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[Maxi-T]

*reposting here as I think I posted this in the wrong place before*

Hello all this is my first ever post, and I’m hoping someone can help.

Some time over December, in my infinite wisdom (not) I decided to abruptly stop my HRT regime (1 pump of Estrogel and 100mg tablet Utrogestan) as I was worried that HRT may be raising my blood pressure.

Well, I stopped taking it overnight for about 4 weeks and I gradually descended into a chronic state of anxiety and depression, I never knew it was possible to feel this bad.

After about 4 weeks off it, I resumed my HRT again (1 pump estrogel and 100mg Utrogestan), and recently booked into a private menopause clinic to try and get some advice and reassurance. I was advised to increase my estrogel to 2 pumps as 1 pump was apparently very ineffectual and had little benefit. I have been on 2 pumps for 3 days now (I know, it’s early days).

However I am now feeling nauseous and finding it difficult to eat. This may be a side effect of the increased dose? If so I hope it settles down.

I was told to increase the dose to 3 or even 4 pumps in a month’s time, if 2 pumps wasn’t making any difference.

I should add that when I first went on HRT for my hot flushes at around age 48, I was on Evorel Conti 50 patches, which I believe is equivalent to 2 pumps of estrogel, and that suited me fine for years, however after a bout of post menopausal bleeding 18 months ago  (which turned out to be a polyp) I was taken off the patches and put on 1 pump of estrogel and 100mg Utrogestan.

I am age 56, and have never suffered from anxiety or depression before, so this is like a bolt out of the blue for me.

The menopause specialist has told me that she thought it unlikely that stopping HRT abruptly had caused this crash in my mood, as I had only been on 1 pump of estrogel which is extremely low. However I also stopped the Utrogestan abruptly so surely that would have had a contributory effect?

I have now been back on my HRT for around 3 weeks (resuming on 1 pump to begin with and then 2 pumps as from 3 days ago), so why don’t I feel any better?

Does my body need to build back up on estrogen and progesterone and does this take a while?

Any advice would be very much appreciated as I’m in a horrible place right now    thank you ladies 

[jillydoll]

Hi.

Sorry to hear your struggling.
But yes. You need time for it to build up in your system. 
I'm on the pump estrogen,  was told 3 pumps to start with, but found its been too much, so I've dropped to 2. I'm very sensitive to any decrease or increases.
Feel much better today tbh.
Just keep going, if in a couple weeks you still don't feel any better,  increase slowly. 
Xx

[Maxi-T]

Thank you for your reply jillydoll, which I have found very reassuring. Glad you are feeling better 

[pastie supper]

Hi, I'm sorry you're going through it all over again, can I ask why they took you off patches?

I ask because taking you off patches was what started these problems and when they restarted your hrt (if they stopped?) then I don't understand why they didn't put you back on the patches which are in exactly the same risk category as the gel and utrogestan?

I hated Evorel patches, but they worked for you, so why switch to a different, equally safe type?

If they blamed the polyp on the Evorel patches in particular, then it's the first time I've heard of a brand connected with an outcome like polyps. I wouldn't believe that.

The gel was much stronger than the patches for me, but other women report being the opposite, we are very individual and they haven't worked out which med suits which women yet, so we have this trial and error which can quickly turn to hell on earth because they are flicking switches they don't understand!

One pump sounds low dose, many doctors try to wean patients off HRT as we get older, the logic is that we get used to having low oestrogen, but then you would lose the protection against heart disease, osteoporosis etc.

I think two pumps is the minimum for those benefits, or an Evorel Conti patch or Evorel 50 has the same oestrogen.

It does take some time for a HRT to increase it's effectiveness to where it's enough, even the ones we decide are suitable in the end. The physical symptoms undoubtedly improve with increased time or dose, but mood side effects will only get worse with increasing time or dose, in my experience, so if you get bad mood crashes then quit and phone your GP, but bad physical symptoms often improve.

The other thing is that the norethisterone in Evorel Conti had no physical side effects for me, only mood crashes but was more tolerable than utrogestan taken orally overall because of the awful indigestion wind pains from utrogestan plus it still was bad for my mood!