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[pepperminty]

Hi Ladies,

I went to the menopause clinic, and informed her that increasing my HRT tablets by 1 quarter estrogen tablet a week caused my boobs to blow up and become painful.The nurse specialist said that this indicates that I have too much estrogen as boobs are a really good indicator of this. Is that correct?

All my other symptoms such as tiredness and achy joints and atrophy have worsened.

I spoke to her about perhaps I am not absorbing the HRT so well as this can happen with tablets. She said that was highly unlikely.

I also mentioned my libido has decreased and she ignored that comment.

She just said to monitor my periods and she will see me in 6 months.

She suggested vagifem and ovestin- which I can't use at the moment due to sensitivity issues. I mentioned estriol cream, which is less potent and she looked blankly at me.

Any way, I have been tested for Iron, vit D etc and take supplements. I eat well and exercise.

I am so achy and tired all the time and getting teary again, all of which were indicators initially of my starting perimenopause.

Not sure what the next steps are.

Peppermintyx

[pepperminty]

Thanks Jeanie,

I have tried vagifem, but the fillers irritate me at the moment. I wondered if you can have painful boobs and low estrogen? I definitely need tweeking.

Pepperminty x

[CLKD]

How were your breasts over the years, is this a pattern but more painful?

[pepperminty]

Hi CLKD,

I have never had painful breasts before, just a bit fuller round period time. Painful boobs a sign of too much estrogen that sounds too simple to me. 

Peppermintyx

[Hurdity]

Hi pepperminty

Remind we which HRT you take? Is it just oestrogen tablets and sepaate progestogen or Mirena coil?

Re the libido - oral oestrogen can depress libido because it increases a compouind called Sex Hormone Binding Globulin - SHBG) which binds up free testosterone in the body making it unavailable. Transdermal oestorgen doesn't seem to do this apparently.

Painful boobs are definitely not a sign of low oestrogen! Increase in oestrogen and also progestogens can cause breast pain but if it;s an oestrogen only tablet and you are post-menopausal then this is most likely to be the reason. If you are peri-menopausal then it could be your own cycle and just coincidence. Not sure why you would be feeling more achey and teary - this would usually be due to hormonal change but drop in oestrogen (teary and achey) or progesterone (teary) or progesterone itself (lots of sidie effects) or low oestrogen!

Yes generic estriol cream is 10x weaker so you use more of it than Ovestin - might be an idea to pursue this - just ask your own GP maybe to prescribe it?

Hm doesn't sound like a very good menoipause clinic if you are given an unsympathetic and not very knowledgeable nurse....

I do hope you feel better soon - but if you want to improve libido then swap to patches or gel.

Hurdity x

[pepperminty]

Thanks Jeaniewigs, that sounds interesting, we are all different, I hope your symptoms improve.

[pepperminty]

Hi Hurdity , I take Femosten 1/10 with an extra half tablet of Zumenon every other day. ( can't have the coil). I am probably still peri at the moment. I know that eventually transdermal is preferable over 60 years. I am hoping that it is just a coincidence.
I m going to wait until the end of the year and write a daily log of symptoms to see if there is a pattern.

Peppermintyx

[Optimist]

Hi pepperminty, why not ask if you can top up with a patch instead of the zumenon. Transdermal is preferable at any age, (not sure where you're getting your info from, if it's that very unknowledgeable nurse I would ask to see someone else), as it's body identical and a lot of women use patch/gel and utrogestan as a body identical combination.
I had breast pain on femoston but used evening primrose or starflower with a high GLA content from Holland and barrett which really helped. If you're still peri you will likely still get fluctuations of your own hormones. I also take magnesium citrate alongside other supplements (Vit D, E). Hope it gets sorted, it's no fun this meno lark 😩 x