Print

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

[Kathleen]

Hello ladies

I am now officially off my HRT regime of two pumps of Oestrogel and Utrogestan 100mcg vaginally every night.
I thought I'd post a short update on what that I've noticed so far.

I stopped taking the Utrogestan whilst reducing the dose of gel gradually. After a few days without Utrogestan the tenderness in my breasts disappeared even though I was continuing with Oestrogel only. I assume therefore that the progesterone element of the HRT was the cause of my breast tenderness.

As I lowered Oestrogel still further I could feel some vaginal dryness and I began to notice my episiotomy scar that I acquired thirty years ago!  Strangely though my dryness comes and goes throughout the day.

I have also noticed an increase in flushes and my moods are  unstable but my HRT never did resolve those issues so no change there!

My sleep is about the same, waking once or twice a night but managing to get back to sleep.

I am post menopausal, my last period was nine years ago and I have been using HRT for six years. Early days at being HRT free and I don't know if I'm doing the right thing or not but I felt it was worth trying to find out where my hormones are naturally.

Hopefully my update can be of help to other ladies.

Wishing you all well.

K.

[Lilyloos]

Hi Kathleen, this all sounds very promising!! I'm just about the same stage as you post menopausally (is that even a word), and have been messing about for months now trying to find the right balance of gel and utrogestan which has been ok for me for a couple of years, it isn't now and I don't feel any better for upping it! It's given me tinnitus I'm sure! Trying low dose (1/2) of an SsRi to see if it helps the anxiety which was my only real symptom after weaning practically off hrt.  Maybe I'll do the same after this cycle. I'm 60 next year.  Let us know how it goes!! LL x

[Kathleen]

Hello  Lilyloos

We do sound similar.

I am almost 63 and feel it's time to try having a break in the hope that my hormones will balance naturally.

Anxiety has also been the worst and most persistent symptom even when taking HRT. It may have resolved if I had been able to take a higher dose but unfortunately bleeding problems made that impossible.

I know of other women of similar age who have never taken HRT and they seem pretty normal so it must be possible!

Wishing you well.

K.

[jillydoll]

Hi Kathleen.
Just read your post, and I've gotta say, I'm wishing you all the luck in the world...🤞
I'm praying this is the way to go for you, and hoping everything settles down soon.
You are brave...I'm dreading coming off mine. Unless I stay on it forever, who knows? 🤷‍♀️
Please keep updating us, wishing you good luck and good health....

Jd xx

[Lanzalover]

Hi Kathleen

Good luck hope everything works out well for you.
Do keep us updated.

Lanzalover x

[Kathleen]

Hello jillydoll and  Lanzalover

Thank you both so much for your kind wishes.

Needless to say I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Take care.

K.

[Jari]

Hi Kathleen

This sounds like a really good idea. I came off it a year ago, but was not long on it anyway. Symptoms did return, but I feel i can cope fine with them. They seem to come and go and I feel like I'm just used to them now.

I felt with hrt that I was adding to potential problems and feel that by not taking it, I'm just having to deal with the menopause symptoms and not the additional ones I got and could potentially get on the hrt.

I really hope it works out for you by coming off it. Do keep updating! Good luck! X

[Kathleen]

Hello Jari.

Thank you for your post.

My going it alone experiment continues! 

I think I mentioned earlier that when I came off all HRT I started to get VA problems that I'd never had before. I assumed this was an indication that my levels had taken another dive which was to be expected. Oddly though, the soreness etc  seems to have gone which makes me hope that my  hormones are beginning to find a  balance.  Obviously keeping everything crossed and I hope I haven't jinxed it by talking about it!

Wishing you well.

K.




 

[Kathleen]

Hello again Ladies.

Me again . Just had a huge surge/ jitter/flush. Rats! I knew if I mentioned any symptom improvement I'd jinx it.

Oh well. Stagger on I suppose.

Take care everyone.

K.

[Marie62]

Hello Kathleen
Hope it's a temporary blip. I too feel I'm jinxing things when I mention any improvement. When I first started Elleste Conti it stopped my horrible flushes within a few weeks and I felt great, went to the doctor for my 3 month follow up and told her how wonderful Elleste was and how great I felt, fast forward a few weeks and I was back in tears with terrible anxiety and depression so I don't take anything for granted now!
I hope you manage to get off HRT successfully it will probably take a while to get through it just keep going if you can.
I'd love to come off it but I've got to work and really can't take time off with symptoms.
Best of luck and keep us updated.

[Kathleen]

Hello  Ginny62.

I remember telling a Consultant that the HRT was working and it was great to feel normal at last. Needless to say a few days later and I was a mess again but I didn't bother going back to tell her.

This hormonal rollercoaster would try the patience of a saint but all we can do is keep on keeping on!

So far today my mood has dipped and I feel jittery and tearful but the VA symptoms haven't returned and all feels okay in that department. Who knows what will happen later?

Thanks again for your comments and take care.

K.

[jillydoll]

Time and time again I've posted ‘ I'm fine' only to go down hill very quickly afterwards. I agree there's something about the ‘jinx' phenomenon.
So, I think we should come up with some kind of CODE, so it doesn't happen to us ever again.....🤔

[Kathleen]

Hello jillydoll.

I agree, we need a safe word lol.

It makes you wonder if what we are experiencing is a mood swing on a larger scale. In other words after feeling better the downward turn is already in the pipeline. We haven't really jinxed it but we were so happy to feel well that we had to mention it to someone! I've also noticed that my appetite changes according to these swings and  I am ravenously hungry when feeling okay but have no interest in food on the downward spiral.

Whatever the explanation, the whole scenario sucks and I long to feel ' normal ' most of the time, like in the good old days.

Thank you for your comments and take care.

K.

[Hurdity]

Helloooooo Stellajane! Welcome back!!!!!!!!! great to see you here again - couldn't keep away?

Hurdity xx

Kathleen will look at your post in a minute! x

[Kathleen]

Hello Stellajane.

I have also kept a symptom diary and I'm keeping notes of developments during this HRT. I think I will give it at least three months and then decide what to do.

Many thanks for your comments and I appreciate hearing your experiences.

Wishing you well.

K.