Of course this is hormones. The very fact that the first twitches sends you rushing for Dr Google is a screaming sign. If your hormones were balanced you would just think "ouch" and move on. You don't have some terrible nerve issue or rare cysts. You have hormone imbalance. In large part because your progesterone levels had got so high with nothing to balance them out and now you are bringing those down and yet only using a very tiny amount of oestrogen. Just introducing oestrogen will wake up receptor cells and often cause you to feel worse before you feel better if you have been starved of that hormone for a long time, as you have because you have been so progesterone loaded.
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I'm afraid this is hard, but it will get better. Once you are on a decent amount of oestrogen gel and your progesterone has fallen back into line you will start to recover. For now, cells are missing the progesterone overload and also receiving some stimulation from the oestrogen. A perfect storm for PMS and the crying and misery and solitude seeking you are experiencing.
What did your doctor tell you to do re the gel? How much are you working up towards? Do you have another blood test booked to monitor your changing levels? If not, I'd get one booked for 2 months after you started this. It should be 3 months really, but you are having a hard time and it might help to get some visual confirmation of what's happening sooner.
The first few weeks take strength of mind and body to get through. You must stop staying in bed though. That is the number one thing you need to do for yourself now. Get up every morning at the same time. Use the alarm if necessary. Wash, apply your gel, dress and then go downstairs. Don't go down in your dressing gown or PJ's. I speak from experience here. If you do that you never feel right for the day and can still be in them at 2pm and you feel a failure. Getting up, washed and dressed and then down to put the kettle on is an important routine.
Next, you need to take your dogs out at least once a day
. Again, it's to force you outside into fresh air and brighter light which lifts the brain mood. Don't let someone take that task over. Get out with them.
That's it for now. If you can do those 2 major things each day whilst you go through this transition period you will have achieved good things and you will feel better about yourself.
You can do it! I've been where you are now re the never getting dressed part. It's horrible. But you can force yourself out of that.
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Thank you ❤️
I know during peri I would have an odd day were I was hysterical or full of absolute rage.. back then it would be about insomnia..I would convince myself I would never sleep again and be totally convinced
Then my period would come and I'd look back and think
â€what the Hell was I thinking.†but it seemed so very real in the storm.
I guess that's what I'm going through now..a Permanent state of PMS... it's like pms x 10 and it doesn't go away.
I've been dealing with peri for a decade, the usual suspects, night sweats, hot flushes, insomnia, anxiety, low mood, lack of motivation, but this usually vanished once my period started. I had no libido during peri but then that's spiked too and I'm totally confused with a mix of depression anxiety physical symptoms AND times of increased libido despite the above, it's not like me to have any libido at all... like ever 🙄
You seem very knowledgeable re hormones. I used to believe I was Oestrogen dominant hence me using Progesterone only. I started using an otc cream called Natpro at 400mg. I use Cyclogest now.
I recall going through the loading dose and having acute insomnia rage etc and was told it was Oestrogen fighting to prevent progression from becoming the dominant hormone. So I pushed through getting reassurance from their forums that it was all normal and would calm down once Progesterone became the dominant hormone
It seemed to do the trick after 8 months I was told at that point to slowly reduce the progesterone to 200mg but if Oestrogen symptoms reappears to go back up a touch again
I just decided it was easier to stivk to 500mg and get on,,, I slept well and felt fine although certainly not symptom free. I was educated to believe Oestrogen was the enemy the stimulating hormone that caused rage, cancers anxiety, insomnia, and progesterone was “nature's valium†the calming hormone... it appealed to me..made sense..
Then it all came crashing down all because of a stupid symptom I became obsessed about... I was fine till that day,... even during the 2 weeks of acute anxiety as I researched my symptoms I was still going about my life... then I just took to my bed and haven't got pit of it since but I'm still researching symptoms looking for reasons, causes mother women who had what I have... reassurance...health anxiety Classic
Now I'm trying to reverse what I did all those years ago. And I need to put the iPad away stop googling. It's hard x
I was told try 1 pump then 2 but the label says 2 to 3 pumps.
I've to use Uestrogen micronised progesterone from day 15 (200mg):
I'm on 300mg Cyclogest currently so once down to 200mg I'll stop using it and move over to the micronised pills.
I'm sure when I stop taking the progesterone pills I'll hit an all time low as that's the first time in years I will hsve not used Progesterone at all.
Worrying about that but if the other symptoms that are causing me anxiety improve or go away it will be worth it,