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[ChocolateWombat]

Hi there.
I’ve been in Oestrogel and Utrogestan for about 4 months now.  I’ve had my review and had a new supply.  My sleep is better and I don’t wake hot in the night now.  Not really sure if anxiety is better and I still have some stiffness in joints and am not v interested in sex.

The question is, should I be looking at trying something else?  How many times and how often and how easily did people switch what they were using and how long did it take to find the right thing for you?

What I have is working to some degree, but I dont know if something else would be better.  Having just received my new supply (I asked for 6 months which was 8 pump packs of oestrogel so 640mg which will give me 3 pumps per day) and got it.  I have also got it in repeat.  I feel like for me, the supply issue is sorted for 6 months and that at least I know my GP will prescribe me long term and not just monthly.

My review appointment lasted about 3.5 mins.  It was by phone and the GP was in a massive rush.  They didn’t really ask me any5i g apart from was I getting on okay.  I knew the kind of thing to talk about and mentioned my improved sleep but that anxiety probably remained.  I said I had no side effects.  I’m not convinced they would have been able to say anything very useful about alternatives I could try.  If I did try them, I would face difficulties in getting some types, would probably only have 1 month supply, have to pay more prescription charges over time, and possibly return to oestrogel later anyway.  Even getting the appointment isn’t easy.  The whole system doesn’t seem designed to help you experiment and try different things to get the right one for you.

Pleas tell me how many different things you tried and over how long.  How did you know when you hit the right thing?

Thing are a bit better for me, but I don’t know if there’s significantly better still available to me, and whether I should settle with what I’ve got or be looking at trying several different things.  I’ve already increased from 1 to 2 to 3 pumps.  I’m still peri, although only had 1 period in the year before starting HRT (50) and was prescribed continuous due to migraine with aura.  I have tired 2 months using continuous and also 2 months on cyclical, just to see if there’s a difference in how I feel…not really.

Thanks for your stories/advice.

[Dotty]

Hi I had 2 lots of tablets and one lot of patches that did nothing for me . Started on Oestrogel 2 pumps and very quickly went up to 4 pumps. It was only then that I began to feel better. Have been on that combination now for 4 years xx

[Perinowpost]

I’ve tried just about everything out there over the last 10 years and can tell you it can be very destabilising to chop and change. You’re on the gold standard treatment and as you’re doing well on it (tolerating utrogestan) I wouldn’t alter it but tweak it.

How about trialling upping oestrogen to 4 pumps (oestrogen is the feel good hormone), and see if it makes a difference.

The only alternative I would consider swapping to in your position is evorel patches, it’s the same stuff just different delivery. I’m on them and love them.

Re your libido have you considered adding in testosterone. Libido does drop off at this age and T is the only thing that works.

Let us know how you get on
x

[sheila99]

If you find one with no adverse side effects it's better to stick with it and change the dose if required. For some people returns with oestrogen, as yours hasn't you may need testosterone. Anxiety and stiff joints are both things that can have other causes which may be worth investigating. Usually (but not always) the dose that controls some symptoms will control others. My anxiety and insomnia took 3 months to go. You could try an extra pump and see if you're any different.

[ChocolateWombat]

Thanks for your thoughts.
I think I will try 4 pumps to see if it makes a difference….easing up to 4 over perhaps a week.

I will wait until my current prescription runs out (Ha, just had a 6 month  prescription….and now see that won’t be allowed again until the end of July) and when it runs out in October, if I’ve still got the ongoing issues, will ask GP about testosterone.

I understand what you’re saying about sticking with a type of HRT and adjusting dosage  if there aren’t side effects and some symptoms are helped.  That makes sense to me.

Thanks again.

[TheAmericansWife]

I went straight to a private gyno, having been told by my GP I just needed an SSRI🤪 so she put me straight on estrogel and utrogestan. I tried testosterone but don’t seem to be able to absorb it and at £80 a tube got p****d off with trying. I stopped to patches for a short while, thought they would be more convenient than gel but my mood crashed on them, guessed I wasn’t absorbing the estrogen so well, went back to gel and I was a different person.

Noticed I have a mood nose dive after ovulation so figured it was coming of the utrogestan that caused it so convinced my gyno to let me try utro permanently, without break. Found that after a month or so my mood dipped generally, and started spotting, so quit that and I’m currently only taking estrogen. Need to catch up with my gyno to discuss. But I’m 2 years in and haven’t quite found my sweet spot, but every experiment helps.

I’m on 5 pumps btw

[KatyB]

Er, three different tablets, tried oestrogen gel didn't work for me, was on 3 different doses (and also 3 different brands) of patches, finally settled on oestrogen only patch with separate Utrogestan, and  eventually found that adding in testosterone was key to making me 'ok' again. Do hope it doesn't take you as long as it did me to find out that most of us seem to have less symptoms on transdermal forms of HRT.....by the way @TheAmericansWife - they really don't advise oestrogen only due to proliferation of uterus lining.....you really do need to get that checked....