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Author Topic: Getting the balance right  (Read 1669 times)

Mogster71

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Getting the balance right
« on: February 08, 2020, 06:25:08 PM »
Hello ladies

I wonder if anyone is around on a Saturday eve that can advise please?

I have recently moved on to Estraderm MX patches (50) from Femiston 1/10, reason for move is to see if I tolerate HRT better transdermally as my headaches aren't improving. Progesterone is my nemesis!!

Anyway - 12 days on Estraderm at 50mcg was giving me palpitations, so discussed with GP and he said he was happy for me to halve the patch to see if it helped. My palpitations have calmed down but now on my 2 x 100 utrogestan and it is wiping me out. Taking orally at bedtime as instructed.

Have I short-changed myself with oestrogen? I know that 25 is a very low dose, but I wasn't sure if on a sequi you could drop the progesterone to 100 instead. Getting myself in a bit of a tizzy wondering what to do  :-\

Mog x
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CLKD

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Re: Getting the balance right
« Reply #1 on: February 08, 2020, 06:38:15 PM »
It's so physical!  Can't help but didn't want you to feel bereft.  Maybe put the product name into the search box to see what pops up?  Take notes.
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Mogster71

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Re: Getting the balance right
« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2020, 07:02:11 PM »
Thanks lovely, sweet of you to check in

I just wondered if there was a "rule of thumb" with how much progesterone you need to balance a certain level of oestrogen. I know fine tuning is very individual. There's a lot to wade through with Utrogestan posts...
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sheila99

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Re: Getting the balance right
« Reply #3 on: February 08, 2020, 07:07:21 PM »
Some people do reduce their utro but it really isn't advisable without the agreement of your gp and regular scans to make sure your lining isn't building up. You could try vaginally and see if it makes a difference. Are you still cycling yourself? I'm like a zombie when my own cycle kicks in but it's OK when it doesn't. For me I think it's too much prog rather than utro that causes the problem. I use it vaginally.
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Dotty

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Re: Getting the balance right
« Reply #4 on: February 08, 2020, 07:11:36 PM »
100mg can be used vaginally but it's off-licence x

https://pcwhf.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/PCWHF-Easy-HRT-prescribing-guide-31_01.pdf   

Page 5 says this x
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Mogster71

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Re: Getting the balance right
« Reply #5 on: February 08, 2020, 07:31:53 PM »
I think I'm still peri (although late on) so there could still be my own cycle at play somewhere, although having been on HRT for the last 6 months it's hard to know!

Definitely wouldn't drop the utro without advice from doc of course, but more whether to put the patch back up to 50. Seems the juggling is either feeling weird and wired on more oestrogen or sluggish on the utro. Or going back to tablets...
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CLKD

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Re: Getting the balance right
« Reply #6 on: February 08, 2020, 08:58:13 PM »
Do you keep a mood/food/symptom diary which may be of use?
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Mogster71

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Re: Getting the balance right
« Reply #7 on: February 08, 2020, 09:00:08 PM »
I do indeed  :)
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CLKD

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Re: Getting the balance right
« Reply #8 on: February 08, 2020, 09:07:37 PM »
 8)

Do you take it to appts.?
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sheila99

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Re: Getting the balance right
« Reply #9 on: February 08, 2020, 09:29:36 PM »
Or 3/4 of a patch?
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Mogster71

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Re: Getting the balance right
« Reply #10 on: February 09, 2020, 05:03:51 AM »
It was patch change night so rather than faff about I put a full patch on (I had a banging headache and couldn't focus much).

This morning I feel a little bit fluttery but will see how the day goes. I've got a feeling if I'm between patch strengths the doc will probably (hopefully) suggest oestrogel. I'm seeing him later this month.
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Mogster71

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Re: Getting the balance right
« Reply #11 on: February 09, 2020, 04:16:41 PM »
Hi StellaJane

Thank you for your reply, that's interesting. I used a full 50 patch last night rather than cutting it in half like I did Weds before starting the Utro and I definitely feel more alert today, albeit still a little  "fizzy" in the head. Not enough to need a painkiller though. Seems like my theory about not having enough oestrogen to match the progesterone was possibly right.
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Mogster71

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Re: Getting the balance right
« Reply #12 on: February 10, 2020, 05:45:33 AM »
Terrible night, woke myself up gasping and heart racing, this is so not like me. Heart rate was still high when I got up.

Feeling so off-kilter  :'(
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Quandry

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Re: Getting the balance right
« Reply #13 on: February 10, 2020, 09:48:33 AM »
Quote from: Mogster71 on February 10, 2020, 05:45:33 AM
Terrible night, woke myself up gasping and heart racing, this is so not like me. Heart rate was still high when I got up.

Feeling so off-kilter  :'(


Oh dear, you have my sympathies - I'm also suffering from this at the moment and have come to the same conclusion - that my estrogen isn't balancing out the progesterone effect.

In my case I take Elleste Duet (so 1 mg estrogen for 16 days and then 1mg estrogen/1mg norethisterone for 12 days). Halfway through the combined phase I begin to feel like a zombie - racing heart, anxiety, panic attacks, sensitivity to noise, food etc.

I was so desperate this week I actually ended up chopping current tablets in half so I could reduce the amount of norethisterone, then added half an estrogen only tablet from a new pack to maintain the estrogen level. I don't know if it was psychosymatic, but I did feel and sleep better.

How much progesterone do we actually need to act against the estrogen?
Thing is, if I was taking Ellest Duet 2mg I would get twice as much estrogen for exactly the same 1mg norethisterone each month, so perhaps in the Elleste Duet 1mg it is a relative 'overdose' on norethisterone IYSWIM?
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Mogster71

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Re: Getting the balance right
« Reply #14 on: February 10, 2020, 03:50:07 PM »
Hello Quandary! (great name btw)

Poor you too eh? It's so hard to find where we need to be. I asked the same thing about how much progesterone v oestrogen. I know exactly what you mean about the progesterone overdose! Glad it worked and got you out of trouble last night. I'm going to talk to my GP about it tomorrow, the only progesterone I seem to be ok with is the one in Femiston (dydrogesterone). 2mg was way too strong for me in tablet form though. I believe 2mg is classed as a medium dose and 1mg as a low dose.

Other than that I think I may have to leave HRT alone for a while and muscle on :(

How are you feeling now? x
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