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[Molly]

Just wondering what is considered the perfect balance or usual SAFE balance of the 2 hormones.

I am currently on 3 pumps of oestrogel, i upped it to 3 from 2 myself and I am on 200mg utrogeston for the 2nd half of the month.

I really feel like I do not know what I am doing.

Do I feel better since starting HRT yes, in that the flushes have gone and I am sleeping, anxiety still there, hugely increased when my progesterone was increased from 100mg to 200 mg for 2 last weeks of the month.

BUT I still feel exhausted,  dragging myself around. depressed, piled on the weight, 1 stone up. Constantly hungry looking for carbs and crap food.
My periods seem to have stopped, none now for 2 months since consultant upped my progesterone.


I guess, my questions are,

1. if you increased the oestrogel to 3 45 pumps, are you suppose to increase progesterone.

2. If there a common normal balance between the 2 hormones that tend to work for a majority?

3. Should I still be feeling this emotional, depressed, tired and gaining so much weight?

Oh to be back to myself 

Thanks in advance x



last question,
when your periods stop while on 3 pumps of gel everyday and last 2 weeks of month on 200 mg utrogeston, should I be changing the amount of one of these hormones? does it mean that one of my hormones is lower than it should, be as my period is stopping...hope that made sense

[Greyhoundgal]

I have many of the same questions myself as I find utrogestan hard to tolerate and wonder how little I can take while still protecting my uterine lining from oestrogen.

I did ask my GP if there was a formula for the ratio of prescription - if I use X oestrogen, I have to offset it with Y progesterone - but he said no. It all feels a bit random.

Could you try to take the progesterone differently - vaginally or 100mg for 25 days of the cycle instead? Or have you already tried this?

I hope you find some answers. Good luck.

[Dotty]

Hi What we’re your periods doing before you started hrt ? That is a good guide to how you should be taking Utrogestan and how much ?

Apologies if you’ve already said this in another post. X

[joziel]

I'll try to answer your questions...

1. if you increased the oestrogel to 3 45 pumps, are you suppose to increase progesterone.

No. The standard dose of utrogestan is either 100mg continuous or 200mg for 2 weeks of the month, and that's the dose whether you take 2,3 or 4 pumps of oestrogel. It's when you go above 4 pumps that some doctors might say you need additional progesterone - but this very much depends on the doctor you see since the jury is still out on that one and it might also vary from woman to woman. But if you are 4 pumps and below, then it's the same dose.

2. If there a common normal balance between the 2 hormones that tend to work for a majority?

No, it's impossible to say. Personally, I am now on 200mg utrogestan continuously (due to endo, to suppress it) and zero estrogen. (Besides what my own body is making.) Due to a reaction to the estrogen component of HRT. Fortunately it seems my body has decided to make some estrogen again now the desogestrel POP has stopped. I feel no different whether I take 200mg utrogestan, 100mg or none - it all feels the same to me.

3. Should I still be feeling this emotional, depressed, tired and gaining so much weight?

No one should be feeling bad! But you might find that some testosterone would help with feeling tired and depressed. Gaining weight can mean that something is not in balance but it can be caused by both too high and too low estrogen.

Have you also had your thyroid checked? Your iron levels checked? There are other causes of tiredness and weight gain besides HRT/menopause stuff.

4. when your periods stop while on 3 pumps of gel everyday and last 2 weeks of month on 200 mg utrogeston, should I be changing the amount of one of these hormones? does it mean that one of my hormones is lower than it should, be as my period is stopping...hope that made sense

If your periods have completely stopped whilst you are on a sequential regime, it suggests it is time to move to a continuous regime. That means 100mg utrogestan every night instead of 200mg for half the month and then none. You may find that stability also helps your emotionality due to being constant. Also, if this is a recent change, stopping bleeding could also suggest your own estrogen levels have dropped (what your ovaries are producing) and that might suggest that you'd benefit from an increase in estrogen.

[Molly]

thank you for your replies girls.


Joziel,  thank you so much for anwsering my questions and making it easy to understand.

Yes I think you are right maybe every day for progesterone even though it does not agree with me, I might benefit from it being every day and same constant hormones, instead of stopping starting.

also you are probably correct aswell about my drop in oestrogen with periods stopping.

I have an appointment for my bloods as I feel something is off for sure.

Now joziel how much do I pay you?  you are better than an consultant xxx

[joziel]

I wish I could figure out what's going on with me, everyone else's things seem understandable 

[Molly]

hugs to you, how is the sleep going? I take a piriton now and again at night to get a full nights sleep. hope you feel better soon and the palps stop x

[joziel]

Thanks Molly   

I'm going to phone the cardiology department tomorrow and try to see if they can schedule me ASAP. And if that is months away, I'll have to go private. I don't have insurance so that will be expensive 

Right now, I am doing the pulsing/trembling thing. I think that means the palps are happening, although it can be hard to tell sometimes.

[Molly]

ah god love you thats just awful. I wonder if you go to A&E will they treat  you then...might be worth a think. Id say the cost private could be alot. are you n the uk or ireland? I know in ireland if you go to A&e with palps, you would have ALL the relevant tests done. sending hugs x

[joziel]

I did go to A&E some weeks ago, after increasing to a 75 patch and when things were really bad. My blood pressure was 158/90.

They did an ECG, which was normal. And sent me home. Because they are not interested in checking for disrhythmias, only ruling out a heart attack.

The A&E doctor wrote to my GP to tell her to refer me to the disrhythmia clinic.

I went to see the GP and she said that if I didn't have chest pain and wasn't blacking out, she didn't see a reason to refer me. (Never mind the fact that I was having 24/7 palpitations.)

So I struggled on a few more weeks, then decided things were really not right and went to see another GP at the same practice. Fortunately she listened to me. Blood pressure 163/90, heart with constant ectopic beats from what she could hear. And she has finally referred me to the disrhythmia clinic. She also told me to stop all estrogen.

That was 10 days ago and I'm still waiting to even know when the appointment is. I phoned this morning but got an answerphone message which said the secretary doesn't work Fri afternoons. I left a message explaining the severity of my symptoms but haven't heard anything and it's 12pm now. So I guess I am stuck like this for another weekend. I do get really scared that I'm going to collapse or have a stroke or something. Then A&E might actually treat me, I guess...

Things have got a bit better since stopping the estrogen, in that it doesn't happen much in the day times now. And I have perfect blood pressure again. But it still happens at night - all night.

It just feels like my heart has learnt to do this now, after being put in this state almost 24/7 for 5 months, with loads of menopause doctors telling me everything will settle down and I should just keep slowing increasing estrogen and blah blah.... I tried to get some beta blockers for night times but now my GP has gone on holiday. I am currently debating if I should go see a different doctor at the practice next week and attempt to explain it all again and ask for beta blockers.

I've just ordered a new Kardia home ECG machine, a 6 lead one, for £149, in the hope that I can record episodes with that to show someone...

I'm not someone who likes to ask for things and I am having to ask and ask and ask and push and demand and phone and tell many doctors this repeatedly. It's exhausting, on top of how I feel    I just feel like no one cares and as soon as you mention that HRT and estrogen are involved, they decide it's nothing serious and you don't need to check it out...

[Molly]

ah stop thats just flipping awful. bloody doctors.  If you can I would drive down to that doctors and tell them that you have to be prescribed something asap based on your last visit to the doctors. demand it, its simply not enough to leave a person full a full wkd in that state of worry.

Can you go down there?

If not back to A&E dont mention anything about hrt as you are not on it now anyway.

everything crossed for you my pet x