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[jo61]

Can any one advise on the lowest dose of HRT, I have tried Elleste duet 1mg which didn't agree with me sent me mental after a few days ,I was terribly bloated and had significant swelling and pain in my left breast only. I would like to try estradot patches but know my nurse or gp will be reluctant to prescribe any other HRT,  I would be grateful for any advise so I am ready when I go, I am a total coward and anxious to even ask . I have looked at the list in the menu but the lowest dose seems to be 1mg is there anything lower. I have missed 2 periods but this has happened before , I have gone longer without a period but they started again. I wish there was something I could use when needed. I am 52

[Cassie]

I would go for the gel, first of all it is bio identical and is transdermally delivered, so you dont have all those nasty side effects that you could get swallowing a tablet and secondly, you can adjust the dose down to as little as one plunge a day which would deliver under 1mg of HRT per day.

[jo61]

Thankyou for your reply Cassie, would I have to take progesterone separately and if so do you know the dosage

[English Rose]

Hi jo61
I believe Femoston make an ultra low dose Hrt but it's a combined non-bleed one. Contains Estradiol 0.5mg,  and Dydrogesterone 2.5mg;  see the HRT preparations green menu on the left.

Best wishes, ER x

[jo61]

Hi English Rose
Would I be able to take a no bleed HRT when I have only missed a couple of periods . I am sorry I must seem silly but I don't understand how this works. If I ask for a no bleed HRT will the GP be ok with this

[Cassie]

If you have a uterus, then yes, you do need progesterone, I would suggest Urogestan as it is also bio identical, you take it for so many days per month,usually around 12 days,  if you want a bleed but if wanting a non bleed, then you take it every day.

[jo61]

yes I do have a uterus, but have only missed two periods so will I be able to have a no bleed HRT

[Cassie]

As far as I know, one is supposed to be post menopausal in order to have the non bleed regime, ie no periods for a year, but perhaps someone like Hurdity can clarify this.

[Taz2]

You either need to have gone a year without a period or be around the age of 54 - although this is a bit of a grey area.  I was 54 when I was switched to conti HRT but I think that other members have been put on it at a younger age. If you go on it too early it is common to get bleeding as your own cycle is still working if you understand what I mean.

Taz x

[honeybun]

I am on conti HRT at 53. I have been on it for over a year now. I checked with Dr Currie and she said it was fine at this age if it suited me. It took a few months to settle but is generally ok.
I had gone nearly eight months with no period before I went on a sequi HRT. The reason I switched was because I was having almost constant spotting but this was after two years of being fine.

Honeyb
X

[English Rose]

Hi jo61
As others have said, if you've had a period within the last year and have a uterus then you would need a sequi hrt.  Have you thought about asking to change to another brand? I'm on Femoston 1/10 (sequi) which really suits; it has the kinder type of progesterone (dydrogesterone) which is supposedly better tolerated than some others.
Others may recommend patches, but I have sensitive skin so prefer oral therapy. Horses for courses I guess.
Good luck and don't be deterred, there is sure to be something out there that suits you.
ER x

[jo61]

I thankyou for all your replies .but still feel a bit confused. On the Elleste duet I don't even get past the estrogen stage without getting really nasty side effects scary enough not to persevere, I haven't reached the progesterone stage yet. I feel like I can no longer put up with the menopausal symptoms yesterday I was trembling from the inside out ,after having a week of feeling more or less like my old self I then dropped into some blackhole I could actually feel the mood coming over me no reason and mentally trying to fight it , my stomach feels like it is trying to have a period but nothing.  I tried one of the spare elleste tablets I had left over yesterday and I have got up this morning with my normal head on no trembling as if it never happened could be placebo effect I don't know. If I wasn't so anxious about the GPs reaction to me asking for HRT I would go in and just give all these other HRTs a try . I do know this cant go on. All advice welcome

[English Rose]

Sorry to hear about all your symptoms jo.  It would seem that you have not been on HRT for very long: I believe it can take up to 3 months for things to settle down....might be worth persevering for a while? Only you know how bad you feel though, so don't let me dissuade you from going back to your doc if you feel you need to.
Best wishes, ER x

[Hurdity]

I am also sorry to hear about how you are feeling.

I would just like to add that if you have decided you would like to try Estradot patches then there is no reason why your doctor whould not prescribe them for you - in fact they can't refuse surely?

There is a low dose patch - 25 mcg but yes you would need separate progesterone with these and unfortunately Utrogestan doesn't come in less than 100 mg doses. It may be that you could take these (ie the 100 mg capsules) for the 12 days instead of the prescribed 200 mg if you were on such a low dose oestrogen - but I doubt if your average GP or nurse would feel confident that this would work and in prescribing this. If they are unwilling, perhaps you could insist on being referred to a menopause clinic where a specialist could vary the licensed regimes?

As others have said - it does take a while to acclimatise to HRT, but it does sound like the tablet HRT maybe doesn't agree with you?

Hurdity x