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[thecat1227]

I have now been on estrogen and progesterone for 16 days instead of twelve. I have taken Femoston since October '17 and, for some reason, ended up taking the combined pills for the first two weeks of cycle when I should be on E only...I don't know if I made a mistake at some point, but my periods have been acting up lately (turned 49 last month). So I thought maybe I should continue to take the combined pills for the next two weeks, and then go back on the estrogen pills as soon as my period starts (somewhere around the first weekend in Feb).

However, for the last couple of days, I have noticed I sweat more, and always when it's most inconvenient...I wonder if that could be related to taking P for longer than usual, and if I should go off it and back on E only, or go off all hormones until my next period and then restart with the white (E only) pill...? I would hate that as I have horrible perimenopausal symptoms such as profuse sweating without the pills, but if that is what it takes to normalise hormone levels, maybe I should give it a try...or try isoflavones, although I think it may take a couple of weeks before they kick in...? Any input appreciated!

[Dancinggirl]

Don't worry, easy mistake to make.  Just stop the combined pills and start the oestrogen only ones.  You should then get your bleed a day for so after stopping the combined pills. Your sweating could simply be one of the awful viruses going round at the moment and some women do find if they use progesterone everyday ( as in the conti version of HRT) then they do sweat a bit more. The other, and more likely, reason for sweating might be because your own hormones are declining now and this will result in flushes emerging again - if this sweating continues then you may need to go to a higher dose of HRT.  Your can't normalise your hormones as such, the HRT will merely help to reduce those fluctuations in meno symptoms by replacing what is missing. 

The HRT should be starting to control your cycle by now anyway - it can take a few months for your body to adjust and the cycle to settle.  The peri stage is tricky - your hormones will be fluctuating and falling (resulting in flushes etc emerging and declining) but the HRT is there to balance things better and reduce the meno symptoms. 

A diet high in isoflavines can be beneficial but it only works for some women - probably those who don't suffer meno symptoms too badly!!!  The peri menopause is very difficult to control.  Life-style choices are vital though - keeping weight under control with a good balanced diet, getting good exercise and practising relaxation techniques are all crucial at this stage in our lives. HRT won't cure everything - it's a range of strategies that work best.

You may just need to get a new prescription for the Femoston sooner - explain your mistake to the surgery and they should understand.  DG x

[Dancinggirl]

Hope things settle for you.
DG x

[Dancinggirl]

How old are you and why were you put on the Oestrogel and Utrogestan in the first place?
How much Oestrogel were you using?
Waking drenched in sweat at night can be down of all sorts of things.  Have you had your Thyroid checked lately?
Are you getting flushes during the day - or generally feeling really hot at times? 

If the Femoston wasn't working, I would expect you to be getting flushes during the day as well. It is common to get night sweats just before the period starts - maybe that is happening because you have taken the combined pills for longer. I bet things will settle once you have started your bleed.

If things don't settle, and you start to get more flushes etc, then I would ask to go back to the Oestrogel and use Provera(medroxyprogesterone) instead of Utrogestan as this is slightly more powerful so may be more suitable. Alternatively, you could have a Mirena fitted which would give you a non bleed regime and protect your womb lining better.

Our bodies do change over time and the balance of hormones changes as well.  There are other factors e.g. thyroid function etc. that can bring other symptoms. Low grade viruses can make us feel sweaty and out of sorts. It is unreasonable to expect HRT to fix everything and for there to be no side effects or small problems somewhere along the line.

I suspect you have picked up one the nasty little viruses that are going round at the moment - I've been waking feeling both sweaty and very cold because of a virus. 

You sound so anxious about all this - try not to worry - you haven't done anything that is in anyway dangerous and I suspect things are just a bit ‘out of kilter' at the moment. DG x

[Dancinggirl]

Hi again

Femoston is a good HRT to be on but it may well take time for it to take control and settle your cycle.

I found Utrogestan more problematic than most other progesterones but many women love it.

It's worth having your thyroid function checked a bit more regularly as this can often change as we get deeper into menopause.
BTW - are you in the UK?
Hope things settle OK for you. DG x

[Dancinggirl]

Utrogestan is popular because it is bioidentical but unfortunately it isn't as stable as other progesterones so can cause more problems and side effects. Duphaston isn't available in the uk except as part of Femoston hrts which is a shame as it is one of the best and suits many women really well. DG x

[Dancinggirl]

When part of HRT, Oestrogel is supposed to be used every day.  I think your gynae simply gave you the strange regime, with Oestrogel for a certain amount of days each month, because you were in early or pre peri menopause and this regime was simply balancing your own hormones.  AS you are still peri meno, you do need to stick with a sequential HRT i.e. an HRT that gives a monthly bleed.  It is once you are well into post menopause that you can move to using progesterone every day if you wish - though many women prefer to stick with sequential HRT, as using progesterone every day can cause more side effects.

The oestrogen in Oestrogel and in Femoston is still the same - it's just a different delivery method.

If I were you I would stick with the Femoston 1/10 for a while and if it suits you then why change! - it is easier to pop a pill each day rather than have the hassle of applying gel that needs to dry and then remembering to take the progesterone for certain days each month. AS you progress through the meno reviews will be necessary and moving to transdermal could be a good idea in your mid 50s, especially if you need a higher dose of oestrogen. 
You could also opt to have a Mirena fitted which would protect your womb really well, usually results in no bleeding at all(after a time) and allows you to use as little or as much oestrogen(Oestrogel) as you need to control meno symptoms.
I believe you have been given good advice and treatment by your gynae, so trust his judgment. DG x

[Peroxideblader]

It's interesting what you say about stopping oestrogel/utrogestan because of an ovarian cyst because I had large one 4 years ago and a burst one large summer yet it was never mentioned as a reason to not take oestrogel etc. I tried femoston last year but I was very low and felt awful and that was on the oestrogen part only.
Is there any reason it's not advised to take oestrogel utrogestan when you get a lot of ovarian cysts

[Dancinggirl]

Peroxide bladder
I am not a doctor but I suspect that any horomene treatment may have an effect on ovarian cysts. 
Thecat1227 - is getting good treatment from a specialist who she has been seeing for some years. treatment for cysts will vary from women to women. I expect there are many women walking around with cysts and don't know they have them.
All hormone treatment should be properly monitored - one of the big problems we have here in the uk is the lack of menopause/wellwomen clinics where all women can access appropriate advice and support. DG x

[Peroxideblader]

Thanks I guess so..I was just checking that one hrt isn't worse than another cyst wise before I choose to give femoston a second chance or go for the oestrogel utrogestan route

[Dancinggirl]

thecat1227 - don't try to fix what ain't broke.  We are all different and Femoston is still a very good HRT to be on. I'm sure you doctor will discuss other options as and when appropriate. You are still young - moving to transdermal later in your 60s may be a good idea.
I suspect you are on Femoston 1/10???  This is a low dose HRT and trying to find the same good balance with other transdermal HRT options (most tend to be higher doses) may be tricky.  If you find you need a higher dose of HRT in the future ( flushes etc emerge) then that would be the time to consider transdermal.  Testosterone doesn't suit everyone - I broke out in acne!!!
Ask your doctor if you could try a bit of testosterone gel alongside the Femoston to see if it helps. 
DG x