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[Unicorn]

Hi lovely ladies! ❤

Not sure where to start really, but I'm 48 and been on 100 of sandrena gel daily and Utrogestan for 12 days every 15 days.  It'll be my 3rd month I've been taking this for.

There has certainly been gradual improvement in that I have a lot more 'normal' days where I am my usual, happy, productive self, which I am very grateful for.  But I still get periods of racing heart, palpitations, weepiness, hot face and anxiety and the feeling of being overwhelmed (I do have a very stressful life at the moment, but can usually cope fine).

I am not sure if there is a particular pattern and I certainly don't think it's the utrogestan.  Maybe I need an increase when I speak to my GP next?

I don't expect miracles but just wondering 8f these are blips or I need an increase?  Could someone advise?

Thank you so much ❤️

[joziel]

How have you gotten up to your 100 so quickly? (In 8 weeks, if this is just your third month?) (Assuming by 100 you mean, 100mcg - I'm not sure how Sandrena is measured?!)

Racing heart, palpitations, anxiety and feeling overwhelmed are all symptoms for me of estrogen being increased too suddenly for me. My body is especially sensitive to it but I'm sure others are affected in the same way.

I ended up in A&E a week ago with heart palpitations it was so bad!! That was after increasing from 50-75. I then reduced to 62.5 and things are getting better. Instead of it happening every single night, it's perhaps milder and one night in 4 now. Hopefully it will go away totally...then I need to increase very gradually and have 25 patches to cut up so I can achieve that.

To go from nothing to a 100 in 8 weeks is a very fast schedule. Usually you would start at a 50 for 8-12 weeks and then increase to 75 for 8-12 weeks and then 100. Unless I've got the wrong end of the stick with the Sandrena gel measurements??

I definitely don't think you need an increase. You might even need to reduce some and increase more gradually.

[Unicorn]

Hi Joziel, sorry you've been so rough.  I meant to say it is 100 micrograms or 1 mg sorry!

I am not sure about it, but the GP started me on this amount.  Apparently it's the usual starting dose for Sandrena 🤷‍♀️ .  I get really confused..... is it different types of Oestrogen HRT have different doses? God only knows! Xxx

[joziel]

Hi - 1mg of Sandrena is actually the equivalent of 50mcg patch, which is a totally normal starting dose.

Were your racing heart, palpitations, weepiness, hot face and anxiety and the feeling of being overwhelmed symptoms you had before starting HRT? If so, it might be that you need an increase - but perhaps wait till after your 3 months if you are just starting that now. It can take a full 3 months for some symptoms to go.

If they have started since beginning HRT, it might be that you are adjusting to having more estrogen (as I am!) in which case, taking longer at this dose to let your body adjust to it might be best.

Either way, give it another month.... 

[Unicorn]

Ahhh, thanks Joziel! All those symptoms were there before starting HRT, but the symptoms felt like they were on steroids 😆 they were worse before xx

There has definitely been some improvement, and I even have more normal days, but then some of the horrid symptoms breakthrough every so often 😒 I was hoping to feel more human on a more regular basis.  Maybe because I'm still peri my swinging hormones may still be breaking through? God only knows 😁😁 Thank you so much for your advice xxx

[joziel]

I'd give it till 3 months before you increase. Just talking from experience where I increased after 7wks at 50 to 75 and it just made the heart palps, jitteriness and anxiety worse. I dropped back to 62.5 and current plan is just to stick it out here a full 12wks now, even though I know I probably need more. It's hard because some of your body wants more and some parts need to get used to what you've added in already 

[Forest378]

Hi Unicorn,

The symptoms you're having are exactly the same as mine - anxiety, palpitations, weepiness, hot face and feeling overwhelmed (I am also having achy legs and hip pain which radiates outwards). I'm 49 and started on 1mg of Sandrena just over three months ago as well as Utrogestan. Yes, this is a 'starting dose'.

Like you, my symptoms have also improved since I started taking HRT - they were horrendous  - but I feel there is still some way to go (if I had to quantify it, I'd say I was half way back to feeling my old self). The symptoms that are persisting are all still due to low oestrogen, so the doctor has just prescribed 1.5mg Sandrena (two sachets - 1 x 1mg and 1 x 0.5mg). As I understand it, it'll be a case of seeing how that is after 3 months, with the option of going up to 2mg Sandrena.

Finding pharmacists that stock all this stuff is another matter  , but good luck!

[Unicorn]

Thank you Forest! 🥰 we are twins....😁

Yes, my mate is 52 and has been menopausal since 24 😮 the GP (who was horrified that not 1 GP had put her on any hrt in all this time) prescribed the gel, but she can't get it, so has to wear a patch.  However, her patch isn't sticking how it should 😔. Xx

[Forest378]

Hi Unicorn,

Yes, I've heard the patches can get a bit tatty after a few days, but I haven't tried them.

I managed to find the gel after ringing around loads of pharmacies - being perimenopausal is a full-time job I think! I am hopeful that by the next time I need some, they will have sorted out the supply problems. Hoping also that for the next few months, I'm on the right dose of the gel and I feel less preoccupied with it - it's pretty boring .

I hope your three month review with the GP is useful. The consultations are (understandably) so rushed, with various levels of understanding/sympathy to put it mildly .... I ended up paying for a private consultation as I was desperate for a more detailed talk about it.