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[KaraShannon]

Sorry for two posts, but two separate questions I think.  Typing this very late so sorry if I could have incorporated in my other post.

I'm wondering if anyone out there felt better after a switch from Evorel Sequi to Evorel Conti?

I seem more energetic in the progesterone phase and wondering if my body would benefit from ongoing combined patches.  I've never liked the idea, as nature gave us a cycle originally, but I have to listen to my body.  Perhaps it would be right, so wondering if anyone noticed a benefit from such a switch.  Thanks for any experiences shared or other thoughts about it

[Hurdity]

Hi Karashannon

The problem for some women with cyclical HRT is that the very cycle is what can cause issues and allowing persistence of PMS symptoms and periods. If you can tolerate progesterone or certain progestogens then it may well be that you will feel better on a conti regime.

If you consider Evorel sequi. As soon as you change from the Evorel conti patches to the oestrogen only, your body goes through biological changes as the progestogen leaves the system - as with a normal menstrual cycle. This "progesterone withdrawal" can be unpleasant - with irritiability, fatigue, headaches etc. Following this there is the withdrawal bleed, which depending on what your bleed is like - can also be painful and make you feel rough. So these days could take up to a week or more of the oestrogen part of the cycle - and some women therfeore conclude that they feel better with the progestogen than the oestrogen only - but it has nothing to do with the oestrogen itself!

In a normal menstrual cycle your body's oestrogen soon rises rapidly to give the feel good factor again but with hRT of course this doesn't happen as you take the same dose of oestrogen throughout, which with Evorel sequi/conti is medium dose.

Why not give it a try and see how you feel? Bear in mind also that taking progestogen all the time for a prolonged period of time, as you would be doing with Evorel conti - can give rise to low grade progestogenic side effects in some women, which might not be apparent when just taking it for a fortnight each month.

Hope this helps and do report back if you decide to go down this route and be sure to keep a diary of your symptoms.

Hurdity x

[KaraShannon]

In a normal menstrual cycle your body's oestrogen soon rises rapidly to give the feel good factor again but with hRT of course this doesn't happen as you take the same dose of oestrogen throughout, which with Evorel sequi/conti is medium dose.

Thanks for that Hurdity, something to consider very soon, once my estradiol dose is down to the level suggested by the doctor.

Meanwhile, just wondering why they don't provide more oestrogen at the progesterone withdrawal stage, to mimic a real cycle.  I was surprised when I was given supplemental oestrogen that I was told to take it all the way through the month.  I thought surely I needed more only during the oestrogen phase.  I complicate things I'm sure.