Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: shoppingqueen on May 13, 2022, 10:30:25 AM
-
Hello lovely people
Just some advice if possible please! I had a change from gel to patches for a 5 week period.
Estrogen levels when I’d been on gel (3 pumps) for a long time 400-500 pmol (no sweats, but arm chills, tremor, jittery bit agitated)
5 weeks on patches (100mcg) and overall felt more stable, smoother? Calmer? Not perfect but was thinking great! This is what I needed, until I tested estrogen levels and saw the results.
After the 5 weeks on patches, my estrogen read at 55 (eek).
My question is would the gel high-ish estrogen levels have carried me through the 5 week period? How long do they stay in your system? Was I living on the ‘historical’ gel levels still in my system and not absorbing any from the patches?
I did an experiment after the 5 week period and did 4 days on gel and retested estrogen, along with some other bloods I needed. It came in at 508!! After just 4 days?? Back to feeling chills and jittery.
None of this made sense. I went back on patches for a week or so and have retested alongside some other bloods needed- results at 105.
Madness to be switching about, I know, but I’m just trying to work out what is working and what’s not.
I’m 54 post meno and have a mirena coil. Just don’t know what to do?? Scared that if I continue with patches I’ll have some delayed hormonal crash as my estrogen reserves are now so low?? Or is it that I might just not need as much estrogen?
My testosterone was negligible and I don’t supplement at this stage.
Any help or thoughts would be appreciated!
Confused 🫤 xx
-
Hi shoppingqueen. I would go with symptoms and how you feel and ignore measurements of estrogen levels. They are notoriously unreliable varying with time of day etc and far better to base decisions on how you actually feel. It sounds to me that you actually feel good and well on the patch then go with that. Post menopausal estrogen levels return to baseline levels very quickly after removing patches stopping gel etc and doesn’t stay stored in your system for weeks. Studies of the pharmacokinetics of gel etc usually show returning to your own baseline levels within a couple of days. If I were you I’d stick with the patch if it’s making you feel stable and comfortable and don’t worry about what the testing says. You just want to feel well and it sounds as though the patch is the one for you! X
-
Thank you so much! 🤗
I did think to go off symptoms and I’m glad to hear things go back to baseline quite quickly! I’d tried doctor Google and couldn’t find help.
Thank you so much xx
-
What type of blood test did you go? Venous or finger prick? You can’t do finger prick if using gels and creams. Also if you still menstruate, estrogen peaks at certain times so will be quite a bit higher. Definitely think you should go by symptoms.
-
Thanks ATB
It was a venous blood draw! Can’t do finger pricks 😂. I’ve not had a period for years so definitely post meno!
Thank you for help. I’ll forget the numbers and just go in symptoms! I’d didn’t help just ended up panicking me 😁 xx
-
Yes I understand. This is all very confusing! Hormones are such unreliable things and testing doesn’t seem to help that often. I go by how I feel and technically that is how our doctors are meant to prescribe these hormones to us too.
-
Thanks ATB
I wish I’d not tested and just bumbled along as it threw me off.
I do think I might need a little testosterone though so going to mention to my Endo next week. I’m very tired/ fatigued with gel or patches so maybe this might be the missing link? Xx
-
Testosterone made a big difference to me, much more energy and I exercise hard every day too. Better mental focus also.
-
So agree I think also that symptoms are the way to go rather than blood levels. I remember the Consultant I saw last year said it is how you feel that matters and if symptoms are under control then that is what counts. I swopped to patches from Lenzetto and also before that Oestrogel and am finding 5 days in that it feels much more level over the 24 hours (Evorel 50 patches). Hope so much you feel better soon xx
-
Whilst I totally get going with how you feel, for bone protection you really want your estrogen to be over 200nmol at least. 55nmol would not be offering you any protection against osteoporosis.
Why not try the gel but do a squirt less of it and see? If 400-500 is making you feel jittery, maybe you can be around 200 and protect your bones but also get rid of the jittery feeling like that...
-
So agree I think also that symptoms are the way to go rather than blood levels. I remember the Consultant I saw last year said it is how you feel that matters and if symptoms are under control then that is what counts. I swopped to patches from Lenzetto and also before that Oestrogel and am finding 5 days in that it feels much more level over the 24 hours (Evorel 50 patches). Hope so much you feel better soon xx
Thanks Pippa! So glad you are doing ok xxx
-
Testosterone made a big difference to me, much more energy and I exercise hard every day too. Better mental focus also.
Thank you ATB! I’m glad T worked for you. I’m very fatigued so wondering if this might help x
-
Whilst I totally get going with how you feel, for bone protection you really want your estrogen to be over 200nmol at least. 55nmol would not be offering you any protection against osteoporosis.
Why not try the gel but do a squirt less of it and see? If 400-500 is making you feel jittery, maybe you can be around 200 and protect your bones but also get rid of the jittery feeling like that...
Thank you for helping! I’m not going to jump straight back to patches just yet so thinking about what you said, I’m going to trial 2 pumps and see how this goes. If it could bring me to between 200-300, that might just work 🤞 what I do know is after 7 years on HRT I DO need do give it time to see if this works 😊
-
I believe in the states Postmeno ladies are advised to keep their levels about 70-150 and to go by symptoms, so a lot lower than here.
Here is a link regarding estradiol levels
https://www.news-medical.net/health/Estradiol-Measurement.aspx
-
Marchlove in the states serum estradiol levels are measured in pg/ml. In the UK they are generally measured as pmol which is a much higher number. So say 60 pg/ml equates to about 250pmol or something like that x
-
Ah, thank you for pointing that out!
Do you know if a comparison chart exists? X
-
Marchlove I’m hopeless at doing links to things but if you look up serum estradiol conversation calculator pgml to pmol it comes up with various online calculators you can use. Www.endmemo.com has one and also www.unitlabs.com x
-
Thank you xxx
-
Thank you xxx
Thank you 🙏 it is so hard to know what your own right level actually is. Trail and error so I’ll see how the 2 gel goes and if no improvement Re trial the patches. Xx hope all is working out for you all 🤞