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[juliemargaret]

Hi Victoria! I’ve just got lots of 100mg estro patches so would cut them. I’ve reduced this eve so we see. Like you said only by trying will I know . Sore boobs is not something I’m familiar with really or if it is goes unnoticed or accepted as ‘normal when starting hrt like when first started ! But this time just a little more aware! The sore boobs I believe can indicate high estro but because my bladder feels weak I associate that with lower estro! Haha it’s like that Bruce Forsyth programme the price is right - higher, lower 😂. I do feel lots better today so now doubting if was jsut a settling blip and marrying of the estro and testo and need to just keep going  as was but too late now as reduced! See how I am day or 2 and hopefully get an idea. On utro at the moment so hope that doesn’t get affected as so far on that been ok and out it down to MAYBE was because the estro amount 100mg was right so made the progestin bearable !!!! Can’t win can we no wonder we get confused and weary!
Thank you so much x

[VictoryV]

It’s great that you’ve had a better day today, me too! I think I’m guilty of over thinking and worrying about things going wrong/symptoms coming back. This morning I had to really kick myself and accept that if the wheels fall off I’ll have to deal with it then, not now!
Agreed about Bruce Forsythe! 

[juliemargaret]

Haha - it was the price is right yeah ! Yes feel better today a little and now doubting reducing patch but least see if helps boobs then may get an idea if was perhaps a little too much estrogen now testo is alongside ! Keep u posted ! X

[pollywollydoodle]

How are you feeling since you dropped the dose Margaret? Is there any difference?

[juliemargaret]

Hi Polly - so far no changes .... same. Suppose may take another day or so to really know ... my boobs will I think be the indicator. Still tender and swollen  today but hardly expected them to feel ok right away? My mood... myself ... just same really and a bit flat for want of a better word. Think I also queried if I’d done the right thing reducing but I have to stop dithering and take matters into own hands and experiment? If no changes over weekend I’ll go back up and if no changes I’ll increase higher! Or come off it 😂

[pollywollydoodle]

Hi Polly - so far no changes .... same. Suppose may take another day or so to really know ... my boobs will I think be the indicator. Still tender and swollen  today but hardly expected them to feel ok right away? My mood... myself ... just same really and a bit flat for want of a better word. Think I also queried if I’d done the right thing reducing but I have to stop dithering and take matters into own hands and experiment? If no changes over weekend I’ll go back up and if no changes I’ll increase higher! Or come off it 😂

Apologies Margaret - I missed your reply. I imagine you might have a better idea now if it's making any difference, hope it has.

[juliemargaret]

Hi Pol - still zero changes really. Boobs VERY tender ! At a bloody loss what to do - give another week on 75 or go back to my 100 and see how am on that another week then increase to 125! Feel damned if do damned if don’t !😫🤷🏻‍♀️

*Update - my Meno doc emailed and said breast tenderness could also just be water retention and also a settling on period of the testosterone given it only began a few weeks after added that and also my own body hormones  fluctuating too! She said to stay on 100 and let it settle but basically also I know my own body! 🙈 so back to 100 increase?! I’ve only been on the reduction a few days so hoping only increase won’t be any bad side effects !

[pollywollydoodle]

How odd that you have breast pain on a reduction of oestrogen? Are you in/finishing a prog cycle?

[juliemargaret]

Hi Polly - it’s not pain as such .... just tenderness/soreness to the touch. I was on 100mg estrogen and only reduced BECAUSE of the breast tenderness ;and it started just over 3 weeks since adding testosterone). I am on my progesterone cycle now Yes but my boobs started becoming tender just before began my cycle so couldn’t really blame that. So at a loss as to what to do stay on the reduction (been 3 days on reduced 75) or go back to 100 then maybe increase to 125! It’s like playing a bad and dizzy game of  ping pong guessing back n forth 🙈

[pollywollydoodle]

Do you think they've become more tender during the prog? You might not get an understanding of reduced oestrogen effects until you're done with the prog phase. I really wouldn't increase oestrogen whilst you have tender boobs, try to sit it out at this dose until after your bleed and see what's happening with the boobs.

[juliemargaret]

Do you think Polly? Not even just go back to the 100mg I was on for a while (it’s patch change in the morn) I only reduced late Thursday even from 100 to 75
Ps - thank you for taking the time to reply too - I’ve got a lovely friend supporting me but it’s always nice to see if somebody else has any insight as sometimes can’t see the woods for the trees when it comes to ourselves eh!!

[pollywollydoodle]

Well, as a very blunt rule of thumb, tender breasts = excess something, it's rare for breasts to feel tender being undermedicated. The likelihood that'll you'll make them even more tender by adding more oestrogen, is relatively high. Because you're using all 3 hrt replacement hormones, it's tricky to determine which of the hormones is causing the tenderness, yes, it started not long after adding T, but that could be a temporary effect of adding T. Breast tenderness is almost always caused by excess oestrogen or progesterone. After your bleed, you'll know where you stand on the reduced dose plus T. If any low oestrogen symptoms re-start, then up the dose again, but upping it now wouldn't reduce breast tenderness, not in my experience.

[juliemargaret]

Hi again pol - I understand what you mean . Makes sense. Sorry I even reduced in the first place to be honest and should’ve left myself at 100 as had been settling on that for 2 months although not amazing ... hence the introduction of testo to see if it was a missing ingredient . My other reasons for reducing was because I had the strangest dip (same time as breasts) and I felt awful. Numb... very calmly irritable and very calmly like overwhelmed - or even anxious if you like - like severe pms but was just horrid. I cold the speak just felt numb and .... was awful... noticed bladder felt a tad weaker too (which is what always made me wonder if poss needed MORE estro and not less ... That thankfully lifted boobs stayed same  and I’m ok just not amazing . I’ve a few more days of utro left so may just do as you said and stay as am until after bleed and reassess. Gutted I reduced on Thursday though 🙈. Thanks polly again for replying x

[pepperminty]

Hi Jmargaret,

just been reading your thread.

Maybe keep a diary of your symptoms and how you feel. Mood, aches, skin, boobs, etc.

They recommend getting a good while of stability on estrogen first . If you felt ok/ were stable  on your original dose then changing whilst on testosterone would confuse things as to what is what.
It is working out what set of symptoms you have that you can put up with , as HRT can help but it wont make everything 100% perfect.  If anything I would  change/ reduce  the testosterone dose a little, if you feel the side effects are T related . It takes months to see any improvement usually.
Louise Newson does T every other day, as she feels that works for her.
Trouble is with HRT that you can be ticking along ok then Bam your hormones go up and down and then  over think it all. But I do believe instinct as to what the issue may be ,can play a part.
Do you feel better overall than when you were not on HRT?

I hope you stabilise soon - all this can make you feel so stressed and worried.  PMXX

[juliemargaret]

Hi pepperminty thanks so much for replying . Hope you’re ok. I’m going to go back to 100 patch this morn and stick with that and give everything a while longer. I only reduced it the weekend so hopefully won’t have caused too much upheaval. You asked how I felt on dose was on - 100mg - and was ok but something was amiss namely get up and go , energy, libido etc hence the intro of testo. I was doing ok 3 half weeks in then had that horrid boom - week of low and the rug truly got pulled - was horrible - then the boobs . My friend was saying sore boobs can often indicate high estrogen plus also my estrogen levels bloods taken back in August were 1795! - Noone batted an eyelid not my gp or Meno doc. (They just put ‘normal’ on the testo so was useless!)  Anyway .... as for diaries - pepperminty I’m honestly just fed up of even doing that I feel for the last 6 months I’ve been in a hrt bubble and constantly monitoring comparing wondering etc. I decided when added the testo to really take a step back and just let it all happen and ignore - hard though ! Plus I know keeping symptom diary helps but at the moment I know off my head what and when I felt such!
You mentioned cutting back on the T - I feel it’s too early at the moment to do that as only been 6 weeks in this week and needs a little longer. I’m also on my utrogestan cycle (be finished Friday) so that’s now added to the party. I’m gonna slap back on my 100 patch and keep going until after utro cycle and give it a little longer. I honestly used to be so intuitive (still am in other areas!) but with this hrt journey of late I’m honestly not seeing the woods for the trees  and all muddled. Up and down like a yo yo and feel like snapping the string and letting all hrt fall to the curb 🙈
Hope you’re ok. Just saw your testo post - sorry can’t help !! Just about advise myself hahahah .