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[pepperminty]

Hi ladies ,

I am just wondering if a stronger HRT in peri menopause is usually better for symptom control ? I am on femeston 1/10 and I am feeling that I may need more oestrogen to control my symptoms? Do ladies in peri usually do better on a medium dose ? How do you know if you need a stronger HRT?

pepperminty xx

[GypsyRoseLee]

I'm pondering the same thing pepperminty. I'm only on Estradot 25mg but since my bleed started my mood and anxiety have been really bad. It's only now 2 days after my bleed finished that I am starting to feel better.

And this is just how I was before taking HRT. My symptoms got much worse the day my period started and I'd feel crap right through my period and even until a few days after it finished.

I'd only start to improve as I got nearer ovulation.

I'll be interested to read any replies.

[pepperminty]

Lets hope that one of the more knowledgeable ladies comes along soon. I remember that I had more energy and my aches and pains disappeared on prempac, which is stronger than the low dose femeston, I had nausea (which did go) , but I faired particularly badly on the progesterone, so I stopped . There is so much conflicting advice out there . The GP I saw said last week that if you are experiencing side effects on HRT (like my PMT and low mood) if you increased the dose it would increase the side effects? But surely if HRT can improve mood increasing the dose may be beneficial??
Pepperminty xx

[GypsyRoseLee]

I don't think your GP can be right, pepperminty?

Surely the reason we're struggling with low mood/extreme PS/anxiety etc is because we don't have enough oestrogen/progesterone anymore? And what we do have is fluctuating all the time, making things even worse?

That's probably a simplistic view. But I am starting to take GP's advice with a pinch of salt. The young GP I saw yesterday recommended that I wear my patch on my upper torso! When I queried that, she checked in her book and saw that it expressly says to NOT wear your patch anywhere near your boobs! I wonder how many of her previous patients are wearing their patches near their boobs!

[Dancinggirl]

The problem with the peri meno stage is the fluctuation of you own hormones through this time. Starting on a low dose to see if there is an improvement in symptoms is a good as I certainly found too high a dose gave me headaches. I would give this lowish dose about 6 months before rushing into increasing things yet - this can allow the HRT to take a better control - it can take time and as a recent post on MM suggested "don't expect HRT to solve everything"  DG x

[pepperminty]

Thanks,I concur with what you say, I don't expect it to be a miracle cure , but it is difficult to know how long you should give it to see what improvement there is/should be. I suppose I just need to be well enough to work , as soon as possible, so I do not want to be waiting for months not doing anything when the answer might be to increase the dose. And I am assuming there must be an average rule of thumb , eg higher earlier , lower later , suits most. I know they recommend the lowest dose to see if it works then you can increase it if there is no effect, but there seems to be so much conflicting and inconsistent advice it is difficult to know what to do.  If I had listened to my GP and not sort further advice I would have stopped taking HRT again and been back at square 1. I intend to give it 4 months at least if I can .

Here's hoping it all goes well for all of us finding it hard to cope ,

Peppermintyxx

[GypsyRoseLee]

I would have thought most specialists would have a very good guesstimate based on their experiences about whether a very low dosage orstrogen generally works well for the majority of women?

As you know my mood and anxiety came back with a vengeance on the first day of my withdrawal bleed from sequi HRT. I felt wretched all through my bleed.

My mood only started to improve yesterday afternoon. 2 days after my bleed finished! Now my mood has improved to the point that I feel positively stoned 

To me that suggests I need more oestrogen to help that awful dip during my bleed?

[pepperminty]

Hi GypsyRoseLee,

I think you may have something there. Maybe the extra oestrogen counter acts the progesterone dip after you stop it. That's where expertise comes in . Without it  I am flying in the dark without the aid of a net (lost the parachute)and my spangley leotard is loosing its sequins.
 I am feeling ok today , a bit knackered , but not teary, with 2 days more to go before I start the combined phase, oh the joys of anticipation. This suggests to me that the oestrogen is building up but maybe not enough? We shall see!! Funny about feeling stoned as I must admit I have had a few giggling fits .

Pepperminty xx

[peegeetip]

I agree with DG.

I started on low dose and my body / symptoms responded (but probably slower in some respects).
I think the medium dose would have helped me recover before the 6 months+ for some symptoms.
But I'd have probably been unable to then drop down to a lower dose without return of some symptoms.

 

[GypsyRoseLee]

I am very interested to see how you react to the combined phase pepperminty. Think of yourself as my white lab rat running through the hormonal maze 

I am familiar with this uber chilled, stoned sensation. I only used to experience it around ovulation (when my own oestrogen would be peaking).

So the fact I am experiencing it just 3 days after my bleed has finished makes me think that the Estradot patch is increasing my own oestrogen and giving me this rather lovely chillaxed sensation a good week earlier than I would get it without HRT?

So presumably an increase in dose should give me better protection against the awful dip during my bleed.

Makes sense to me anyway.

[pepperminty]

Hi Peegeetip,

Thanks . It's early days , so time will tell  if I need tweaking. I didn't have a very good experience on Prempac last year ,so its important for me to ruminate. I am at the beginning of my meno journey and learning step by step how to cope and best practice. It is interesting reading everyone's stories and opinions. Someone said I looked well today , and not like I was menopausal !! I mustn't forget to wear the sign round my neck next time !! Hilarious.

Peppermintyxx

[pepperminty]

Hi GypsyRoseLee,

Yep me too, I do hope I react positively on the combined phase again!! If I do that would be great!! I think I need to ask the meno nurse when I see her eventually ref dosage. That's assuming that with NHS cuts it's  not so long that I have gone past menopause and have retired to shady Pines !!

Pminty xx