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[Frankie41]

Hi everyone

I have recently increased my oestrogen patch by half (100 to 150 mcg patch) and have since been experiencing pretty severe anxiety (feeling wired and jittery) and disrupted sleep (waking up several times, vivid dreams etc).  I know from reading several other posts that often ladies experience this when they increase their dose, something akin to "waking up" the estrogen receptors (?) but I guess I'd love to know from others is this normal?   And how long did it take for others to settle?  While I know 150 mcg is high, I am effectively "post-meno" (I think) because I am taking lucrin which suppresses all my own oestrogen.  I am 41 and peri-menopausal, but went on lucrin to override my hormonal fluctuations (which were awful and made normal functioning impossible).   

Prior to increasing to 150 mcg, my oestrogen levels were 191 pmol but I had many symptoms of low oestrogen - low mood and sleep, poor cognitive function, bladder issues, decreased appetite etc etc. 

Any relevant previous experience and comments would be most appreciated!

Frankie41
 

[CLKD]

Can't help with HRT but 

[Dancinggirl]

Frankie41 - that's an awful lot of oestrogen!!!!! I used to get really wired, shaky and feel really dizzy when I had too much oestrogen. If your levels were that low on 100mcg patch then I expect you weren't absorbing the oestrogen properly.  Are you sure the reading was pmol/1 - it sounds to me as though it was the other reading pg/ml???     If you are still getting flushes then maybe it is somethings else e.g. thyroid function?
Have you tried Oestrogel?
ARe you under a specialist.  If low mood is your main issue then perhaps a SRRI alongside would be appropriate. 
DG x

[Miss Lemon]

Hi Frankie41. I have only just seen this post. Please see the post I have just started as I am feeling exactly the same after starting oestrogen.

I hope we can both feel more settled soon.

[Frankie41]

Thanks for replies ladies    Dancinggirl - agreed, it is a high dose (!) but like I say, I'm also not producing any estrogen myself (due to lucrin) and I am already on an SNRI (Venlafaxine); a moderately high dose also.   And it was 191 pmol so maybe you are right - it could be an issue with my absorption.  I only tried the higher dose because I feel like I have no other option and I could be one of the small group of women Prof Studd talks about as needing between 100-200 mcg to bring their estrogen levels up.   Some women have talked about feeling wired, anxious etc as their levels fluctuate - but that these symptoms even out as estrogen levels also even.  I am really hoping this is the case!! 

But as you say, the alternative is that the dose simply is too high - so I guess I just need to wait a few more weeks to see if I feel better.    Oh, and yes I am under an endo.    She is good but not particularly expert in the area of hormone-responsive mood disorders, which is why I've been interested in Prof Studd's research.   I've had the full gamut of symptoms - flushes, sweats, aches and pains, cystitis etc but they pale beside the mood fluctuations.  This forum is an amazing resource - I have learnt much more about the nuanced and different responses we can all have during menopause than from any health professional!

[Hurdity]

Frankie41

Although the dose does sound high it clearly isn't if you are only getting levels of 191 pmol/l. Where do you put the patch, which brand is it, how often do you change it and do you ensure your skin is clean and dry and free from cosmetic/washing products? These could all affect how well/much you absorb the oestrogen.

Hurdity x

[donnacrichton]

Hi I also have had my system shut down as fluctuations were horendous. I have struggled to get a settled dose also. I have had to reduce my estrogen dose to 37.5 mcg as I was wired to the moon. Just shows we are all different as I was on 4 pumps of estrogel. I have one more month to see if it settles before I will be having a break from all hormones when I am off work for the summer. The very thought is awful as my own won't kick in for a while. Good luck and please keep posting x