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[EleanorB]

Hi,

I am trying hrt for the third time. I am using oestrogen only for 3 months on advice of gynae due to dreadful reaction to progesterone, then may insert mirena if oestrogen is working out. Bladder issues (which I recently posted about, made me crack and give hrt another go.) 1 pump daily of oestrogel crippled me with fatigue so I couldn't walk for five minutes without resting. I came off it rapidly. I couldn't function at all. I tried it twice on two separate occasions, same each time.

I am now on half an oestrogen patch, possibly building up to whole one. My brainfog and memory are considerably worse, i am still boiling hot a lot and feel lower in mood. My bladder is so so. I'm a week into using it. Has anyone known things to get better if they initially get worse? Should I push through or just give up on hrt as not for me?

Thanks.

[Perinowpost]

Which patch/strength are you on EleanorB? Hot flushes and brain fog are classic symptoms of low oestrogen.

I was very lucky with patches I began to feel better within a couple of hours of applying the first one, as if my body was so low on oestrogen it was thanking me. I've never looked back x

[EnglishRose]

Hi,

I am trying hrt for the third time. I am using oestrogen only for 3 months on advice of gynae due to dreadful reaction to progesterone, then may insert mirena if oestrogen is working out. Bladder issues (which I recently posted about, made me crack and give hrt another go.) 1 pump daily of oestrogel crippled me with fatigue so I couldn't walk for five minutes without resting. I came off it rapidly. I couldn't function at all. I tried it twice on two separate occasions, same each time.

I am now on half an oestrogen patch, possibly building up to whole one. My brainfog and memory are considerably worse, i am still boiling hot a lot and feel lower in mood. My bladder is so so. I'm a week into using it. Has anyone known things to get better if they initially get worse? Should I push through or just give up on hrt as not for me?

Thanks.

Wow. I hate HRT too. But only bc it's made my once manageable PMS seriously depressed and as I pm having two periods a month...those 5 days in bed with a black mood is just more than I can take.

However back to you

Are you peri? Or post meno

My story is I was on two pumps for two weeks. I tried to increase initially but gave me jitters. But after two weeks I could increase to 4 pumps without feeling any side effects.
I was seriously depressed on two pumps so had to decide to come off or increase, I increased to 3 pumps and felt better so 4 days later I upped to 4 pumps .
Moral is, sometimes too little does nothing but irritate the situation it's like your body is crying out for more and not getting enough makes symptoms worse or makes you ill,

Only you can decide based on how you feel. A gel would give you more freedom to adjust the dose.. but honestly sometimes you have to dig deep for courage and instead of stopping increase,bc such a low dose over time may well make you feel worse.

[Ladybt28]

Push through - like EnglishRose says too little just keeps everything the same and your body needs to build up that's why all the experts tell you its up to 3 months before things settle sometimes.  Stick with it - hard I know because you feel so rough but if you don't keep going you will be just back where you started - be brave 

[EleanorB]

Thanks so much for your replies. It's given me the resolve to keep forging on with it. The hardest thing is being a migraine suffererer and any bodily change can trigger it. I suspect some of what I have now, brain fog etc is partially migraine and partially meno, so I have to try and juggle treating both. Sorry meno brain, can't remember who asked but I am 16 months post last period, so meno not peri.

[dangermouse]

HRT can make migraines worse, I know a few women on here who had to stop HRT as were told it will just exacerbate their migraines due to its neurological effects.

However, if your symptoms aren't neurological then you may be ok.