Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Personal Experiences => Topic started by: Kathleen on August 26, 2018, 11:57:13 AM
-
Hello ladies.
I have been looking at the forum most days although I haven't checked in for a while.
I thought I'd post today about my recent appointment with Imogen Shaw, a private consultant, at the Nuffield. I am so fed up with this whole menopause business ladies so I was very forthright and possibly a little rude during our meeting for which I apologised! I told her that since my periods stopped I have tried several HRTs but have continued to have symptoms which though milder than pre HRT are still distressing. I am at the end of my tether and just want to feel normal ( I'm sure you can all empathise with that ).
We agreed that I should increase my Oestrogel from 2 pumps daily to 2 and a half for the next month and then try 3 pumps. I should also continue with Utrogestan 100mg vaginally. My latest estradiol reading was 275 and she said we should look to get it to 400. Goodness knows what happens if I still feel horrible on 400 but as I am nearly 62 I can't expect to have the oestrogen level of a 21 year old apparently!
So there we are ladies, nothing revelatory really more like keep going as you are and hope the extra dose has the desired effect. I'm keeping my fingers crossed but I am very jittery today so no improvement so far!
I hope this was helpful in some way and I wish you all well.
K.
PS. I Think Juliet, another MM lady also saw this consultant recently.
-
Aw Kathleen I do feel for you. If the extra half pump is making you jittery I wonder whether splitting the times of applying may help? Say am/pm ?
Did she not suggest testosterone ? I think when regimes arent working T could be the missing link x
-
Hi Kathleen,
My consultant is Anthony Parsons,also at Nuffield,he wants my levels at 600-700 to alleviate anxiety,depression and motivation symptoms,I've been on 6 pumps of gel for about 6 weeks,last level was 310,he now thinks I'm not absorbing the gel very well and wants me to try patches.
Sending hugs
Lisa xx
-
Good morning Kathleen
So sorry to hear that your appointment didn't go as well as you had hoped you must be feeling really frustrated, it's understandable that you were forthright/rude you really have been pushed to the limit with this meno stuff.
For the moment I suppose you can only only go along with her suggestion of increasing the Oestrogen and see how things go. But I'm still convinced the continuos Utrogestan is not helping you and from personal experience I know I couldn't use it continuously. Did you ask about changing the progesterone ?
:foryou: Take care
Lanzalover x
-
Hello again ladies.
Thank you so much for your replies.
Annie0710 - I may try your suggestion of splitting the dose and when I have a follow up appointment I will ask about testosterone.
Lisa1966 - I actually mentioned that some ladies have been prescribed 6 pumps but Imogen Shaw thought that would only be recommended for younger women. I assume from your name that you were born in 1966 which makes you ten years younger than me so that makes sense.
Lanzalover - Frustrated is definitely the word atm lol! I use the Utrogestan vaginally and did experiment with using it every other night but then had some bleeding. The consultant said that more was needed to oppose the Oestrogel so I've had to revert to every night. I had mentioned to her a long cycle with minimal Utrogestan as per Prof Stud but she doesn't agree with that regime, and my GP certainly wouldn't agree to it so I'm a bit stuck. It's a pity because it seems to work for lots of women and I'd like to at least give it a try!
Thanks again ladies for taking the time to respond, much appreciated!
Wishing you all well.
K.
-
Hello Stellajane.
Interesting idea about trying a long cycle for myself. Sorry to be thick but what exactly does that entail? How would I go about doing it and what should I expect?
Thanks for any advise.
Take care.
K.
-
Hi there - as Lanzalover said - I know I keep saying this but this is the one thing you haven't tried yet ie taking the prog on a cycle. This is the only way you can find out how you feel on oestrogen alone and on combi HRt with the progestogen.
It's not even a question of a long cycle necessarily - or at least not at first. I can understand why gynaes are not keen on the Studd regime. This is 7 days of 100 mg utrogestan per calendar month which is far lower than the licensed amount. It is short duration reduced dose rather than long cycle.
Long cycle is taking the licensed amount at least (or at least the right duration) but allowing longer between the doses. For example you could start with a 5 weeks cycle. This would mean taking oestrogen only for 3 weeks two days and then adding utrogestan for 12 days ( at 200 mg).
My long cycle is 6-8 weeks IN TOTAL. So I take Utrogestan vaginally for 12 days x 200 mg during this 6-8 week period of time. This is quite a long cycle but I can't see any objection to your starting say with monthly and then gradually increasing to 5 weeks if you feel OK. Obviously your womb lining would need to be monitored amd you would have to put up with a bleed - which understandably you may not want at your age - but it might be the lesser of two evils - as with many of us on here like Stellajane and me!
I can;t see how the consultant would object to a normal cycle although I know some gynaes are not keen on any sort of bleed post-menopausally - however with prog intolerance it is the only alternative!
Who knows you may actually feel OK with that level of oestrogen once you start only taking progesterone cyclically!
Hope this helps?
Hurdity x
-
Hi Kathleen
Hurdity has explained it better than I could.
You can but try and hopefully it will help.
Lanzalover x
-
Hello Hurdity and Lanzalover.
Many thanks ladies for your replies.
Hurdity - Thank you so much for your detailed reply. I suppose my concern is that 5 weeks of oestrogen only would be too much and result in a bleed. I am using Utrogestan 100mg vaginally atm and when I experimented with using it every other night I had spotting followed by bleeding. My consultant suggested that alternate nights weren't sufficient to counteract the two/three pumps Oestrogel. I suppose a 200mg dose would work better in those circumstances. I will definitely give it some more thought.
Thanks again ladies, your advice is much appreciated as ever.
Wishing you well.
K.