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[Emzib0b]

I had my first appointment with a Meno specialist at the beginning of the month to discuss testosterone for my libido and any tweaks to my HRT to help manage my awful moods. She has recommended moving up to 100mcg patches in stages in order to override my own hormonal fluctuations (I’m 41 and peri) and move to continuous Utrogestan (I’ll have been on sequential HRT for 12 months at the end of this month).

Has anyone done this and had success? I was using 50mcg patches at the time of the appointment and had been in a terrible place for about six weeks, with the occasional better day thrown in. I increased to 62.5mcg a week ago and am waiting to hear from my GP surgery before making any more changes as I’ll probably need a new prescription. I’ve been feeling so much better in the last week since increasing to 62.5, but I’m struggling again today, clearly I’m having a surge or crash of my own hormones in the background!

If I start to feel consistently better somewhere between 50 and 100mcg could I stop there and see how it goes? Going up to the max dose makes me a little nervous.

On a plus note I have a prescription for Androfemme which I can start once I’m on a higher dose of Oestrogen!

[Flossieteacake]

I think it is quite common to need 100 oestrogen in peri. If you do find less is enough then it is fine for you to stop. It is important you find the dose you are happy with.

[Emzib0b]

I think it is quite common to need 100 oestrogen in peri. If you do find less is enough then it is fine for you to stop. It is important you find the dose you are happy with.

Thanks Flossieteacake

Hopefully that sweet spot dose won’t be too far off in the future. I often wonder how I’ll know what that is with all these hormonal ups and downs! Take care.

[SarahT]

Snap!
Have posted a lengthy reply to my ongoing thread to which routinely replied.

Please.do take a look (seeing my g.p thread). Seems as are on the same horrible journey on this one. I truly do understand how bad these cyclical moods can be. Check out severe pms or indeed pmdd, which my g.p discussed with me today.
I start from 75 patch to 100 for them same reasons ( have mirena coil for progesterone) . I do feel for you.

Am happy to converse with you on this if you want. Am no expert, just struggling and understanding.

Wishing you well x

[Emzib0b]

Snap!
Have posted a lengthy reply to my ongoing thread to which routinely replied.

Please.do take a look (seeing my g.p thread). Seems as are on the same horrible journey on this one. I truly do understand how bad these cyclical moods can be. Check out severe pms or indeed pmdd, which my g.p discussed with me today.
I start from 75 patch to 100 for them same reasons ( have mirena coil for progesterone) . I do feel for you.

Am happy to converse with you on this if you want. Am no expert, just struggling and understanding.

Wishing you well x

Sarah, I was just about to reply to you on your thread and found your reply here!

I’m glad your appt went so well and you’ve got such a knowledgeable and supportive GP. I hope you feel better moving up to 100mcg patches. I really appreciate your offer to converse about this, thank you! Outside of this forum peri is a very lonely journey. I would be interested to know how you get on if it’s not too much trouble?

I’ve struggled with severe PMS for as long as I can remember - I did seem to meet the criteria for PMDD although I never had a formal diagnosis, and it got much worse in the few years leading up to peri. Sadly it’s taken going through what I anticipate will be an early menopause to finally get some help!

I hope you’re feeling a bit better this evening. It must be a relief to feel heard and supported by your GP and to have the hope of some avenues to explore.

Hope you have a lovely weekend x

[SarahT]

Hiya,
I agree that peri\memo can feel very isolating and lonely outside of this forum. None of my own circle of women had such peri\memo symptoms and whilst sympathetic, they naturally cannot empathise.
Like you pms has always been part of my life, and just got uncontrollable these last few months. Tbh, I had never heard of pmdd before today. But then most of what  am learning about peri is on this forum.

 I  think a lot of us women kind of shrug symptoms off as being just 'normal' and try to just get on with things.

I am kind both the other side of you in some ways, whilst you are in early age towards  meno, I am age 56 so considered late onset. Both seem as bad as each other dont they, but then again those in the 'average' age bracket feel Crap too I guess.  Am more than happy to share my progress with you at any time. Feel free to message me at any time.

I wish you a happy weekend too, mine seems a bit brighter and hopeful after today. Wish you well

Xx

[Emzib0b]

Hiya,
I agree that peri\memo can feel very isolating and lonely outside of this forum. None of my own circle of women had such peri\memo symptoms and whilst sympathetic, they naturally cannot empathise.
Like you pms has always been part of my life, and just got uncontrollable these last few months. Tbh, I had never heard of pmdd before today. But then most of what  am learning about peri is on this forum.

 I  think a lot of us women kind of shrug symptoms off as being just 'normal' and try to just get on with things.

I am kind both the other side of you in some ways, whilst you are in early age towards  meno, I am age 56 so considered late onset. Both seem as bad as each other dont they, but then again those in the 'average' age bracket feel Crap too I guess.  Am more than happy to share my progress with you at any time. Feel free to message me at any time.

I wish you a happy weekend too, mine seems a bit brighter and hopeful after today. Wish you well

Xx

Hi Sarah,

I just wanted to see how you are doing? Have you made any changes to your patches yet? I still haven’t heard from my GP surgery and am wondering how long to leave it before chasing things up!

Hope you’re doing ok 

[SarahT]

Hiya,

Well, I started the 100 on Monday, but a bit wary of too much too soon, so took a teeny sliver off. So far so good. A bit breathless but I had that for a  few days when I went from 50 to 75.

I have about a week or so before my period would be due... So that's the big test. It may take a few weeks for things to kick in to stabilise my cycle. But last month was plain scary at how bad my moods were. Wasn't sure how I could carry on  tbh.

What has helped is a bit of research into pms and pmdd during peri, from the search bar on this forum and elsewhere. I need to understand how my body works. It's the mad dips in mood that I find worse.

Am still pis*sed off, angry and sometimes sad at us all going through this, but rather than be optimistic or pessimistic I try to be realistic.
I think it was Peanut who recently said we put pressure on ourselves to be happy. She's right. Am trying to just go with each day....

But next week or so may well prove harder.😵

I would suggest you chase up your surgery, the sooner  you can alter your regime the better. Let me know how it goes.

Thanks sweetie, please always message me if you need. Will always help of I can.

 Seems we are  both in  the same slightly mad path.... Xx

[CLKD]

I wouldn't up the dose too much too soon, perhaps every 3rd night?  To let the body absorb the extra hormone?

Keeping a mood/food/symptom diary may be useful.

[Emzib0b]

I’m glad your first increase has gone ok. Fingers crossed for you for the coming weeks!

I’ve got up to 68.75. A bit of a weird dose - I had some spare 25 patches from last year and have been adding a quarter a week, half of what the consultant suggested. I think I’ve set myself up with some unrealistic expectations as I felt better within days of my my last two dose increases last year. I have to keep reminding myself that my hormones were probably doing very different things last year!

I left a message with the medicines team at the surgery and have just heard back from them. They have booked a telephone appointment with one of the nurses for the 5th May to discuss the consultants recommendations. I can’t help but feel a little frustrated. The last time a consultant wrote to my GP to request a medication the surgery just prescribed it. Although I’ve got enough patches to keep me going for a little while I would feel better knowing  the surgery has agreed to it and a proper action plan is in place. I’m glad I phoned now, and wish I’d done it a week ago!

I can totally relate to putting pressure on ourselves to be happy. I’ve certainly noticed I’ve been putting a lot pressure on myself to feel better!

Thanks for your kind words, it’s a big comfort, and likewise x

[Emzib0b]

I wouldn't up the dose too much too soon, perhaps every 3rd night?  To let the body absorb the extra hormone?

Keeping a mood/food/symptom diary may be useful.

Hi CLKD,

The consultant suggested increasing by 12.5mcg per week. I’m really sensitive to hormonal changes and have so far gone at half that rate, quartering some spare 25mcg patches I had left! Thank goodness for Tegaderm! I’ve been logging my mood each day - it seems to be easier to remember on the bad days! Of late I’m a squiggly line on or below middling!

[SarahT]

It's hard not to be a bit tentative isn't it? But like you I think a gradual increase seems the right thing for us. I am very used to cutting patches here and there especially if hrt is on a shortage.

 You made a good point that our own hormones are likely to be in a different place from a few months back. Hadn't thought about that,and heaven knows I've thought about a lot of things lately!

Am glad you have some feedback from the surgery, but don't forget if they just prescribe with our discussing this with you, do insist on speaking with someone at some point, just for reassurance and advice.

Maybe, just maybe we are getting somewhere..??

I actually wrote that quite about the pressure to be happy in my mood more  book... just a reminder. We are so hard on ourselves at times,but then we seem to have so many ups and downs.

Just saying I get how you feel. It helps me to know you understand too, so am sure we will be checking on each other throughout.

Take care Emz😍 x

[CLKD]

I find that health set backs are worse than the initial problems  .  It also surprises me how 'off' I can soon feel when I've been fine for weeks.

[Peri2022]

Just jumping on as I’ve had a bit of a similar journey (SarahT, you might remember I was on your other thread). Been on 37.5 Estradot for 4 months but started to have some bad days again in week before period, so the other evening I went up to 50. Well! I had the oddest sleep ever. Lots of lucid dreaming alternated with sleep paralysis and then waking with weird buzzy feeling. Reminded me of early days of starting HRT on too high a dose. Like some others on here, it seems I’m very sensitive to increases. I’d love to ramp up to a dose that inhibits ovulation but I don’t think my body is ready for it. Perimenopause really is such a moving target…am trying to just notice and accept my thoughts rather than, as you say Sarah, forcing myself to be happy or even just ‘ok’. Some days are just rubbish and I am trying to roll with it.

[SarahT]

Hello again Peri,
I do indeed remember you! It's odd the different effects we feel when altering our dose. I can barely remember dreams any night, but I can feel a bit jittery and breathless when I increase the patch, so like many of us I also go in small stages.

Both the nail on the head with it being a moving target though. I feel fortunate that so far the (almost) 100 patch seems ok, but again, as CKLD says, one day ok, one day off.

So, the acceptance and the just roll with it seems the key, so today I can believe that.... But on the down Crap days when you feel it is hard to lift your head up its not so easy is it? But today is ok for me, so am just enjoying that. Least I am trying something positive and have options.

I hope your body adjusts to this increase if you feel that's the right way for you. What about the possibility of some anti anxiety mess just on the week prior to your natural cycle kicking in??

Let us know how you get on Peri? Am sure our tales of woe or small successes help others who are feeling the same.

Hugs for you x