Morning Ladies
First of all, just wanted to check in with you all and hope you are coping with the madness of the world we are living in at the moment. Have been thinking of you all.
An update and advice needed - if anyone is around @hurdity
Just a recap.
When I first saw my private Dr, Dr McCulloch, last Oct, she took a hormone test. I had been on 50mcg Evoril Conti on the NHS and had awful migraines, hot flushes, exhaustion, aches, liver pains, vertigo.....you name it...?..and I was getting nowhere with the Doctors at my Surgery.
These were my results.
22.10.2019
Oestradiol - 44 pmol/L
SHBG - 64 nmol/L
Testosterone - 0.4 nmol/L
She was quite shocked at how low my levels were. She put me on 3 pumps per day of Oestrogel (applied on thighs)) and a thumb sized amount of Testogel (inner arm) - see how I go for 3 months. I also take 1 x 100mg capsule utrogestan orally at night.
3 months later
31.1.2020
Oestradiol - 171 pmol/L
SHBG - 71 nmol/L
Testosterone - 0.5 nmol/L
So as you can see, neither my testosterone or oestrogen seem to be absorbing very well.
Dr McCulloch told me to increase to 4 x pumps a day and do a larger amount of testosterone and still take 1 x Utrogestan orally at night. I have been following this regime for just over 2 months now and feel no better, although have felt a slight change in my libido, but barely anything really. I did mention to her when I saw her about not taking Utrogestan every day and she said I could try not taking it for 2 weeks then doubling up the next 2 weeks. I have not tried this yet.
Do you really think taking Utrogestan every day could really be the culprit for me feeling so exhausted? Or perhaps my skin just does not absorb gel very well and I will have to go back to a patch.
Obviously with this virus situation, I do not have a follow up appt booked but I do have a hormone kit at home, which she gave me last time, which I am going to do, very interested to see what my results are. The results will be emailed to her and she will then email me and we will take it from there.
I just haven't felt well for 3 1/2 years now, been with the NHS and now a private Doctor and yes I have made strides with the migraines and hot flushes but I just can't understand why I still feel dreadful and have no 'joie de vivre'. If I read one more interview from a 50 something celeb or non celeb...........saying 'how much they are enjoying their 50s...?..or HRT has given them their life back......'..??.will that ever be me saying that? I feel like I have just been existing ever since I turned 50, I'm now 54...?...this virus has given us all the message......we only have one life, you don't know what is around the corner so we need to make it count...?..:-(
It's hard to differentiate between what is being caused by low hormones and am I just feeling awful and low because I have been feeling poorly for so long. Bit of a vicious cycle.
Thank you for your time, I know we are all going through a lot of difficult things at the moment - stay safe everyone xxx