Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: moonbeam121167 on October 01, 2023, 04:09:07 PM
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Evening all
I have appointment in the morning with a HRT nurse as a routine check up, I read alot about menopause and HRT routes and was thinking about the patches. I currently taking 2 mcg estrogen only pill, had a total hysterectomy nearly 11 years ago and for the most been taking hrt in pill form but I am getting older and am suffering from real bad insomina , my libido has left the building months ago and real bad back pains and having seeing alot from Dr Louise Newson I think its a good option, anyone out here any views, Thanks
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Transdermal is safer so it's a good move. I think you'd benefit from an increase in dose, insomnia can be a meno symptom as can joint and muscle pain. I would ask for testosterone too.
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Just got back from the GP and the nurse was fantastic, she agreed with me about the patch,Evorel 50 also she said as I suffer from acid and stomach issues and some of the menopause symptoms are creeping back I am probally not get enough estrogen from the pills, also some Estradiol 10 mg pessaries , she said try them out for a few months and maybe my libidio my come back ;) ;)
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Hi all
have had my new patch on since 4.30pm and now have a nagging headache, is this normal and will it subside, can anyone know or help regarding estrogen only Evorel patch please
Thanks
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Evening , I woke up with a real bad headache and it continue all day so come about 3pm I decided to take off the patch and I am going to leave it off for a few days and then thought I would try maybe 1/2 a patch or take a 1/4 off , please please can anyone help. I have suffered from debilitating for 20 + years but this last few weeks have been headache free which has been fantastic but once I put the patch on about hour later bang headache, so think its that and thought it maybe too strong. Before that I was on 2mg estrogen only oral HRT.
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Hi moonbeam,
I think starting with half a patch and working up sounds a good plan. Did your headache go when you took it off?
I was the opposite I was having headaches which stopped when I started the patches but I did start with a half and increase up by a little each week as I am quite sensitive to increasing.
I hope you feel better once you start using the patch gradually xx
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Jett
they are easing off a bit, comparing a 50gm patch to the 2mg pill is it stronger, or do you get a full dose of estrogen in the patch than you do in the pill. How long should I give it to start again with the patch and how much 1/2 a patch or take 1/4 off
Thanks
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I am not sure about the dose in the pill to be honest. With the patch I cut it in half the first week then put on three quarters for two weeks then tried full patch week 4. Just see you feel, if it’s the headache that is bothering you try half and see how your head is. If you keep getting the headaches I would ask the doctor. Maybe you can try a different patch.
I think you could try again as soon as you feel your head is ok and in a good place to try, but if in doubt ask to talk to a nurse or doctor. Good luck xx
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Jett
I will see how I feel tomorrow and go from there
Thanks for all your help
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Jett
Woke up ok so all I used was my estradiol pessary and low and behold I have had a nagging headache, not as bad but still a headache, just don't know what to do. Shall I just not have nothing for a few days and just put half a patch on and thats it,
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You could try that or ask your doctor? Does the headache stop when the oestrogen stops? Xxx
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AS I said before I have been on oral estrogen 2 mg for nearly 11 years and after seeing the meno nurse Monday she agreed that a switch to the patch is a good option and gave me Everol 50 which I started Tues afternoon. I hadnt had a headache for over 2 weeks and found it a coincidence I stuck a patch on and a few hours later started having only a very slight headache and then just before I went to bed I used a estradiol pessary and woke up the next morning with a major headache . They aren't as bad as it was with the patch on.
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I am going to not use anything tomorrow and maybe Saturday and see about just putting 1/2 patch on on Sunday and not use the pessary. then if things are still bad Monday Tuesday then I will ring the nurse. Concvinced maybe it was just too much in one go, 50gm patch and the pessary.
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Afternoon all, well been on the patch now for nearly 4 weeks after being on the estrogen only pill for over 11 years but this last week I have noticed getting very depressed and today feeling very miserable , I want to cry, my head feels like heavy, I just feels so miserable and not sure way, is it the patch or what, anyone can help me please.
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Hi moonbeam, I don’t usually post anything on here I just read alot ,but i feel for you and can see you are feeling quite unwell,I can only tell you my experience with hrt and I’ve been using it for 7 years I started out on everol 50 patch , I too had a hysterectomy many years ago and I had awful headaches which were definitely the estrogen, I went back to my doctor and he gave me everol 25 I didn’t cut it and I again had the nagging headaches but after a couple of weeks they went away so my advice would be to go back to the nurse you saw and ask for a lower dose patch and see if it helps if you get headaches again try and wait it out unless unbearable and hopefully it will subside and your body will adjust, every time I changed doses or methods of hrt this happened to me it does go once your body adjusts to using the patch , I switched to gel same equivalent dose to patch and got awful headaches and jitters but after a couple of weeks it slowly faded away , you were on the estrogen pill for a long time so your body now needs to adjust to a different delivery method so please be reassured that things will settle in time I know that’s not easy when you feel so desperate to be well, regarding the estrogen pessary is this vagifem? I was given those and they triggered the most unbelievable migraines in me and awful stomach cramps I can’t use them again it could be something your body adjusts to , I switched to ovestin cream and I faired much better with that there are lots of options for vaginal estrogen so do bring it up with your nurse you don’t need to suffer , very much hoping you are feeling better xx
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Abbey73
thanks for your reply, as for my headaches they got so bad I went back to my GP and he advised me to go back on the mirtazapine as it was the only thing that helped them, I was so so the first 2 to 3 weeks but this last week oh god my mood has started to get bad and today I feel that I want to cry, but I was googling this and realised that I have been changing my patch wrong, I have been doing Tuesday then Saturday but it supposed to be Wednesday then Saturday,what a prat I am, will that affect things like my mood/depression. All I want is to feel good, happy and then hopefully loose my fat stomach.
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Hi moonbeam, it’s possible the mistake in when you were applying the patch could of affected the way you was feeling hopefully now you know which days you are supposed to be changing things will settle down, good luck with the Mertazipine hope this gets your headaches under control this will help with your mood too so fingers crossed you will be feeling much better very soon I’m just coming off Mertazipine and dreading the withdrawal xx
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Abbey
I was on Mirtazapine for a few years but at the beginning of the year came off the mirtazapine and yes the withdrawals were awful but got passed it but a few months ago my headaches got so bad I had to go back on it as it was the only meds that helped. My meno nurse suggested changing from the pills to the patch as its better for us , that was nearly a month ago and now I am so depressed.
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Hi moonbeam, it’s such a shame changing from the pill to the patch has caused you to feel depressed, it’s horrible when that happens , I’ve been in that situation when I changed from the patch to the gel caused awful jitters and anxiety for me , hopefully the Mertazipine kicks in quickly it’s definitely a great medication for depression and from my experience works quite fast xx
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Abbey
how long did your jitters and anxiety take to subside, I have been on the regimen now for nearly 4 weeks and my feelings of depression and wanting to cry started about a week ago, will it go away or is it cause I changed from the pill , I have been told that I will getting now a proper dose of estrogen in the patch than the pill, so maybe I am getting too much estrogen !!
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Hi moonbeam, my jitters and anxiety took around 4 weeks to subside, I think in your case it’s possibly an adjustment period of your body getting used to a new form of hrt , it will settle and go once you are used to it unfortunately it does take a while, if you feel it’s too much definitely ask for the everol 25 , now you are back on the Mertazipine that should also help ease the symptoms while you settle on the patch , hoping better days are coming soon for you xxx