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[Tc]

Hiya ladies. Bit of an update realy to my e and p absorption thread
Just thought those who are struggeling with the same issue would like to know the outcome after I saw the meno gynae for the first time at my gynae clinic today. I wish I had seen her before, instead of the scare mongering anti HRT one I usually see!! she seemed very clued up and understanding
.
My eastrogen level has dropped on 150 patch.  actually dropped.!! Its 160.

It was a relief to hear her say some ladies need more eastrogen than others to feel well- and She confirmed that I am in the unfortunate minority to not absorb transdermally.

Non absorption ladies, it's real!!
 
I was crying saying "nothing is working" and she said " I truly believe you will feel better when you get more E". She suggested pill but I asked about implant. They dont do it at my clinic but she was happy to refer me to  C and W. she said she knows panay and his clinic is good with ladies who have issues with transdermal.

Shes told me to use 2x100 patches in meantime as there appears to be no danger of me going too high!!

Utrogestan. She said until I get my E levels up it's a bit of a P dominance situation, which some of you ladies had suggested to me in my original post.  she is more than happy for me to take 200mg for 14 or even 7 days on the understanding that lining is monitored with scans.she said "7 days" is all that some ladies can tolerate -made me wonder if shes been reading the forum!!

She said "use vagifem as often as you need to" (halleluja) and is writing to tell my doc that so I dont have a problem getting enough. She rolled her eyes when I told her about my previous "once a week" fiasco.

she examined me and as I had feared might happen i now have bladder prolapse and slight uterine prolapse. That realy upset me. It's happened so quick. Again, lack of eastrogen.

 Finally a doc who isnt horrified by higher than average doses of E  or to limit the days on P. And puts symptom control first!!

 If I'd seen her before now She wouldnt have let me struggle on with E levels which are too low for me as an individual when my  symptoms hqve been so horrendous.I wish there were more like her!!

Iincidentally , I  found something strange about my blood tests on looking at them when I got home  My FSH is pretty low at 12.5. Post meno range is 25.8 - 135.  I cant work that one out. Surgical meno should automatically put it high. But mine is pre meno level. I'm confused by that.

Anyway. I might finally have some hope of getting sorted out. Fingers crossed.
Xxxx

[Salad]

Great to have some answers- Good luck at Chelsea and Westminster, they sorted out all my issues 

[sheila99]

I'm glad you have a way forward at last. I just hope this one works.

[Saffy]

I'm so pleased you have found a great gynae TC, sounds like she's really someone you can trust to help you through. They're worth their weight in gold - such a shame so many of us are left floundering about in the dark for so long sinking lower and lower.

How long until you can get your implant? Hopefully the 2x100 patches will keep you going - I think there's quite a few of us in this club now! Let us know how you get on.

I had my blood test results back and the Testogel has changed everything (except how I actually feel  ). My testosterone in now at the higher end of normal (1.4 nmol/l) and my oestrogen has shot up to 700 pmol/l  . Have just rung the practice and it seems my SHBG is still over 200. So, bizarrely, it seems that I do absorb transdermally but, because of the SHBG, it's only 'available' if the testosterone level is high enough. How baffling are these bodies of ours...xx

[Taz2]

I think that if you are currently on HRT then the FSH reading will be influenced by this.

I'm so pleased that things are looking up for you at last.

Taz   

[Tc]

Thanks ladies.
The "200" club SAFFY.!!
700. It has shot up hasnt it. Do you feel any better for it? How long do you think it took on 200 to get it up?
T. wise we are in similar boat. Mine is 1.6 a d SHBG has jumped up in 3 weeks from 91 to 121. I thought maybe it's the reason for the low E result but that's obviously not the case with you. I am using pea blob testogel daily for last few weeks. I cant say I've noticed any difference from being on it. Have you?

Taz. Re FSH. That's what I cant understand. My FSH level would indicate that something is having an effect hormone wise its pre meno level yet my E level is still in the realms of post meno with no HRT. It's a bit of a weird one. It's the sort of E reading youd expect post meno without hormone replacement but FSH is reproductive years level and I've got no ovaries. . Hmmmm.

That doc was great. I wont be seeing her next time as I've been referred c and w. But she said she is starting a meno clinic at my hospital. She said it is badly needed. She said I want to be here for ladies like you who suffer so much and I want to be able to offer a comprehensive service including implants. . What a good ''en!!. It will be up and running in a year and . She said please come back and see me when it is open or if you get fed up travelling to C AND W.  I would be happy to take you". I realy hope funding doesnt get in the way. These clinics are so badly needed locally but to be honest at the moment I would travel to timbuktu if it meant getting sorted!!
Thanks for your replies and best wishes to you all.
Xxx

[Saffy]

Thanks ladies.
The "200" club SAFFY.!!
700. It has shot up hasnt it. Do you feel any better for it? How long do you think it took on 200 to get it up?
T. wise we are in similar boat. Mine is 1.6 a d SHBG has jumped up in 3 weeks from 91 to 121. I thought maybe it's the reason for the low E result but that's obviously not the case with you. I am using pea blob testogel daily for last few weeks. I cant say I've noticed any difference from being on it. Have you?

I must have been on the 200 for over 6 months now and the highest the oestrogen reached was 257 in February- so three months in to the increased dose. I started the Testogel about 10 weeks ago with no other changes so I'm pretty sure it must be the testosterone that has led to the raised oestrogen 'though I can't be sure.

Not sure I feel any better for it yet  . I maybe have been feeling slightly less exhausted in the last couple of weeks...possibly. The testosterone has had an immediate, albeit slight, effect on my libido and response 'though which is nice but really wasn't the improvement I was looking for  . Motivation and cognitive stuff is still a bit grim. I will contact my specialist just to let her know the results but I think I may just sit it out and see if things improve over the next few months.

[Hurdity]

Hi Tc - sorry haven't read all the responses as just making a quick visit to the forum! However FSH is meaningless once you start taking HRT and I don't know why it has been measured. It is not a natural reading because taking oestrogen depresses it and therefore this explains why your level is low. It is only helpful in younger women to diagnose potential early menopause from their natural cycle, or women who have had hysterectomy, or Mirena and some types of mini pill - who also may suspect menopause but don't have a cycle - all before starting HRT.

Sorry to hear how low your oestorgen is btw and hope you manage to see an improvement soon

In haste..

Hurdity x

[Tc]

Thanks Saffy great  that you have seen some improvement so let's hope for more.fingers crossed

Thanks hurdity. After my oopherectomy they tested for fsh along with E to confirm post meno levels to rule out ovarian remnant syndrome. I dont know why they tested again this week. What I dont get is does  HRT supress the FSH by raising E. If so my level surely isnt high enough to do that. Its post meno level which should not lower FSH. the E..is  not getting into my bloodstream so how can it affect FSH.

This non absorption thing is soul destroying. I feel like I might as well have been on nothing for 8 months.  at the very least i wouldve hoped to achieve a level beneficial to bone and cardio health, if nothing else that might make it worthwhile. . .but even more upsetting is all the things I had hoped to prevent or stave off by taking eastrogen as soon as poss after my op  are happening.  I've been on what is considered high doses since then and yet im showing more and more signs of a prolonged lack of E. Like prolapse  Its devastating.  Even my cholesterol has shot up out of nowhere since my op and the doc has warned me about it but I'm not doing anything  different.

I'm always wondering why my body has not responded to extrogenous  eastrogen. . Maybe it's not actually so much absorption as metabolisation issue resulting in low blood serum. Maybe there is a  wider underlying or new endocrinological issue at play here. Like pituitary or adrenal.dysfunction. this might account for the incongruous FSH reading. I'm starting to think there might well be. In fact someone asked me if I had cushings syndrome recently because they had noticed the round hump between my shoulder blades which is now very visible and has  grown from being  a small bump in the last few months.  Any thoughts on my endocrine theory greatly appreciated. Desperate for answers realy.

Seeing your post saffy has made me think Ihat even tho I see little point in continuing patches I  should stick with the 200 at least until my appt. As It took a long while for you to see any change. Interesting what you say about T because since I've been using it my E has gone the opposite way to yours. My T has gone up but so has . SHBG.

I'm pinning all my Hope's on this implant which I shouldnt realy. I was warned if it doesnt work it cant be removed but I dont see how I've got anything to lose. If it doesnt work when it runs out I will try the pill. There are a few individual risk factors for me with it but i can actually feel how much my body and brain are crying out for eastrogen.
Xxxx

[Perinowpost]

Tc I'm no expert but I was told FSH rises when the pituitary is signalling to the ovaries to release an egg and the ovaries are not responding because the system is breaking down (like an old car) great ey 🙄 Therefore, as we get further into peri/meno FSH reading gets higher and is an indicator of Meno. This is was the case with me as my very first set of bloods (when I was feeling terrible) showed a sky high FSH reading, but later on and whilst on HRT it had reduced. Hope this makes sense. And sorry you're not absorbing btw, I do hope they can resolve it for you, HRT has made such a big difference to me x

[sjpercy3]

Hi Tc,

I don't absorb the patches well but every consultant I see just shrugs their shoulders at me. Was there a time that the patches/gel worked for you?
I was getting on very well with patches for 7 months, then suddenly within a week I wasn't absorbing anything.
I went from a 50 patch to 150 in 2-3 weeks and it made no difference. I was told that the patch it isn't sticking properly, which was not the case.

I was told by C & W that there is no way Estrogen from HRT would affect my FSH levels. Mine is still low, so haven't been diagnosed yet. Surely the 'experts' should have an understanding of this.

Would you mind sharing who you see or messaging me their details?

[Tc]

Sjpercy.
I was under the gynae oncology team. (Suspected OC) which turned out to be benign) at my local hospital and they were realy not great regarding either surgical meno or HRT. To say the very least. In fact they were useless!! The final one I saw within the clinic was the one with hrt knowledge, it took 9 months to get to her and I think they only passed me to her as they were at a loss what to do. . But they dont have a meno clinic and cant offer a lot so that's why I've been discharged from there and referred on. The clinic at c and w is run by nick panay but I cant  say anything about it yet as I havent  seen them yet. I think other ladies here have attended.

Have you asked at your surgery if there is a doc or practice nurse with a menopause snd/or HRT "interest". If there isnt then ask to be referred to your nearest meno clinic. There are NHS meno clinics available although it seems like a bit of a postcode lottery  but if like me, there isnt one locally and you are prepared to travel I think you should be given that chance to do so. I'm keeping fingers crossed as although I've been referred  I think they dont have to automatically  accept the referral. But I will push for an alternative if not. From experiences on here it would seem some GPS are knowledgeable and if you have no issues re absorption etc then a good gp can handle "tweaking" doses and regimes which everyone seems to need at least at first but I too have had the shoulder shrugging. Things are not going as expected and they dont know what to do with me and in that instance I think it's more than reasonable to expect to be referred to someone with more specialized knowledge.

I dont realy understand the FSH reading either.  with well below post meno eastrogen in blood very low FSH seems incongruous to me. I only noticed it when I got home or I wouldve asked. It's important to say I'm post meno surgically and I'm not sure if you are peri or post.  My ovaries are gone but yours could still be "kicking off".

Regarding patches. When I first started I used femseven sequi patches which was strange as a first choice post surgical meno, normally a conti is given. But they were not a high enough dose at 50. So whilst it would seem I didnt absorb them I'm not sure as the dose was nowhere near high enough for me and they realy didnt stick well but went out of manufacture before I had time to try a higher dose they were removed from market for adhesive" issues so if they come back and stick better I wouldnt mind trying them at a higher dose as I got on well with the progesterone in them, and I dont with utrogestan.

So I've only tried the femseven at a low dose and high dose eastrogel and estradot. It would be good to get some reviews from those ladies on here who have tried a wider variety of patches, and some have tried lots,  ladies dont always switch because of non absorption there can be many reasons but it would be interesting to hear  from those who have had absorption issues and found one patch better than the other.

Of course, everyone is different and even docs dont fully understand why "one size doesnt fit all" but at the risk of carping on about it, non absorption is a specific issue, a real spanner in the works and tknowledge  from the meducal profession seems wanting. I wish someone would do a trial. I'd be there like a shot!!! 

Not sure I've answered your questions but I've tried, even if I do ramble on a bit 
Xxx

[Katejo]

Just a quickie as I am at work. i have been reading this discussion because I started Evorel Conti in April and haven't noticed anything yet (benefits or side effects) so I am beginning to wonder whether I am absorbing it. I have been on half patches but decided to try full just this week to see if it makes any difference. I have a follow up meno clinic appt. in July.