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[Love_vodka]

Can you use an estrogen patch and then top it up using gel?
I feel like my hormones are going up and down. I'm using a patch at the moment Everol 100 . I think I've worked out that my estrogen is probably too high sometimes.
Would I be able to use a lower dose patch and top it up with gel when I need it or is it a case of just staying with one fixed dose?
Thanks for reading xx

[Hurdity]

I presume you have no uterus Love_vodka? If you are taking combined HRT it might be difficult ensuring you have the correct level of progestogen to protect your womb lining if you keep changing. Often in any case changes take effect within weeks rather than hours (the cellular changes anyway). Are you peri-menopausal? If so also it is impossible to adjust as you won't know what your cycle will be doing if it is irregular. Some women have reported taking a higher dose of oestrogen during the progestogen - combi phase of their HRT to prevent flushes re-appearing during this phase and then reducing when back on the oestrogen only.

Hurdity x

[Love_vodka]

Thanks Hurdity. I'm just trying to work out why my symptoms moods are literally raging then gone. I felt horrendous for a few days today I feel fantastic. Thought my hormones may be up and down and I would need varying amounts of estrogen.
My last blood test was last December. I was told I'm post? menopausal  my fsh is 109 Lh 57.9.  I'm 45 and had hysterectomy 6 years ago.

[CLKD]

Hi there ! nowt daft on this Forum 

[Love_vodka]

Thanks CLKD 

[CLKD]

You are very welcome.  Browse round ;-)

[Hurdity]

You may well be post-menopausal but if you kept your ovaries ( which I presume you did?) then if you are not yet post-meno your own cycle will still be happening leading to the hormonal fluctuations. You can't definitely say whether you are post-menopausal or not from blood tests alone - in the absence of a menstrual cycle - because although your levels are very high, I understand that they can go into the post-menopausal range even when you are not. In the absence of an obvious cycle also it will be impossible to continually adjust your hormone intake to match what's going on in your body. I think it is easier to stay with one fixed dose but if you think it's too high most of the time perhaps try cutting a bit off to say approx 75 mcg? Problem with this is that flushes may come back - if so then the level is not too high! Tricky isn't it - but the aim is to feel better most of the time - and it is often difficult to achieve 100% top form on HRT - just as we weren't 100 % during our fertile years....

Tricky eh? Hope you manage to work something out!

Hurdity x

[Lainy01]

Hi there, I'm really sorry but I'm new to this forum and dont know where to post. I'm feeling quite desperate, again.
I have been told im peri meno from a recent blood test.
My symptoms have mainly been psycological. Chronic anxiety and depression. Ive never suffered with this before until last december.  I've had times when i've felt unable to cope. The agitation was horrendous and i'd descibe the last 12 months as traumatic.
Getting through every day was so hard.
Sleeping was my only respite from all of the unbearable feelings.
I started on the combination estradiol and progesterone 1mg a few months ago but then changed to an estraderm patch after reading about the side effects. This helped with my mood but i still felt that i had a lot of tension in my body. Mainly in my neck and shoulders. It got so bad i had to take strong painkillers. I thi k this may have been something to do with my cortisol levels. I read that high cortisol can be linked to low progesterone so i self medicated with a 2mg combined estradiol and progesterone tablet. Unbelievably, after 2 days my neck pain disiappeared. I'd had it every day since feb.
Ive been taking this every day for the past 2 weeks and on friday i started to feel not right again. The tension has returned to my shoulders although not quite as bad as before.
I have reduced the 2 tablets to one and a half and i have a gp appointment on wednesday and i dont know what to ask for?
If i've posted in the wrong room can somebody advise the best place to post this for advice.
I also have the mirena coil.
Thanks in advance

[Love_vodka]

Hi Lainy I'm newish too so can't advice you but sending hugs.
If you post this on the main bit I'm sure you'll get lots of help.
There is a tab on the right hand side that says new topic where you can start a new post. Hope that help xxx

[Love_vodka]

Thanks Hurdity
I did exactly that this morning. Just chopped a quarter off the patch. I'm keeping a diary. I know I'm not prescribed progesterone because of my hysterectomy but does that mean I can't take it?
I have an appointment in a couple of weeks so wondered if it was worth having estrogen,progesterone,testosterone levels checked?
My mum who has been on hrt 30years! Also hysterectomy told me she had the testosterone implant a few years ago and it helped her loads.

[Hurdity]

Hi again Love_vodka - if you are peri-menopausal and still have your ovaries then you will still be ovulating and therefore if you have ovaries will still be producing progesterone so you won't need any more and it won't be worth measuring this. Even if you don't have ovaries your body is still producing sufficient progesterone for its needs ( it's only produced in large quantities to prepare for and support pregnancy). By all means ask for estradiol and testosterone to be checked but most doctors don't do this - estradiol levels vary hugely so one blood tests doesn't tell you a lot, and the test for testosterone is not really sensitive enough for women. If you have low libido and muscle aches and pains and general lethargy then your T levels could be low and on this basis you could ask for replacement -but this would be off licence. If you have no ovaries then this is more likely (T deficiency).

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

Lainy01 - have a browse round.

[Love_vodka]

Thanks Hurdity, I was told by the gp I was post menopausal, not sure if that makes any difference. I'll keep reading and persevere with the 75 patch and see if that makes a difference.
Thanks again xx

[CLKD]

Post menopausal usually means no periods.  That doesn't always equate with less symptoms.

[Hurdity]

Love_vodka doesn't have periods because she said in her first post on this thread that she had had a hysterectomy some years ago - hence my questions about ovaries.

I presume you kept your ovaries then? Your doc cannot diagnose your menopausal status from blood tests alone as I said in my posts a few below this one. If you are feeling strong fluctuations still then assume you may be peri still. There are still minor fluctuations for a few years following last period but in no way as dramatic as when peri-menopausal and they are not usually problematic as far as I know because oestrogen no longer achieves the same highs but gently declines.

Hope the increased dose patch works for you...

Hurdity x