Hi again Jasmine3234
There is really nothing special about either me or my regime and I do feel that such a response (elimination of flushes and sweats without adverse side effects) should be possible for everyone - although maybe not quite as well during early-mid peri-menopause.
Thing is - I started HRT when I was very late peri-menopause. I went through months of hot flushes and sweats as I didn't intend to take HRT. Did the whole black cohosh, phyto-oestrogen diet thing, flushes came and went, I swore by the Cohosh (thought it was the bee's knees) then cursed it for not working and chucked the capsules away. In reality my own hormones were fluctuating and responsible for the coming and going of the symptoms rather than anything I was doing/taking. By the time I had been without a period for 5 months and previous to that they were very sporadic - I was late peri and my hormone levels were low so I started HRT at a time when most of the major fluctuations had ceased - and never looked back!
I'm not sure where you are in menopause but I think it can be tricky in very early - mid peri-menopause because of your own hormonal cycle. This is why some gynaes recommend the CCP for women who are young enough - especially the ones that are similar to HRT (QLAIRA or ZOELY), since they suppress the cycle but give you replacement oestrogen to eliminate flushes and sweats ( hopefully).
It was only much much later that I started testosterone - I was over 60.
re the gel - I only tried it recently and it didn't work ( Sandrena ) but perhaps should have tried a higher dose - having been on patches for 11 years I found it a faff so went back to patches. However some women absorb the gel extremely well and so achieve very high estradiol levels even from one pump. Others barely absorb it at all. Patches gave me just the right amount of oestrogen on a steady basis and worked right from the start (I had the wrong prog though initially!).
The breast pain is indicative of very high oestrogen or progestogen - difficult to say which. The oestrogen related breast pain usually settles. You are on a non-standard combo though. Taking two desogestrel pills continuously could be giving you progestogenic side effects maybe? It is puzzling that you are bleeding if your uterus lining is thin though. Have they been looked at to see if any polyps or fibroids? The other alternative is that despite taking high oestrogen, because you are taking a high dose of progestogens as well - this could be overthinning the uterus lining. If this happens it can cause ulceration and bleeding, althoiugh the fact that it stopped when you reduced the oestrogen doesn't fit with this idea!
I'm would also presume that the desogestrel is acting to suppress your cycle just as it does in the mini-pill - but if you have been bleeding this doesn't sound right?
Sorry I can't remember how old you are but if under 50 have you thought of or tried the CCP as mentioned above, which are designed for peri-menopausal women as the oestrogen is the same as in HRT? With QLAIRA you only take the progestogen on 17 days out of 28 from memory so may reduce the build up of side effects if this is causing problems.
This is a bit rambly - what does your specialist say?!
Hurdity x
