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[Salad]

As with a lot of us - my menopause journey never fails to surprise me.

I am under the care of a Menopause Clinic and I am using Estradot 200 mcg patches three times a week - my blood result is back from Friday, with a level of 96 pmol/l.
How does that even happen!!
My previous one in February was 710 pmol/l.

To add to my problems I am now piggy-in-the-middle having seen a Rheumatologist on Saturday, who has diagnosed me with Psoriatic Arthritis. She is writing to my Menopause Consultant to tell him to stop my HRT as I have had a breast lump in the past and she is worried about my breast cancer risk - talk about 'clash of the Consultants'.

Anyone want to come with me? 

[CLKD]

The risk is what exactly?  Remind me; how many years ago and what was the lump ?

She is a Rheumatologist not an Oncologist  .  I had a lump removed that was oestrogen dominant but I would risk recurrence if I required relief !!!

Will I crank up the charabanc ? 

[Salad]

She really was not an HRT advocate that's for sure 
I had a fibroadenoma removed in 2013 and the breast Surgeon knew I'd just started HRT.

My thoughts now are if my Oestrogen level is that low perhaps I haven't got Psoriatic Arthritis after all and maybe the joint and tendon pain and fatigue is menopause related again.
Guess I wait to see what the Menopause Clinic say

Ding ding - round 1!

[Dotty]

Salad - are you the lady who was potentially diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Have you tried Oestrogel?

[Salad]

Hi Dotty

Yes - she ruled out CFS (or fibromyalgia) for Psoriatic Arthritis.

And I have tried Oestrogel for about 18 months  - I had to change to patches as I absorbed the gel too quickly and had really unstable symptoms and a level of 2300 with that!!

So confused 

[Dotty]

Hi Salad I thought I'd spoken to you before about CFS.

Sorry to hear that you're no further on with your menopausal problems.

Hope you get some answers x

[Salad]

Hi Salad I thought I'd spoken to you before about CFS.

Sorry to hear that you're no further on with your menopausal problems.

Hope you get some answers x

Thanks Dotty 

[Conolly]

Hello Salad,
I also have a Psoriatic Arthritis diagnosis and don't know if I can rely on that. What are your symptoms?
Conolly X

[Salad]

Hello Salad,
I also have a Psoriatic Arthritis diagnosis and don't know if I can rely on that. What are your symptoms?
Conolly X

Really painful - finger on each hand  wrists, elbows, knees, a bit in my shoulder plus neck/back issues over the years.
This has been transient over the last 5 years, up until the last month.
Severe fatigue, disturbed sleep and generally feeling rubbish. Plus other symptoms thrown in along the way.

My dad had severe Psoriatic Arthritis
so there is a genetic link despite me not having psoriasis (yet).

[Conolly]

Thank you, Salad. Pretty much the same symptoms, but I had Psoriasis a long time ago and not a single case in the family. Go figure!
Conolly X

[dangermouse]

Could it be that the patches are making you absorb so much that's its overriding your own oestrogen, thus making it plummet? Like with how the pill (or 4 pumps of Oestrogel) overrides the cycle so lowers your own oestrogen to keep fluctuations at bay.

[Hurdity]

Oestrogen would never be that low on a suppressed cycle due to high oestrogen - the whole point about high oestrogen doses suppressing ovulation is that they give you sufficient and consistent oestrogen dose from the exogenous source - in Salad's case - the patch.

Even if you are still having a cycle it is very odd to have a result that low  if it is accurate that is.

I had a fibroadenoma when young - no treatment, and have had lumpy breasts together with several bouts of mastitis when feeding my babies - and never has anything ever been said to me about HRT - presumably because the breast problems were when I was still fertile and well before menopause.

This is not a contra-indication to  HRT!

I don't know what to suggest but you must be getting very frustrated with the medical profession!

Hurdity x

[Salad]

Oestrogen would never be that low on a suppressed cycle due to high oestrogen - the whole point about high oestrogen doses suppressing ovulation is that they give you sufficient and consistent oestrogen dose from the exogenous source - in Salad's case - the patch.

Even if you are still having a cycle it is very odd to have a result that low  if it is accurate that is.

I had a fibroadenoma when young - no treatment, and have had lumpy breasts together with several bouts of mastitis when feeding my babies - and never has anything ever been said to me about HRT - presumably because the breast problems were when I was still fertile and well before menopause.
This is not a contra-indication to  HRT!
I don't know what to suggest but you must be getting very frustrated with the medical profession!

Hurdity x

I'm not sure if I'm more frustrated with the Medical Profession or my body doing weird stuff.

An update though : I've done some some reading this evening and maybe me supplementing Vitamin D has lowered the Oestrogen.
Just to complicate things 

[Hurdity]

You have my sympathies Salad. Notwithstanding the diagnosis of Psoriatc arthritis, low oestrogen could also give you joint pain and fatigue. I do remember (having looked back at your earlier posts) that you did have problems with the gel and very high levels - with potential tachphyllaxis, so it is strange that they are so low now despite high oestrogen being applied. In your position I would just ask for another blood tests just to check and if it is low - then back to the menopause specialist I presume is the only way forward - when is your visit?

I haven't come across that about Vitamin D supplementation - do you have a link please as I would be interested to read more.

All the best

Hurdity x

[Tempest]

The jury is actually out on the vitamin D connection, Salad.

But what I can tell you from personal experience is that I experienced more hot flushes per day when I started supplementing last year via my GP, and therefore had to stop the supplementation as it wasn't copeable.

There is also anecdotal evidence elsewhere from other women on the internet of this happening. xxxx