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[Wragmop]

I’m peri and started sequential hrt mainly for sleep issues, back in July. The 25 patch seemed to be working but then the sleep issues returned and I moved up to 50 and 75. Again, that was great for a while. But now I’m finding the insomnia and aching joints returning. Do I go up to the 100? And what if that stops working too - how far does it go? 😳

[Flossieteacake]

Many members are on 100 so please do not worry if you need extra. Hopefully that will be enough to help with your aching joints.

[Gilla999]

I've had similar worries as I seem to need my E level to be quite high to be synptom free and I'm only 43, still have regular periods but have needed to be on HRT for 1.5 years now and im on 4 sprays of Lenzetto (already an off license dose). If I've needed it that early I worry about what happens when I'm at the stage where my periods go haywire but as others have said I have observed lots of women here who are on high doses and also some who don't seem to absorb well. I saw an NHS Meno expert twice and she very much reiterated that younger women often need higher doses and that it's perfectly safe. Hope this reassures you somewhat!

[Wragmop]

Thanks everyone that’s very reassuring 🙂

[VanillaLover]

Would I be able to very naughtily jump in please and ask any of you ladies whether you noticed heavier periods on the higher doses of oestrogen?

I’m thinking of trying a higher patch as symptoms have returned but I’m worried that my bleeds will become heavier and that I will get more bloated and out on more weight than I already have!

I expect that the point will come where I’m so desperate for relief those things no longer matter…but…

🙏 vanilla x

[laszla]

Vanilla when I went from 2 pumps of estrogel up to 4-5 pumps my periods got slightly heavier, no longer than usual though, but significantly more painful. But as I'm one of those people who needs lots of estrogen to cope mentally, I've accepted this and know to take a painkiller early enough to stave off the worst of the cramps.

[Bandango42]

I second what Iaszla says.... When I moved from 25 to 50 patches my periods became heavier and much more painful but only last about 3 days now. Swings and roundabouts and all that! Also like you, I feel fine for a bit but then symptoms seem to return. Im hoping to move up to 75 patch in a few weeks, the aching joints are too much and I'm only 42 x

[Wragmop]

I’m just a bit worried that if after every increase it kind of wears off and we need more… how far can you go - there must be a maximum dose, and then what happens?

[VanillaLover]

Thanks for your replies about the bleeding ladies, I appreciate it. That’s very useful.

Wragmop, have you had any blood tests to check whether you are absorbing the oestrogen from the patches ok? I think that while you can go beyond the 100 if you see a consultant, at that point it would be worth checking what your oestrogen levels actually are. Obviously if you still have your own cycles that makes it more complicated.

[VanillaLover]

Just wanted to add that if you are peri and having your own hormonal fluctuations then sadly HRT is unlikely to override those. It can raise the “baseline” oestrogen but you may still be having huge swings. So I find myself that I can still have bad days or weeks with symptoms, depending on what my own cycle is doing. However overall the patches are an improvement. I am coming to accept that while I am still having periods the HRT isn’t going to be able to take away all the fluctuations.

[Wragmop]

Thanks Vanilla, I’d not heard that before and it makes sense.
Re the bleeding, mine didn’t get very heavy but my ‘normal’ periods were light so the patches did make them heavier than that. I’d call them moderate now. And I did get an extra bleed last cycle. All in all, very manageable though.

[Gilla999]

My NHS Meno doctor mentioned the reason younger women generally need higher doses is to suppress all the fluctuations. To be honest I'm not sure I felt that was accurate though - I've seen women here talking about the very high levels Professor Stud prescribed which were needed to totally suppress and from memory I think it was much higher than the 100mg kind of level. She was a very nice Meno doctor but a few of the things she said sounded a bit off to me.

I've always had very short (two days) and painful periods, I just survive on Ibuprofen for two days    Every now and then I seem to get a heavier or lighter one but haven't noticed any specific correlation with when I've increased my HRT. Hope that helps!

[VanillaLover]

Thanks. I’m just concerned as Ive always had heavy periods and now they are definitely going lighter over the last year or so. Still moderate though rather than what other people would call light. I also get a lot of pain sometimes to the extent of fainting, again I’ve always had painful periods but this can sometimes, not every time, but sometimes be worse than ever.

My cycle lengths are also swinging wildly, out of the last 6 cycles (if you can call them that) on,y two have been anywhere near regular length (about 34 days). The others have been 16 days, 20 days, 57 days! I’m guessing that the 16 day ones are annovulatory and it’s breakthrough bleeding rather than a true cycle. But if I’m bleeding that often I can’t afford to get any heavier!

Maybe it will come to giving it a go and seeing what happens! I’ll try and hold out on the 50 patch as long as I can though.

I don’t know what sort of doses you would need to flatten out fluctuations in someone still having periods either! It’s hard to compare with the contraceptive pill as they are different types of oestrogen.