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[deebarnes]

 Feeling really confused, please can anyone give me any help or advice? I've been using everol Conti hrt patches for 3.5 months but in the last few weeks I've been getting really bad leg cramps in the evenings and in the night. I've stopped drinking alcohol as this seemed to make them much worse. I take magnesium, zinc and potassium and try to drink plenty of water as I thought this must be why I was getting them. So do I give up on the hrt and go back to not sleeping well and having night sweats or to I persist and put up with the leg cramps.
Im in such a dilemma, I simply don't know what's best. Im worried the leg cramps will get worse. Sometimes they are really frightening, when they creep up my inner thighs and im left feeling paralysed. Has anyone else out there had similar symptoms? Can anyone give me any advice? I am so worried I just don't know what to do. Thanks in advance.

[Rosti]

Hi Deebarnes

I too have had leg cramps which were at times so bad I could not walk and was on crazy painkillers.  It was also really scary as I had never had anything like it in my life before.  Magnesium did nothing except upset my stomach after several days and nothing seemed to work.  Then I realised it was to do with the hormone levels.

I am not sure whether it also encompasses the balance between progesterone and oestrogen for everyone but I respond much better to a lower oestrogen dosage with a stable (and therapeutic dose of) progestin, in this case currently levonorgestrel.

So, it might just be that your levels are in need of a tweak... I tested to see if mine did by adding half a pump of oestrogel for a few days to see if it made a difference in addition to the Estradot patch... it did.  Of course you may need more or less depending upon your own circumstances. 

I would not suggest that you give up the HRT, after 3.5 months you clearly tolerate this solution... just maybe fiddle with the dosage a bit using some oestrogel and remember that different people respond differently and not all of us respond well to lots of oestrogen in the face of little progesterone.  I tended to find that progesterone was not the bad guy it was portrayed to be.

Hope this helps xxx
 

[deebarnes]

Thanks Rosti, thats very interesting, thought I was going mad!! The bit I cant get my head around is how I test to see what it is I need more of .  The young doctors in my surgery have no idea what so ever, where do I begin? I was going to start by cutting a quarter of the patch off, therefor lowering the dose a little but I dont really understand whats in the Evorel patches and what else it is I need to add or take away, it seems such a mind field....any ideas where I can start?

[ali 61]

This is probably something you have already thought of....but are you getting enough salt? We are always told to lower salt intake, but cramp can be a warning-sign of not having enough, or losing it through sweat.
I had this a few years ago. (Not on HRT) The dr suggested quinine tablets, but I'm not good with meds. So he suggested tonic water. It worked!!!!

[deebarnes]

Trust me, I am trying everything, tonic water in the evenings plus a low dose of Asprin, during the day I take magnesium oil in my water, drink coconut water which has potassium and still I am getting the cramps.  I can feel my calves twitching right now!!  It is deffo connected to the hrt as I am doing everything in my power with all the other things.  I cant go near alcohol as this sets it off really badly!!

[BlueButterfly]

Definitely hormones. My muscles will do the same thing, just twitch, especially in my calves and thighs.

I've read alcohol increases estrogen...? so maybe try lowering the estrogen dose if you can...It's definitely trial and error.

[Dancing Queen]

Yes I had twitchy calves and crampy feet the first month or so of starting fem seven sequi patches. Fingers crossed seems to be settling down now.

[deebarnes]

Well, I'm not sure if this is possible but today I cut my patch by a 3rd when I applied it and this evening I have no twitches or cramp feelings for the first time in about 3 weeks. Can it really happen so fast? Well, I will watch and see with baited breath in the hope that cutting down the dose may well be the answer! 

[BlueButterfly]

Wonderful! I hope it keeps working for you!

[deebarnes]

Just as I suspected...the cramps have not gone away.  They have eased a little but are lurking in the background.  I'm gpingbto ask for a referral to a menopause clinic and hope I can get more advice from there...