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[Jobo]

I am 46 and post meno for a number of years (early meno) after batteling for years getting the right HRT I thought I had cracked it with Mirena and Estradot 75 mcg patch.  The past couple of months I have not been feeling myself at all, infact somedays really unwell.  Have had several checks done for various things at the docs but everything ok.  I am beginning to wonder if my Oestogen is not enough.  Symptoms include Anxiety, low mood, very dry skin, dry and twitcing eyes, sensitivity to some lights, occasional dizziness, funny leg twinges almost like pins and needles in my feet, terrible headaches like my head is full and about to explode, and bloated most of the time.  Not really had many hot flushes, just the odd one here and there but nothing major.

Can anyone offer any advice?  I have thought about moving from the patch to gel but wouldn't be confident I would be able to tweek this to what I need.

[Tinkerbellj]

Hi jobo
Not much help  for u but just to say I am in the same boat. I was on 2o0mg evorel patch and quickly dropped to a 5ocuz 290 made me nuts. Tried to increase to 100 and the bloating was horrendous so I have literally just switched back to gel yesterday four pumps again but I feel its not enough but when I increase the bloating and weight gain is nuts. Its such a fine line isn it. I suppose all we can do is try it and see. hope u get sorted xx

[Tinkerbellj]

Oh and did u get b12 tested?

[MicheleMaBelle]

Hi jobo- have you had your thyroid checked also?

[Mary G]

Jobo, having had a Mirena coil myself, I would definitely try switching to Oestrogel.  I found the synthetic progesterone in the coil to be very overpowering and I realise now that I needed shed loads of oestrogen to suppress it and get any symptom relief.  I finally worked my way up to 100mcg oestrogen patches but still no symptom relief.  I didn't try the Mirena with the gel but I really wish I had because it think it would probably have worked well although I imagine I would have needed 4 pumps of gel everyday. 

From what you have said, it sounds like you need more oestrogen and you have nothing to lose by trying the gel and you might find that the flexibility of being able to easily increase and decrease the dose suits you better.  You may even find that it works better if you split the dose i.e. 1 or 2 pumps in the morning and 1 or 2 in the evening.  Everyone absorbs patches/gel differently so it may take a while to get the dose right. 

[Dee46]

Jobo I feel like you my head is going to explode, twitchy eye, anxiety, dizzy spells & get the pins & needles in my hands during my sleep, have had pins & needles for a few years now could this be low oestrogen?  I just want someone to fix me i am so exhausted  I probably need more pumps but don't want to do anything until my 3 month check next week

[Jobo]

Hi everyone, thank you so much for your replies.

Michellemabelle I have thyroid checked and this came back normal, I did think this might have been the problem but not!

TinkerbellJ - I take a few vitamins including vitamin D I decided to take this after reading about it on this site but I didn't think about Vit B12, have not been checked for this so might just take as supplement, don't think it will do any harm.

MaryG, I am worried about increasing oestogen as I believe this also has side effects, how would I know if I was having too much?  My symptoms also seem to get worse the day before I am due to change the patch so the gel might be the better option.  Something else I have noticed I forgot to put a new patch on last night after I had a bath and have gone all day today without realising but have actually felt good today.  Seems a bit strange|!

Dee46 are you currently taking HRT?  I too wish someone could fix me I have been going through this over 5 years and still can't get the regime right to suit.  I have really bad thoughts sometimes, I just wish I could figure out what all these symptoms relate to, progesterone or oestrogen.  I would like to hear if you get any solutions on how you are getting on. 

[VanessaM]

headaches, dizzy spells, pins and needles - sounds familiar..  I have just had my third session with an osteopath and am feeling much better.  He thinks I had/have a trapped nerve in my neck. Seemingly nothing to do with hormones at all.  Maybe worth checking this out?  I had no neck pain at all, but apparantly this can happen as the pain is referred to the head. 

Hope you feel better soon

[Dee46]

Jobo yes I am currently on Oestrogel 2 pumps at night & utrogestan 200mg vaginally from days 14-28, I am on week 10 now & still feel rough, I think it is lack of estrogen myself as have been feeling like this for 2 years, I get the bad thoughts too & also wake up dreading the day & then just want to run away from it all, I am not sure what is causing it either but it has been suggested it is low estrogen, I am back at my consultant next week & she did say that some women do not get on with the 2nd part of the hrt so we can look at it then, but I seem to be a wreck the whole month it gets exhausting or I can have a calmer day & then my hormones go into havoc the next day, not quiet sure what is going on with me but I know I am hating this time of my life 

[Mary G]

Dee46, that is an awful lot of progesterone to be taking - it would be completely out of the question for me.  Can you cut it down?  It is probably undermining all the good work the oestrogen is doing. 

[Dee46]

Mary G this is the regiem I have been given but have my 3 month review next week which this part will be reviewed, I have bad anxiety even on the oestrogen part, would it not help by just increasing the gel & sticking with the 14-28 days? All this hrt is mind boggling me, all I know is that I want to feel a bit more normal instead of a wreck with this dread feeling

[Mary G]

Dee46, it is very frustrating and difficult to get the right dose.  I find that the effects of Utrogestan (bad dreams, morning dread, low mood, silent migraines in my case) take a long time to wear off and stick around for a long time after I take the last capsule.  If you are taking Utrogestan for 15 days, have the withdrawal phase and then the period, you are only getting a few days a month on oestrogen only and it might not be long enough to lift your mood.  Have you ever had a long run on oestrogen only and if so, how did you feel, was your anxiety/mood any better?  It would be worth talking to the specialist about this next week and getting some advice.  You might need to do some tweaking and perhaps reduce the Utrogestan and increase the gel?

[Dee46]

Mary G I havexpect only really had the bad dreads sInce being on the regiem so maybe it is too much utrogestan  also getting low mood & feel sedated too but on the oestrogen part the anxiety is high, have only been on this 10 weeks and not feeling any benefits onot any of it, I got my period 4 days after finishing progesterone & felt really low teary & awful for a good week, no I have never had a long run of just the oestrogen, specialist did say that we will need to look at the 2nd part of the hrt as I told her my anxiety was high, she did say we would discuss at my appointment, I just feel so dreadful everyday I am just existing, thanks for the advice