Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Champers101 on July 21, 2023, 09:12:28 PM
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Hello hoping someone can help! I increased my HRT to Evorel 100 around 4 months ago and everything seemed great. Until about a week ago when I started getting a constant period-type ache all over my abdomen, lower back and around my thighs.
The only other times I’ve ever felt like this before was when my Mirena was depleting around the 4 year mark. But this time it’s only a year old. Argh!
Urine test was clear. I had a better couple of days and was over the moon, but today it’s all come back full force. And panic has majorly set in re what it could be and the prospect of it never going. We’re due to go on holiday soon and I can’t face travelling when in this pain and state of anxiety! I was so hoping it was just IBS, or a temporary hormone fluctuation. But those don’t seem likely now
Thanks in advance for any help.
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Have you had the Mirena checked to make sure it's not moved?
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If you have endometriosis (whether diagnosed or not) or adenomyosis, high estrogen can cause it to grow/develop. Since you just recently increased your estrogen, that would be my guess. (I have endo.)
The solution is more progesterone. Even though you are on the Mirena, you can have utrogestan as well. The thing with the Mirena is that its effect is localised to the uterus. Which is fine if you don't have uterine tissue outside your uterus, but if you have endo and have it elsewhere, then the Mirena may not help control that in the presence of high estrogen.
You need to try a systemic progestin or progesterone.
Utrogestan taken continuously at 200mg/night should do it, or you can just add in a POP like desogestrel - because you have the Mirena in the uterus so you've ticked the box for HRT progesterone requirements. Vaginal progesterone probably isn't going to work for the same reason - it's localised....
I'm on 3 pumps of gel now and just started taking 300mg of utrogestan sequentially day 15-26 of cycle. It seems to be working fine but, if it didn't, we'd move to continuous 200mg/night.
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Hi
I’ve got the same issue.
On 100 patch and have a mirena, which has been in for a year.
I’ve got an ultrasound booked next week, to check for coil position and other gynae issues, as I’ve also got a sharp pain in my left side.
Joziel is right, oestrogen can feed endo/ fibroids/ adenomyosis etc, so adding in more progesterone could help.
I would push for a scan, just to see what’s going on.
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Thank you all. I actually have a scan booked next week too. I’m praying the Mirena has moved as that would be the simple answer/ solution. Although with a tilted cervix, getting someone to fit a new one wouldn’t be easy! And none of it would be done before we go on holiday.
I’ve never had endo, but I know it is possible for it to develop later, so will bear that in mind as a possibility.
Nas, I can’t believe we have exactly the same situation!! Can I ask how long you’ve been getting symptoms? And do they fluctuate? I was really sure they had all gone the other day, but didn’t take long for them to return.
I also have terrible bloating and my IBS is terrible so it’s hard to work out what’s what. I just pray this will end at some point as it’s so frigging relentless at the moment and I can’t see an end in sight.
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If it is the coil once it's removed the pain should stop straight away, my body rejected one once and the pain stop once it was out.
Just have another fitted after your holiday, if it's only a couple of weeks.
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For me, the twice previously that the Mirena needed to be replaced, removing it made everything worse but the moment a new, fresh one was in it was bliss! If only it would work like that this time…
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Well we do appear to have similar symptoms. I’ve also got the bloating and slight nausea.
For me, this has been going on did a good few months on and off. It’s when I am on the 100 patch. When I reduce dose, it does subside somewhat.
I had a CT scan last month, which did show the coil within the uterine cavity. I’m also praying it’s just shifted a bit and pressing on a nerve ( or something!) If not, I’m going to put a bet on fibroids ( god I hope not!!)
Im also very fed up with it all now!
Let us know what the scan reveals won’t you. Mine is Wednesday, but the radiographers are striking so results could be delayed :-\
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Thanks Nas, my scan is on Thursday. I hope you get the answers from yours!
It does seem possible that 3 months in to 100 patches I’m now paying the price for the increased dose, as it’s all properly in my system. I would be tempted to go back down to 75 but fluctuations bring on horrible migraines for me so I can’t do it lightly. And I was a mess on 75 - crying nonstop etc. No period pain though!!
Do you take extra progesterone as well?
Thanks for your help
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Yes Im not great on 75, my anxiety goes through the roof!
I don’t take additional progesterone, but I do have some utrogestan. I think once I’ve had my scan and I have an
idea what’s going on, I will make a decision as to what to do.
It’s all very tiring this x
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I’ve ripped the patch off!
Here we go.. by tomorrow I will be all jittery.
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Ooh brave!! I hope it reduces your symptoms - please let me know!
It’s so hard carrying on with life with this ck stand nagging pain. Esp if you don’t know what is causing it.
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I know what you mean re: the pain. Maybe it is actually the increased patch dose? How about snipping a sliver off, so it’s more than 75 but less than 100?
It might ease the pain, if it is that?
Are you aware of any fibroids/ cysts/ endometriosis at all? The ultra sound will pick any of that up anyway I expect.
Hope you get relief soon.
Keep us posted.
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Never had endo. Not aware of fibroids etc but as you say will hopefully find out soon!
It’s tempting to reduce the HRT dose - but I am so scared of making things worse! And of going back to the endless crying etc.
Argh!! What to do…
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Yes I get what you mean.
Maybe try and power through the pain with pain killers.
Eventually things should settle with the new increased dose. They do say to give it a few months with each increase.
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Sadly no pain relief is making any difference. And complicated by it all making gut pain so much worse
Best case scenario is that this is just a blip - all was ok until just 10 days or so ago. Scared of going down rabbit holes re different hormone dosages etc when everything was so settled!
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I know what you mean re: swapping hormone treatments, it can be a hideous process.
I’m still minus my patch, but for how long I will survive, I don’t know. Just trying to get to scan day and decide what to do from there. In two minds whether to get my mirena removed, but that will no doubt open a new can of worms! Argghhh!!
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Hope your scan went well today Nas!
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Thanks Champers.
They couldn’t tell me a thing!
Apparently the results go to the referring GP and that takes a week.
How are you doing?
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Am watching this thread as I’ve been quite crampy this month and stabbing left sided pain a bit. Am so fed up with myself. I’m on HRT but I’ve got a review on august 1st and I’m really not sure I want to continue it.
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What regime are you on tambourine queen?
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Estrogen patches and Utrogestan 14 days off then on.
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Instead of reducing the estrogen dose (which it sounds like you need), it's increasing the progesterone which will help tame the effects of the estrogen.... It's much easier to try (unless you have bad effects to progesterone). Ask the doctor if you can go on the POP "(desogestrel) as well.
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Oh no, Nas, I didn’t factor in a wait after the scan! Hopefully you’ll have answers very soon though.
I’m feeling worse! Yesterday the pain was so bad, all over my abdomen and my back. I’m really not sure how I’m going to be able to go on holiday next week like this and am in total panic. The GP wrote it all off as abdominal oh Monday but I just know that isn’t right.
In desperation I changed from a 100 patch to a 75 one last night - not sure how long it would take to see any effects from that. Knowing my luck I’ll get all the bad effects of lowering the dose and no good ones!
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I've been getting bad cramping , back ache just like period pains, I've been on ovestin cream for nearly 2 weeks, I used to have bad periods when I was younger. High levels of estrogen can cause your body to release prostaglandins, or chemicals that make your uterus contract — also known as having cramps. I'm hoping that once I cut down to twice a week the cramps will subside. I am taking Buscopan for the cramping.
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Sorry to hear that Poupee. Is the pain constant? Mine is - was hoping it would be cyclical, but no luck.
I’ve been on topical Blissel gel daily for a couple of months now, all has been fine but maybe it might help to finally reduce that to twice a week
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Damn. Just had my scan and all is fine. So the mystery continues
Does anyone know how long it would take to see the effects of reducing oestrogen?
Thank you
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Glad your scan is all good champers. You were lucky to get the results there and then. Annoyed I have to wait so long really as I’m in a fair bit of pain.
Anyway, what’s your next plan of action? I would imagine you would see the effects in a couple of days. Fingers crossed you will tolerate the reduction well.
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@Champers101
The cramping starts in the mornings when I get out of bed 6am, I'm putting it down to using the ovestin before bed working over night, the cramping normally wears off by lunch time.
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Thanks Poupee. If anything mine is better when I wake and gets worse during the day. Panicking about it all probably contributes!
I was lucky to get the results today Nas, but on the other hand am back at square one! And that’s even more frightening! I’m going back to the GP tomorrow but don’t hold out much hope that she’ll be able to help.
One last long shot is to push for my mirena to be changed - it’s in position and quite new, but when I’ve felt like this in the past it’s always been mirena related
I’m still in shock that this can all just happen so quickly!
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Thanks Poupee. If anything mine is better when I wake and gets worse during the day. Panicking about it all probably contributes!
I was lucky to get the results today Nas, but on the other hand am back at square one! And that’s even more frightening! I’m going back to the GP tomorrow but don’t hold out much hope that she’ll be able to help.
One last long shot is to push for my mirena to be changed - it’s in position and quite new, but when I’ve felt like this in the past it’s always been mirena related
I’m still in shock that this can all just happen so quickly!
Can you ask for a swab to be taken, I know you've had a urine test but has an infection been ruled out?
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I hear you Champers, it’s tough when we just don’t know what’s going on.
Have you reduced your oestrogen yet? Maybe that will help with the pain?
Your coil is new, so perhaps these are ‘ settling in pains’ ?
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Yes have had a swab and urine test sent to the lab - all fine.
I reduced my HRT yesterday - am now aching all over, including all up my back. In a weird way it’s slightly reassuring as it makes me feel my abdomen/ pelvic aching is even more likely to be hormonal. It all feels the same, all over. Even my finger joints now! What to do about it all is a different matter…
My Mirena is a year old, so not new. I so wish that was the easy explanation for all this 🙏
Thanks everyone for your support
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This thread is very useful to me. I've also been having horrendous period pain & irregular bleeding.
I've been on Evorel 50 with 200mg of Utrogestan over 14 days for just over a year. I've had irregular bleeding the whole time but period pains over the last few months and I now have them every day.
I had a scan and the womb lining is 8.6mm with a polyp. I am having this removed next week. Not sure what happens with the lining.
The gynaecologist has given me extra progesreeone with the minipill. I have not bled at all yet since taking the minipill. However, I still had the pain.
I removed the patch and the pain has now dwindled down to almost nothing.
I don't really want to put the patch back on until I see the gynaecologist again next week. I tried half a patch again and the pain started coming back so I removed it again..
I don't want to give up HRT as it stopped my other symptoms and now it looks like the minipill has solved the bleeding but I don't want all that pain every day again. It's strange how the pain only started after the furst few months and just got worse.
I am 47 and in peri.