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[Bracken]

Hi

I have been on HRT for 3 years. Evorel Sequie 50. It worked great. Then some flushes so went to 75.

Then got the merina coil and nothing has been right since. Only in 2.5 months. Lost a lot of hair. Came off it and went back on Evorel Sequie 75. Sleep terrible, hot flushes. Now up to 100 Evorel continuous and taking utrogesteron 200 a night. Still the same.

Wondering if I am taking too much oestrogen? Nurse suggested gel but I’ve had so many changes in a short time that I don’t know if I should give the current meds some time. Getting 4-5 hrs sleep.

Any suggestions helpful.

Thanks

[flo69]

Hi Bracken, what is the mirena coil for?

I guess it's not for contraceptive if you're 3 years on HRT, so either for excessive bleeding or to replace Utrogestan?

The mirena coil and Utrogestan both made me feel awful, they caused instant depression.

Utrogestan had me completely wired all day and all night, no sleeping on utrogestan for me and the worst indigestion ever.

I've tried many different combos over the last three years myself and oestrogen feels good, it takes away hot flashes and night sweats.

I found that I didn't seem to absorb Evorel50s, Estradot50 gave about double the effects for me and gel was even more effective than that, all at "equivalent" doses.

Then either when I start the progesterone on sequi or it builds up in conti, the whole lot stops having any benefit at all to me.

The reason I don't take HRT is because they insist on so much progesterone that it completely wipes out the good effect of the oestrogen and I'm wondering if that is what is happening to you while you are doubled up with two progesterone sources, mirena and utrogestan.

It might take time to build up your oestrogen level to where it can work in the shadow of so much progesterone.

Edit, if you don't have the mirena now, it took three days for me to feel better after mine was removed, so not long. Evorel sequi has norethisterone which I find more tolerable than utrogestan or levengestorel in the mirena (I've spelt that wrong). Maybe you need to go back to that.

[Bracken]

Thanks for replying. It all so confusing. I don’t have the Merina in now as I had a lot of hair loss. I had it put in for contraception. I am still having periods even though I have been on HRT for 3 years.

My concentration is less now but that may be due to the poor sleep. I wake up really hot. Just trying to work out what will stop it.

Maybe I just have to persist for a while longer, but I will consider the gel.

[flo69]

If you're still having periods then your hormones still have further to fall, so it's not unreasonable to think your oestrogen will need increased as time passes.

I thought patches would be easier, but the gel dries so quickly, it's no bother imo, I was shocked at how much more benefit I was getting from the supposed equivalent dose of gel.

[joziel]

As a first step, test your estradiol levels and see if they are low.

My Newson doctors say they like to see people between 400-650pmol and some women (like me) need to be higher.

If you don't absorb well transdermally, you can need quite a high dose to get up there. The amount in all HRT is this baby micro dose which is designed to treat the most obvious things like hot flushes. It doesn't touch some symptoms and probably isn't enough for optimal wellness and to reach all the parts of you! It's no where near what has been circulating in your body before menopause.

You can for sure try switching from patches to gel as some women absorb one better than the other, but if you need more than 100 patches or 4 pumps of gel you will probably need to go private. It sucks but that's how it is.

I reckon the Mirena probably interfered with your own ovaries - it does stop ovulation in some women - and pushed you deeper into peri, so you probably need a higher dose of E now.