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[keancy]

I am quite cross with my so called menopause expert GP tonight. I had to go in for more bloods to have my Estrogen and FSH checked. When they last checked my estrogen in June it was 311 according to the Nurse. Apparently 241 is meant to be upper level and yet at that point my GP said for me to up my Sandrena Gel from 1mg to 2mg a day. I have been doing that and been getting progressively worse over the last four months. Sore breasts, no sleep, hyperactive,anxiety, panic, nausea, headaches and severe fatigue.  Why on earth would she do that?? My levels are way to high.........i have now cut back to 1mg but I am seriously angry.

[Kathleen]

Hello keancy.

I'm not surprised that you are angry, especially as you seem to have suffered needlessly.

 It's odd that you were told that  241 is the upper limit for oestrogen, I've never heard that before. I was told that my reading of 274 was too low and I should aim for over 300 and  I think Professor Studd says that some women need levels of 800!.  It would be great if all the experts could agree on this,  I realise that we are all different but it's very frustrating.

I hope you feel better soon and do please let us know how you get on.

Take care.

K.

[keancy]

Confusing indeed. I think I am deffo on to much and I am sick to back teeth off feeling crap now. Half tempted to stop the HRT full stop

[Conolly]

Hello keancy,


The normal range depends on the measuring unit. In the UK oestradiol (oestrogen) is measured in pmol/L and these are the average numbers:

Follicular: 72 – 529 pmol/L
Ovulatory: 235 – 1309 pmol/L
Luteal: 205 – 786 pmol/L
Post-menopause: Less than 118 pmol/L


Conolly X

[keancy]

Thank you for your reply. I just don't know what to do anymore. I am sick to death of feeling rubbish.

[Annie0710]

Personally I'd focus more on symptoms than on levels

It might be worth dabbling with other hrts, oestrogen gel is good as you can tweak your dose yourself x

[keancy]

I am on Sandrena Gel. Currently using 1mg again.

[SueLW]

There is no upper limit for levels.  It's what makes you feel good.  You sound like you have gone too far as you are returning to the fatigue etc. 

The only time I've heard the level of 240 mentioned is in relation to bone protection.  I'm pretty sure you need your level to be 240 or more to reduce bone loss and encourage bone replacement.

[Hurdity]

As Annie0710 says - symptoms all the way - not levels! Why did they check these if you were feeling OK? Also I'm confused as to why your doc said to increase to 2 mg anyway (nothing to do with levels)? Was this due to symptoms not improving?

Also there is a difference between the very high oestrogen levels that Studd likes women to achieve and the usually lower value (range!) for most women to feel fine. The Studd very high oestrogen levels are usually prescribed and advised for those with reproductive depression which most women do not have - so mostly not necessary to have a very high level - just to increase to a dose that eliminates symptoms caused by oestrogen deficiency and ideally give you back a bit of zest for life!

Remember that HRT is not the only answer but just part of a range of strategies we need to adopt at this point in our lives to improve our future health. So eating a good diet with lots of fresh food, fruit and veg, cutting down on fat and sugar as well as refined foods , cutting back on alcohol, stopping smoking, getting plenty of sleep if you can and relaxation, as well as exercise, and fresh air, sunshine in the spring summer and autumn months....

High oestrogen should not cause you fatigue - oestrogen doesn't normally do this - it is an energising hormone and it is progestogens in HRT that act as sedatives and can cause fatigue or headaches - which one do you take/use or maybe you've had a hysterectomy so don't need extra?

If you have severe fatigue then do ask for blood tests to check whether anything else is amiss and especially thyroid function, iron, as well as some vitamins - and do check your diet too!

Hurdity x

[dangermouse]

The high oestrogen fatigue is not the same feeling as being too sedated (as in from too much progesterone or other GABA supplements), it's exhaustion from the brain and body being over stimulated so you don't necessarily feel sleepy but you drag yourself about and feel very unmotivated. It's also difficult to exercise as everything is already switched up high so exercise pushes you over the edge.

If you've never had the high oestrogen fatigue before the nearest thing it feels like is post viral after a bad cold or flu.