GP with those symptoms, they would prescribe AD's and diazepam which they did. But I think it's important to realise that hot flushes can take many different forms. For me it seems that hot flushes could be mistaken as a panic attack.

Also try and describe the above to someone who hasn't been through all this, they would definitely think you had a form of anxiety disorder.

Thank goodness for this site! Xxx

[CLKD]

Did you find the patch ? 

[Hurdity]

It is interesting how we vary. Oestrogen works on different levels (due to differences in receptors - and their location) - so there is the immediate response to changing levels, and the long term metabolic effects which take some time. We only have to remember how we feel during periods when the hormones vary to know that our moods can change almost hourly as oestrogen falls or rises, so it isn't surprising that some women are very sensitive to falling levels.

I am one who doesn't notice if I forget to change my patch (or if it drops off) - although it's never fallen off for longer than half a day I would say because after 10 years I feel quite regularly  but I was sensitive to differences during my fertile years when levels were much higher. Nowadays (well at least when I last tried to stop) I do notice after a few weeks though - which is when flushes begin to reappear.

Now you know to have a feel to check it's there whenever you go to the loo!!!

It is quite worrying that GPs still fail to recognise the myriad of symptoms and mood changes that are caused by hormonal fluctuations.

Hurdity x

[donnacrichton]

Oh my word thank you for your post. My symptoms s are as you describe but with a tingling scalp and tears. I also was given diazapam which had no effect at all. My levels go haywire if my patch even slips 

[MIS71MUM]

Hi Donna
I've definitely identified with your posts in the past. Especially when you've raised your doseage and suffered from breast tenderness and sexual arousal.
We seem to be similar in terms of symptoms and side effects.
Hope you are doing better on your higher doseage x

[donnacrichton]

I'm up to 150mcg estradot been slowly increasing from 50 as I had no estrogen at all on 50mcg. If this doesn't settle I need bloods redone to check for absorbing of the patch. This site is a lifesaver. Just when you think you are going mad someone else is in the same position and you feel human aging 😀

[Silly]

MIS71MUM,

You must of felt dreadful.  How you describe though is how I feel a lot especially when we go out for the day, the adrenal thingy part.  I've described it all to my gp who keeps asking about anxiety like it's all in my head.  I never took any form of HRT just accept feeling like it.