Hello all,
I have found this forum totally invaluable over the last few months but have only just joined. I am 50 but realise I have been peri since my early 40's and have been given everything under the sun except HRT. I have suffered a lot with hormones, having severe PMT at different stages, 2 years of PND after childbirth and have usually been given various ADs as treatment. If only I'd known about the magic potion estradiol.
My younger female doctor is anti HRT. Her initial response was don't take it as it will only delay symptoms, plus she is very nervous about the risks. I had been suffering anxiety, mood swings, headaches, insomnia, brain fog (so bad I thought I had pre senile dementia), palpitations, but no hot flushes as yet. It got so bad I begged for HRT and had to have a procedure under anaesthetic to check womb. First time round I was given Prempak. Absolutely awful stuff. Second time Climagest 1mg. Much much better but heart raced and BP went up. Had one month on Evorel 25 which was too low, plus didn't get on with patch. Now on 1mg Sandrena and cyclical Utrogestan. I use 100mg vaginally for 7-10 days because of PMT and sore boobs. All this has been possible because I gathered the information I needed from here and used it to inform my GP. She has now accepted I needed the treatment and has said in good faith "you're the expert here" and prescribed what I have asked her to. People power!
My only issue now is I can't seem to get a happy medium between symptoms returning on 0.5mg Sandrena and awful headaches, and then it feeling too strong in one 1mg dose. I'm thinking of asking for Oestrogel as I understand you can adjust the dose to suit. The Climagest dose got rid of my symptoms but the racing heart was too scary. I hope to find a similar dose with Oestrogel, and know 2 pumps is supposed to be equal to a 37.5mg patch. Does anyone know what 1mg Climagest is converted to Oestrogel? Also, do doctors tend to prescribe one 64 dose pump at a time, or will they give you a longer supply?
Anyway, glad to be here and thanks to all you well informed women I have finally found relief.
Onwards & upwards
Steph