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[appey]

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas what to do re my oestrogen.
(Plse see my story above)
My nights are absolutely horrendous at the moment.
Is this all down to low estrogen?

[Annie0710]

It's so hard to say, I think mine was obviously lacking something and I changed my regime all at all nice so I'd have no idea why mine dramatically reduced, I do still get them but nowhere near on the scale they once were

Unfortunately it's trial and error but best to change/amend dose one at a time x

[appey]

Thanks so much for your thoughts.
I'm just so desperate today. Ended up taking a 15mg Mirtazapine at 3am which drugged me up till 11 and I now feel completely dazed and sedated. I could quite easily go back to sleep again now. My lovely husband has ended up working at home today as he's so worried about me.
Off to have a shower and try and do something for the rest of the day.

[MaritaB]

Hi Appey
Just read your story which sounds very similar to mine!l. I suffered from palpitations all last summer which disturbed my sleep most nights. I didn't realise at the time that I was peri as didn't really have hot flushes (i'm Now 48) and put it down to stress. I tried various things to calm it and help sleep inc valerian tablets, Acupuncture etc which gave temporary respite but didn't get rid of the palps. Eventually they got so bad that i went to to the urgent care Centre and they gave me sleeping tablets (which I didn't take in the end) and beta blockers (which did help).
By then (last September) I had also booked an appointment with a private HRT Dr who ran my bloods about a week later and found that I was officially menopausal! (Estradiol was 128 and progesterone 0.3). I was on put on low dose bio identical estradiol (0.1mg/day) l but after 6 weeks my E levels had gone up to 1800 so I had to stop the E, my levels then kept on rising to over 3000! Apparently this can happen with some women during the peri menopause ie an esrtrogen surge.
My levels stayed high for a couple of months and then since mid-Jan they have been falling and that's when the palps started again, and they have got really bad in the last couple of weeks, even though the latest blood test 1 month ago showed reasonable E levels of 410.
So
I think like you I need to have high E levels in order to avoid palps. At the moment I am just using red clover and Acupuncture to try and calm things, as well as progesterone at night, as my HRT doc doesn't want me to re-start the estradiol until my levels are really low again. I also had the Mirena  coil fitted in order to protect my uterus.
However for me the palps have been one of the worst symptoms - more than hot flushes - as like you when I get them it is really hard to function properly.
I hope you find the answers to your situation, it may be that you need to raise your estrogen intake?
Mx

[MaritaB]

PS appey are you still taking the utrogestan? My HRT doc said I should still take it if I needed help sleeping despite having the coil - as the progestin in the Mirena as synthetic does not have the same sleep inducing properties as the utrogestan!

[appey]

Thanks so much MaritaB for your reply and for reading my very long story! Sorry to hear you're going through a nightmare aswell.
I'm also seeing an acupuncturist at the moment, which I can tell makes a difference when I'm there, but I think I've mucked everything else around so much recently it hasn't really had a chance.
I stopped taking the utrogestan in January as my nhs consultant said I didn't need any progesterone immediately and could wait until the coil was fitted. I had wondered if all those weeks without progesterone had led to these awful nights. My husband and I have been discussing today about me going to see a private specialist and get some proper blood tests done. Everything has seemed to be such guess work. So think that I will be on the phone first thing on Monday morning.
Using utrogestan as a sleep aid is an excellent idea. I still have plenty!
I'll keep you posted
Hope you're having a good day today xx

[MaritaB]

Hi Appey
It's interesting that your consultant said you didn't need progesterone, was this when you started the hrt ? As the standard advice is to give both estrogen and progesterone if you still have your uterus. The bio indentical practitioners (like my doc) also prescribe progesterone regardless, as it doesn't just protect the uterus but also effects mood, sleep etc - so definitely worth trying to see if it helps!
It sounds like it's also worth getting a private consultation if you can afford it - where abouts do you live?
Hope you have a relaxing day today 😎 M x

[MaritaB]

PS start with just one utrogestan tablet at night not 2 and see how that works.
I have also been getting palpitations just before my period over the last year so definitely think it's to do with falling estrogen levels.

[appey]

It was only whilst I was waiting for the coil to be fitted that he said that I didn't need to bother with the utrogestan. At that point in Dec/Jan I thought the utrogestan was making me more tired. But with hindsight don't think it was that.
I live near Heathrow. Am thinking about ringing the Surrey Park Clinic in Guildford.
I also used to get palps before a period and then all would be calm when my period started.
I've only had a couple of periods in the last year.

[appey]

It was only whilst I was waiting for the coil to be fitted that he said that I didn't need to bother with the utrogestan. At that point in Dec/Jan I thought the utrogestan was making me more tired. But with hindsight don't think it was that.
I live near Heathrow. Am thinking about ringing the Surrey Park Clinic in Guildford.
I also used to get palps before a period and then all would be calm when my period started.

[MaritaB]

Hi Appey it will be good to get your bloods done because I also found I had palps when my E levels were climbing sky high as well  (although I didn't realise that's what was causing it at the time) - because I wasn't taking in enough progesterone to balance the amount of oestrogen my body was producing. So I wonder in your case if it's either a case of your E levels spiking - as happened with me - or you are not taking in enough oestrogen via the HRT and your body needs more. Either way the clinic should be able to give you a quick response.
Best of luck and hope you sleep better tonight! Mx

[appey]

Thanks MaritaB xx

[dangermouse]

Oestrogen surges can be terrifying and it is a difficult period of meno to control due to all the volatility.

I'm a clinical Hypnotherapist and it could help to calm your thoughts and mind if you panic when you get the surges, however, the physical adrenaline would need very intense hypnosis to disrupt the central nervous system. I've not tried it myself and self hypnosis would be harder to direct in this way.

I would give the Utrogestan a try to see if adding that in without the oestrogen calms you down. When I was in a particularly acute phase (very severe and migraine nausea on top) I used the combined pill to calm the surges. This was before I discovered progesterone cream but the pill is cheaper if works for you.

[appey]

Thanks Dangermouse. X