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[Wrensong]

Anna, if you are not absorbing the transdermal oestrogen then I'd say you have little to lose by trying the Kliofem.  I think you said oestradiol patches didn't stick well & if I remember rightly you tried gel as well as Lenzetto?  Can I ask were you taking the Utrogestan orally or vaginally?

In your position with such troublesome symptoms, I wouldn't worry about the comparably slightly increased risk profile you mention from oral HRT. 

my functional doctor told me that transdermal E and micronized bio-identical P meant I would never suffer from any of the side effects of traditional HRT

Plenty of us get side effects from transdermal regimens, so dare I say your Functional Medicine specialist is wrong if she thinks they are guaranteed side effect free! 

What I would just bear in mind though, is that oral oestrogen increases Thyroid Binding Globulin, effectively reducing available thyroid hormone & as you have recently cut your dose of Armour I'd be vigilant for any indications that hypothyroid symptoms are coming back.  You can always take a little more thyroid hormone to compensate if necessary.

I hope you find you absorb better from the Kliofem & that symptoms reduce as a result.
Wx

P.S was posting at same time as Mary G but see we are in agreement!

[Wrensong]

Hi Folklass, yes Anna has told us she's in the Netherlands.

[Wrensong]

Yes Folklass, I wondered what was going on with the different ref ranges a few pages back too!

[Anna69]

Thank you all, I am in the Netherlands which would explain why my labs seem a bit off sometimes...! Sorry, I have no idea what the reference ranges or measurement units are in the UK.
Wrensong, thank you, that's very reassuring! I have never taken Utrogestan vaginally, only orally (100 or 200 mg soft capsules) depending on whether I was taking it cyclically or continuously (cyclically = 200 mg daily for days 16 to 28 of cycle at bedtime; continuously = 100 mg daily at bedtime).
I think my gynaecologist is right, and that taking Kliofem for a few months is not going to kill me..if it does not work, no harm done, I can just go off it.

[Anna69]

Wrensong,
About oral estrogen and thyroid hormone replacement - yes, thank you for pointing that out! I am due for thyroid labs in early September so will keep an eye on it most definitely! I will start on Kliofem tomorrow so eight weeks should be enough to tell...

[Anna69]

Folklass,
Not a problem:-) as most members seem to be in the UK...!

[Anna69]

Folklass, will add that asap; don't think editing posts is possible so will add new reply.

[Joaniepat]

Folklass, will add that asap; don't think editing posts is possible so will add new reply.

If you go to your post, on the upper right hand corner there is an icon that says modify.
JP x

[Anna69]

First of all:
Thanks to everyone who responded and provided feedback!

Ok, sorry, here are my results with measurements units:

Estradiol <6 pg/mL (<8 menopause or at least 12 months since last menstrual period)
Progesterone 0.1 ng/mL (<0.2 menopause or at least 12 months since last menstrual period)
FSH 18.6 UI/L (menopause >27)
LH 10.0 UI/L (menopause >5.2)
prolactine 8.0 ng/mL(ref menopause 5.2-26.5)

Once again, sorry for not thinking about the different measurement units and reference ranges in various countries...!

[Anna69]

Joaniepat,
Thanks, good to know!

[Wrensong]

Don't worry Anna, you have always given the ref range alongside your results, so we could see whether within expected range, even if the ranges have looked a bit odd  to us in the UK!
Wx

[Wrensong]

Anna, thanks for confirming your Utrogestan was oral.

Folklass - I originally joined the thread without noticing there had been an earlier page & asked poor Anna what must have been tiresome questions she had already answered

[Mary G]

Anna69, my blood tests are pg/mL too but I convert them to pmol for MM purposes!

Your oestrogen reading is still very low and 6 pg/mL is about 22 pmol which is very low for three pumps of Lenzetto.  To give you an idea, mine were about 80 pg/mL on that dose.

I'm sure you will do better with the Kliofem.

[Anna69]

Thanks to you all
I am going to give Kliofem a try, as I have nothing to lose it seems...transdermal estrogen has not been that great, nor has oral Utrogestan...and I think that is where I have to start. I was told transdermal estrogen and Utrogestan was all I'd ever need...and now I am not so sure. Perhaps there is some truth to what my gynaecologist told me...I guess only time will tell. But I am not as afraid to go on oral estrogen and progestin as I might have been last year...!

[Anna69]

Yes, I considered Tibolone, but it is said to have "weak estrogenic, progesteronic and androgenic properties", so not sure that would be enough for me right now, as it feels like I am going through the most difficult phase at this moment. it's said to last a couple of years and then worst will be over...at which point Tibolone might be an interesting alternative. But right now, my estrogen levels are very low which is probably causing the heavy night sweats and hot flushes, and I am not sure Tibolone would be enough for that...it is said to be more effective than placebo, but less effective than HRT.