Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Chi chi]

Thanks suzyq  so do I lol

I honestly don't feel any better than when I started treatment!  nothing's improved and I'm still as anxious as ever! 
Kind of feels cruel that I had about a month of feeling completely different, much more optimistic about things, just life in general really, more confident, happier and actually had a libido! All seems a distant memory now 

[Suzyq]

That's a real shame then! I started on estrogen with the usual 12 days do progesterone but I had used only progesterone for a year prior to that! To be honest I had a couple of weeks where I felt great then it all went wrong! I felt like I was dying every day, dizzy ill from head to toe, anxious - you name it! That's when I had my levels re-tested and my estrogen was fine but progesterone close to zero. I then cut back on estrogen and went to daily progesterone! During the first 3 weeks I almost gave up several times but persevered. I have been stable ever since with very little in the way of anxiety or other symptoms! I have further reduced my estrogen 4 weeks ago as I could feel some jitters creeping in - this is a sign for me that it is too high relative to progesterone! It does take 4 weeks from reducing a dose to see how I'm going to feel on that!!

I read on hyster sisters that if you initially feel good on a level of estrogen, then start to feel worse again, it is likely that the dose is too high, and as it has built up in your system, you feel worse - it made sense to me so that's what I've followed!!

Is is your first type of hrt?? Was your gp not any help??

[Chi chi]

My GP was adamant there was nothing wrong with my hormones, he never tested them  each time I went to him he just blamed everything on depression and anxiety  I've been telling him for years that I shouldn't ache as much as I do and that I just didn't feel right! I wasn't prepared to accept it was all in my head so we went private and low and behold lowish estrogen, virtually no testosterone, vit d insufficient (which my GP didn't think needed treating)! And oestioporatic in one of my hips  I've only just turned 40 back in July!
I was taken off the combined pill when I was about 34? Had the Mirena for a year (couldn't wait to get that  out)! Then after that was put on the mini pill cerazette which I took until April this year.
I wish I knew what my prog levels are    as like you say if our estrogen just keeps on rising and rising without the prog to counter balance it it must cause an imbalance and all the problems that brings along 

[Suzyq]

Wow what a journey! At the very least your gp should be able to refer you to a menopause clinic now!! It may be worth emailing dr currie and asking her what her view of it is! if you do that give her as much info as you can about your history and levels. Unfortunately there is no easy answer - you clearly do need estrogen to protect against other complications but how much, and whether to combine with progesterone or not are things that you either need to take the time to work out by trial and error, or a specialist you can see frequently, who is perhaps a little more open-minded than prof. Studd (I have read a few similar comments about him!)

I did email heather currie initially and found she was useful, although she obviously can only give general advice! What is certain is that on 3 pumps of estrogel you must at least take progesterone for a period every month - why don't you try that and see how you get on? Keep a diary of what you're doing and any symptoms - it really helps in assessing what's happening.

Xx hope I've been of a little help ... Everyone here offers good advice, even if we don't all agree all of the time!!