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[nan24]

Hi everyone. I'm fairly new to the forum and after joining 3 months ago I decided to ask my Doc to go back on my HRT after I stopped taking my elleste solo 1mg 5 years ago (after scaremongering from the breast specialist).
After seeing the gyne he agreed to put me back on oestrogel and ovestin 1mg.
Unfortunately I experienced severe thrush with the ovestin and had to stop it. I began my gel regime of just one pump with a view to increasing to two. Since starting the gel I  experienced minor effects , sore breasts and the odd head ache. They did settle a little . However, since starting the gel on the 27/7 I've experienced severe cold/ flu like symptoms , headaches, breathlessness,
congestion and  some water retention and cant work out if it's the HRT causing it or I've just been unlucky and picked up a virus and it's just a coincidence that it began when I started my HRT? If it is a virus it seems to be going on a long time !!
I'm just worried I'm ignoring the obvious and need to look /ask for an alternative. Am I just jumping to wrong conclusion or do I need to stop taking it? I would of expected to start to feel better by now but in fact I feel worse!

[CLKD]

It can take 3+ months B4 HRT helps.  The body doesn't get where it is suddenly, normally hormones drop off gradually.

What are you treating your vaginal atrophy with, maybe try 'vagifem' if symptoms are bothersome?  I have water retention but don't have HRT apart from 'ovestin', I have however been eating shop bought cakes so must stop to see if it's the fats/sugars in those.  I love my veg..  How did you clean the applicators, I put mine into very hot soapy water and air dry.  'vagifem' is delivered differently but some are sensitive to the fillers 

When I had 'tamoxifen' I had 'flu symptoms within 36 hours of the 1st tablet 

[nan24]

Hi CLKD. Thanks for replying. The doc did give me a new script for vagifem instead of ovestin but I wanted to see if the side effects of the oestrogel settled before throwing something else into the mix. I know it takes 3 months for things to get into your system but I'm really struggling and feeling quite ill.  The doc said I should be feeling a least a little  better by now , not worse!  I'm  so fed up. Its stopped my hot sweats and I'm sleeping better but the headaches and flu like symptoms  are getting worse and I think my kidney/bladder is playing up. All in all not feeling great. Never had any problems on the elleste at all but it was some time ago.
If I stop taking it do I just stop or wean off? I'm going away at end of week and dont want to feel like this whilst I'm away to be honest. I've booked a docs appointment for when I return to discuss trying a patch but worried about supply issues. 
Really dont know what to do but I do know I feel much worse than before I started.
And not sure what the alternative to 1mg of elleste solo tabs in a patch would be.? Also my hormones are probably a lot differrent now than they were 5 years ago.

[CLKD]

Which symptoms would you like to ease?

Maybe put the product name into the search box to see what pops up?

[nan24]

Sorry to confuse CLKD. The oestrogel has eased the sweats and I'm sleeping better but I feel so ill at the moment that I would sooner have them back! And that's saying something! The ovestin was supposed to relieve the soreness  during sex and the bladder issues at night but gave me the most horrendous thrush/irritation so was advised to stop it.  I'm just so disappointed that instead of making me feel better  the oestrogel has made me feel worse in different  ways .I'm not a quitter and dont want to give in without giving it a good try but things have got so bad I may have to concede the oestrogel is not for me? Just wondered if anyone else has had a bad reaction to it? Or is what I'm feeling totally unrelated?

[nan24]

Hi Birdy. No I had a full hysterectomy at age 44 (ovaries taken) and took eostrogen only HRT in various forms up until 5 years ago (aged 55) when I had a breast scare. I then had the worst joint pain, depression,  night sweats,  disturbed sleep , and bladder issues. Went to GP 3 months ago and he referred me to Gyne who prescribed  oestrogel and ovestin. Things are not going well. I'm sleeping better and night sweats gone, but I feel generally dreadfull! Like I've got the worst flu,with headaches and nausea been going on for 6 weeks now. Also noticed I'm getting fluid retention in lower legs. 

[nan24]

I've made an appointment to see doc when returning off my hols, just trying to decide weather to go cold Turkey and stop the gel before going away or just wean off? And if I come off will the patches be available? (Million dollar question eh?) Thank you for your replies.
How are you now Birdy? You were struggling last time I was on here? X

[Tracey E]

Hi nan, I had the same symptons with the patches as with the gel I think they contain the same component Estradriol. So it made no difference to me side effect wise patch or gel.

[nan24]

Birdy...I have recently increased to one and a half pumps  and at the moment dont use any vaginal cream at all . Thought better leave things to settle down.

Tracy E  I think you may be right. It seems that the gel isn't for me. I did have patches at one point but it's so long ago I cant remember which ones (brain fog!🤯) think they were elleste patches. I finished up on elleste solo 1mg tablets and never had a problem with either. The only reason I changed to tabs is because we went travelling for 7 months around hot countries and patches were coming off with sweat. So wondering if oestrogel  is a different composition  than elleste solo? Or is it just my body is a completely differrent animal than it was 5 years ago?

[Tracey E]

Hi nan, I'm sure Elleste Solo is still Estradiol too so the same ingredient as the patch and gel. I wouldn't up your dose yet, I was breathless when my acid reflux and palpitations kicked in. How severe is that symptom for you?

[nan24]

Hi everyone. Sorry for delayed reply. I thought I would give things chance to settle down, unfortunately they havent! I'm still using the eostrogel 1 pump now , I had to drop down as was getting horrendous side effects . The worst is the persistent thrush! Second bout in 6 weeks. I'm also  still experiencing mild cold/flu like symptoms and headaches. All this has been on and off since starting the Gel. I had to ditch the vaginal eostrogen as the thrush was unbearable. It's now been over three months and rather than making me feel better it has made me worse. My sex life was sparse before 🙄 it's now non existent 🤦‍♀️The only good thing is the sweats have stopped and I'm sleeping better, not much consolation though when I feel rough the rest of the time. I am going to ask the doc for elleste solo patches again as it's what I was on before and seemed fine on them (although as I said I suspect my body is very differrent than then, but I wouldnt know as no one has done blood hormones!) Does anyone know if the patches are still in short supply??

[nan24]

I know the patches are same ingredient but as Hurdity said in a previous post.  It is more likely to be the carriers rather than the oestradiol?
Dont quite know what to do next?
Sweats gone
Sleep better
Depression much better
Libido still poor
Thrush horrendous
Headaches
Chesty/reflux sickly

I know it's a balance but everytime I try to increase dosage and fight through I feel worse?

How is everyone else doing?
Birdy?
Tracey24?

[Tracey E]

I know the patches are same ingredient but as Hurdity said in a previous post.  It is more likely to be the carriers rather than the oestradiol?
Dont quite know what to do next?
Sweats gone
Sleep better
Depression much better
Libido still poor
Thrush horrendous
Headaches
Chesty/reflux sickly

I know it's a balance but everytime I try to increase dosage and fight through I feel worse?

How is everyone else doing?
Birdy?
Tracey24?

Hi Nan, I'm still off HRT and feel absolutely brilliant 5 weeks this Saturday). I've already seen a menopause specialist and he told me that some folk can be intolerant to Estrodrial ((that's me)). It wasn't the carrying agent responsible for my terrible side effects, hence why tablet, patches and gel all had the same effects.  I feel 100% that I've made the right choice to come off it. My echocardiogram showed no structural problems with my heart.  My acid reflux is now diminishing too. Hot sweats haven't returned yet, so here's hoping they stay that way. Hope you feel better soon Nan.