Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Lclegg002]

Wow, I’ve learnt more from you Bombshell than any meno specialist or doctor over the past 3 years… thank you. You have given me hope that this new regime may just work if my body behaves! I think I just need my cycle to stop as it’s the massive fluctuations that are sending me crazy!
Crispy I’m so sorry you’ve been in that situation too, im not proud to admit I have those thoughts as I  know people are battling awful things every day but the mental torment is just too much some days. My husband said it would ruin our children’s lives if I did anything like that but at my worst I truly think everyone would be better off without me. I really think it’s worth trialling the Zoely, it’s gotta be worth a shot. 🤞🏼

[bombsh3ll]

Glad to be able to help.

Certainly if someone is suffering to that extent and there is a treatment that MIGHT help, it is worth exploring.

In terms of quality of life I much prefer to ride a monorail than a roller-coaster, hormonally speaking.

[CrispyChick]

I'd jump on it in a heartbeat if I knew it would calm my horror show. But previous pill experiments suggest it'll make me feel worse.

Migraines, stomach issues and terrible moods are a big issue for me when trialling all the pills before.

But, I'm going to give it some serious thought as my rollercoaster matches the world's biggest. It's pure hell. The last two days have been off the scale. 

[bombsh3ll]

I would give it a go in your position.

Also, I know it's not always funded by the NHS in Scotland, but would the Nuvaring be an option?

I had a good experience with it, and it might get around the stomach issues.

Plus the gradual release rather than a bolus and knowing you could remove it at any time may be more reassuring than having swallowed a pill that you can't untake.

Migraines with aura would contraindicate this but this probably isn't you if you've been able to try other combined pills.

Apologies if this has been explored already.

[CrispyChick]

Yeah, I tried the nuvaring as part of my previous 'try every combined pill going' phase. Moods were horrid.

Basically last year I decided I'd put up with the moods, migraines and stomach h issue and go back on the pill. It made me worse.

So why I'm thinking if trying again, I do not know. Desperation I guess.

I am so ill 24/7. With thousands of symptoms on top of my ill feelings. 

But thanks, appreciate the suggestions. X

[bombsh3ll]

Well Zoely appears to have the most mood friendly of the progestins in CHC.

Dr Jayeshri Kulkarni is an Australian psychiatrist with an interest in hormone related mood disorders in women and she recommends Zoely where cycle suppression is indicated.

I hate my own progesterone, I don't know about you but I certainly find NOMAC much more benign than a natural luteal phase.

[CrispyChick]

Nomac???

I'm not particularly scared of this progestin. It's just my body seems to tolerate absolutely nothing. Slynd, for example, made me so ill and dizzy. Something i live with anyway, but seems to be linked to hormonal changes.

So now when I add in/remove hormones this ramps up.

I've got a few things to try first. Well one left. Then I'll discuss with GP in 4 weeks. That'll be me 5 cycles off chem meno. Every one of which has been horrific. Which includes last month's low E cycle and this month's high E cycle. My symptoms come no matter what. Which suggests it's the fluctuations and changes.

[bombsh3ll]

Slynd is a diuretic, it can make people who have no other health issues dizzy and sick. It's derived from spironolactone.

Whilst some individuals with high blood pressure or a tendency to fluid retention can really benefit from it, I wouldn't recommend it in someone with any suggestion of ME/CFS as they can have low blood volume and/or a degree of dysautonomia too.

[CrispyChick]

Ok. Thanks. That's reassuring.

I think joziel asked if I'd tried double cerazette. The answer is no. But even when it was suppressing my system ( it did two summers ago when I retried it as I tested 3 times) I had terrible terrible moods,sinus issues, headaches and stomach issues. Doubling it doesn't sound appealing.

I'm just so utterly sensitive to everything I touch. The more I've tried, the more sensitive I've become. For example, a tiny dose of progesterone cream will send my stomach into crazy levels of pain.

The only thing to sort my stomach and sinuses and migraines is doing nothing. Which I've now done for 4 months. But I feel so ill all the time.  if this is hormones, it is hell.

[CrispyChick]

So...

Have I got this right. Zoley is 1.5mg estradiol. Oral HRT is either 1mg or 2mg. So taking Zoley is like taking HRT.

Then the progestin used is what? So potent that it turns the cycle off. Whereas with HRT, even with the oral HRT comparable to zoley, this is not the case???

Have I got that right? Thanks all those that are in the know. 

[CrispyChick]

Nearly convinced myself to try zoley.

But then, I thought back to my 18 months of pill trials.

Basically low E pills didn't conceal my symptoms. I felt bad on them. High E pills did - but I got migraines.

So, if the pills were suppressing, why did the low E ones not help? But the high E ones did?

How would the 1.5mg estradiol compare to a low E (20mg) normal pill???

Have u tested your estrogen levels on Zoley???

I know noone has the answers. But it's such a huge risk to upset my 'on nothing' progress. 

[dangermouse]

I only know about how high E suppresses and the combined pills were not strong enough in my peri.

Not sure if you saw on your other thread, but CHAT GPT advised me that I could be sensitive to blood flow changes which could cause the nausea, dizziness, migraines etc from E.

It suggested micro-dosing E with a cocktail stick tiny smidge of Estrogel. Then if there is no reaction, to gradually keep adding more each day or week. This would be accompanied by about 5-10mg of prog cream. The other way you could try is the low dose vaginal oestrogens, tiny amounts of those.

[dangermouse]

You could also cut the Zoely pills into 4 and take a quarter a day to try that one more gradually (if not a timed release one).

[CrispyChick]

Thanks DM

Interesting about the blood flow changes. I actually think that's what happens to me, I'm so so sensitive to changes, not hormones themselves. And the chem meno just brought floods of changes.

I think when I first start pills, I also go through all that. Am I strong enough to try again??? Possibly not.

Would cutting a zoley tablet really help though??? I need to shut down quickly. If I cut it, I'd probably get more and more E, without shut down. But I see what you're saying. Worth a thought.

And that's just it. If the combined pills are not strong enough in peri...then I'm doomed.

Micrododing sounds spot on for you. I don't need estrogen this month. Mine has sky rocketed. No low E symptoms whatsoever. But I feel horrific.

I tried microdosing prog cream. Even tiny doses affect me. I was succeeding with this approach 18 months ago. I got up to 30mg prog without upsetting my stomach too much. Then got impatient on month 3, swallowed 1 utro capsule and all hell broke loose. Never got my stomach back to normal until I stopped all P.

So patience is very important 🤣

[CrispyChick]

I'm wondering if I'd be better going back to cerazette - better the devil I know. Starting on one, then going up to 2.

One used to work for me in terms of suppression, I'm sure of it. But last year it didn't. I tested and E was in the 400s and I was feeling very ill (probably the fluctuations).

I am worried about the headaches, moods and stomach. But I can't live like I am right now.

If it worked to suppress I could then add in E via HRT???  But I cannot find where the BMS say it is ok to use 2 desogestral.  . I don't want to jump out of the fire into the frying pan and find my GP won't support.