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[KaraShannon]

Hi everyone

Still struggling.  It's been 10 weeks, a lot of dizziness that's gradually improved, but still postural hypotension.

This will sound daft but I have yet to have my blood test, I've just been so overwhelmed with fatigue and other issues in my work going on that I cancelled the appointment and have to re-book it.  I have felt pretty unwell but where that should mean I go for a blood test, unfortunately it means I haven't felt able.

I stopped my vaginal pessary 5 days ago and now afraid to use it again, a significant amount of dizziness stopped.  But not completely.

I've just put my Estradiol 100 patch on (a new one tonight) and now I'm aware of ringing in my ears, nothing major, but I've just noted it's happened with the new patch.

Concerned about bp, it's always been normal but it should be checked.  The doctor said on the phone that it is probably good but low when I'm standing up suddenly, but still good to check.  Due to a number of health things that have affected my family I have avoided having my bp checked in the last few years.  I know what you'll all say and I also know you'll be correct, I will do it, but been avoiding it due to anxiety.

If I would just feel better that would be a start, so I'm thinking of going back down to Estradiol 75, then using the evorel sequi progesterone for now, so pretty much the regime I was on before.  I wasn't feeling unwell, just not as good as I thought I should, so perhaps I should get back to that first.

And get my blood test, but right now wondering about the estradiol because that could result in immediate feedback, good or not so good.  Thoughts are welcome 

[KaraShannon]

Re the vaginal pessary, it's vagirux.  I started on vagifem and had terrible migraine at the start but then I was able to tolerate it every other day. 

Now I have a feeling any use of it is causing head problems, but then I'm on vagirux now.  I don't know if the different brand has an effect. 

Or whether it's just that I'm on enough estradiol with a 100 patch and need to get that down.

[KaraShannon]

Just wondering if anyone has had anything like this or can relate or found improvement with lowering estradiol, thanks 

[ATB]

Hi, I don’t know if I can help much but I’ll try. Hopefully others with more to offer will come along too. I don’t know your story so not sure how long you’ve been on HRT? I’ve been on evorel patches for 8 months, plus the Utrogestan and testosterone via Androfemme cream. I did have to lower my evorel patch from 75, which I tried for 3 months, back down to 50. I had been on gels before but when switching to patches had to lower. I had sort of classic symptoms of too much oestrogen, although it’s difficult to tell if it’s  low or high but I tested and it was quite high so I did lower and I now think this is the right dose and I feel mostly well most of the time. I have anxiety and it was much worse on the higher dose. I feel like we might have similar ways of managing our health anxiety, I avoided tests and visits I needed to do for years after having so many at the start of my journey years ago. I avoided an ultrasound for a neck lump for 7 years! But I’m going to do it next week and I think being on the right dose of HRT plus therapy has helped me get to that point. Avoiding things we need to do because we are afraid is understandable, but it only ever makes our issues worse. I got so tired of this affecting how I lived so decided I needed to deal with it and stop wasting my life. The anxiety is still there but my response is so different. When I felt fatigued and unwell it was difficult to get in the right headspace to deal with my fears. Try not to give yourself a hard time about avoiding these things, it’s a normal and common thing to do. It is best for your health including your anxiety to find a way to address this though, by speaking to your GP or finding a local therapist. There are good therapists on YouTube who discuss these things too. 

[Marchlove]

Good post ATB. I confer completely in that lower dosages of estrogen result in a lessening of anxiety for me.
Time and again this is proving to be the case.
I have  COMT gene mutation, and my specialist confirmed with me recently that this means that I cannot metabolise estrogen correctly. Hence lower doses are necessary.
It’s not an usual occurrence, but what I think I’ve learnt is that it means that I cannot take sequential hrt .
I’m still learning, but what I do know is that very low dose estrogen, along with lower dose progesterone is my way forward.
Love to you all xx

[Wrensong]

Hi Karashannon, just a thought on what you say here

I'm thinking of going back down to Estradiol 75, then using the evorel sequi progesterone

  If you mean you are thinking of combining use of a 75mcg oestradiol patch for part of your cycle with the norethisterone containing patches from an Evorel Sequi box (a 50cmg oestradiol product) for the 2nd part cycle, this could be problematic for you for 2 reasons:-
 
1) the amount of progestogen may be insufficient to oppose the effects of the higher dose 75mcg oestrogen patch used during 1st part of the cycle, so your uterine lining could become thicker than optimal, over time increasing risk of unhealthy changes

2) if you are intending to change a 75mcg oestrogen only patch for one containing only 50mcg oestrogen + progestogen for part of each cycle this could give rise to unpleasant symptoms from the abrupt drop & then increase in oestrogen levels as you change from one to the other & back again.

Hope I've understood your intention & that this makes sense.  Or perhaps you mean you have norethisterone tablets?
Wx

[joziel]

Karashannon

I just wanted to say that I'm totally with you on the health anxiety and trying to avoid tests and things. With the blood pressure, I get white coat syndrome so it is likely high at the doctor's. I got a home blood pressure monitor and my doctor lets me do it myself at home and report the reading. If high (because I am very silly and get stressed even doing this at home, the feeling of the thing tightening on my arm and hearing my pulse hard!!) - then she said to test 2x a day, for a week, and average the results out.

If you want to check your own blood pressure and if that would help with the anxiety, you can get the machines pretty cheaply in any pharmacy or online. You should be able to get a basic one for about £25 and a really decent one for £50.

[sweettooth]

Hi Kara

I’m pretty much thinking like you and wondering if I should reduce?  Sorry I can advise as such YET but I’m reading other ladies replies with great interest!  I’m on 2mg oral, I got covid and had meno symptoms back so I increased last week to 2.5mg and dear me I was floored with exhaustion and low mood so higher is def out the door which makes me think a little less could be my answer too?!!  I also have had a whooshing in my ear this past while so could all be linked….I hope you improve if you do reduce X

ATB can I ask what were your symptoms when E was too high please? X

[ATB]

Things like weight gain, more bloating, sore breasts, more moodiness, panic attacks and more anxiety, period changes, tiredness- I had been seeing improvement in that area until the increase in my dose which I then took down.

[sweettooth]

Thanks for that!  Time will tell on my slightly reduced dose🤞🤞 if it works it will be my lotto win🥳🥳

[ATB]

Good luck!