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[Gaylew]

Help! I'm on my second type of HRT - the first, body identical oestrogel and uterogestan, gave me migraines. So now I'm on Femoston but I think I may be progesterone sensitive as I just started on the progesterone tablets two nights ago and yesterday morning I could barely function, and also experienced severe dizziness whenever I turned over while sleeping, which woke me up each time.
I know I am very sensitive to any medication so always try to take the lowest dose of anything. So this happened, even though I had taken only half of the femoston tablet after a disastrous earlier experience with oral uterogestan!
 Last night I tried just a quarter tablet.. I can function better today, less of a drugged feeling but still had bad dizziness during the night. Has anyone else had this experience? Many thanks in advance 🙂

[Flossieteacake]

Hello Gaylew. Welcome to the forum. I am sorry to hear of the effect you have had as a result of taking femostan. I too am sensitive to medications so I understand the need to take it slowly. The sedation could pass as your body gets used to it. I understand you may not feel able to put up with it though.

[Gaylew]

Thank you.. I have to say I have trouble understanding why if we are just replacing something that should already be in our bodies, particularly the body-identical hormones, why they cause such sideeffects! (And  also feel that if it were men who were facing these sideeffects, then maybe the pharmaceutical industry would ensure they weren't so bad!! 😭🤣)

[pepperminty]

Hi,

it is perfectly normal to have teething issues with any HRT to begin with. I felt dreadful for 3 months on the progesterone phase when I first started femosten  . I stuck with it and by 4 months I felt much better.  I was so anxious and scared. I was shaky in the morning etc.  The progesterone is one of the kindest.

You need to take the full tablet to protect the womb from building up.  You could try the lowest dose first- look in the treatment tabs  at the top of the page .

Try to do relaxation and I hope you feel better soon.

PMXX

[Gaylew]

Many thanks.. I will try to persevere! 🥵

[Hurdity]

Hi Gaylew

  from me too.

In answer to this:

Thank you.. I have to say I have trouble understanding why if we are just replacing something that should already be in our bodies, particularly the body-identical hormones, why they cause such sideeffects! (And  also feel that if it were men who were facing these sideeffects, then maybe the pharmaceutical industry would ensure they weren't so bad!! 😭🤣)

The reason is mainly because we are replacing them EXOGENOUSLY ie originating from outside the body rather thsn ENDOGENOUSLY produced from inside, and this replacement is but a crude way of replicating what;s going on - but the best we have!

Different HRT products do this more or less - so the prduct you are taking - Femoston - contains oestradiol - which is bio-identical with our won oestrogen, but it is being taken ion tabllet form, so has to go through digestion and the liver etc before getting into your bloodstream. Also it is being taken once a day whereas the body (presumably) produces it continuously even if intermittently (ie more at certain times of the month)  - and depending on menopausal status. Also there are different types of oestrogen and metabolism varies depending on menopause status.

Similarly the progestogen in Femoston is an artificial - synthetic one called dydrogesterone - so not identical to progesterone our bodies produce, though it is the closest one that there is to progesterone and taken orally is often qwell tolerated once you are acclimatised to it, unless very progesterone intolerant and unlucky.

The good thing about dydrogesterone is it is more stable in the body and therefore can be taken in much smaller doses to protect the womb, whereas progesterone itself (as utrogestan) breaks down very quickly and so has to be takne in much higher doses than when produced by the body ( from what I recall - the ovaries broadly produce sufficient progesterone post ovulation, in regular 20 mg bursts - may be slightly wrong there but the gist is correct).

Which Femoston dose are you on -  1 mg or 2 mg? If on thr 12 mg maybe if you increase to 2 mg the positive effects may outweigh the negative effects of the prog, although they dont balance each other out exasvtly in terms of symptoms - thinking of it as the feel good effects of oestrogen drowning out the bad parts of prog - like in pregnancy when levels of both are very high.

I hope this helps and also that you feel better soon

Hurdity x

Ps apols for typos!

[Dada39]

Hi there, I too was light headed when i lyed in my bed at first when I took Femoston. I talked to my gyne and it took my blood pressure everything was fine. Then it settled.

[Kathleen]

Hello Gaylew and welcome to the forum.


I haven't tried Femoston but I have used other HRT preparations in the past but none of them controlled all my symptoms.
I am now working on the theory that less is more and reducing my Oestrogen dose accordingly.  I am hoping that my body will find it easier to stabilise if I am not adding extra chemicals into the mix. Time will tell!

Even when HRT works well, some women develop problems and need to rethink. I follow someone on YouTube who felt much better when she began HRT about a year ago but has now had bleeding and will have to alter her regime and lose the benefits she had gained.

As we know the body seeks homeostasis and perhaps flooding it with extra hormones is always going to be a bit brutal at first.

Wishing you well.

K.

[Gaylew]

Many thanks for this, it helps to understand how it works and thank you for taking the time to explain. I'm on 1mg, but currentlyI'm taking just a quarter of each tablet (and will continue doing the same when I am  back on the oestrogen-only weeks.) Hopefully I can gradually raise the amount I take.
Thanks again! 😊

Hi Gaylew

  from me too.

In answer to this:

Thank you.. I have to say I have trouble understanding why if we are just replacing something that should already be in our bodies, particularly the body-identical hormones, why they cause such sideeffects! (And  also feel that if it were men who were facing these sideeffects, then maybe the pharmaceutical industry would ensure they weren't so bad!! 😭🤣)

The reason is mainly because we are replacing them EXOGENOUSLY ie originating from outside the body rather thsn ENDOGENOUSLY produced from inside, and this replacement is but a crude way of replicating what;s going on - but the best we have!

Different HRT products do this more or less - so the prduct you are taking - Femoston - contains oestradiol - which is bio-identical with our won oestrogen, but it is being taken ion tabllet form, so has to go through digestion and the liver etc before getting into your bloodstream. Also it is being taken once a day whereas the body (presumably) produces it continuously even if intermittently (ie more at certain times of the month)  - and depending on menopausal status. Also there are different types of oestrogen and metabolism varies depending on menopause status.

Similarly the progestogen in Femoston is an artificial - synthetic one called dydrogesterone - so not identical to progesterone our bodies produce, though it is the closest one that there is to progesterone and taken orally is often qwell tolerated once you are acclimatised to it, unless very progesterone intolerant and unlucky.

The good thing about dydrogesterone is it is more stable in the body and therefore can be taken in much smaller doses to protect the womb, whereas progesterone itself (as utrogestan) breaks down very quickly and so has to be takne in much higher doses than when produced by the body ( from what I recall - the ovaries broadly produce sufficient progesterone post ovulation, in regular 20 mg bursts - may be slightly wrong there but the gist is correct).

Which Femoston dose are you on -  1 mg or 2 mg? If on thr 12 mg maybe if you increase to 2 mg the positive effects may outweigh the negative effects of the prog, although they dont balance each other out exasvtly in terms of symptoms - thinking of it as the feel good effects of oestrogen drowning out the bad parts of prog - like in pregnancy when levels of both are very high.

I hope this helps and also that you feel better soon

Hurdity x

Ps apols for typos!