Print

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

[Lamplighter]

Shelia99, ah that explains it then.  Thanks xx

[EllaAurora]

Hi again,
coming back to the question related to what happened to me. I'm still trying to figure it out myself  , but here's how it went.

I was doing great with Oestrogel 1 pump/Utrogestan 200mg (cyclically) for the first 9 mo. I was even surprised how well it worked and without side effects. I was quite relaxed about how to apply the gel (not paying so much attention that I'd do it exactly the same way every day), or even the timing. I might occasionally miss the regular time and apply couple of hours later, without any consequences on how I felt. All in all, I could live my life without having to focus on the menopause (what a dream state, now that I think backwards )

Then, Dec/Jan/Feb didn't have withdrawal bleed at all (despite taking Utro as per the regime) and had super sore breasts. Interestingly at this time, felt mentally even better than usual -lots of energy to do sports and great mood, so I wasn't that worried about the missed bleeds. Then March and everything changed! First I got the bleed, which was heavier and more painful than I've ever had in my life. Then started heart problems, insomnia, diarrhoea, adrenaline surges, and worst of all the anxiety. Visited several doctors over the following weeks as I thought at first there was something seriously wrong with me physically. (nothing was found)

Following gynae instructions tried to up the dose to 2 pumps of Oestrogel which suddenly didn't work at all! Got bad reaction 1-2 hours after applying (super jittery, anxious, heart rate going sky high, shaky etc). So after couple of attempts, went back to 1 pump and then few very bad weeks later figured that some ladies here were splitting the dose, and decided to try that. I'd previously applied 1 pump in the evening, now I started very slowly adding -first half a pump and then full pump also in the morning. That helped a bit but still kept having the jittery, anxious and shaky feelings after applying the gel. It felt like the oestrogen was absorbing too quickly, I'd have a feeling of 'rush' 1-2 hours after applying and then a feeling of the dose wearing off some 6-8 hours later. (not sure of course if this is really the reason)

After trial and error I've now figured that these reactions were coming stronger if I applied on a smaller area of skin, or on a thin skin (arms, inner thigh). For a week now applying to lower belly and being meticulous about applying exactly every 12 hours and in an exactly same way (i.e. larger area). So far so good -no jittery feelings after applying, though I still feel overall the oestrogen levels are low, but perhaps more stable. My gynae just recommended to switch to Patch but I am not yet ready for that step and another change, as at least currently I am feeling a little better than a month ago. Probably will wait couple more weeks to see what happens with this regime and then decide.

All in all, very tiring and consuming so much of that little energy that I have overall these days I don't know what in the end caused the change. My own assumption is that after the heavy bleed, my own estradiol dropped to a permanently lower level and previous amount of gel was no longer enough. Why I developed these tolerance issues... have no idea  Maybe someone else in the forum has had similar symptoms and would know more?

So great that weekend is coming.. wishing a relaxing one to us all! EA xx

[Floo36]

It’s also difficult in peri to know if it is in fact the hrt doing anything or your own hormones that have risen again to give symptom relief but not fully.  I have had this happen a few times over the last two years, I finally worked out when my symptoms erupted again and an increase in dose did nothing that I worked out I didn’t absorb the transdermal tried so far.  I’m hoping it will be much easier post menopause to manage.

[EllaAurora]

So true Floo36. Impossible to know in the end what causes what. 
The only thing I think I've figured out so far is that the fluctuations are the worst (whether caused by own oestrogen fluctuating or changing the HRT dose). But in peri, fluctuations are impossible to avoid, so trying my very best to at least keep the HRT dosage as stable as possible.
Hopefully postmeno will bring some relief to this.

[sheila99]

I'm late peri now and yes, it does get easier as your own hormones stabilise. It's normal to need more oestrogen as you head towards meno. I've had to increase twice as symptoms returned, started on 2 pumps and now on 4. EllaAurora I think you're right with your assessment. I get sore boobs with high progesterone so maybe that happened to you and if you were producing your own at the end of the utro phase it would have overridden the hrt withdrawal bleed. Your symptoms following the bleed are indicative of low oestrogen.

[EllaAurora]

Thanks Sheila99! I agree, low oestrogen seems to be the issue, so I'm now on desperate attempt to get more of it into my system. Just need to find a way how to increase without getting these anxiety reactions 1-2 hours after applying.
When you increased from 2 to 4, did you have any issues with it? How often and where do you apply the gel?

[sheila99]

I didn't go straight from 2 pumps to 4, there were several months, possibly a year, between the increases. I split it into night and morning but if I'm late or early with it I don't notice any difference. I did use an extra half pump for a couple of weeks before using the full pump. I put it on inner thighs but that's more convenience (far too cold for bare shoulders in my house  ). I don't have a surge like you do. I understand how desperate you are to feel well but I think slowly is the way to go, your body needs time to adjust.

[Postmeno3]

This is such a great thread! I've been curious about the sense of "shooting in the dark" if not knowing levels. Very postmenopausally, as things have stabilised relatively in terms of oestrogen supply, it would be great even to know if what's left is on what sort of range from low to non-existent! I'm sure this could fast track a lot of trial and error in this group?

[KarineT]

I had an oestrogen reading back in February this year through a blood test.  I'm not HRT but I wanted to find out how low it was and how much lower it's going to be.  It's lkkely to decline even further because my reading was 586pmol and I haven't had a period for 16 months now.  I am feeling comfortable not knowing where I'm at so now snd again, I will do a blood test. Now that I'm classed as postmenopausal, It's very unlikely that my oestrogen will shoot back up to where it was prior to the menopause.

[sheila99]

Postmeno3 you  could arrange your own. Try medichecks. I used them for thyroid though not for oestrogen but them seem to have a comprehensive offering.

[KarineT]

Shella99, is it the oestrogen from the fat tissues and adrenal glands that declines postmeno?  I would have thought that it the oestrogen produced by the ovaries until it stops producing it.  Otherwise, we'll have absolutely nothing left and therefore  a level of 103 pml would not exist.