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[Annie0710]

Annie0710

Hi Annie

What patches were you u on prior to the gel and was it the patches that caused your hair loss ? I briefly came off the gel to try Estradot patch but was instantly shedding more hair and only did this because I wasn't obsorbing the gel well but I have gone back on it and increased to 2.5 pumps and hopefully will get testosterone of gp Tuesday which I hope will help my hair shedding ?

It was estradot I was on too.  I hadn't thought that it could be that that caused it, I can't fully remember the timeline but think it was around may I tried them and July I noticed hair shedding.  Ironically I tried estradot again recently and had to stop as it really makes my heart pound more and my head started itching again like it did back then when I was shedding.

I could have the dates all wrong though but it was definitely July 2015 that the hair saga started.

It's much better now xx

[Sammiejane]

Annie0710

It's funny isn't it yet estradot lists hairloss as a rare side effect but the gel I think had not only caused hair thinning with me but it's caused my hairline to recede all round my ears and front hairline nape of neck is the worst, but when I swapped from patch back to gel it triggered the irritation around my hairline and this happens I believe when the hair is gunna fall out or recede further !
Did you find your hair is better on the gel and testosterone vagifem regime has it stop falling out now ?

[Annie0710]

Annie0710

It's funny isn't it yet estradot lists hairloss as a rare side effect but the gel I think had not only caused hair thinning with me but it's caused my hairline to recede all round my ears and front hairline nape of neck is the worst, but when I swapped from patch back to gel it triggered the irritation around my hairline and this happens I believe when the hair is gunna fall out or recede further !
Did you find your hair is better on the gel and testosterone vagifem regime has it stop falling out now ?

Mt scalp was very sore and itchy immediately prior to, and during the shedding.  It's much better nowadays and I do believe the testosterone has helped, as hair thinning can be a symptom of low T.  I just am grateful for each day that my hair looks ok x

[Sammiejane]

Annie

Are u still on the gel now ?

I also tried vagifem but 5 weeks into taking this I noticed hair shedding but still shedding now not as bad so don't think it was that but who knows I think it was estradiol in general for me or it's imbalance of hormones

[Annie0710]

Yes I'm back on the gel now.
I think my shedding coincided with around the time I became post meno.  I had a hysterectomy years ago so could only go by blood results to give a vague idea of where I was in meno

It's mind boggling, the whole thing is just too confusing.  Hair thinning has a multitude of possible causes x

[Sammiejane]

Annie0710

Did u have ovaries removed to ?

[Annie0710]

Annie0710

Did u have ovaries removed to ?

I chose to save my ovaries, I suffered complete prolapse age 23 after a traumatic birth.  So at 32 I decided the time was right to get shot of the womb, the blood supply to the ovaries was accidentally severed during the op, and no one knew it had happened, so about 4 months after the surgery I started getting symptoms . Gp ran tests and my oestrogen was very low.  The ovaries were chugging along working a tiny bit until about 2012, age 45, I came crashing down.  The ovaries have shrivelled and gone so my symptoms kind of made sense x

[Sammiejane]

Annie0710

I had everything removed at 35 but wish I had kept my ovaries , I didn't really suffer meno symtoms only a couple of hot flushes so was manageable carried on as normal hair was lovely and thick extra thick infact weight loss felt great pain had gone but then summer 2018 started getting damp knickers I thought prolapse but GP said no everything fine I thought this was Carmer for not being in estrogen hrt for over 4 yrs and although I tried it and had terrible side effects it gave me kind of meno symtoms the GP at the time said it dosent suit to stop it so I did not knowing much about meno at the time , roll on to sept 2018 and I restarted the same patch I was on before but had same side effects although hairloss not one of them managed 7 weeks but couldn't cope so 2 weeks later I thought I'd try vagifem as my only symtom was vaginal and gynocologist thought VA but 5 weeks into taking this my hair shedding started couldn't believe it so I swapped to Ovestin thinking it was vagifem that triggered it but then started dec 2018 the estrogel after seeing meno spec but hair is still shedding so I'm thinking for me it surge in estrogen that's caused it or now lack of progesterone and testosterone due to imbalance as my estrogen higher then these two hormones I've tried upping the gel from 2 to 3 pumps as not obsorbing well but aniexty irritation comes on , VA has improved but not great I now have exessive sweating in groin and armpits which I think is rise in estrogen causing because I had the sweating for first couple of years but by year 4 when my estrogen was at its lowest it stopped , I swapped to estradot breifly as weren't obsorbing gel but VA worse and hairloss worse these are my 2 symtoms really but my worry and unsure of what to now is causing depression and mood swings I just want to cry I'm so tired of it all and no one is helping me menopause think hrt dosent suit me and to stop it but I now only 40 the estrogen is causing me pain in stomach and digestive issues my hairloss is getting worse not better my GP won't give testosterone because meno need to perscribe it and meno won't because my estrogen level is only 104 and not what they call optimal but it may never be optimal I've given up work as can't cope my relationship suffering with partner and my kids I just can't function I contemplate given it up but worry I'll fell worse or hairloss be worse etc and then the next breath I think well is it because I have no progesterone ? Does anyone know what impact progesterone / utrogestan has on hair?
I can't have estrogen tablets has to be transdermal due to my GI and bowel issues ! I just want my hair to stop shedding it was it's worse today 35 hairs I brushed out full length I don't understand as my bloods all normal 

[Nairn]

Hi all

I have just got some of my results back and my testosterone is less than 0.4 nmol/L - just wondering if anyone can help me with understanding where this sits in the scale - Dr. Google is confusing me!  The paperwork seems to suggest that the scale is 042-2.06nmol/L

Thanks

[Yorkshire Girl]

Mine was unreadable as it was less than 0.1 back in Feb, had levels checked again in August and there was no change. I took this from what the consultant said that I literally have no testosterone in my body so it's going to take a lot longer to get my levels back up.
I think 0.4 is the lowest of normal levels - but I'm not 100% sure, hopefully someone else will be along to answer.

[Hurdity]

Nairncat - are you taking testosterone? T tests are pointless otherwise as they are at the low end of the range in a lab test designed for men's ranges so doesn't pick up the subtle differences in the levels in women. Also SHBG needs to be measrued too as the lab test measure total T much of which is bound to SHBG so there is a formula for working out free T from total T and SHBG.

Hurdity x

[Annie0710]

Sammiejane I really sympathise with you.  I felt like you do.  I saw an nhs gynae who simply said there's no more they can do.  I was on max oral oestrogen and vagifem daily but I wasn't prepared to accept his answer.  If lack of hormones were making me feel so ill then surely I deserved a chance to replace them ? I , like you, had to give up my full time career as I couldn't cope with the pace, had no energy and zero confidence

It is important to raise your oestrogen levels before adding T.  That was the only thing in my favour, since starting hrt at 32 it had kept my E levels at a good number x

[Nairn]

Hi Hurdity

Not at the moment. They have tested a load of stuff this is just the 1st one back and I don't really know much about this area - linked to our chat on the other thread of stopping cold turkey. 

[NuclearScientist]

This is the fact sheet from BMS and includes the calculation.
https://thebms.org.uk/publications/tools-for-clinicians/testosterone-replacement-in-menopause/

[kdee69]

This is the fact sheet from BMS and includes the calculation.
https://thebms.org.uk/publications/tools-for-clinicians/testosterone-replacement-in-menopause/

I currently use Testogel 16.2mg/g gel which isn't listed on this link. My husband managed to order it for me as my doctor wouldn't entertain it. I have to say it's been amazing. As my gel isn't listed I wonder if my dosage is ok. I rub a little finger nail amount on my upper thigh each morning