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[rachelmkelly99]

Hi!  I'm 50 and started HRT 5 months ago (50mg Evorel patches, plus 200mg Utrogestan for the last 2 weeks of my cycle) as I'd been having peri-menopausal symptoms.  My periods were still fairly regular, quite heavy, and lasted 5-7 days.

In the last couple of months my periods have started earlier, around day 22, and lasted for nearly 2 weeks, but have been very light apart from one heavy(ish) day.  Has anyone else experienced this?

Also, I seem to permanently have slightly tender boobs pretty much all the time - any ideas why? 

Thank you!

[ATB]

Yes I did experience something similar, it can happen and isn’t usually a huge issue. However it can happen if your estrogen is too high, especially as you have tender breasts too. I would discuss with your GP or whoever you see for this.

[rachelmkelly99]

Thank you!  I'll certainly do that.  I've also been feeling a lot more anxious the last couple of months - could that be a symptom of too much estrogen too do you think?

[ATB]

Yes it can, it was for me. I got to a point with my higher dose where I felt close to perfect and then after 2 months I felt more anxious, including night time panic attacks, and my periods were 2 weeks long but not heavy at all and not consistent. With a reduction in estrogen, everything got better literally in days and the period a week after was as it should be. The difference actually is remarkable. I would definitely discuss this ASAP, no need to be anxious if it’s just a hormone adjustment!

[rachelmkelly99]

That's really helpful, thanks so much.  Can i ask what dose you were on?  I'm on 50mg patches.  I started on 2 pumps of gel but found it a pain to work into my rushed morning routine getting the kids out the door so switched to the patches.

The anxiety has been so bad in the last 2 months that my GP changed my normal ADs because it felt like they weren't working but now I'm wondering if it's too much Oestrogen!

[ATB]

Hi. I had a similar experience on the gel, switched to patch and either I absorbed the patch better or as I was new to HRT after 4 months or so of the higher dose it started to be too much. So I went from 3 pumps to 75 patch, then down to 50 patch. I tested my oestrogen too and it was WAY too high! Testosterone was good and certain symptoms were still fine so we deduced it was just the estrogen and it seems we were right.

[ATB]

I was offered anti depressants a few times by my normal GP but declined, am glad I did as it does seem it was estrogen related.

[rachelmkelly99]

Thank you again!  You're really giving me food for thought here!  Last question - how did you get your oestrogen tested?  Did your GP arrange it?

[ATB]

They can do but I’m seeing a doctor at Newson health, so she could have organised it but I needed to have a nurse come to me so I did it myself through medi checks, I’ve used them for years and usually do a hormone profile as I have hypothyroidism. I typically did a blood prick test myself but can’t do this for sex hormones while taking HRT so I paid for a nurse to come to my house. You can also get it done free at any hospital, just walk in with your private blood test kit and they’ll do it.

[rachelmkelly99]

Thank you.