Print

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

[Helen1980]

Hello

I am new to the group.  I have read many messages over a period of time but decided to join!

I am approaching 45 this year and I have been on HRT for three years this month.  My symptoms go back as long as 11 years ago ! Yep that's right started at 34.  10 years ago attended many docs appt had ECG's had heart rate monitor assessments all came back healthy despite the continued heart palpitations/breathlessness. Eventually found someone at my surgery who helped and carried out blood tests in 2022 which showed my estrogen levels were low at 59 pmol/L.  It was only in 2022 perimenopause was talked about (as i enquired after seeing a list of symptoms which I could tick off but thought i was being an overthinker as i was only 34) Over the last three years I have tried various combinations of estrogen and progesterone patches and gel had repeated tests with levels low and levels high and took onboard advice at the times i was seeing a change.  Last July 2024 I was put on 2 pumps of gel a day and Medroxyprogesterone for 2 weeks of the month and i found a combination that worked.  Then end of May 2025 out of no where i started suffering with chronic headache that lasted 10 solid days.  I was taking any pain relief possible which will not have helped I know as it was overuse.  I went to my docs again and carried out another blood test which showed my estrogen level at 1656 pmol/L which was really high.  I did nothing different so the assumption is my own natural hormones have been fluctuating/increasing.  I was advised to stop estrogen for one month then restart with 1 pump alongside now taking micronised progesterone daily.  The last 6 weeks have been horrendous with on/off headaches, bloating, painful boobs, and the most significant symptom i have is the heart palpitations.  That vicious circle of you feel the flutter/missed beat, you know bedtime is coming and the jitters are going to start, the dizziness, wide awake (which is when i would look at this forum and read your stories knowing I was not alone) tossing turning until you finally fall asleep but when you do you are sleep deprived and feel like you have been hit by a bus. I am fortunate I do not suffer with hot flushes, feeling sad, emotional, depressed etc like the common symptoms you hear about but don't get me wrong i have plenty of other symptoms to contend with some come and go some last longer etc. I am 45 soon which is an age you would expect peri so am I going to start with all of those in addition to what I have endured!  I do sometimes wonder back in 2022 when my estogen level was soo low, i had struggled for years and my periods were very hit and miss in that I would may be have 4 in a year, was I nearing the end at such a young age and was starting HRT a good idea and placing fake hormones into my system??  Will never know but you act on how you feel at the time and why suffer when there is help out there and I am grateful I did.  However the last 6 weeks have shown me that although i take HRT my natural hormones outweighed the HRT.  Has anyone else experienced this ?  Any one been on the combo 1 gel pump daily and micronised progesterone ?  I am just starting this now so early days.  I have bought some magnesium taurate to start taking daily as this is supposed to help the nervous system??  Any one had a good experience with these supplements ?
 
Any feedback would be appreciated xx

[Summer25]

Hi Helen1980

I also decided to join a week or so ago.

I was looking at your estrogen levels, I have adenomyosis and it is estrogen dominent, I have tried progesterone only and only lasted on them 2 weeks as they made me depressed, my consultant wanted me to try a 6 month trial of zoladex before a hysterectomy, I didn't want the injections but felt I was pushed into a corner, the first injection I started to feel a bit low mood, the 2nd injection literally threw me into chemical menopause, got anxiety, depressed, insomnia, night sweats, crying, it has been awful. I stopped the injection but it is slow release so can take months to get out of the system, I started hrt 3 weeks ago thinking it would start to add hormones until my own kicked back in again. I got a blood test and it has come out at 1349 pmol/L which is high, like you I am thinking my own hormones are outweighing the HRT so would like to know if I should come off the hrt. I am taking propanolol alongside the hrt and coming off the drug, it is hard to tell what is doing what, it is horrible when you feel that way, I think too when I get the palpitations and anxiety it is my own hormones fluctuating and trying to kick back in. I take magnesium 3in1, I think it is hard to tell what is doing what when we add extra stuff into the mix, you could give them a go and see how you feel.

I am not sure I have been a help but it seems my blood test was high too. xx

[Helen1980]

Hello Summer 25

Its all just an absolute guessing game isn't it.  Its great when you find a combo of meds that work and you feel great on top of the world then out of no where you feel deflated again.  The last 6 weeks out of the last 3 years have been the most annoying for me in that I was told stop estrogen for a months (which i understood with such high levels), try this progesterone, stop that etc etc I got to the point i did not know what was best to do.  When my estogen was off the scale high few weeks back i had a 10 day constant headache which i know was more migraine symptoms which was debilitating enough with work life kids etc I was told this was because my estrogen was high causing the headache.  At the point i had no palpations and had not for a long period of time.  So as i had been off estrogen for nearly 5 weeks last week I thought do you know what I am going to try seeing what my own hormones were doing and seeing if I would be ok without the progesterone as i had just started the new micronised one.  So last Monday I was on no HRT.  I felt great as had no headaches anymore.  I thought what is the worst that can happen ?  if i start to feel rubbish again i have all meds again at home to start again.  Went 6 days on nothing and palpations started again.  So after 5 weeks of no estrogen my levels must have come down low again to set off the palpations which I know low estrogen can impact.  So i totally get where you are coming from in wanting to try your body without HRT take stock of your own hormones.  That was me.  I lasted 6 days.  As you know as a sufferer with palpations its not nice when they happen are you are up all night jittery nervous and on edge feeling like you have been hit by a bus you wish you had other symptoms other than this . So I know we all have different reactions.  I am no medical professional but my own opinion was what did i have to lose in trying no HRT as like i say you feel rubbish you have everything at home to restart.  My advice my not be the correct one but I would say give it a go without HRT and see how you feel.  I did not really expect a miracle in that I would be fine with no HRT but i thought I would go longer than 6 days lol.  I was prescribed mirtazapine to help me which i started to take back in February.  I only lasted a couple of weeks on them as i did not feel i needed an antidepressant as i was not feeling down depressed weepy and i never had throughout all of this so stopped using it. So I again I can understand you stopping the propanolol.  Again you are absolutely right in you do not know what medication is making you feel what as when you read the leaflets they all seem to have similar side effects.

What is your HRT combination at the minute ?

xx


How long have
 

[bombsh3ll]

I'm sorry you're still suffering after going untreated for so long.

The "high" estrogen on one reading probably reflects ovulation.

My personal suggestion would be to consider a combined oral contraceptive pill taken continuously, which essentially shuts down your own cycle and adds a stable daily dose back.

I'm 45 and take Zoely which is a combined pill with body identical estradiol and a really kind progestin.

I have no bleeding or hormonal ups or downs at all, it's brilliant.

Combined pills are often overlooked as a treatment in peri but are superior to menopause hormone therapy in many ways for women who are not yet menopausal, because as you have discovered, adding menopause hormone therapy doesn't get rid of your own fluctuations and can actually exacerbate them.

[Helen1980]

Hi Bombshell3II

Thanks for the reply

That is a really interesting suggestion I had not thought about that.  You have really given me food for thought now after being on HRT for 3 years and have a dip that may be its time for a change,.  Can I ask how long you have been on this and whether you suffered similar symptoms with palpitations and it helped?

 

[CLKD]

 

[Summer25]

Helen1980

It is all a guessing game isnt it. I wish I could find the right combo of meds right now. I am sure you feel messed about and didnt know what to do, that is how I feel I am not sure about any of this hormone stuff anymore. Goodness me headaches are the pits. So your experiment worked then and you now you had low estrogen. Oh goodness me the panic attacks, high anxiety, jitters they area all awful and you just dont know what to do, I get all irritable too. I am not sure I can just stop HRT right now as I need to give it a go, would love to be who I was months ago but I do feel I had an imbalance of hormones. Same I do not need antidepressants I need my hormones sorted out, I am still using the propranolol as they help with the anxiety attacks. Everything has side effects doesnt it which is so frustrating as you do not know what is doing what.

My hrt combo is 50mg Evorel and 100mg progesterone daily

[Helen1980]

Hi Summer25

Yes having no estrogen for 5 weeks and no progesterone for 5 days really hit me with the palpitations. I was really intrigued by the post from Bombshell 3II above in trying combination pill. Yes I have had the pill years and years ago but I guess my hormones are now different so reverting to this type of pill may help oppose to hrt ? I have made appt for doc next week to enquire . It makes sense out loud that my issues appear to be when my own natural hormones change alongside the hrt hormone replacement so would it be best to suppress my own hormones this way and won’t be impacted by any changes ?? But then I guess I need to discuss more with my doc to make sure my understanding of it is correct. I will revert back and update as it’s really helpful getting other views and advice as it may just help others. I get your fear not wanting to try.

In 2023 I went to America with my family but 6 weeks prior to going I was feeling spaced out sickness dizzy vertigo feeling I went to my docs 3 times they prescribed me anti sickness tablets migraine relief etc. nothing hit the spot. I was advised at that point to stop taking one of my HRT cannot remember which it was. I refused as in my mind stopping it gave me fear of all the original symptoms coming back and who wants to be ill on holiday ? I spent 2weeks with a fake smile plastered on my face going on all the rides being thrown all over whilst feeling sick dizzy etc before I started. I was popping pills every 4 hours just to get through the day. Totally ruined my holiday. Had appt with doc 3 days when I got back, I eventually listened and stopped the hrt and within 2 days I was fit and well again and thought why did I not do that 2 weeks prior as my holiday would have been so different.  I am now more minded to stop and start things easily knowing things can be rectified easily. I wonder if you continue for a bit longer see how you go then give it a try without. I have read a lot about people cutting their patches so not getting so much estrogen. Is that a possibility to consider or asking for next level down. I was on those patches but cannot remember if that was the lowest dose you have .

[Summer25]

Helen1980,

That is how I was when I was given the zoladex but it threw me into anxiety mode. Will be worth it if you can try the zoely pill. Yes please revert back and update if you get it.

Oh damn stop taking your HRT when you are going on holiday that is a risk. I am sure you did put on a fake smile. Yes I know that feeling of popping pills to get through the day!! Wow so you should have stopped the HRT before you went though, depends on why you went on hrt, if it was for anxiety and it fixed it I would be scare to stop it ahead of a holiday. Yes I would stop the HRT but I am not sure my hormones are as high as they should be, I have posted on the postmenopause page and apparently my FSH is very low so I need more estrogen. I think I need the next level up so I added an extra 25mg today, so now on 75mg, feel tight chested today, anxiety is there and I have had a cry. The lowest dose is 25mg

I so hate how I feel right now, if I could just turn back the clock to April before I had those injections

[Helen1980]

When do they think the zoladex will be out of your system ?  Be interesting to see how you react on hrt without zoladex in your system.

Are you able to enjoy any form of exercise or do you have young kids/busy work routine?  I have started swimming just to get a bit of exercise on an evening as i keep reading changing lifestyle choices is also meant to help. I have swam before and been on slimming world when i have wanted to shift some pounds but i am doing it now more for clearing the mind and hoping it helps my wellbeing . Any type of distraction may help.

[Northerngirl]