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[WildOtter]

Hi all.

I went through surgical menopause about 18 months ago, since then have been on everol 50 patches but my oestrogen levels were low on last blood test and I've been experiencing a lot of depression/fatigue.

Switched to gel (2 pumps oestrogel) just over a week ago, and I've been having hot flushes, palpations, and my anxiety is through the roof. Is this normal? Will it settle down? Haven't felt this bad since before I started on the patches. Is it just my body getting used to the new delivery method?  How long do things usually take to settle down?

[CLKD]

Hi.  How did U feel. on the Everol 50?  If it worked more or less: HRT isn't an exact science: I would continue .  Perhaps put the product names into the search box, individually, to C the threads about these.


It may be too much too soon.  I would drop down to 1 pump for 5 nights/days, then add 1 pump 3 times a week.  To give the body time to adjust.

Also: hormonal blood tests are reliably un-reliable, who drew the blood samples? 

[WildOtter]

I felt absolutely crap on evorel but not this anxious. My GP did the blood tests. 

[CLKD]

Anxiety can increase during peri-menopause.

Describe 'crap' ..........

As oestrogen levels drop the body may become dry: inside and out: skin, scalp, deep in the ears, nostrils, vagina, eyes.  Muscles may become lax = aches and pains  .  Hiatus hernia due to laxity of muscles as well as frozen shoulder can be common as levels drop.

[WildOtter]

I'm not in peri, I'm in surgical menopause, I had a total hysterectomy last year at the age of 41. 

Crap = low mood, low libido, low energy, fatigue,  depersonalisation, derealisation, feelings of dread and doom, suicidal thoughts. I've been on an SSRI but tapering off it as it wasn't helping and gave me horrible side effects. My psychologist suggested hormonal issues might be involved, and asked my GP to investigate.  She switched me from patches to gel, last week, since then I've been having hot flushes and so anxious I want to jump out of my skin.  I just want to know if this is normal when changing HRT method. 

[Ermin2trude]

I was on gel and it was awful, heart palpitations, anxiety, dizziness, vertigo plus lots of other side effects. Switched to Evorel patches……didn’t absorb, fatigue, depression, no control of menopause symptoms at all. Switched to Estradot…..amazing.

We all absorb differently. If you are struggling on the gel, switching to a different patch eg. Estradot might do the trick.

Good luck.

[WildOtter]

Thanks!

I have only been on the gel a week, is it too soon to decide it isn't working for me?

[Nas]

I hate the gel.
Makes me feel wired, anxious and agitated.

It might be that you are either not absorbing the evorel or you need a higher dose?

 You are in surgical menopause, so no natural oestrogen at all from ovaries? If that is the case, I would think upping the dose or switching patch type would be the next logical thing to do.

Good luck, you will get there eventually! 🤞

[CLKD]

Sorry >smacks wrists< I didn't read properly! 

I would ask for 'estradot' ......... nothing is worth feeling those symptoms for!

Let us know how you get on.

[WildOtter]

Thank you.

Is estradot particularly good or is it just the 3rd option?

One thing that has improved since starting the gel is my libido seems to be coming back to life. That makes me think (hope??) maybe it is working and my body is just adjusting to suddenly having estrogen again.

I've genuinely been through hell in the last year or so, I can't remember the last time I had a genuine positive emotion, I just can't take having anxiety spikes on top of everything else. It's not strictly relevant but I had the total hysto due to cancer treatment so to say it's not been a fun time is an underestimation. 

[sheila99]

There is no 'good' or 'bad', only ones that you personally get on with and do or don't absorb well. I think you absorb gel less well than the previous patch as you're getting more meno symptoms so I would increase to 3pumps. Did she say why she changed you to gel instead of increasing the patch strength as that would have seemed the obvious thing to do?

[WildOtter]

She just said that people sometimes don't absorb the patches and to try the gel.

All I really want to know is if it's normal to have an adjustment period like this when shifting to a new delivery method, or is it reasonable to conclude after only a week that this isn't for me

[Ermin2trude]

Estradot is particularly good. It’s Estradiol hemihydrate which our bodies tend to ‘like’.

As for continuing with the gel……GP’s will often advise a 3 month period to see if it settles down. It’s up to you though and your quality of life. Perhaps keep a symptom diary to see how you feel and if there are improvements/spikes etc.

If you really don’t get on with it and the symptoms you describe continue, then do try estradot.

[sheila99]

No it isn't normal unless you had a break between them. But I don't think you can conclude that gel isn't for you, just that 2 pumps isn't enough. If you had a break I would wait another week as flushes usually go within a couple of weeks. I found I got a higher dose from estradot than gel but doesn't mean you will. The answer is usually a stronger dose of what you're on rather than to keep switching products. Most people get a similar dose from all of them. Presumably you know gel has to be applied to clean, dry skin? If you use moisturiser or any other skin product absorption may be affected

[WildOtter]

Well if the everol wasn't working I have effectively had a break? So could this just be my body getting used to estogren again after a draught?