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[JoJo42]

Recovered from heat exhaustion, managed to get my V.A flare-up under control…then…developed excruciating low stomach ache (like terrible period pain but no period). Painkillers didn’t touch it! It was like a constant severe cramp that came in waves and lasted hours, easing off but never really going away. I thought it might be ibs related so tried some buscopan that had no effect at all. It was soooo bad a couple of weeks ago that I considered going to A and E and wondered if I had an ovarian cyst or something worse. I hate going to the G.P (with a passion) but the pain got the better of me and I went and he booked me for a scan (this Tuesday). O.K. Fine with that - have had a couple before.

I’m on Evorel Sequi patches and have been on them now for a while. No problems with bleeding between periods at all. Have been having a regular bleed every 28 days. Anyway, after I saw the G.P the pain got the better of me and I took my patch off. Within 24 hours the pain had gone. Then….I rememebered I’d had a similar problem when I when I first started the evorel and had to reduce to half patches and work up gradually to the full patch. After a few days off the hrt I decided to try half a patch because I was worried about the return of hot sweats and flushes coming back again, but the pain started to come back the following day somI took it off and the pain went again! I’m still going for my scan, but the pain has gone and even my irritable bladder has settled down. I’ve been off hrt for two weeks and no issues yet, (but I’m well aware that could change because in the past I’ve only managed a trial without hrt for three weeks before symptoms came back)What could be going on? If it’s the evorel…which it seems to be as removing the patch stopped the pain…why now? After being ok for months? Any ideas? I’ve found a couple of past threads on here where people have had similar issues with evorel. I can understand issues at the beginning of treatment but wonder why it might start up later. Don’t get it! I thought if flushes and sweats start I could try half patches again and maybe ask gp to go back on femseven when they come back in stock. Of course, the scan might show something else…and I did have a small fibroid on the last one about two years ago.

[CLKD]

How awful!   

I had intense, unbearable period pains with clots until I went on The Pill  . 

You have your answer, it's something in the HRT which is triggering spasm in the womb.   

MayB treat your 'irritable' bladder differently?  Have U read the 'bladder issues' thread as well as those about vaginal atrophy?  A loss of oestrogen can cause the body to become dry: inside and out  and VA mimics urine infection-type symptoms really, really well.  There is treatment!  Don't wait until symptoms become unbearable: 4 me it was like razor blades up there.

[JoJo42]

Thanks, Clkd. The pain was awful! Just like a period pain but without the period. In fact, it was much worse than any period cramps I’ve ever felt. I’m on vagifem daily now for the V.A. I had a recent flare-up which, as you say, felt a lot like a uti (negative urine sample), but eventually managed to settle things down, except for a little bit of an irritable bladder now and again, but this “period-type” cramping pain I had seemed to be squeezing my bladder as well, but since I took the patch off - the period-type cramp and the bladder issue has gone! And it’s left me scratching my head over it all. Ah well, see what the scan says and then maybe ask to go back to femseven that i was on for years until supply problems hit. Just seems odd that I had this pain at the start of the evorel treatment, then it settled and then it started up again. Odd. Although I suppose it could be something else entirely and just coincidence that removing the patch stooped the pain. My sneaky body is capable of playing such tricks on me! x

[joziel]

Do you feel equally as bad on the 'estrogen only' patches of Sequi as you do on the progesterone patches?

Are you bleeding at all? (Whilst on it or now you've stopped?) Do you have a history of endometriosis?

I think get the scan and see what it shows. Your estrogen dose might be too high - for you - which is causing cramping. If the scan shows your uterine lining is too thick that could be another indication that it's too much estrogen - or perhaps not enough progesterone to oppose it.

If the scan is okay, you could ask to switch to estrogen-only patch with separate utrogestan progesterone - so then you can be more flexible about increasing/decreasing what you need.

[JoJo42]

Thank you Joziel,

I can’t remember which phase of the patches I was on when the pain started. Doh!

I have had regular bleeds every 28 days lasting 4 or 5 days. Could it still be thickened lining? 
Last period was a week ago - lasted about 4 days.

I don’t have any bleeding or spotting in between and I’m not bleeding now. No history of endo. Normal smears.

I had this same pain when I first started Evorel and had to cut the patch in half and build up to the full patch. Could it be a problem with the type of progesterone?

[joziel]

If your scans are okay - you could try changing to utrogestan, the body identical progesterone (which has a lot of health benefits compared to a synthetic progestin anyway). I am not sure if that would help what you're experiencing, but might be good for other reasons anyway.

If the scan doesn't show any build up of lining then it sounds like the estrogen dose is suiting you well, you're not bleeding a lot or unpredictably there.

[JoJo42]

Thanks for your reply, Joziel. I just checked my ipad calendar/diary and saw that I tried oestrogen patches and utrogestan a few years ago and came off it. I can’t remember why though. I’ll wait and see what the scan shows. Everything seems to be going pear-shaped for me just lately. I’m anxious about what the scan will show but I’ve decided it’s a waste of energy worrying about it so I’m going to put my feet up and watch Jason and the Argonauts on tv. Thanks again x

[CLKD]

Would your medical notes have the reason why you stopped taking that regime?

[JoJo42]

Ah! Yes, that’s a good idea, when I get the scan results I’ll ask them to look. Thanks, Clkd. If the night sweats and hot flushes were to stay away, I wouldn’t bother starting any more hrt. Usually all the symptoms come rushing back in by week three. X