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Author Topic: Combined pill... Why ups and downs?  (Read 1979 times)

CrispyChick

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Combined pill... Why ups and downs?
« on: July 31, 2021, 05:42:06 PM »

Hi ladies.

Not been on for a while as I've been trying my very best to tame my horrific cycle with the pill. After many failed trials, I pushed through on microgynon. Had a very rocky first 8 weeks but, the start up symptoms did decline.

Now, almost 7 months in... I'm still trying to work it all out. I take irregular breaks from it when I feel I need one. But the breaks give me migraines which take almost a full 7 days back on to go.. So I'm not keen.

My problem is I'm getting cyclical symptoms. But I don't understand why. Every few weeks I get extreme fatigue and achy back. Lasts about 7 days. Often get foggy and anxious too.

Every so often I get artificially depressed. I have it today and yesterday. Feel so low and flat. But I know it's artificial, if that makes sense. Last time I had that, I took a break. This time I'm only on week 3 restart after a break.

I'm still holding in. It's not easy to consider changing this pill for another type as I've been through most of them. The more estrogen dominant ones make me dizzy and ill and some gave me constant migraines. So this is the best of a bad bunch...

But, I just can't work this cycling out. Is it my cycle (everything I read tells me it shouldn't be) or is it side affects? But I take the same dose every day.

Really frustrating. One good week out of about 4 at the moment. That's better than me on nothing, but I just want my life back.

I'm 45. Tried hrt last year. The estrogen alone made me feel ill. So I don't think I ready for that.
Thanks for reading. X

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Floo36

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Re: Combined pill... Why ups and downs?
« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2021, 02:21:42 PM »

Hi Crisychick,

I can only go on my own experience with the combined pill I was on for many years and then tried it again until March this year because I was struggling to get HRT to work.  The pill did nothing for my peri menopause symptoms, I have no idea why as I always thought that because of how high the dose is compared to HRT that it would help but it didnt.  It probably works for some ladies but I’m not quite sure why it didn’t for me. I always believed that it overrode our own hormones but it didn’t with mine, I still felt all the highs and lows of my own Estrogen. 

I have a problem with absorption with all the estradiol types I’ve tried but continue to keep trying.

Could you try HRT again?


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CrispyChick

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Re: Combined pill... Why ups and downs?
« Reply #2 on: August 02, 2021, 02:32:35 PM »

Thanks floo

I know we've spoken on the long pill thread before. It's reassuring to know it's not just me then.  Goes against everything you read:

'They work by suppressing the ovarian function; therefore, there is no significant output of estrogen or progesterone from the ovary while on the pill. Instead, oral contraceptive pills add back a fixed amount of synthetic estrogen and progestin daily while the ovary sits by idly'

Hmmmm

I have been still suffering on and off on this pill, but the last 5 days have been horrific. Immense pmt and now terrible brain fog, fatigue and nausea. Just like be at the beginning of this horrible journey.

It feels like I'm low on estrogen... But I'm on week 3 of my pack. Absolutely bonkers.

I've got eloine ready to try. Being a, lower dose estrogen scares me, but it is meant to reduce pms, so the prog should he kinder.

I felt so ill on the estrogen part of hrt... I just don't think I'm ready yet. 😬. Or I might try bioidevtical so I get a better fit.

I'm sorry to hear you are still struggling. So you know you are short on estrogen, but cant absorb????
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Floo36

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Re: Combined pill... Why ups and downs?
« Reply #3 on: August 03, 2021, 07:40:14 AM »

Hi,

I have tried different preparations since April 19 with no success.  My own hormones have been up and down and fluctuations wildly and still are.  I have about 44 symptoms of menopause and keep adding to the list, it’s brutal.  I am in a minority apparently and there can be a ten fold difference in absorption between us. 

I was scared because my estradiol bloods at the highest were 5000 pmol and this led me to believe that I was absorbing but I was still very ill so I needed to prove to myself that it wasn’t the HRT but my own fluctuations.  I ended up doing about 8 tests and thankfully the last one showed 400, I felt the same on every test and they all came back different levels.  Trying to get an accurate blood level in peri with extreme fluctuations is almost impossible.  I’m now concentrating on symptoms.

I’m only trying to add back the Estrogen that I have lost, if I don’t keep trying I have no life so I have to keep going. 

It is trial and error.

What is your next plan?
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CrispyChick

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Re: Combined pill... Why ups and downs?
« Reply #4 on: August 03, 2021, 08:33:25 AM »

Oh floo. That is awful. I am the same... No life.. So keep trying.

I've had a few more good days on microgynon than I would in nothing. I don't get the severe ovulation pain that took me to out of ours gp last year and my dizziness is much better, so, despite all the bad, I think I'll keep trying with the pill.

My next step is to try eloine. This should be better for mood. But I'm worried as only 20mg estrogen... I reacted badly to other 20mg ones... Scared to change, but scared to stay.

My other thought is go for bioidebtical in the hope they can fit to my situation. But, like you, I feel it is the massive swings causing probs, I'm 45, rather than constant lows etc.. So I'm still keen on taking the pill until that all ends... Just can't find one to work. 🙄

This crash has been the worst I've had on microgynon. Nothing ekse has changed, so no idea why. Today I have a bad headache. Last pill of the pack today. I'll go straight on to new pack. I'm not ready to switch as going away next week... Can't take the unknown. 😬
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