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[EllaAurora]

Hello ladies,
I'm on Oestrogel for soon 1.5 years, and thankfully been slowly improving this year after struggling really bad last year. Have been feeling relatively OK, until recent weeks when symptoms have returned

I have hot flushes again which I haven't had in a long time (it was my first symptom to go when I started oestrogen) -still mild, lasting only a few min without sweating, but already disturb sleeping and overall making me feel uncomfortable. Muscle pains and aches + anxiety increasing too and generally having the feeling of low e.

I must say I'm terrified -I had such a hard time last year that I'm dreading the idea of having to experience the same again.
I'm on 3.5 pumps oestrogel and 100mg utro continuously. I"m already on quite a high dose so I'm starting to wonder if I have an issue with absorption or somehow have developed tolerance for the gel (is that even possible??). It feels like the gel has just stopped working!

Gynae said I can increase up to 4 pumps, so will try that, but I'm doubting if it can help as its only a tiny increase left.
Has anyone else had the same and how did you get yourself back on track? I'm thinking maybe I'm applying the gel too widely/thin, so that I don't get the full amount. Or is it possible that always applying on the same area (thighs and lower belly) can result in lower absorption? I know many ladies apply to upper arms so could try that, but I'm worried to apply so close to breast area. I've already tried patches and had a horrible experience so changing to patch is not an option. 

Any tips or advice you might have? thank you so much! xx

[Gnatty]

You might find that adding half a pump extra makes all the difference! I would try that first. Also just to add a lot of the private clinics let women go up to 6 pumps... But definitely try four for a few weeks and see what happens. You are perhaps further along the menopause road and your own levels have taken a sudden drop. It's very common.

[EllaAurora]

You might find that adding half a pump extra makes all the difference! I would try that first. Also just to add a lot of the private clinics let women go up to 6 pumps... But definitely try four for a few weeks and see what happens. You are perhaps further along the menopause road and your own levels have taken a sudden drop. It's very common.

Thanks Gnatty! It does sound sensible to try going up to 4 pumps first, so I'll do that. The only thing I struggle is that with dose above 3 pumps I need to split and put some in the morning too. For some reason applying in the morning is not making me feel good, it feels like boosting the cortisol and sometimes causing a feeling of 'surge' or 'rush'. Difficult to explain but I don't have the same with evening application, only in the morning, so I've thought it might relate to cortisol which is highest in the morning (not at all sure though if that's the case). Now I'm applying 3 in the evening (both thighs and belly) and had added the half pump in the morning.

You're right I'm probably very far on the meno journey already. Got my first symptoms 2.5 years ago and had high FSH and low E already back then. I have a feeling nowadays that I have very little/none of my own e left. So it could be this was the 'final drop'.

[Pippa52]

EllaAurora - oh gosh I really feel for you.  I am back on Oestrogel too for just under 3 months now and like you have been improving a lot.  One thing the Meno consultant said to me was that it is very usual to have ups and downs and it does mean tweaking the dose accordingly.  I don't have ovaries so in theory it should be easier for me to have a stable dose without other hormonal upsets but apparently that doesn't necessarily follow so I guess we have to be aware that this can happen.  It does sound like low oestrogen symptoms you are starting to have. I find that even a small increase or decrease does have an effect but then I am uber sensitive to changes in dose.  Would you be able to get your oestrogen levels tested? xxx

[EllaAurora]

EllaAurora - oh gosh I really feel for you.  I am back on Oestrogel too for just under 3 months now and like you have been improving a lot.  One thing the Meno consultant said to me was that it is very usual to have ups and downs and it does mean tweaking the dose accordingly.  I don't have ovaries so in theory it should be easier for me to have a stable dose without other hormonal upsets but apparently that doesn't necessarily follow so I guess we have to be aware that this can happen.  It does sound like low oestrogen symptoms you are starting to have. I find that even a small increase or decrease does have an effect but then I am uber sensitive to changes in dose.  Would you be able to get your oestrogen levels tested? xxx

Hi Pippa, thanks for your kind message. I'm also -or at least have been- super sensitive to changes and bc of this I still measure each dose so I get exactly the same dose in mg each day. But I can't get my head around what's happening now. It feels like suddenly the gel is different but its not about the gel, I even started another bottle just to make sure it wasn't about the product. And it's not, it's me.  Its like the effect I used to get is no longer there.

Good idea to get my levels tested. I had a test in the summer and my level was low, only 170, which surprised me as I was already taking 3 pumps then. But at that time I didn't have any symptoms so didn't pay too much attention, just gradually increased up to the current dose 3.5.

Maybe its that whatever little of my own e was still left, has now faded and I'm completely relying on the gel.

Hope you're getting on well with the gel and finding a good balance! xx

[Scampidoodle]

There’s another thread on oestrogel and people feeling a difference between different batches, May be the same issue for you?

[Turkish delight]

Please do check out the other thread as Scampi mentioned.

[EllaAurora]

Thank you Scambi and Td, appreciate your support!

I've checked the thread but I think this is probably not the case for me. I've not had any changes like different packaging, so I suppose the product is OK. Unless of course there are differences between batches even if the product is the same..how knows..
I'm now adding a small amount each day and see how I get on.

[Pippa52]

Hi Ella Aurora - funnily enough over the past few days I have felt some anxiety creeping back in plus not sleeping as well plus quite a lot of hot flushes so have upped mine slightly again too.  Like you I weigh the gel out every day so as to get an accurate dose.  I would like to get slowly up to 3 pumps which was what I used to be on originally before it became unavailable. I am sure we will both get there in the end and level out.  xxx

[discogirl]

Hello ladies,
I'm on Oestrogel for soon 1.5 years, and thankfully been slowly improving this year after struggling really bad last year. Have been feeling relatively OK, until recent weeks when symptoms have returned

I have hot flushes again which I haven't had in a long time (it was my first symptom to go when I started oestrogen) -still mild, lasting only a few min without sweating, but already disturb sleeping and overall making me feel uncomfortable. Muscle pains and aches + anxiety increasing too and generally having the feeling of low e.

I must say I'm terrified -I had such a hard time last year that I'm dreading the idea of having to experience the same again.
I'm on 3.5 pumps oestrogel and 100mg utro continuously. I"m already on quite a high dose so I'm starting to wonder if I have an issue with absorption or somehow have developed tolerance for the gel (is that even possible??). It feels like the gel has just stopped working!

Gynae said I can increase up to 4 pumps, so will try that, but I'm doubting if it can help as its only a tiny increase left.
Has anyone else had the same and how did you get yourself back on track? I'm thinking maybe I'm applying the gel too widely/thin, so that I don't get the full amount. Or is it possible that always applying on the same area (thighs and lower belly) can result in lower absorption? I know many ladies apply to upper arms so could try that, but I'm worried to apply so close to breast area. I've already tried patches and had a horrible experience so changing to patch is not an option. 

Any tips or advice you might have? thank you so much! xx

HI EllaAurora,

I'm so sorry you're symptoms have started to come back again.

I was wondering, if maybe a change of hrt may help. I know you're on gel and you said you had a bad experience with patches however I was wondering if it was worth trying patches again or there are other types of hrt that may suit you.

Alternatively as other ladies have said, it maybe that you just need more estrogen if your own levels have bottomed out. If you feel that it is low estrogen, then go with your gut instinct, you know your body.

I hope you get sorted and I will keep checking this thread to see how you get on xxxx (are you post meno by the way)

[Dandelion]

I'm not on oestrogel, I take evorel.
I thought I was coming through the end of meno at 56, gradually reducing evorel to 25mcg, yet I am on 100mcg again, due to return of symptoms, daren't tell GP, as I have had IBS for months, and they wanted to do a colonoscopy in 2014, when 25, 50 and 75mcg would not work, and the IBS only went once they put me on 100mcg.
I only reduced due to bleeds.
They want to do a colonoscopy again, however, I never realised oestrogen could stop working and did not put symptoms down to return of menopause.

[EllaAurora]

Hi Ella Aurora - funnily enough over the past few days I have felt some anxiety creeping back in plus not sleeping as well plus quite a lot of hot flushes so have upped mine slightly again too.  Like you I weigh the gel out every day so as to get an accurate dose.  I would like to get slowly up to 3 pumps which was what I used to be on originally before it became unavailable. I am sure we will both get there in the end and level out.  xxx

Hi Pippa, sorry to hear you're experiencing worsening of symptoms too. Hope you'll get sorted soon!

It seems so odd how the symptoms can come back even with a high dose. Or am I expecting too much from HRT -maybe its not even supposed to make us feel completely normal, but just to help with unbearable symptoms..
But having had some days where I was feeling like 'my old self', I know it should be possible..

Let us know how you get on with increasing the dose! xx

[EllaAurora]

Hello ladies,
I'm on Oestrogel for soon 1.5 years, and thankfully been slowly improving this year after struggling really bad last year. Have been feeling relatively OK, until recent weeks when symptoms have returned

I have hot flushes again which I haven't had in a long time (it was my first symptom to go when I started oestrogen) -still mild, lasting only a few min without sweating, but already disturb sleeping and overall making me feel uncomfortable. Muscle pains and aches + anxiety increasing too and generally having the feeling of low e.

I must say I'm terrified -I had such a hard time last year that I'm dreading the idea of having to experience the same again.
I'm on 3.5 pumps oestrogel and 100mg utro continuously. I"m already on quite a high dose so I'm starting to wonder if I have an issue with absorption or somehow have developed tolerance for the gel (is that even possible??). It feels like the gel has just stopped working!

Gynae said I can increase up to 4 pumps, so will try that, but I'm doubting if it can help as its only a tiny increase left.
Has anyone else had the same and how did you get yourself back on track? I'm thinking maybe I'm applying the gel too widely/thin, so that I don't get the full amount. Or is it possible that always applying on the same area (thighs and lower belly) can result in lower absorption? I know many ladies apply to upper arms so could try that, but I'm worried to apply so close to breast area. I've already tried patches and had a horrible experience so changing to patch is not an option. 

Any tips or advice you might have? thank you so much! xx

HI EllaAurora,

I'm so sorry you're symptoms have started to come back again.

I was wondering, if maybe a change of hrt may help. I know you're on gel and you said you had a bad experience with patches however I was wondering if it was worth trying patches again or there are other types of hrt that may suit you.

Alternatively as other ladies have said, it maybe that you just need more estrogen if your own levels have bottomed out. If you feel that it is low estrogen, then go with your gut instinct, you know your body.

I hope you get sorted and I will keep checking this thread to see how you get on xxxx (are you post meno by the way)

Thanks Discogirl,
you may be right, perhaps I'd be better off switching to Lenzetto, or even trying patches again. its just that having had such a long trial and error to get to the place I was in the summer when I was feeling quite good, I'm hesitating to leave the gel just yet. So trying now to slowly increase the dose to get up to 4 pumps and then see how I get on. I have a feeling that my own oestrogen is down to an absolute minimum, so I'm assuming (hoping) I'm approaching post meno.
Hope you are feeling well and having a good balance! xx