Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Cherylann75]

Hi all, I was on oestrogen 50mg patch plus a small internal dose plus utrogesten tablets. I’ve been on this since Feb but my follow up gynae (I’m under gynae after the Dr was not helpful, I’ve had a hysterectomy and a blood clot in the past, gynae said due to endometriosis I do still need progesterone and I’ve always felt a bit oestrogen dominant so was glad) appointment hasn’t come through. The patches weren’t staying on and I wasn’t feeling a huge amount better so I saw the nurse practitioner at my GP surgery who prescribed estrogel 2 pumps a day. I’ve been using it 5 days only and I’ve felt tired, having some palpitations and headaches although my joint pain seems better. But also I’ve been dieting two weeks and in week two (when taking gel 5 days) I’ve managed to put on weight while dieting! This happened when the GP gave me oestrogen only. Im wondering whether 2 pumps is too much with these symptoms or do you think they will settle? Advice please!

[joziel]

Pretty normal if you’ve only been taking it for 5 days but you could drop to one pump and increase from there.

[Cherylann75]

Hi, thank you. I thought as it was the sane dose but different route it would just swap with no problem but I guess not.
Josel do you think the weight increase is normal (put another pound on overnight despite sticking to a calorie deficit yesterday and going to the gym)? Will that stop if I reduce to one pump do you think? I’m on a strict plan for my holiday in less than 7 weeks and the scales are going in the wrong direction.

[joziel]

So, if your patches weren’t sticking before it’s like you weren’t really getting 50, if that makes sense , although it is the same dose. Some people absorb gel better than patches as well.

With the weight I’m not sure what to say there because everyone is an individual and has different causes behind weight gain. I do know what it’s like to basically look at an apple and put on weight the next day and not understand what is causing it. For me, that’s what was happening before hrt. I was also constipated with a slow gut. Since starting hrt things are much better. So for me hrt helped me. And with each increase in estrogen gut motility got better.

Are you constipated or having gut issues? There are things like water retention which can happen in response to hormones … it’s unlikely it’s actually weight.

The best way to lose weight is to eat a low carb diet and to do intermittent fasting. Just reducing your calories can result in feelings of hunger and frustration.

[Cherylann75]

Hi, thanks so much for posting. I have had gut issues most of my life so constipation is quite normal for me. It could be water rather than weight but it was quite drastic in just a week and I was on a diet at the time (same duet that has worked well for me many times). I had the same when I initially tried a tablet oestrogen. I’ll mention the constipation to the gynae next time as I didn’t know that could be a hormone thing. I drink lots of water and exercise a fair bit so should be better than it is. I’ve had hormone problems most of my life before perimenopause so may just be trial
And error to get it right.

[joziel]

Cherylann I also didn’t realise it could be hormones and even a female doctor I spoke to years ago dismissed the idea…

But I knew it was because it happened in the week before my period.

I wouldn’t change your HRT as it should all settle as your body gets used to the hormones.

[Cherylann75]

Hi, thank you. I have changed back to the patch for now. Mainly because my GP isn’t great with it and I’d like to discus with the gynae. I would have just carried on to see it played around with the gel but I go on holiday in 6 weeks and need to feel a bit better and have been dieting and if the water or weight or whatever it was continued I’d just feel pants on holiday so I’ll try again after and I’ll just stick my patch on my bum under the swimsuit and take lots incase they keep coming off in the pool.