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[3isenough]

Hi all. Hope you had a passable Christmas. I had a hysterectomy and BSO 6 weeks ago. I feel like with each week my mood is dropping. My skin is getting drier. I’m looking older  !!!

I was taking 4 x estrogel pumps, ovestin 2x per week and progesterone (occasionally as I was intolerant). Now I’m just doing the 4 x estrogel and ovestin 2/3 per week (I went back to loading dose after a couple of weeks off with the stitches etc).

I’m really starting to struggle with dry skin, never a problem before, mood flashes, this was much better the last year prior to hysterectomy on the HRT. General sense of well-being is dropping too.

Could I need more estrogen?? My regular meno clinic consult was a couple of weeks ago and they want bloods taken 6 months post op. And no further consultation before then. Despite my saying I felt it was dropping. 

I’m wondering if I should trial 5 x pumps?? Has anyone else needed to increase after a hysterectomy?? I realise 4 x pumps is the Max recommended dose.

[3isenough]

I should also say I’m 42. And was probably peri for 7 years prior to them agreeing to me being referred to meno clinic last autumn and starting HRT then.

[Taz2]

As you had your ovaries removed then it is indeed possible your level has dropped. Ovaries still produce some oestrogen well into post meno. Do you mind me asking why they were removed?

I'm not sure about how much you can increase the dose though.

Taz x

[3isenough]

No I don’t mind you asking why they were removed. Mostly as I was already on HRT, and intolerant to my own progesterone as well as the utrogestan.. so it was so I could stabilise my dose without any progesterone rather than wait for them to fail altogether.

My estrogen level was very low when I started HRT as was my testosterone so I don’t think they were doing much.. but I was having regular cycles.

[Jools1x]

Hi, I had total hysterectomy end of October this year and went straight on two pumps of oestrogel daily, didn’t feel any relief from the hot sweats so increased to four pumps two weeks later as advised by menopause doc, still found no relief from the hot sweats and difficulty sleeping, spoke to menopause doctor who advised me to increase to six pumps, three of a morning and three of an evening,  still didn’t help so I decided to try the estrodot patch 50mg which I am now on my second week but still having hot flushes, I was told some people do not absorb the eostrogel very well, think I must be one of them, my doctors surgery does not check oestrogen levels as routine unfortunately so I’m just going to stick with the patch and hope it helps given time. I am 53,

[sheila99]

I was also told by a meno specialist I could go up to 6 pumps though I haven't needed more than 4. It's possible you could absorb better from a patch. I would increase the gel for a start and see how you get on. You may also need testosterone. For me it improved muscle tone, mood and motivation as well as libido. Dry skin is associated with aging as well as meno so it might be better to rely on other meno symptoms to judge your dose. Flushes are a good one as, unlike most symptoms, they're caused only by oestrogen deficiency.

[3isenough]

I started on patches but developed an allergy to them. Sadly as they were brilliant. I’m also on testosterone since June and recently increased that as my levels were better but not great.

I will try a small increase in estrogen and see how I get on.