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[Gilla999]

It's really confusing isn't it? It does sound from what you've said like it's somehow connected to your hormones, from when you went on the mini pill to the pill.... which would indicate it's something to do with Estrogen, I just can't work out from what you've said what or where the connection is! If I were in your shoes i would probably be paying for the rhythm profile hormone tests I'm currently doing, to see if I could try to correlate the "episodes" with any changes in hormone levels (it would also tell you if your own hormones are still fluctuating underneath). As Reb mentioned earlier, most doctors scoff at these tests and say only blood not saliva tests are dependable, but my own previous experience with them about 4 years ago was that they demonstrated exactly what I was experiencing and when, so I've personally felt they were reliable enough for me to get an indication of what's going on. Not cheap though - £235, and no guarantee it will show anything up.

Yes two days a month isn't so bad, but when it's unpredictable and drags into longer then that's not liveable with.

Yes I'm 99% certain that my symptoms are being caused by a drop in estrogen. This happens naturally at day 14 of your cycle and then again a few days later and continues to drop until day 1. It matches exactly the pattern of when I experienced my problems every month (plus the symptoms like night sweats etc). Obviously since starting the Pill I can't tie it into cyclical stuff and feel that my own body hormones have still been going on underneath, hopefully just while I'm adjusting. I've no idea why my body has become sensitive to drops in estrogen (because tests have shown my levels aren't theoretically low in themselves) but hey ho.

I really hope this episode passes for you soon xx

[CrispyChick]

I really can't work it out either. I think I'll suffer through this episode and see where I get to.

It was like a weird shift last Friday though. We were on a long walk and on the way back I was overcome with immense fatigue. Just felt like I'd overdone it. That night I didn't sleep at all (very odd for me). Since then the fatigue has been immense. Now my throat is pretty sore, my head and back ache and I feel totally run down. But I'm on holiday and doing very little... Sleeping plenty.

I guess when you read other people's stories, a lot say the pill works until a point into menopause. Then they get symptoms. Maybe I'm already at that point? Or maybe that just shows that your own hormones are always breaking through a bit. I don't know. It's all so odd.

There are articles out there about getting flu like symptoms before a period... Maybe for me, the pill is amplifying the hormone drop... No idea why that would be though, as it's meant to be flattening. 

Where do u get the tests done??? Do they explain the results?

Are you doing tests just now??? So, in theory, on the pill, I read our prog and estrogen should both read low. There should be no peaks. X

[Gilla999]

I know that at times when I would have natural PMT (before all the real issues started last year) I would feel like I was "coming down with something" - a run-down and fragile kind of feeling, but definitely not an actual sore throat - that was why I wondered if it could be something else for you, but it's so hard to know when you factor in that the Pill has seemed to amplify it for you. Most of the stories I've read are from women being told they need to come off the Pill and onto HRT rather than it no longer working for them... but I guess there are so many variances!

The saliva tests are done at home, you freeze them and send them off. You have to order it through a healthcare provider who then sends you over the results. They're not designed for women on HRT or contraception so I know my results won't be able to be "judged" against a normal hormonal cycle like last time, but as you say in theory my understanding is that the prog and estrogen when we're on a monophasic pill should be flat - there shouldn't be significant variances. I don't think it'll be low, but I think it should be steady, and that's what I'm interested in seeing (and also if when I have one of my "episodes" it correlates to any changes in my hormone levels). If you're interested I can send you the results page that I got last time I did it a few years ago so you can see what it looks like? I don't want to convince you to do it though, as you could pay £235 and not find out anything!! And as I say doctors scoff at salvia tests - it's just from my own personal experience I know it worked fine for me before xx

[CrispyChick]

Thanks for that. I'll give it some thought. I guess I need to see what happens next first.

The nose feeling is really strong - so could it be that amplified?! Or, like you say, thd feeling some get before a period. Period flu I read it was called.

Interestingly I have a friend who started on the mini pill last week, changing from combined pill. She felt lilt this last week. So, Could suggest hormonal change. Or, we both could have a bug 🤣🤣🤣

I can just never get straight on anything. So fed up of it all.

Will see where I am in a week I think...

[Scampidoodle]

Good luck ladies. I’m starting on the mini pill soon. Can you tell if scared, I keep putting it off!
Interestingly I had genetic testing done and gut testing done recently due to the histamine issues and they reckon I don’t have a problem with high oestrogen (which can cause many people to have histamine issues especially in peri menopause) but I likely have issues with being able to detoxify oestrogen which may be causing a lot of my issues and why I’m better when I have progesterone in my cycle to bring the oestrogen down. There’s a supplement by invivo you can take to help detoxify it. Anyway worth a try I guess. I suppose it made me think a lot of our issues may be down to how our own individual bodies break hormones down or process them rather there being too much or too little of one.

[Alicess]

Scampidoodle, one of the reasons progesterone is anti- estrogenic is because it increases estrone- forming enzymes in the uterus. Estrone has only
4 % of the potency of estradiol (100%) and is a partial antagonist of estradiol. Estrone can be converted back to estradiol and vice versa. Estrone -forming enzyme is 17 HSD type 2

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/17%CE%B2-Hydroxysteroid_dehydrogenase

Women on HRT have a much higher level of estrone and the ratio of estradiol / estrone on tablets is 1:5

By the way; all treatmens with estrogen will decrease testosterone as estrogen raises SHBG which binds testosterone, and estrogen to a lesser extend,
and decreases it's bio-availability. Levonorgestrel (Mirena) can lower SHBG but it depends how much estrogen is been taken alongside the progestin.

CrispyChick, everytime you stop the pill for one of two days, especially in the first 3 cycles you will create a imbalance and the pill will not work as it should.

[CrispyChick]

Thanks Alicess.

That's 4 full packs of microgynon. No breaks. I'm done. Feeling dreadful and got a migraine last night that is still lingering. Exactly what happened after my ill feeling week last month.

I've got daily nose pressure/head pressure, which turns into migraines at times. I just can't go on with it. It's exactly what happened with the other 30mg pills.

I think my only option now is to try Eloine. And hope
...

Failing that I could go back on cerazette... But my pmt was horrific.

Feeling deflated. 

Good luck scampi x

[Scampidoodle]

I’m so sorry crispy, you can’t go on like this so I understand the need to change, you can’t live like this. X

[Scampidoodle]

Good luck with the change to Eloine or cerazette, will be thinking of you x

[CrispyChick]

Change of plan.

It's been 4 packs straight. This pattern happened last month and this month only.  Worth a 4 day break???

My friend just told me she could go 3 months on marvelon then get a migraine, so took break, then could do another 3 months before migraine...

Feeling very sick, but it could be migraine over hang. So 4 day break then reassess...

Good luck scampi. Its always worth a try xx

[Scampidoodle]

That’s worth a try. You’ll know pretty soon after taking the break if your symptoms ease then you can re assess. Good luck x

[Gilla999]

I do find it interesting that you've had these episodes four weeks apart, and I also had my episodes on Zoely four weeks apart, which is part of the reason why I am sure it was my original hormones still fluctuating underneath. It does make me wonder about whether it could be the same for you, not that that's any help to you (or to me!). I have an appointment with a gynae on Monday morning and have a list of questions to ask her, some of which are:
- what dose of Pill is recommended to suppress all natural hormone function (and is it correct that Zoely/Qlaira wouldn't because of strength of estrogen)
- how long it normally takes to suppress all of your own natural hormonal fluctuations when you start the Pill
- if Yasmin (30mcg Estrogen) doesn't seem to suppress my own hormones, are there any other options or is that the end of the road.

So I'll let you know what she says Crispy in case it's useful to you also xx

[CrispyChick]

Thanks so much Gilla. I really appreciate that.

My head /nose still feels awful, so I'll take the 4 day break and see where I'm at.

In all honestly, I'd have no prob having a migraine once every 3 months... But I'm not convinced yet that that would be my lot. Lol. Plus last weeks symptoms were bad too. I do feel a bit periody avd I think I had the slightest hint of spotting today... So seems like as good a time as any to break.

I'm pretty sure thd whole weeks symptoms have been hormonal. At the end of 4 packs, that doesn't make sense... So yes, really appreciate the answer to your last question... 🤔 Xx

[Scampidoodle]

How is the migraine Crispy? Hope you’re getting some relief.

I had a dark day yesterday so ended up starting the mini pill last night so will see how that goes. Feel brighter today guess I would have regardless of the pill! Fingers crossed x

[CrispyChick]

Good luck scampi. When u say dark day, do you mean low mood???

Fingers crossed for you. I've got a friend trialling it just now. She gets a lot of spotting, but with the mirena as well, you shouldn't experience that.

I've still got  nippy head. Just on paracetomol and ibuprofen now. A lot of it is still feeling deep behind my nose. I guess this is what I was getting most days, rather than migraine. So I'm on day 2 of no pill. Despite the head, my mood is fine (that's odd for me. Most other 30mg pills I'd have felt a massive drop).

So, I'll do 4 day break... Then have a, massive decision to make on day 5