Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: ClumpyClaire on August 24, 2018, 09:59:29 AM
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Dear friends of MM.,
Haven't been on here a while, due to....I suppose I lost the will for anything. I'm an active person, walk/exercise two dogs and love gardening. Menopause has left me with no energy, not caring, tearful, low/flat with anxiety and all the other symptoms that come with menopause.
As you can see in my signature below, I've been on many HRT, and still trying to find the right one that works with ALL symptoms. Each one hasn't been successful due to one thing or another. So with the advice of my Nurse Practitioner based at the John Radcliffe, Oxford. I'm starting yet another HRT. This time three!! Estrodot 50mcg with Utrogestan 100mg (oral) and Tostran 2% gel - anyone else on this or tried it...any success?
Also, and this one is rather sensitive. As my sex life is absolutely bitten the dust (I have a partner, who understands) I'm struggling trying to find something that gives me "oomph" rather than get more enjoyment out of a tub of Ben & Jerry's ;D
The sensitive bit is....when we used to have conjugal unpleasantness ;) it started to hurt or should I say a little split would appear bleed and become very painful/sting. The area I'm speaking of is where an episiotomy would be done in childbirth. This is has never happened to me before and both my children were born by c-section. Anyone else ever or suffers from this? My Dr has referred me to a Gynaecologist for further investigation. So hopefully I can resolve this issue. I started Perimeno in 2009 and went into full meno 2015 and started HRT 2016.
Any advice is as always greatly appreciated.
Claire x
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Hi ClumpyClaire. I too have just picked up a prescription for 50mg Estrodot and 100mg Utrogestan after trying several other hrt preparations. I'll therefore be interested to see the replies to your post on how other people have got on with this regime. My sex life has also suffered over the last year but not really because of any physical issues but more from the fact that I feel so rubbish most of the time, I just don't feel like it 🙁 Hopefully I will see some improvements soon, at least for my hubby's sake !
I can't comment on your other sensitive issues but hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be along soon to help.
Good luck with your new regime 😊
Rosie63 x
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Hi Rosie63,
Good to know that we're starting this together..I look forward to any updates you may have. The only thing I don't like is the Tostran gel - I used this with previous HRT and when it comes out of the dispenser it almost changes to water! The instructions say rub into about 10cm area...I almost cover the inside of my leg! ;D
Hopefully, it will work and we'll both be throwing caution to the wind, once again!
Claire x
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Yes, we will be able to compare notes CC 😀 I'm on Femoston 1/5mg at the moment so planning to finish the pack I'm taking and then start the Estrodot regime. That Testron gel sounds fun NOT. I haven't had the pleasure of trying that yet but if things don't pick up in the bedroom department soon, I might have to give it a go.
Keep us updated on progress and I will do likewise.
Rosie xx
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Add vagifem for life to your regime claire. I too had last little splits that occurred during sex and adding local oestrogen to the vaginal area really helps plus I swear that along with the Tostran is keeping me lubricated better x
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Add vagifem for life to your regime claire. I too had last little splits that occurred during sex and adding local oestrogen to the vaginal area really helps plus I swear that along with the Tostran is keeping me lubricated better x
HI Annie0710, can you buy Vagifem over the counter? I think I'll try that along side everything else.
Im not sure how the Tostran is helping, if at all. I thought by using it i'd be interested in sex, but to be honest a tub of Ben & Jerry's is more appealing. Maybe not a large enough dose (one pump, alternate evenings).
Claire X
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It's best to get the vagifem from your dr. If need be take some literature on it with you to support your request
Your Tostran dose is adequate but it will take time (up to 5 months) to take effect. No one knows what benefits they will gain from it until they try and give it time. I don't always have a sex drive, sometimes I initiate it but it has given me good response and really good orgasms back. It's given me better concentration and a clearer head and more energy although these past 2 months I'm getting fatigued again but I am a lot busier too x
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Hi ClumpyClaire
Hope this combo works for you. Do be careful with the Tostran. It is twice as concentrated as the other sachet T gels available ( I think one has now been discontinued) which were better for women. You should only be getting a pea-szied blob or slightly larger from 1 pump of Tostran and ideally you should start with just twice a week (according to Chelsea and Westminster mnenopause clinic) increasing to a max of 3 x per week.
Are you taking the Utrogestan every day? Not sure how this works with libido - I did think progesterone had a dampenibng effect on libido so taking it cyclically might be better - but you would get a bleed?
As Annie says the response is not instant and can take 4-5 months although you should begin to notice an effect on libido (response) much sooner than this.
Sorry to hear about the other issue and I do hope you can get that sorted soon - sounds painful!
Hurdity x
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Hi ClumpyClaire. Can I ask how old you are? Really interested in you being prescribed testosterone by John Radcliffe as I used to go there (Jan Brockie I think her name was) but was unable to get that prescribed for me due to being over 55. It would be fab if they've changed their minds on this. I was also advised to stop HRT at 60 so I returned to the care of my then GP who was happy to keep prescribing into my sixties.
Taz x
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Hi ClumpyClaire
Hope this combo works for you. Do be careful with the Tostran. It is twice as concentrated as the other sachet T gels available ( I think one has now been discontinued) which were better for women. You should only be getting a pea-szied blob or slightly larger from 1 pump of Tostran and ideally you should start with just twice a week (according to Chelsea and Westminster mnenopause clinic) increasing to a max of 3 x per week.
Are you taking the Utrogestan every day? Not sure how this works with libido - I did think progesterone had a dampenibng effect on libido so taking it cyclically might be better - but you would get a bleed?
As Annie says the response is not instant and can take 4-5 months although you should begin to notice an effect on libido (response) much sooner than this.
Sorry to hear about the other issue and I do hope you can get that sorted soon - sounds painful!
Hurdity x
Hi Hurdity,
I haven't started my new HRT potions as yet, but will be taking Utrogestan nightly, as the meno clinic said it will make me drowsy. I'm very careful with the Tostran and have only been using it since the beginning of May. They also mentioned that I'd most probably get a bleed.
Thank you for your great advice
Claire X
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Hi ClumpyClaire. Can I ask how old you are? Really interested in you being prescribed testosterone by John Radcliffe as I used to go there (Jan Brockie I think her name was) but was unable to get that prescribed for me due to being over 55. It would be fab if they've changed their minds on this. I was also advised to stop HRT at 60 so I returned to the care of my then GP who was happy to keep prescribing into my sixties.
Taz x
Hi Taz,
Yes, I'm under Jan Brockie. I've just turned 50. I haven't so much as pushed with Jan, but I'm struggling so badly with the symptoms that she has recently suggested that we try and map my hormones before I went into menopause....I'm really not sure how she's going to do this?! I was about to throw in the towel with her clinic, and get a second opinion, it gets you so down! But I'll give this new HRT a go and give it one more try :(
My GP is terrible & would rather put me on antidepressants than get to the bottom of it >:(
Claire X
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It's best to get the vagifem from your dr. If need be take some literature on it with you to support your request
Your Tostran dose is adequate but it will take time (up to 5 months) to take effect. No one knows what benefits they will gain from it until they try and give it time. I don't always have a sex drive, sometimes I initiate it but it has given me good response and really good orgasms back. It's given me better concentration and a clearer head and more energy although these past 2 months I'm getting fatigued again but I am a lot busier too x
Ahhh that will explain....I've not been on it long enough!
Claire X
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Thanks for the reply Claire.
I found Jan Brockie to be excellent and if I'd been your age she would have prescribed testosterone.She always replied to my emails promptly and helpfully between my visits. I did phone round some other NHS meno clinics but they all advised that they would only prescribe it for younger women.
I hope you get good results from the new regime.
Taz x
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Taz, I was given Testogel in January of this year at the grand old age of 68. This was at the NHS clinic at the Chelsea & Westminster.
JP x
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Update on taking this combo...nearly one month..
I feel awful! All menopause symptoms are back, and now added headache and back to back palpitations. I've had an ECG, whilst I was having palpitations and my Dr said that the ECG was normal the palpitations weren't picked up. Had blood test yesterday for thyroid. My BP is low 80/102 and resting pulse a 55bpm. I've always had a very low BP
I'm waiting for the Menopause Clinic to call me today...I don't know which HRT product is making me feel so awful... Estradot 50mcg with Utrogestan 100mg & Tostran 2%.
I can barely function :'(
x
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I'm sorry you are struggling with this so much.
Hopefully you will hear back from the clinic soon, but I wonder if you need your oestrogen increasing. To have your symptoms back would indicate that something is using it up and leaving you short.
I hope you get reassuring news and instruction asap.
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I'm sorry you are struggling with this so much.
Hopefully you will hear back from the clinic soon, but I wonder if you need your oestrogen increasing. To have your symptoms back would indicate that something is using it up and leaving you short.
I hope you get reassuring news and instruction asap.
Thank you... I had a chat with her, she wants me to have a blood test to measure the level of oestrogen, she doesn't think my body is absorbing the patch. Tonight I'm in so much joint pain (hip, hands, feet and top of my spine), headache, hot sweats & everything else that comes with this ...I'm not good company...so off to bed and try and get some sleep.
X
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Hi ClunpyClaire
Sorry to hear you are feeling rough.
I would suggest that it's almost certainly partly down to your taking the utrogestan daily orally. Even those on cyclical HRT sometimes find that they get a resumption of flushes when on the prog part of the HRT cycle. It seems that in some women progestogens can interfere with the beneficial effects of oestrogen so that higher doses are needed.
In your case have you thought of going on a cycle? Also when I started testosterone after a few months I decided to increase my oestrogen as I didn't want to become to T dominant so that androgenic side effects might override the female ones! (Doc was happy with this) so I now am on 62.5 mcg patch (cut down from 75 mcg). I use much less testosterone gel though.
Are you post-menopausal? I mean blood tests can be helpful but in your position I would consider changing to a cycle ( as long as you have no medical reason why not and can put up with a bleed), increase the oestrogen patch slightly, and maybe reduce the Tostran - but depends how much you are using now. If doc does blood tests hopefully they will also measure T levels. Also have you thought of taking utro vaginally to reduce side effects?
Hurdity x