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[Fizwhizz]

Hello ladies,

I’ve been reading back and I’m in the same boat. HRT works for me initially then stops. I strongly suspect I’m not being prescribed enough, I’m a poor at absorbing. I’ve tried patches and gel and have currently fallen into another black hole. My last blood tests were 230pmol oestrogen and I knew my mood was slipping. I have Hashimotos too so pay privately for blood tests, meds and consultations. The GP I see wanted to go low and slow with the HRT but I’m really struggling to function currently. At my last appointment a few weeks ago we agreed I could experiment. I have various Estradot patches and gel. I’m wanting to try the patches again as more convenient. I currently have 3 25mcg Estradot on and I used I pump of gel yesterday. I feel down, unmotivated, tearful, can’t concentrate etc. I’m taking 200 progesterone plus testosterone which I don’t absorb either. It’s patch change day today and just wondering whether to up it to 125mcg or 150mcg and if I need more progesterone then? I’m post menopausal. Thanks

[joziel]

I wouldn't recommend going immediately from 75mcg to 150mcg(!!). Even if you are not waiting 3 months between increases, you should give it 1-2 weeks at least.

And yes, current advice is 300mg progesterone if you are over I think 75mcg.

Aim to get your estrogen to 400pmol and see how you feel then.

[Fizwhizz]

I wouldn't recommend going immediately from 75mcg to 150mcg(!!). Even if you are not waiting 3 months between increases, you should give it 1-2 weeks at least.

And yes, current advice is 300mg progesterone if you are over I think 75mcg.

Aim to get your estrogen to 400pmol and see how you feel then.

Thanks Joziel,

I went up to 125 mcg via patches alone. It’s hard to be patient when I swing from functioning to an absolute and not functioning mess but if I’m too quick chopping and changing I know I might miss the HRT sweet spot and will further mess up my thyroid too.

I’m not feeling so much better on 125 of patches but I don’t feel any worse.

I have been on this merry go round of trying to get HRT to work in a suitable and sustainable way for around 6 years and haven’t found my optimal yet.

I’m not sure how much oestrogen I might need to get to the dizzy heights of 400pmol. Thanks for the info on progesterone. I’ll keep trying to find a regime that works.

[joziel]

I needed about 200mcg to get there, if that helps (2x 100 patches).

Then I went higher, to get up to 850pmol. But now reducing slowly on the gel and feeling no worse and wondering if I was actually absorbing any of that gel anyway....

[Fizwhizz]

I needed about 200mcg to get there, if that helps (2x 100 patches).

Then I went higher, to get up to 850pmol. But now reducing slowly on the gel and feeling no worse and wondering if I was actually absorbing any of that gel anyway....

Thanks Joziel,

That’s useful to know re the 200mcg.

I know from blood tests that I have none of my own hormones now and so I think I’m likely under medicated with the HRT. The thyroid seems more stable.

I shall try to be a bit more patient with things.

I’m in the same boat with the gel! Initially I was absorbing it better than the patches but then I just seemed to stop absorbing it 🤷‍♀️ x

[joziel]

I got up to about 400pmol with 6 pumps of gel. Then we tried to get higher, but even on 12 pumps of gel I was still around 400pmol (plus it took forever to put on and dry!!).

So I went back to 6 pumps, as that seemed to be the max I could absorb, and we started adding in patches instead. This worked. Now I don't know if I'm really getting anything from the gel. I've now reduced to 3 pumps (from 6) and feel just the same. I think I might even be sleeping better, although that could be because my thyroid is getting optimised...

Anyway, my plan is to wean off the gel totally as long as my symptoms don't get worse and to re-test and see what I'm getting from 300mcg patches....

[Fizwhizz]

I got up to about 400pmol with 6 pumps of gel. Then we tried to get higher, but even on 12 pumps of gel I was still around 400pmol (plus it took forever to put on and dry!!).

So I went back to 6 pumps, as that seemed to be the max I could absorb, and we started adding in patches instead. This worked. Now I don't know if I'm really getting anything from the gel. I've now reduced to 3 pumps (from 6) and feel just the same. I think I might even be sleeping better, although that could be because my thyroid is getting optimised...

Anyway, my plan is to wean off the gel totally as long as my symptoms don't get worse and to re-test and see what I'm getting from 300mcg patches....

It really is a rollercoaster Joziel. 12 pumps of gel is a lot to apply and dry, 6 is still quite a lot! I find anything more than 2 pumps of gel a palaver as I’m using testosterone too so application sites become limited.

Initially I absorbed the patches, I was ok on 25mcg then I had a box that refused to stick then my levels dropped even after upping to 50mcg so went on the gel. Similar story, initially felt ok on 2 pumps though I was prescribed 3, then didn’t so upped to 3 then 4 with no change.

I haven’t had many symptoms like hot flushes, sweats etc it’s more mental ones my mood and energy crash and I feel really low and lethargic and just can’t function.

My thyroid was ok at my last appointment and blood check a couple of weeks ago but I know as I up the oestrogen that might wobble too. It’s costing a small fortune in blood tests, consults and meds and frustrating to feel ok for a bit then plummet. It’s hard to do the self care bit when feeling depressed too.

Do you have physical symptoms still on your current regime or is it similar to me and you are trying to get your mood and energy more stable?

[joziel]

I'm the best I've been since all this started about 3.5 years ago. The symptoms I've been battling are mainly at night. My body can get into a fight or flight state where my sympathetic nervous system is ramped up. But it's gone from heart beating so fast and hard I can hear it and inner tremors which make the bed shake, to a tiny tingling in my feet and sometimes in my sleep I get a raised heart rate (much less raised) about 2 hrs after I fall asleep.

So - not normal yet, but nothing like it was. I still have bad nights sometimes. Last night I went to bed at 1.30am, which was silly but I've got a huge project due and I'm self employed. Then I woke at 4.30am - I think because I kept dreaming the same thing and felt like I couldn't get out of it and was bored of it (does anyone else do that?!) and then I couldn't go back to sleep. I was awake 4.30-7am, then I took my thyroid meds and fell asleep until 9am.

I am wondering if my thyroid is still a little low and I need a bit more T4. But I've just had bloods done and I'm waiting for the results so we'll see...