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[Rosti]

Hi Everyone,

I hope that someone can shed some light on this issue...

I have been on HRT since June of last year.  I have a genetic collagen deformity which presents as hypermobility so used to be extra supple in some of my joints It has a number of other presentations.

Having been told I was perimenopausal I was given 50mcg combi patches, 2 weeks oestrogen then 2 weeks oestrogen and progesterone... I was very ill... and bedridden for most of the last two weeks....eventually I was changed to Oestrogel (2 pumps) and progesterone...  I could not tolerate the progesterone at 200mg for the utterly hellish muscle pain which rendered and I can not tolerate 100mg continuously.  Indeed I cannot tolerate 100mg every other day either...Strangely, too much uopposed oestrogen makes me feel terrible too !

Having been quoted the "either or" scenario above (200mg or 100mg progesterone) I could not seem to make anyone listen to me that it just wasn't working...

So now I have just spoken to a gynae who says that they would put me on the precursors to progesterone, including DHEA, melatonin as they suggested I was low on seratonin (nothing that a large gin & tonic wouldn't cure I am sure, sorry don't mean to be flippant but it saves me screaming).  They have no measures btw of my seratonin level just a guess at this point.

So, I am a bit confused... is this sense, should I make an appointment to see them .... and at this point I should mention that I haven't been able to work for the last 3 years and have seen neurologists, rheumatologists, pain clinics, endocrinologists, you name it who all could not find anything to explain the muscle pain and spasm (which made me pretty much in mind of ending it all in 2016)...and fell upon the idea that it could be hormonal by accident...so, is what they are saying making sense to anyone or do you think that they are clinging onto something in the absence of concrete knowledge....

Having read in this forum that these pains could be due to low oestrogen then I am heartened... but I still feel ..... insert appropriate word as required !!

I am sorry if this sounds a little "stark" but I am at my tethers end with wild goose chases...

Thanks for reading this and i do actually have a sense of humour which will turn up soon...

xxx

[Mary G]

My first instinct would be to give it a try.  Like you, I am severely intolerant to all types of progesterone used in HRT preparations but I didn't have any problems with my own progesterone. 

I take 25mg DHEA every day and my last set of blood tests revealed that my progesterone levels are now higher than they have been for years.  My base progesterone level post menopause has always been 0.20 ng/mL (since 2007) but now it is 0.52 ng/mL which might go some way to explaining why I can take very little progesterone and get good womb lining clearance.  There is a note next to the progesterone result on the blood test stating that DHEA can elevate progesterone.  The normal post menopause range is anything up to 0.73 ng/mL.  Obviously my DHEA readings are much higher now too, the last one was 4.16 ng/mL so it does work.

I noticed that the blood test for seratonin is more complicated and takes quite a bit more time, even more time that the DHEA, so I didn't tick the box on the blood test request sheet but I was tempted!  I suffer with silent migraines which are caused by all types of artificial progesterone and interestingly I read that migraines can be caused by low levels of seratonin.  If you can have a blood test for your seratonin levels it would be helpful.

Melatonin is another hormone that we lose as we get older and my sister in law takes it for insomnia.  I have just started taking it myself since reading up on it and discovering that it is used for migraine prevention.  Again, you have nothing to lose by trying it.  I can't offer any meaningful input on it yet but it gets good reviews.

It could be that many of your symptoms are due to oestrogen deficiency so it would be worth sticking to an HRT regime for several months to see if you feel any improvement.  I find that Oestrogel is best for the oestrogen component and it is very dose flexible. 

My advice would be to have a proper consultation with the gynaecologist you mentioned and tell them exactly how you feel and obviously giving them you full medical history.  What have you got to lose?  I think it is always worth being open to new ideas.

I hope that helps.

[tazerqueen]

Hiya

My 2 cents worth:

I was lucky in that I had very few symptoms of menopause. Last year after my libido being really high even long after my periods had stopped I noticed my sex drive waning and at the time was casually dating so wanted to increase it again. I researched and decided to try DHEA, got some from Swansons online and used 20mg. What I noticed after around a month was that I felt noticeably more angry at ridiculous things and my facial hair seemed to be sprouting far more than normal.
I really didn't like the aggression I felt on it so came off it and since  then my libido has really dropped off but I'm single and very happily celibate.

Just to give you my personal experience.
Hope it helps,

Maria