Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Purplemushroomfairy]

Hello everyone , thank you for letting me join.
I am 45 and on my second menopause now . I have had Addison's disease diagnosed last November which contributed to high FSH readings I think .
I had an adrenal crash, a sudden bleed after a year and once my adrenals were treated I had an FSH of 25 instead of 69.
I have no progesterone in my body 0.5 which is below scale and quite a lot of oestrogen .
I have managed to get BHRT in the form of estradot patches and utrogestan yay!!
I have to induce a cycle as my endometrium is very thick owing to lack of progesterone, so they wanted me on EVOREL SEQUI but I can't take synthetic progesterone, so I fought quite a bit.

What's the best way to do this?
Patches for 14 days then progesterone for 10 days or do I do the progesterone for 14 days too.
Should I not be taking the oestrogen because I have loads of it?
I have severe atrophy and a non existent libido ,
Thanks

[Joyce]

 

My that was a late diagnosis of Addison's. My son was diagnosed at 17.  Can't be easy with Meno into the bargain.

[Dancinggirl]

Hi and welcome to MM Purplemushroomfairy
Hopefully someone like ''Hurdity will be along soon with advice - she has a science background so is good on these things.
What you have been given is great - a shame they didn't tell you how to use it!!!!
The patches should be used all the time (follow the instructions in the leaflet) and then the Utrogestan tablets are meant to taken orally for 12-14 days each month while still using the patches.  You should get a bleed after you have finished the Utrogestan capsules phase. Here is the section on this site that explains how to use it:   http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/to_progestogens.php
You don't tell us what your oestrogen levels are?  What strength patches have they given you?

Some local oestrogen like Vagifem would be advisable alongside the systemic HRT to help with the VA - I'd definitely ask for this if you are uncomfortable down below. 
I really think you need to be seeing a specialist gynae for advice on this.  Regular checks on your hormone levels may be necessary. Do you get spotting or erratic bleeding? 
Utrogestan should be used for at least 12 days (dose 200mg per day) to ensure the lining will shed properly.  Under the guidance of a specialist gynae you may be able to use less but if you womb lining is building up so much, using less may not do the trick.  Many women do use Utrogestan vaginally and find they tolerate it better that way.
Hopefully others wil be along with advice.  Do read up all the info on this site to get clued up.DG xxx

[Kathleen]

Hello Purplemushroomfairy.

Sadly I am not one of the expert ladies but I wanted to welcome you to the forum. I am sorry about your diagnosis and frankly one menopause is tough enough without going through it twice! That qualifies for double the sympathy in my book and very probably a medal as well.

Wishing you well inspite of it all.

K.

[Purplemushroomfairy]

Thank you, I have estradot 25 and utrogestan 100mg
I only bleed once a year , very heavy .
So far, just 24 hours and my bits have improved massively !
I will be seeing my endo soon so will ask him to refer me to the London specialists as the GP won't .  I have very high oestrodil 269 and progesterone of 0.5 FSH 69 and LH 55.1

[Dancinggirl]

Hi Purplermushrommfairy
I could be wrong but 269 on the oestrogen is not high. The reason your womb lining is building up is because your ovaries are not ovulating so no progesterone is produced - you are not actually producing too much oestrogen, in fact your oestrogen levels are probably falling. Your FSH level, however, is high and this indicates that you are definitely menopausal - possibly still peri menopausal which means your hormones will be fluctuating.
  The HRT regime and low dosage you have been given is a good way to start.  I'd give the 25mg patches a go and add then add the Utrogestan after 16 days and use for 12 days.  Do try this regime for the next 3 months and see how you are - this amount of hormones may be fine until you go deeper into menopause and possibly need higher doses.
I don't think you need to see a specialist yet but if you need further help or find this regime is not working then, as you are London based, you will be able to go to one of the NHS Menopause clinics - you could probably find them via the NET - I used to go to one in Edgeware and I didn't even need a referral!!! DG x

[Hurdity]

Hi Purplemushroomfairy

  from me too!

I can't really add anything to Dancinggirl's excellent advice - and I don't really know anything about Addison's disease and it's effect on the menstrual cycle - only that some sex hormones are produced by them. Mostly during the cycle though, oestrogen and progesterone are produced in the ovaries - but it's all governed by complex feedback mechanisms involving several other hormones as I expect you know.

269 would only be high if it was in pg/mol. If it's in pmol/l then it is not high - but it also depends on when in the cycle the bloods were taken too - oestrogen levels don't really mean a lot as they vary so much - as unfortunately do FSH.

I thought you said FSH reduced to normal limits once your Addison's disease had been treated?

However if you have severe atrophy that does indicate oestrogen is low!

Do let us know how you feel once you have settled into your new regime.

Hurdity x