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[Sencho1999]

Hi all,

I've been on a bit of a rollercoaster. Started estrogen gel and 200 mg of utrogestan last February. Immediately upon starting estrogen, my periods became very heavy. I had always been a very light bleeder. Each month they got worse and then spotting started throughout the month.

I was paying privately at the Louise Newson clinic. I contacted them to say that I was concerned that my estrogen levels were too high and I was flooding so badly I couldn't leave the house some days. I also felt really strung out on estrogen. Despite this, they advised me to up my dose.
I even asked did I need a scan to check my womb and they said no. I paid for a private blood test and my estrogen levels came back at over 10,000 pmol. I was also experiencing a lot more headaches.

Perhaps worthy of note is that I am low bodyweight. During my life, I often react badly to any kind of drug, medicine and need far less than the supposed standard dose of anything.

Following the blood test, I went to my GP. They organised a scan.They found a very large womb polyp. The consultant who removed said polyp told me that it was very vascular and indicative of too much estrogen and that it was very unusual that someone as lightweight as me to have such a huge polyp.. She told me to stop the estrogen gel immediately. Which I did.

Luckily, the biopsy from the polyp came back negative. Since then I have continued to take the utrogestan 200 mg vaginally for 14 days of my cycle. I was scared to return to the short 21 day cycles I was having before HRT. I know this is not 'standard' practice.

It's been 6 months since I've been off the estrogen gel, and my GP just took my bloods to check me estrogen levels again. I know they change daily but mid-cylce this week they were 146 pmol.

I don't know what to do next. Try an estrogen patch? 25 and cut it in half to give me body a low dose of estrogen?

Don't take estrogen at all and continue with the utrogestan vaginally for 14 days of the month?

Or even, reduce the utrogestan dose to 100 mg for 14 days?

My periods are now light again. They don't seem like withdrawal bleeds - they still feel like a period. I'm surprised by this because The Newson Clinic told me that women normally have a very light spotting withdrawl bleed when on utrogestan. I'm still having a normal, albeit light, period when using utrogestan and no estrogen.

Is 146 pmol low for estrogen mid cycle?

I've always felt I'm not good with estrogen and the histamine-estrogen link is something that seems to apply to me too. My most anxious days have historically been when estrogen is on the rise up to ovulation.

I'm at a point now where I have increasing anxiety, insomnia, migrianes, feeling jittery and exhausted. But I felt all of these when on the full HRT regime too.

I don't know what to do next.

Mirena coil was one idea but I had awful discharge and didn't feel great on that - but that was over 20 years ago.

I'm also thinking of trying a small patch, and cutting it in half to try a tinty dose. I'm terrified of another polyp and was traumatised by the procedure to remove it.

I don't drink, don't smoke, workout when I don't feel nauseous (increasing epsisodes of nausea are a main symptom for me) and eat lots of fruit and vegetables. I am trying to reduce my sugar intake but it's not that I eat a lot of sugar anyway.

I'm at a loss and feel awful.

Please help. What would you do if you were me? I'm 48 years old and dreading what the next few years will bring me.

[CLKD]

U are between a rock and a hard place! 

How low is low?   For over 40 years I weighed 6st 10lb.  [long story short].  At 5ft 1". 

I can't advise on HRT as it's not something I have needed thus far, other than for vaginal atrophy treatment.  Hopefully someone will be along who 'knows'.

When a woman has her womb, progesterone is required to cleanse and stop a build up.  U probably know that 

[Sencho1999]

Hi CLKD,

Thank you for responding.

I weigh 50 kg and am 5Ft 5". I've been that weight for over thirty years (apart from when pregnant).

I can't decide if I'm too low on estrogen, too low on progesterone compared to estrogen, or too high in estrogen on some days of the month.

I just want my cycle to shut down. Every month is getting worse for symptoms and it's very disheartening to read many comments such as 'HRT was a game changer' or 'HRT was life saving' feeling like I'm now out of options. The media almost portray it like starting HRT is a guaranteed success.

I feel like I'm out of options and it scares me.

As I have low body weight I wonder if the gel absorbed too well through thin skin, if that makes any sense.

[CLKD]

Many medics don't agree with my statement of being 'lower weight' than many, however: when I had a general anaesthetic many years ago, I discussed this and the anaethetist didn't have to give me as much as heavier patients.  Criky, that's a meander 

Could you use an extra patch a few times a week or even cut 1 in half to use at the same time as a full patch in your regime?  To see if you feel different?

Which symptom would you like to ease first with HRT?  The way to find out whether you still require replacement is to stop but that can be drastic.  The other option is hysterectomy which is major surgery and isn't without it's own hormonal problems 

U could put your replacement regime into the search box: separately: to see if threads pop up, there might be hints there.

[Sencho1999]

Thank you CLKD,

I started bleeding today heavily despite no estrogen HRT. My head is killing me.

I'm considering mirena coil just to tick it off the list.

Saw GP today who said my estrogen level is normal and she'd advise against estrogen because of the polyp history.

Think I'll bite the bullet and try the coil.