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[CrispyChick]

Thanks gilla. That's my 4 day break over. Had migraines/nose issue every day. It's been awful. So, on my break, estrogen would have dropped significantly, right?

I do think it's connected to my nose, but I can't rule out my nose issue being connected to the pill. It happened last summer on millinette... But not so into migraines. Everything I read says the estrogen in the pill can increase sinus stuffiness... So I'm left wondering. But, this isn't a little stuffiness. It's full on nose burning , pressure and migraines. Sigh. I am speaking to gp on Mon...

Just taken my first microgynon again, will see what happens. I feel like I'm being tortured. I certainly had none of this in the first 8 weeks whilst my mood was awful  .

How gutting you're back in an insomnia phase - can you track it? How many weeks has it been??? Does the pill help with other things??? Could u survive this once a month??? X

[Gilla999]

Blimey, nose burning sounds awful - that doesn't sound right at all. I wish I could offer you some words of wisdom, it's just super confusing isn't it! I feel like I keep contradicting myself in what I'm saying to you (I'm just saying stuff as it comes into my head!!) but everyone (even the gynae yesterday) told me my chronic constipation (it's really, really bad) isn't likely to be connected to the Pill, or it isn't a "known" side effect, but I am fairly certain it is... because it started at exactly the same time, there were no other changes, I have always suffered from something similar previously in the the last 7-10 days of my natural cycle, and my diet is absolutely fine - I'm eating more fruit, veg and lentils than you can imagine! And they know there's nothing sinister wrong now. So my point is, I think even the experts don't know everything there is to know yet about hormones and their knock on effect to other seemingly random things, ie. like the situation with your nose (that's the long winded point I was trying to make!). I think only you can get a real sense from your experiences about the connection, but it is soooo difficult when we can't see what's happening with our hormone levels on a day to day basis.

If anyone would like to see the results page of the Rhythm test so you can see what you get, drop me an email on [email protected] as I don't think I can upload them here.

Yup, this week is 1 month on Yasmin    And therefore a month since the previous episode, and then a month before that etc. It's not to the day, but it's pretty much. I am just hoping beyond hope that this is still my body adjusting to the hormones in the Pill and that it will eventually become longer between any episodes - that's the most hopeful I can be right now    When I get the results of my Rhythm tests (which won't be for a good couple of months yet by the time I've finished them) I'll at least be able to see what's been going on (or not) at the times when I'm getting these episodes

[Scampidoodle]

It sounds like the migraines and the constipation are both brought on by the pill. I think we know our bodies best and it’s just too much coincidence. I hope both issues sort themselves out eventually.

I started mini pill Saturday, the nausea and headaches have passed. Had a couple of really depressed hopeless days and feared the worst and thought it was the pill but then I feel ok today so I don’t think it is. Plus this was happening pre pill I can have terrible depressed days and then days where I feel absolutely fine. I’m at the end of my cycle, prob day 20 of my 24 days cycle so I guess next month would be when the pill starts to prevent ovulation and I need to give it longer to see x

[RebJT]

Hi All

Thanks Gilla, that's helpful info, I'm debating whether to roll the dice with Louise Newsom's clinic (honestly they'll think I'm a nutter desperado from my questionnaire) but I simply don't know what the hell is going on, I feel SO ILL.  I've been so adrenalised, really thought I was going to have a stroke or a heart attack and absolutely NOT putting exogenous estrogen on top of this nightmare, I've literally been at the lowest ebb of my entire life, I CANNOT live like this! I'm just too scared to try another pill, I really will lose the will to live (and I'm not joking).  I have honestly felt I was going to lose my mind, my poor mum, one day I was just nigh on hysterical with despair (the day I rang the GP and begged for valium!). Func med not available until July!!  I really need some help, I need someone to get in the trenches with me and figure this out.

I was so sure it was high estrogen that was causing this histamine loop, but maybe it's the fluctuations.  I might do what Floo did and just book a series of blood draws through the month, say I dunno, six or seven, and just see what that tells me, I could do with a doctor advising me really.

Anyway, period is here, feel terrible pain in my uterus, and that horrible allergic-y feeling, I know this mast cell hoo ha affects prostoglandins in the endometrium, suspect it'll be a stinker, but at least my ferritin is still over 300 so I've got a bit of iron to waste until I can stabilise. 

My skin looks dreadful, so think I'm really low E currently.

Honestly if men were suffering this they'd have figured it out!

Reb
x

[Gilla999]

For what it's worth I think the blood draws are a great idea - although I know it's just more money (I have literally spent thousands over the last 18 months on this issue in related stuff) I do feel that adding back in another hormone now when you don't know what you're treating might not help (especially as the estrogen wasn't what you were expecting etc). Even if the blood tests show no correlation with your symptoms, at least you will be able to rule out hormones and look at other possible causes. If I knew how to get regular.blood draws I would absolutely be doing that over the rhythm saliva test. Otherwise i just feel we're trying to treat blind a lot of the time... it's just so frustrating that that level of investigation and care isn't available to us as standard xx

[Floo36]

Hi Reb

I totally know what you are going through, I get the same symptoms.  Back in Nov 2019 and Jan 2020 i had some estradiol blood tests and they came back very high which led me to believe I was too high estrogen but I was wrong but I only know that now because of what I have learnt.  I recently did 5 estradiol tests that i posted on here that showed really really high levels and then one low one for me and that proved finally that I am low estrogen and the high bloods were just fluctuations.  Getting accurate blood levels is like trying to hit a moving target.  The menopause doctors say that in Peri blood test are not that helpful because of fluctuations but then they say to test them.  If I had just done the one test in March it would have showed very high levels thats why i did more to prove to myself that I'm low estrogen because of my severe life hindering symptoms, I am existing not living and I have been like this for 2 years now. 

I don't plan on having any more bloods done until I'm finally well just to see what my levels need to be.  If my symptoms had been treated and not had any bloods done I may be well by now and feel a lot of time has been wasted and I have suffered longer because of specialist saying to test levels when I'm peri.  I know they do it to see if you are absorbing the HRT but you cant tell if you are absorbing HRT if you are constantly fluctuating, this I believe has made me suffer longer than I should have.

Reb, your Estradiol was low it may not be for some but it would be for me and may be for you.

I feel for all of us that are suffering its awful but we have to hope that we will get there.

[RebJT]

Hi both

I've just emailed Dr Currie on here (£30 email question) with a quick run down, asking her where to start to even pinpoint what the bloody problem is and what if any tests would be helpful to have.  Other issue is I think I'm worse not better on all the anti histamines maybe, rebounding possibly and I've been cutting major foods out of my diet for two years now, getting more sensitive not less, something has got to give!  I'm really dedicating myself to meditation, yoga, good diet, gut health, stress reduction, focusing on my embodied trauma stuff and just doing everythign within my power to calm my system down (and stay employed to afford the bloody thousands figuring out this pickle is costing!).

Floo I really hear you, did you have the adrenalised thing too?  Jittery I can cope with, poisoned even, teary, low, foggy, buzzy, shaky, but on the ceiling feeling like I'm a piece of industrial velcro being ripped in two from the inside out, absolutely bloody not!  I honestly fantasised about being dead (not cos I want to be dead, just because I CANNOT live like this, if I was a horse you'd shoot me to put me out of my misery!!).  Honestly, never, ever ever experienced anything like the last month, and I've been suffering for years now.  Never, ever, ever again!

Floo just remind me what treatment you are on?  Are you feeling any better?  I just WISH there was a good doctor just willing to puzzle it out with us, it's so unfair.

Gilla, I'm using Nuffield like Floo, turns out they have their own path service (Nuffield Health Path direct), estrogen test is £30 (cheap as chips) plus when I spoke to the bloke, he did me a bundle as I had several things tested, I reckon with a bit of chat they'd do you a deal, I reckon £300ish for ten estrogen tests across the month, if I can get them to let me book on symptomatic days as well as the obvious 1, 7, 14, 21 would be useful info, particularly if keep on with my really rigorous symptom diary (I have one from Nick Panay's clinic, it's a grid, 28 days across the top, 30 symptoms in rows, it's really handy to see your scores 0 being brilliant, 5 being defcon4 - this month I'm straight 5s across all my debilitating symptoms - if anyone would like a PDF send me a message on here and I can send by email)

I am defo getting fluctuations, and I really dont' think my body likes it, but I feel AMAZING on estrogel until the wheels fall off, I felt AMAZING on Qlaira until the wheels fell off, I need to figure out WHY the wheels are falling off!

Anyway, know you all get it, bless you, thank you.  Bleed is here in earnest now, feel very vibratey and poorly but adrenaline is at least coming down like I hoped it would.

Thanks again, I'd bet the farm I'm getting low E (I can tell by my skin) but these spikes are also making me ill, no idea what to do about that, other than for now focus on holistic calming stuff and try and restore a bit of equilibrium by giving my body every chance to process, assimilate, settle and feel relaxed and stick with conservative doses of utro second half of cycle.  Half tempted to see a herbalist, can't make much more of a hash of it than gynaecology, let's be honest!

Reb
x

[Floo36]

Hi Reb

For me it’s fluctuations and low Estrogen.  I tried Eloine as I was on it until Jan 2019, went back on it June 2020 because my symptoms were severe like they are now and  the gel I was using loads of just didn’t do anything.  I had a brutal few months back on Eloine then I think my own hormones kicked in again ( which they did briefly in March 20, not on Eloine but gel) and gave me some relief for about 5 weeks then downhill again.  I stopped Eloine beginning of March this year and it made no difference to my symptoms so now I’m on HRT spray and gel but still not getting there, I know I need more Estrogen.  When I did my bloods last month I was just on the spray but it wasn’t enough so added in the gel under guidance But it can’t go quick enough I know I need more but we are at the hands of the specialist going back and forth almost begging to increase the dose because I’ve suffered too long now and just want to get on with it.  I didn’t absorb the Estrogen very well if at all and now trying Sandrena but nothing happening yet.  I know I won’t feel better until my Estrogen is high enough it’s just a long drawn out road to get there.

[Floo36]

Sorry Reb, yes to jitters, agitated. Etc, all that you describe, made me feel like I was going mad don’t know what to do with myself and you just want it to stop.

[Gilla999]

Blimmin eck - the last few days have been a bit rough. Strangely it's been what I had about two months ago - where I've had a couple of days of night sweats and insomnia but then managed to get over that and sleep fine (which I have, for the last two nights) except I still feel absolutely terrible the next day. The only thing I can compare it to was when I was pregnant or when I used to get bad PMT - very low / depressed and very very tired (like I haven't slept, except I have).

Am really having a bit of a moment of "is this all worth it" in terms of the Pill. The weight gain, the terrible swollen painful boobs, the chronic constipation.... if my hormones are still going on underneath and causing my symptoms anyway? I'm not about to jump off right now as I know it's still early days of Yasmin, but I have been on A contraceptive pill now since early December and I'm really starting to have questions. I guess it's about figuring out if it's any easier than it was without the Pill.

How is everyone else doing today? x

[CrispyChick]

Gilla... Hopefully you're over this latest episode.

I think I'm defo having 'episodes'. But... When I think back, and check my diary, me off the pill was horrific, so, unless it's causing me the nose migraines (new term) then I'm staying on.

So I had that week of feeling dreadfully ill, achy and fatigued. Then 7 days of daily migraines/nose headache. Took my 4 day break during these 7 days.

Today. No nose feeling or headache wtf?!? But I'm mildly dizzy and woozy, like my ears feel full (a common symptom for me during all this). I have absolutely no idea what to think, other than its so nice not to have a headache 🤣🤣🤣.

So, weight gain... I'm not sure about. Sore boobs... Should go?!? (and until they do, I would expect other symptoms). I really think by our age hormones seem to be affecting us in all manner of ways... Perhaps we need to play the long game?!? I must say, that break with microgynon was much easier than I had with the other pills. Keep going I say.

Life for me is going to get a lot more normal next week as my kids go back to school... So I'm hoping I'll get a better feeling as to where I am at. X

[Scampidoodle]

I agree Gilla that you prob need to weigh up whether you were better off pre pill. If you had the night sweats and insomnia before and are still getting them now but with extra things.  You may find out if your constipation is caused by the pill if you weren’t on it. Guess only you can weigh up the pros and cons.

Crispy glad you have a break from the migraines. And sounds like a break from kids too. Is your mood still ok too? Xx

[CrispyChick]

Hi scampi. Yes, I think my mood is OK. I say think because I think I can maybe get a little short and impatient... But nothing like I was the first 8 weeks. I'm no longer down and depressed. No longer incredibly angry.

I was also pleasantly surprised to find my mood did not drop on the 4 day break. It did on all the other pills I've tried. 🤷‍♀️.

How are u getting on with cerelle???

[Scampidoodle]

That’s good to hear. I’m a bit all over the place mood wise but felt a lot better today so guess it can’t be the pill having a negative impact. My moods were all over the place pre pill. So nearly a week on Cerelle now. Not getting nausea or headaches anymore anyway. But remains to be seen whether it’ll help me. Should start period in a couple of days so then the cycle begins and maybe I’ll tell a difference. Xx

[Gilla999]

Crispy I know you're right about playing the long game and I do have a tendency to make rash decisions. Like everyone here, I'm just so fed up of all this and want a normal life back. Had a couple of nights of decent sleep, but last night back awake at 1am and had to take valium again to get back off, which leaves me feeling super groggy the next day and I'm also worried about taking it regularly. I'm just not sure right now whether pre Pill was worse than this. It's currently happening every couple of weeks for anywhere between 3 and 7 days. Every time I'm in a good week I think "perhaps it's all over now, I feel really good" and then it all happens again. I can't plan any social events or anything because of the unpredictability and my life is getting smaller and smaller.

Guess I'll need to give it a couple more months before weighing up the pros and cons like you say Scampi. Right now I'm struggling to feel optimistic that things are going to improve