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[Alicess]

Yes Tc,  I think it  was way to low for me as it was in your case too. I really hope you will feel better with the implant!

I don't  think we can rely on estrogen levels in bloodtest only as it's just a moment in time. I feel control of symptoms is more important. Did Sandrena made you feel better?

I don't want to hijack this post but I don't think any doctor would prescribe a higher dose, especially in Holland. And I'm afraid to try again because if it
it gets worse again there's no return.

I also think you are right,  Tc, we are all different. That's why DNA testing ( for cytogenetics /cytochrome) becomes more and more available for certain mediation like AD's. Some people are ultra- metabolizers and need a higher dose of medication while others are slow metabolizers and need less or have more side-effects. Steriod hormones like estrogen are metobolized by the same enzyms ( cytochroom P450) as other medication like AD's . So it stands to reason the same principal applies.

Alicess X

[Tc]

That is,such a good point Alice. About metabolisation. 

I didnt feel better on the sandrena.  I had to increase from 2mg to 3mg. To get that blood result. And it's off license at 2mg so you might well have trouble getting it.  I was shocked when my bloods had doubled as I didnt notice any difference!!!
It still wasnt enough. But it did absorb and get into my  system better than anything else .

I tend to rely on blood tests to back me up in what I'm saying to doc.  No doc would ever have believed me that 2 x 100 patches didnt do a thing for me if they hadnt seen the consistently low blood tests. 

I must admit I put SHBG and what is happening to the T I'm slathering on  that I dont feel any benecfit from to back of my mind recently.   I've had mirena fitted and the P in that is supposed to lower shbg. But the implant makes it high and then it binds E and it binds T.  I dont know about you but it Seriously does my head in.  😬 Ive got blood tests in 2 months so picture will be clear then what the implant has done to all my levels.

When you say you're scared to try again do you mean the effects of the T? 

TNM . Good luck with the 5 pumps  and T.  Please let us know how you get on.
Xx

[Alicess]

I haven't thought of bloodtests as a back-up for doctors but you're right, they wouldn't have believed you without them. Then it's a wise decision. It's already a struggle but you also have to battle just to be taken serious. It's upsetting.

If your levels went up but you didn't feel any better then It strenghtens my feeling it isn't a accurate way to know if estrogen levels are sufficient for you or for most women. Even when there is enough estrogen in bloodcirculation it doesn't mean it will reach it's destination. So many processes in our body can interfere. Most research on hormones rely on bloodtest ( of estrogen for example) and I'm starting to feel increasingly sceptical about their reliabillty. I'm afraid I'm becoming an old cynic :-)

Pff, I can imagine it does your head in, mine too. But if you didn't feel any better with testosterone then it cannot be SHBG alone  that"s keeping your estrogen low, could it? Otherwise you would  have felt a bit better at least. Like Saffy. Do you know what your SHBG level was before the implant?

.It's possible the implant needs more time as you have been deprived of estrogen for so long..And if not C&W will have to take another course of action. Do you have a follow- up app?

I'm scared of trying HRT (estrogen that is) again, in any form. Every time I've tried it it made me worse and worse with even more symptoms. It lowers my estrogen levels and when I stop it stays that way. And it ages me so quickly I look old and sick now. It's not just vanity about my apperance but it imakes me vulnerable, I can't pretend anymore, if that makes sense.  And I'm worried about my health; my hands and feet are reddish blue, I' m so nauseous I have throw up almost every day etc. A very long list besides the 'usual' like hot flashes, insomnia, anxiety....
If I had enough money I would buy loads of (oral) Estradiol online and just take as much tablets as I need to get some relief.

Alicess Xx

Sorry, didn't mean to take so much space. I don' t know what happened...?

[KBallinger]

TN have you tried different patches?  I was on Estrodot 100 x2 and they gave me average 900 pmo/l.

When I no longer could get them a friend got me some from Spain. As the name was different I checked with my meno dr and she said they should be.

Within a week I was panicking, flushing which I have never suffered from, couldn't sleep, losing weight. It turned out my oestrogen levels had shot up to 4000pmo/l. The only explanation offered was the fillers could be different so I was holding onto more of them.

The reason I was feeling awful was at that level it was the same as having no oestrogen as my receptors would have shut down hence the meno symptoms.

Maybe if you tried a different patch you might absorb more.

[TNM45689]

Hi

I tried Estradot and Evorel - I got to 75mg patches but my levels still 150ish - trouble is it caused excessive bloating/tightness so I could not tolerate going any higher.

x

[Alicess]

Hi TNM,

Sorry, I hijacked your post a bit. Bloating and tightness are symptoms of low estrogen for me  I never had any digestieve problems like that when I was on BCP.  It"s difficult to tell if you are not absorbing enough or the estrogen dose is just not high enough for you. The only way to tell is either trying a higher dose patch or gel or try oral. 2 mg  oral is approx. equivalent to 50 mg patch or 2 pumps gel according to BMS.

Alicess x

[AlphabettiSpaghetti]

Just wanted to update this old thread from March. My oestrogen levels were 85 even on 6 pumps oestrogel and estraderm 100 patches changed daily. I switched to sandrena and a mirena and my levels are now 550. Still not feeling quite like my levels are high enough but after years of trying to get my levels up, it's an improvement!

[Tc]

Thanks for the update alphebetti.  I'm.so glad you finally found something you absorb.  May I ask how much sandrena you are using?


As i said, the only thing I absorbed was sandrena but I was on 3mg (3 sachets) it gave me a level of 378pmol.  Which was more than double my previous levels.  I stopped it when I had the implant.  Unfortunately my levels have fallen on the implant. It's not supposed to happen and  They dont realy understand why.  But it hasnt worked for me.   

How are you TNM?

[Alicess]

Thank you for letting us know, Alphabetti. I hope you also feel some improvement in how you are feeling.