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[perimeno]

I attempted to increase my patch from 50mcg to 75mcg. It was all going well for a few weeks and then I started with flutters and palpitations and painful breasts. Tried to persevere then decided to reduce my dose to see if that helped.  by Saturday evening I started getting worried,  I could literally feel my heart beats when lying down in bed. My GP sent me to A & E the next day. My levels started at 87 on the 50mcg patch and on the 75mcg patch, ended up being 600!

Luckily, all the tests were ok.

It’s still continuing, I can feel the flutters in my throat, so I’ve taken the patch off, which has eased the breast pain.  How long do you think before I put

Has anyone had this happen to them?
I’ve no idea when to put a patch back on. Should I have put a 25 on for a few days?

Thanks
Perimeno

[Gnatty]

Hi there, I would think what you want to avoid is fluctuations. So I would not avoid too much chopping and changing if that makes sense but do any decrease/ increase gradually.
I experienced palpitations when I increased my Sandrena gel dose from 2mg to 3mg. It didn't happen straight away but after a few weeks,a bit like you. So I went back down to 2mg and it resolved itself I  within a week. However I have no ovaries so I guess I don't have the added complication of my own hormones playing naughty tricks!
I would put a lower patch back on, if you were ok on 50, why not go back to that? Or put 25 on with a view to increasing up to 50 once everything settles. I think fluctuating levels of oestrogen cause palpitations as well as too high so while you are changing your dose they may continue until your body adjusts to the new  amount.
The problem with palpitations is once you tune into them you can almost make them worse, especially if you are starting to feel anxious. If you keep busy do you notice them less? Maybe try cutting out caffeine for a while too. There are lots of threads on here about palpitations which might be worth a look.
I'm sure it will all settle down soon x

[perimeno]

Thank you Gnatty. This is really helpful.

 I had a hysterectomy a few years ago but kept my ovaries. I’ve been told they have stopped working now. I wonder if being post menopausal, if a lower dose is needed now?

I feel so much better overnight after removing the patch. The breast pain has eased, i can breath easier. I’ll put the patch back on.

I know what you mean about being tuned into the palpitations. Yes, when I’m busy I don’t notice them as much, it’s when I’m still I do.

Thanks again

[DottyD68]

Same for me perimeno. Palpitations and swollen panful breasts are an indicator to me of too much oestrogen. I have reduced my doseage on two occasions over the past year or two and it has alleviated those symptoms. Difficult to manage at times with fluctuating hormones but I would advise a small change to start to see if things settle.

HRT seems to me to be a bad game of higher or lower. You never really know which way to go as some of the symptoms can indicate too much or too little. For me lower has worked best but it is trial and error. Good luck. X

[Kathleen]

Hello ladies.

I had palpitations in post meno, mainly at night while I was in bed but they didn't scare me. I also recall having them during the day when I was on HRT but they felt more intense which did worry me. I never had them checked out and they don't occur now so I assume that particular symptom has resolved.

DottyD68 -  I like your comment about HRT being a bad game of higher or lower! I seem to have been on a hormonal rollercoaster for years now.  I am on a medium dose of Oestrogen and Progesterone and my remaining symptoms are the emotional ones and some vaginal dryness. However I have had a few night sweats of late and for the last few days I have noticed some spotting.  Will this journey ever end?! 

Take care ladies.

K.

[DottyD68]

Hi Kathleen,

I feel your pain. I too have been on this journey for sometime....at least 10 years of which the last 3 have been on HRT.

I have nevet got the doseage right but feel I have a better idea of which symptoms relate to higher levels of hormones, so it feels like a case of choosing which symptoms I can tolerate the most. I have recently reduced my  doseage and the anxiety, panic, palpitations, large breasts and swollen tummy which re-emerged from nowhere (probably as my own hormones changed again!) have reduced somewhat, but now struggling with increased allergies (like hayfever). I plan to have another trial period off HRT and am working my way towards that just to see what my own body is doing without the "help" of additional stuff and to see if I can cope without. Last time my mood and motivation plummeted to an all time low which was not sustainable so I went back on it.

Prior to all this I was a very fit and healthy 40 something and I cannot believe that I have turned into this person with so many physical and mental ailments that just seem to rotate from week to week. I do not recognise myself.

We can only try and remain hopeful and positive that this will all settle, one day. Hope you have a good weekend X

[perimeno]

Its interesting reading your posts, so thank you.  I saw my gynae who advised a reset, so i've to come off the patch for 2 weeks and then starts with a 25 patch. I'm going to try to persevere a i've been  struggling with achieving the correct levels for two years now. I would love to come off it completely, but don't think i would cope. Do you know if when post menopausal, your symptoms settle down?

Perimeno

[joziel]

For me, I needed a lot more estrogen. I spent ages at first thinking I was really sensitive to estrogen and carving up patches into slithers and re-starting on lower doses. It was only when I realised my serum estradiol levels were never really getting above 230pmol ish that I decided to try to get higher to see if that helped symptoms, into the 450-650 range many menopause experts recommend. It's been a long trawl to get there because I next discovered that I don't absorb very well so needed a high dose to achieve this - but hey presto, it is helping more than anything else has in the last 4 years....