Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[jaycee]

My daughter has had menopause   [hormone] tests privately,which came out that all her hormones were low,as none of the HRTs from the Dr were suiting her,and Dr said they didn't do menopause tests,[hormone levels]
She has been given Estradot and Utrogestan
Has any one here had this combination? if so how did you get on with it?
.also does it cause a bleed,thank you in advance
Edited,to ask if anyone is on testosterone,do you have to go through a specialist,or can your Dr prescribe it,and how much does it cost,or is it on prescription?
The menopause specialist suggested it to my daughter, but would cost about £60 each time i think

[sheila99]

She can ask for a referral to an NHS menopause clinic who can prescribe testosterone on an NHS prescription. No experience of estradot myself but would like to try it (currently on gel). Hurdity was on this combo before the shortage. Do you know if estradot 100mg is readily available now?

[Julia Dizzy]

Hi Jaycee, I'm currently on Estradot 50 and Utrogestan 100mg orally every night since January this year and I'm 64.
 
No problems so far, the patch is nice and small and sticks well without any skin irritation.
I have recently tried the new release of Femseven Conti patches, but they irritated my skin to the point where the red mark it left, is still there over a month later. So I had to stop using them.

I am also using Tostran testosterone gel, 1 blob every other day.

My Gp would not give me HRT when I asked in September 2019 because of my age, but he happily referred me to my local NHS menopause clinic and the Dr there put me on it straight away, along with the Tostran. He issued a prescription for it all at my first appointment, sent a letter to my Gp who then put it all on repeat prescription. Your daughter shouldn't have to pay anything extra for it, just prescription cost.

Hope she settles on this regime. x

[candicet]

Hi Jaycee, I'm currently on Estradot 50 and Utrogestan 100mg orally every night since January this year and I'm 64.
 
No problems so far, the patch is nice and small and sticks well without any skin irritation.
I have recently tried the new release of Femseven Conti patches, but they irritated my skin to the point where the red mark it left, is still there over a month later. So I had to stop using them.

I am also using Tostran testosterone gel, 1 blob every other day.

My Gp would not give me HRT when I asked in September 2019 because of my age, but he happily referred me to my local NHS menopause clinic and the Dr there put me on it straight away, along with the Tostran. He issued a prescription for it all at my first appointment, sent a letter to my Gp who then put it all on repeat prescription. Your daughter shouldn't have to pay anything extra for it, just prescription cost.

Hope she settles on this regime. x

Hiya Julia

May I ask - how does the continuous regime on Utrogestan affect you? I am taking it vaginally every other night and it knocks me out but also I wake up in the night with horrible anxiety.
Also was wondering if the addition of Testorone perhaps balanced out the affects of the Utrogestan for you?
I've been on Estrogel/Utrogestan for 5 weeks and still having to experiment with the Estrogel - 4 pumps makes me jittery, but 3 pumps doesn't overcome the tiredness from the Utro.
I have an apt with an NHS gynecologist soon(ish), so I would be interested to know your experience of finding a balance before I go.
I'm 51 and 2.5 years post meno.
Wondering what you feel the benefits of your current regime are and how you feel at 64 on this?

Thanks very much for your time and I hope you don't mind me asking x

[jaycee]

Thank you for all replies,it was never suggested she went to an NHS menopause clinic
Do they do hormone level tests,?she has paid more than £250 up to now to have hormone levels checked,to try to get an idea of why nothing is suiting her, on her results it said something about free testosterone,anyone any idea what that means,it wasn't explained and she forgot to ask
Julia Dizzy,are femseven Conti available again, it says on the list of HRTs it's not available

[Hurdity]

Hi jaycee

As sheila 99 said I was on this combo for quite a few years until the shortage. Estradot 50 then 62.5 (cut down from 75). If she is post-menopausal and takes utrogestan every day then she shpuld not get a bleed ( although some bleeding and spotting is normal for around the first 6 months). If she takes the utrogestan cyclically then she will get a regular withdrawal bleed.

I first started taking testosterone in May 2015 before the NICE guidelines so got it privately and now I get it though my local GP surgery on NHS.

Not sure about the hormone tests. They are not necessary. Private clinics always do them and charge for them. Most NHS docs go by symptoms. If she has low libido and is post-menopausal and no other reason for this ( eg taking certain other meds like anti-depressants) then this alone could be grounds for prescribing tesosterone However as it is off-licence then its hit and miss whether you can get it on NHS as there is no licenned product for women in UK.

If you could post the results of the blood tests with the lab ref range then we can help further.

Maybe suggest that your daughter joins this forum?

I think Femseven conti is niow available - go to the home page of the forum and do a search - there have been threads recently.

Hurdity x

[jaycee]

Hi Hurdity,thank you.i have her results,i will post them soon, just have to break off for now,
I think part of the reason she wanted hormone tests was because of her hair shedding,  which she is very upset about,and was told it might be because hormone leels were maybe wrong, more of one than the other or something
I will have to transfer blood test results to my computer files from my phone,so will let you have them later
Dr tried her on low thyroid meds as she had very mild problem but seemed to make it worse so stopped them

[Julia Dizzy]

Hi candicet and Jaycee, I seem to be ok on the Estradot 50 (they stick great and prefer them to the gel) and daily oral utrogestan so far (found it too messy vaginally). It has stopped my hot flushes, so hopefully the balance is right for now, as that was my main annoying symptom that never went away after 10 years post meno. Not sure how the testosterone is helping so far but Meno clinic Dr said I had to give it all a good 6 months. I have never had a bleed in all the time I have been on the gel first and then the Estradot (touch wood!)

Just a shame the Femseven conti gave me an angry red skin ring, which I can still see faintly from when I put it on on 1st Feb!! My pharmacy had a bit of a problem getting them, but when I contacted their local head office they managed to order me some from Alliance healthcare. I have kept them but am loathe to try them again, as they seemed to have caused some inflammation to the surrounding area and have been using Voltarol on the hip to see if that helps.

I have generalised anxiety disorder normally, but my dear Mum passed away 2 weeks ago at age 93 from Dementia and Covid. My stomach has been nervous for weeks now watching her sadly decline, so don't know if the Utrogestan is having any other effects, but have not been sleeping too well anyway because of this awful time.

I also suffer with a lot of indigestion and am awaiting a gastroscopy for that. Oh the joys of being older!

I hope you manage to find the right regime and dose for you xx

[candicet]

Hi candicet and Jaycee, I seem to be ok on the Estradot 50 (they stick great and prefer them to the gel) and daily oral utrogestan so far (found it too messy vaginally). It has stopped my hot flushes, so hopefully the balance is right for now, as that was my main annoying symptom that never went away after 10 years post meno. Not sure how the testosterone is helping so far but Meno clinic Dr said I had to give it all a good 6 months. I have never had a bleed in all the time I have been on the gel first and then the Estradot (touch wood!)

Just a shame the Femseven conti gave me an angry red skin ring, which I can still see faintly from when I put it on on 1st Feb!! My pharmacy had a bit of a problem getting them, but when I contacted their local head office they managed to order me some from Alliance healthcare. I have kept them but am loathe to try them again, as they seemed to have caused some inflammation to the surrounding area and have been using Voltarol on the hip to see if that helps.


I have generalised anxiety disorder normally, but my dear Mum passed away 2 weeks ago at age 93 from Dementia and Covid. My stomach has been nervous for weeks now watching her sadly decline, so don't know if the Utrogestan is having any other effects, but have not been sleeping too well anyway because of this awful time.

I also suffer with a lot of indigestion and am awaiting a gastroscopy for that. Oh the joys of being older!

I hope you manage to find the right regime and dose for you xx

Hi Julia

Wow, you have an awful lot going on. I'm very sorry to hear about your mother. 93 is an incredible age - Can't imagine what you must've been going through. I have to say that reading your post, I feel full of admiration for you. You sound very courageous.
Thankyou for sharing about your treatment. It's good to know that it can take 6 months. It's just that when you hear people like Liz Earle saying that slept like a baby on the first night of Estrogel & Utrogestan, it can give you slightly unrealistic expectations

I hope you get some respite, rest, freedom from hot flushes and that you get to the bottom of your digestive issues (so to speak).
I had quite a lot of gastric and reflux type symptoms leading up to the point where i realised I was experiencing some of it because of the menopause. Yes it's unbelievable how it affects the body and how unprepared you can be. I had no idea about anything until I heard a podcast of Davina Macall & Louise Newson.

Anyway - wishing you much success with your treatment xx

[Julia Dizzy]

Hi candicet, thank you so much for your lovely reply, but I haven't been very courageous really, more of a quivering mess! I'm just taking a day at a time now and hoping for the best. Not looking forward to the Gastroscopy whenever it might be but hey ho, needs must!

I know what you mean... I too have read the likes of Liz Earle and Carol Vorderman saying how they felt like a new woman after a couple of days! There are so many more of us struggling to get the balance right I think...I'm still waiting after more than a year???

Hormones, the bane of our lives, I'm sticking with the Estradot 50, Utrogestan and Tostran for now - and I hope you too find success with whichever regime you decide on in the end.
Take care and thank you againxx

[candicet]

Hi Julia
The courageousness just comes out in the way you describe it. I think we sometimes take it for granted and see grief and being a mess as a weakness but it takes courage to let it be, and to be a mess. I admire that loads.

Thanks for your kind wishes too.
Let us know how the Endoscopy goes. xx

[candicet]

Hi Hurdity,thank you.i have her results,i will post them soon, just have to break off for now,
I think part of the reason she wanted hormone tests was because of her hair shedding,  which she is very upset about,and was told it might be because hormone leels were maybe wrong, more of one than the other or something
I will have to transfer blood test results to my computer files from my phone,so will let you have them later
Dr tried her on low thyroid meds as she had very mild problem but seemed to make it worse so stopped them

Hi Jaycee
Just wanted to say - sorry that I jumped on your thread with other questions. I hope things work out for your daughter.
I was quite insistent with my gp that I wanted to see a menopause specialist, because I wanted to be able to be prescribed testosterone if I need it. She started off saying it could take a year for me to be seen and I asked her if it could be sped up because I was feeling awful and she said yes. I just think you have to push. I think from the point that I had my appointment it's going to take 3-4 months to get seen and that might be an online appointment, but actually I think it's good to be on a regime for a while before you see a specialist so that they have some history to work with.
And these things don't get solved overnight unless you've won the HRT lottery.
Lots of luck to your daughter. x