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[discogirl]

Hi.
I’m also struggling with high estrogen symptoms  severe anxiety. The original symptoms Fo on this 100 and blood count is 414. If I reduce it from 100 to 75 my original severe muscle spasms and back and rib pain come back with in a week or so.
Weirdly I was prescribe amitriptyline 6 days ago. After 5 days my original symptoms are back with vengeance also itch skin. Read an article that antidepressant can affect hormones.
  Cant tolerate testosterone either
Hope we can all get through this x

Hi AliP,

Just noticed your post, so hope you don't mind me cutting in.

I'm on amitry and have been since february, I'm only on 10mg though. You're quite right in the study that was done, it was shown that amitry can decrease estrogen and progesterone, however I believe this is only on higher doses of amitry 50mg, 75mg and 100mg xx

[Kathleen]

Hello ladies.

Pippa 52 - Your post resonated with me as I am experiencing all the symptoms that you describe ie anxiety, headaches, jitters etc. I am 66 and post meno and I have been guilty of tweaking my HRT over the years. My latest experiment has been to apply the 'less is more' philosophy and I am now using half a sachet of Sandrena gel which I think equates to 50mcg. Most of my physical meno symptoms have resolved over time but just recently I tried a quarter of a sachet and low and behold the physical symptoms of muscle aches, flushes, night sweats and vaginal dryness also joined the party! I assume this all points to a sensitivity to changing hormone levels.

Ali P and discogirl - I have been taking the AD Venlafaxine since 2013 which is the same time that I was prescribed HRT. I wonder if this AD has always affected my hormones and this explains why the HRT has not been totally effective?

Wishing you all well ladies.


K.

[discogirl]

Hello ladies.

Pippa 52 - Your post resonated with me as I am experiencing all the symptoms that you describe ie anxiety, headaches, jitters etc. I am 66 and post meno and I have been guilty of tweaking my HRT over the years. My latest experiment has been to apply the 'less is more' philosophy and I am now using half a sachet of Sandrena gel which I think equates to 50mcg. Most of my physical meno symptoms have resolved over time but just recently I tried a quarter of a sachet and low and behold the physical symptoms of muscle aches, flushes, night sweats and vaginal dryness also joined the party! I assume this all points to a sensitivity to changing hormone levels.

Ali P and discogirl - I have been taking the AD Venlafaxine since 2013 which is the same time that I was prescribed HRT. I wonder if this AD has always affected my hormones and this explains why the HRT has not been totally effective?

Wishing you all well ladies.


K.

Hi Kathleen,

I think you would have to be on a high dosage of amitry for it to affect hormones. The study said anything from 50mg to  100mg. I'm only on 10mg of amity so not enough for it to really affect hormones.

I don't know about other AD's x

[Kathleen]

Hello discogirl

Thank you for your reply.

I will see what I can find out about which ADs may affect hormones. 

Over time my dose of Venlafaxine has been increased and I am now taking a 115 mcg tablet nightly. I know many ladies who are on higher doses of this and equivalent ADs. If there is a problem with taking both medications we need to know about it.

From my own experience I don't think that ADs reduce absorption of transdermal HRT as my blood tests record reasonable levels. Indeed my highest level was 600pmol/L which my clinic doctor said was good and that I should have been feeling great!?.

Take care.

K.

[discogirl]

Hello discogirl

Thank you for your reply.

I will see what I can find out about which ADs may affect hormones. 

Over time my dose of Venlafaxine has been increased and I am now taking a 115 mcg tablet nightly. I know many ladies who are on higher doses of this and equivalent ADs. If there is a problem with taking both medications we need to know about it.

From my own experience I don't think that ADs reduce absorption of transdermal HRT as my blood tests record reasonable levels. Indeed my highest level was 600pmol/L which my clinic doctor said was good and that I should have been feeling great!?.

Take care.

K.

Hi Kathleen,

You're quite correct, I don't think the results regarding the amity study anyway were significant; and indeed it is quite safe to take amity with hrt.

Thanks for replying and take care xx

[Pippa52]

pepperminty and kathleen - honestly it truly is a nightmare isn't it.  I have been on the lower dose for 9 days and was doing better then for some reason last night started getting a lot of hot flushes and some anxiety and just could not sleep properly grrr. I am guessing the lower dose has now properly kicked in. I have my video consultation tomorrow wit the Meno consultant  and the oestrogen blood level result so I will ask her many questions.   I don't want to go back up on the dose again as felt far more ill on the higher doses and being 70 I honestly don't think I should need that much anyway.  I guess it might be a question of toughing it out and my body adjusting to a lower dose and being on the same type of HRT for longer as I have been switched about so often over the past year I think it's really confused my system totally.  Do hope you both are ok?  xxxx

[Kathleen]

Hello again ladies.

Pippa52 -  When I'm feeling a bit better I think I should try and tough out the rubbish times but when the low mood and tearfulness strike I desperately want relief.

I moved to a quarter of a Sandrena gel sachet on the 9th of November and since this weekend I have observed more and more symptoms. The amount of VA type dryness that I experienced on Sunday reminded me of the sensations I had at the end of 2019 when I had been off all HRT for two weeks. Other mood stuff is also happening and I nearly cried in Sainsbury's this morning because I felt so low.  Why can't we live with low Oestrogen levels when so many other women can? I despair at times like this.

Wishing you well despite it all!

K.

[MIS71MUM]

Sorry to hear you’re struggling Kathleen. I know from previous posts you’ve had a tough time.

Hopefully an increase in Sandrena will give you a boost.

I don’t think this time of year helps either!

Take care

[Pippa52]

Ali P so sorry you are suffering too.  Like I have said many times I am most definitely coming back as a man!!! xx

[discogirl]

Ali P so sorry you are suffering too.  Like I have said many times I am most definitely coming back as a man!!! xx

i second that pippa52!!!

[MIS71MUM]

Discogirl & Pippa, how are you both getting on?

Had a total disaster with patches, gave me migraines, affected my bladder and ended up flushing every 2 hours last night so got no sleep at all!

So in total desperation I’ve applied 3 pumps of gel this morning. And will be staying with it until I see an improvement in symptoms.

Just need some quality sleep.

[discogirl]

Discogirl & Pippa, how are you both getting on?

Had a total disaster with patches, gave me migraines, affected my bladder and ended up flushing every 2 hours last night so got no sleep at all!

So in total desperation I’ve applied 3 pumps of gel this morning. And will be staying with it until I see an improvement in symptoms.

hi MIS71MUM

im ok thanks for asking.

i think ive realised that this is a marathon and not a sprint x

[Floo36]

Morning,

Pippa52 it sounds like you don’t absorb very well as your symptoms are what I have with low Estrogen, perhaps your bloods results will help to fathom it out.

Kathleen, it does sound  absorb if you are getting more symptoms since dropping the dose.  It is all trial and error.

[Pippa52]

Floo - yes totally agree it should be low oestrogen symptoms but I get them when I am on a higher dose and  much much worse.  Hopefully I will know more this afternoon when I get my blood test results.  Fingers crossed the level has gone up a bit as I feel better on a lower dose than I do on anything higher.  Its all so confusing. aaaaagh xx

[Pippa52]

Just had my telephone consult with the meno consultant.  Pretty disappointing really my blood levels are even lower at 52pmol and that is on 2 pumps of Oestrogel.  She said I am clearly not absorbing the gel properly as my level on 2 pumps should be in the region of 170pmol so it looks like I am going to have to change yet again - she would like me to change to a 25mg patch to start with which is a low dose but will be absorbed at a steady rate.  Sadly that is not what happened when I was on them before but I have to give them one more try I guess.  She said otherwise because I have begun to feel better on the Oestrogel it may be that we have to compromise with a low blood level but she said I will not be getting any bone protection etc which is one of the main reasons for me of being on it. She did also say she felt the gel strength was being rather up and down recently and several of her patients had said the same.  Ho hum back to the drawing board but I just don't want to go back to feeling so ill again aaaagh
P.S. Having had a bit of time to think about things I have decided that rather than rush into changing medications AGAIN (6th time in under a year) I will ask to be referred to have a DEXA scan to see what shape my bones are in.  Quite honestly if that comes back ok I think I would rather feel well and have a low oestrogen level than feel absolutely terrible with a higher one.  Quality of life is very important after all and I have only been on the lower dose for 2 weeks so I think it's too soon to give up yet.  The Meno consultant did also say if other methods make me feel unwell then staying as I am would be the only option xx