Hello, abd thanks for the welcome!
So, a little more history. I was under Newson Health, and it’s prasterone , rather than additional progesterone. It’s a pessary containing dhea.
I started hrt at 1 pump oestrogel and the mirena 4 years ago for cognitive issues, anxiety heavy frequent periods and night sweats. I immediately felt better. I have not had a period since then. I bobbed along on that for ages, until I started to get heart palpitations, insane levels of anxiety and chest pain. I then got covid then long covid, and that seemed to be the nail in the coffin for my hormones. I was off work for months, couldn’t walk or read a book even for weeks. I was suicidal as I felt I would never get better and would slip into a black hole . Gp tried hard but didn’t know what to do. I contacted Newson and after a consult and increase of oesteogel and intro of testosterone, felt loads better. I had less and less episodes of anxiety and felt stronger mentally and physically and more like me. I was great until last autumn when I started to get symptoms again. It seemed to be oestrogel manufacturing issues and inconsistencies that caused the breakthrough symptoms, so I switched to sandrena. I was on 10 pumps of oesteogel, as my ms kept advising I up my dose, even with the 3000 blood concentration. I switched slowly but a month in I had 2 full blown migraines, with aura. Terrifying. I had never had a migraine before. That was November and I haven’t had another.
My t abd free androgen index have continued to drop and are now at 0.6 and 0.7. In spite of 1.5ml androfem.
Physically I’m so so much better than I was. But mentally The anxiety and health paranoia is pretty awful.
I started sertroline in December at 50mg. I think it has helped a little. The gp advised go up to 100mg and I had an absolute meltdown, suicidal, horrific dreams, nausea, awful. So, back to 50mg.
I just feel wired a lot of the time to be honest.
I meditate, do breathing exercises, yoga, as well as being super active (run bike climb). So much better than the shell I was last year, so Hrt definitely has had a positive effect, but the dose isn’t right at all.
Im thinking a reset is the way to go too, and my gp feels the same. Although I’m scared of reducing my oestrogen and going back to how I was physically and feeling suicidal.