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[Tulip]

Some women say within a week, some don't have anything change for a lot longer.
How about you?

[Flossieteacake]

I think it took me about 3 months to see improvements. The trouble is, I had to keep changing the dosages and types and go through side effects all over again.

[Tulip]

Yes that's another reason why I'm asking, I'd like to know when to start tinkering with my doses if I need to, but I also need to let things settle first so I can get a 'baseline'.

[Sfifties]

Hi Tulip ,my hot flashes and palpitations with night sweats stopped
after 2 weeks completely.
I am on wk 12 and not seen an improvement on other areas .
What are you main symptoms?
I had a blood test and my Gp has suggested increasing my oestrogel from 2 to 3 pumps to try to raise estrogen so that might help .
 i listened to a webinar  where a Consultant from the menopause centre was advising a possible change in regimes/ quantities after 6 weeks so that would be a minimum time to see what works or not , where my Gp wanted an almost 3 months before considering.
I am now on 3 pumps but i guess it takes weeks to see further improvement as i do not feel any different.
Obviously this is my personal experience i wonder if other ladies see improvements faster .
I am keeping a diary so at the end of 3 and 6 months i can have a clearer picture . Take care

[Tulip]

Yes I'm keeping a diary too.
I'm on 25mcg estradot, and 100mg cyclogest pessaries (2 weeks now)I increased oestrogen to 50 after a week to see if there was any difference, but the flushes became longer and more intense  so I dropped it back down.
I have about every crappy symptom listed  but the main one is that I have about 10-15 flushes a day, and I'm so sick of it after 4 or 5 years.
I'd really like my libido back, as well as my motivation and energy, and to not be a social recluse too.

[Sfifties]

That many hot flushes is unbearable !
and i understand how you must be feeling , i was just not “functioning “ when i had the flushes .
I would have thought that the increase in estrogen from 25 to 50 should have helped with the flushes, maybe 1 week was not enough time ?
Did your flushes came back longer and more intense during the all week you were on 50 or just after ?

I can relate to your experience with all the other symptoms , i still have very little energy and feel tired .
You might consider testosterone for libido , usually that is prescribed after 3 months once your estrogen levels are sufficiently raised .
I have just started it and have been  told it can take up to 6 months to see improvements.
This is definitely a long and arduous  journey and one need patience but my understanding is that hot flushes are first to go and most of the time it is just more oestrogen needed so i would get in touch with your Gp / Consultant to see if they suggest trying to increase your estrogen and try for longer than a week and see if that helps .
Sorry cannot be of more help but not sure apart from more oestrogen what else could help in decreasing the flushes.
Could it be an absorption issue ? in that case a blood test would tell .
Maybe someone else with more expertise will see your query and help
Take care

[VanillaLover]

I had an improvement to hot flushes and sleep quality within a few days - big improvement to flushes within a fortnight I’d say. The other things like anxiety I would say I started to notice a big difference after about 6 weeks and still improving now (at 12 weeks).

I feel I still have a way to go and would like to try a higher dose but for me it was very much a gradual change so I would give it the full 3 months trial if possible

[sheila99]

It depends on the symptoms. Flushes usually go within a couple of weeks, my anxiety and insomnia took 3 months. Some people find libido returns with sufficient oestrogen, I needed testosterone.

[Tulip]

Thank you for your replies everyone.
The flushes got worse immediately after increasing to 50, so after 3 days I took it off.
My GP is useless - she knows nothing about HRT (she'll wish she did one day!!), so she got the pharmacist to deal with me, who then has to wait until the GP is in (half a day per week), she then phones another doc for advice,  a week later the pharmacist calls.. and on it goes. 
I'm best off talking to you lovely ladies, you're the experts,  and much quicker than the surgery!! 

[Mary G]

I found that high doses of Oestrogel (3 pumps) kicked in very quickly and worked after about a week but lower doses take longer to work.