Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[CHEERYSHEEP]

Hello Ladies,
Im hoping I can get some sensible advice from people in the know rather than my GP who snarled at me.
I went to a private meno clinic and started HRT over a year ago for anxiety, sugar cravings, palpitations, terrible memory and word recall and body aches. I was prescribed- Estrogel 2 pumps. (Vagifem x2 /week and a squirt of testosterone x 2 per week plus a mirena). (no idea if I'm menopausal as I haven't had periods for years).
 
 It worked really well for a few weeks but then my symptoms returned a bit. A blood test from the private dr after 3 months revealed my oestrogen to be 120. She changed me to patches. (my choice as less fiddly) (estrodot 100) and after 9 months, despite initial improvement my symptoms were as bad as ever and oestrogen was tested by private dr to be 130.

It was suggested I go back on the gel but increase to 4 pumps daily. I did this ( twice a day 1 pump each leg) and there was a slight change in my symptoms but my hair started falling out and the palpitations came back with vengeance.  I went to gp for general health check and had a load of blood tests. These all came back normal according to my GP including my oestrogen at 150.

The private dr then suggested due to symptoms I should add an estadot patch 100 and 4 estrogel pumps daily to try and get the estrogen up to 600.If that didn't work I could consider an implant which I would have to get via GP referral.  After doing this for 3 weeks I felt slightly better and started to get optimistic that I could return to being a normal human being.  But now, 2 weeks on I've feel really pre menstrual with hideous sugar cravings and the palpitations have returned.
Enter snarling gp when I said I wanted a referral to try and work out why despite huge HRT dosage my levels are low and symptoms return.

so can anyone give me any pearls of wisdom?
1. why arnt I absorbing the oestrogen
2 why do my symptoms get better then quickly return

[Jari]

Hi Cherrysheep.

I did take hrt, the gel as you are on. For me, it gave bad symptoms so I came off it and now don’t take hrt, but I do remember at the time a discussion about absorbing the gel. You said you rub into your leg, maybe try your thighs? And give your body a body scrub, that may help you absorb it. Are you waiting for it to dry properly before getting dressed.., sorry, obvious questions, but just thoughts? X

[friend of lhasa apso]

Your GP shouldn't have snarled at you ,that's disgraceful !report them and change to another!!!
I know they're under pressure, but they get paid well and should be there for the patient and be professional and empathic.

[Saffy]

Honestly, what is wrong with some of these GPs?!! Some of us simply don't absorb very well.

In my case I have very high Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) levels which impede the availability of oestrogen in the body so it could be worth seeing if that is a problem for you. I was also told not to introduce testosterone until my oestrogen had reached a reasonable level first. I had oestrogen levels of around 100 on Estradot 100 and tried gel but no difference. Eventually increased (by specialist but prescribed by GP) to 2x100 patches and my levels reached the dizzy heights of 257. At that point I added testosterone and after a few months I tested in the 700s (due to the effect of testosterone on SHBG apparently, although my SHBG is still extremely high). Still not symptom-free mind you...I also seem to feel a little better when I increase the oestrogen/introduce testosterone and then fall back too  .

Not sure if that's any help!

[Sparrow]

Could you have something elso going on that is not hormone related.  I'm thinking of perhaps a thyroid problem or adrenal gland fatigue.

Many of meno symptoms are similar to other health issues so I'm surprised your GP has not done blood tests.