Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Peanut1109 on December 11, 2023, 04:58:21 PM
-
Please can someone help me? I am on 4 pumps of HRT Gel and 100mg progesterone tablet daily, my nipples have been painful for 2 weeks now - fully erect and verging on dark purple, they are that sore. Its really painful and distracting - its all i can think about, plus the fact that you can see them nearly all the time. They arent just sore, they are painful, painful to touch, painful when i move - even painful when i am sitting doing nothing.
Is there anything i can do? Im wearing a soft un-wired bra but its not helping, ill try anything, just please can someone help me :'(
-
R U using every night? I would drop the amount of gel ....... how long have U been using 4? Does the nipple pain coincide with the increase?
MayB go back to 2 for a few nights then increase gradually?
Also take some pain relief.
-
I started on 1 pump a day and the tablet, last week my DR upped it to 4 and the tablet. I told her about all the things that were happening but she didnt seem interested.
They just dont seem right, painfully swollen, dark purple and red hot T_T
-
How long were U on 1 pump and how did U feel?
Why did your GP think it OK to jump from 1 HRT dose to 4 ...........
What R your periods doing? I would go back to the 1 for at least 7 days then increase on every 3rd night to 2. MayB keep a mood/food/symptom diary to chart progress.
U can also put the product names into the search box on the forum and read any threads that pop up.
-
Did you go straight from 1 pump to 4? Can you tell us when you increased and by how much? Sore boobs are usually from too much oestrogen or from too big an increase. If they're hot and inflamed perhaps infection or mastitis? I think this would be unusual though, more likely to be oestrogen related imo.
-
i increased from 1 to 4 last Wednesday. i have been on the gel since middle of October - i was supposed to increase to 2 pumps a day, but because of the mood swings i hadnt. i told the DR this and she said she wanted me to increase up to 4 straight away.
I think im going to go back to 1 and build up from there. They were painful before but nothing like they are now
-
Too much too soon - mayB check your prescription with the pharmacist?
Go back to 1 and see how you feel. Why did U increase anyway? Your GP needs educating!
-
That is a huge increase, I'm not surprised you're suffering. I agree it's sensible to go back to 1 pump. The normal advice is to stay on a dose for 3 months as that's how long it to work for some symptoms. Flushes usually go within a couple of weeks but my anxiety and insomnia took the full 3 months. It's best to increase slowly and given your boobs we're already sore perhaps half a pump at a time would be better than one. What symptoms do you still have? I would be a bit sceptical about her knowledge of meno, I don't know any other doctor who advise such a big increase.
-
The only symptom i was having previous was vaginal dryness and pain with sex. I am 40 and have never had any form of hormone treatment before and i have never started my periods. The GP was adamant that i would be fine, but her advice was that because i have been so long with no hormones, it was going to take me longer to adjust. She said she needed me to go up to 4 immediately and that she would review after a few months. Ive just put a request in via my GPS office to see someone else about it.
Now, i have the pain in my boobs, mood swings, bloating and nausea. I know its important i get the hormones, but right now i feel a lot worse off for it. Oh and i have awful migraines, which i thought co-incided with what my brain was thinking should be a period (nearly a full week of migraines every month/ 2 months) they have come back with avengance - but she said the estrogen would solve them.
Im so fed up, i know i am not alone with what im going through, but i dont have a big support network :(
-
If U went to the GP what was the discussion? Did U mention your dry vagina?
Your GP should have prescribed appropriate vaginal atrophy treatment immediately. No need for blood tests or examinations. I would ring the Surgery in the morning 2 ask for a referral to a dedicated menopause clinic as your GP doesn't seem to understand that gentle increase is important.
-
The appointment was after a particularly traumatising smear, the nurses made me an appointment with the GP for the next day. She did bloods and they showed i had nearly zero estrogen in my system, so from there she prescribed me the gel, tablet and a pessary for the vaginal atrophy.
I didnt get on with the pessary - but the gel helped with that anyway, so i dont use them.I booked back in last week to explain how i was feeling mood swings etc and thats when she upped it. I spoke to my mum because i found it weird and she agreed.
i have submitted an appointment request so hopefully i can get seen by someone tomorrow and if she tells me to carry on i will be asking to see someone else - or at least be referred to a specialist
-
What bothers you about the pessary? Eventually you may/not require more VA treatment. Some manage with HRT others need more localised insertion to 'get to the point' of the dryness ;-).
let us know how you get on
-
Sorry you're having such an awful time Peanut.
I agree with all the others on here, that jump is ludicrous.
The best thing about oestrogel is that you can adjust it by half a pump and see how you go.
For a GP to quadruple your dose is horrific - but when we're in a vulnerable place sometimes we just accept what the GP says.
Please keep us updated, you have a support network on here xxx
-
Thank you so much, i feel better knowing that i have people who understand and are supportive!
I have an appointment Monday 9a.m, so hopefuly will get some good news
As for the pessary - im not sure if i was having a reaction to it, but my whole area was burning and tingling after using it, so i stopped
-
Some times when the area is dry and sore there may be irritation. Occasionally it's a reaction to the fillers or packaging rather than the active ingredient.
Let us know how you get on.?
-
Great you've got an appointment Peanut, but can I ask what you're intending to do in terms of number of pumps for the next few days?
Thank you so much, i feel better knowing that i have people who understand and are supportive!
I have an appointment Monday 9a.m, so hopefuly will get some good news
As for the pessary - im not sure if i was having a reaction to it, but my whole area was burning and tingling after using it, so i stopped
-
I would advise you to ask for a referral. Your story is unusual and unlikely the gp has come across this before, I think you'd be better with specialist advice. As your periods never started I'm guessing you've had little oestrogen all your life? So even more important for you to start low and increase slowly. Did you have other meno symptoms before you started hrt or was it only VA?
-
and i have never started my periods
........ sorry I missed reading that part of your history. The Daisy web-site may be useful too ................. your GP should certainly be referring you to an appropriate Consultant if she is aware that you've never menstruated.
Let us know how you get on. Did U drop back the dose?
-
Sory for the delay in update, in case anyone was waiting lol. I dropped down the dose to 2 gel a day and 1 utrogestan. My Dr wanted me to keep on it but i cant. im seriously thinking about coming off it altogether. Im miserable. My boobs are so so very painful. If i move in the night i wake up with the pain. The mood swings settled and then flared up again. Im an awful person at the moment. Im trying not to cry right now, but also alternating between the most irrational anger and sobbing.
I hate it, i hate it i hate it. I saw a different Dr and all she recommended was taking cod liver oil (?) tablets for the pain - ive been doing so for a week and its not changed. I dont even know what will happen if i stop taking the HRT, but i dont even think im bothered at this point.
To make matters worse our Drs has changed its booking system so im really struggling to get anywhere and i dont want to have to start hospital visits back up again if i was refered to a specialist - especially since i sent nearly 20 years going back and forward with no answers. The last appointment i had the Consultant actually started crying and said im really sorry theres not much we can do and that was a specialist!!
i feel so bloody useless
-
Hi
You have had a rough time.
Am on Evroli 25 patch and have been for 4 mths (feels a lot long) now a lot on my symptoms have improved (even though I think I do need to go up to 50, but scared)
I have sore boobs nearly every day left one worse with arm pit pain, the pin varies some days really bad (which is today) and then others can manage a bit better.
I take evening primrose oil does help a little.
I initially had migraines, started Amitriptyline after 2.5mths which eventually did help however over the last week migraines come back.
Before I started HRT I had the worst PMT, hot flushes, anxiety and panic attacks, breast pain before I was due on my period but now migraines and very sore boobs and it’s very difficult to carry on as normal .
I am 44 has a hysterectomy in Nov 2022 kept my ovaries so am only on oestrogen and also topical for vagina dryness.
Hope you get sorted life crap a little bit at the min.
Good luck xx
-
Peanut were your boobs sore on 1 pump or is it only since you increased? If you were OK on 1 you could go back to that until they stop hurting then increase half a pump at a time. Pain does usually resolve but increasing slowly should mean the pain is less or absent. Are you on progesterone? For some people (I'm one) this can cause sore boots. If you take the progesterone daily you could try cyclically instead. This way you can also tell which side effects are from oestrogen and which form progesterone. Hang on in there, most people are able to find a form of hrt that suits them but it can be a slow process finding it.
What was the reason for the increase to 4?
-
Further update: Turns out i have mastitis! No idea how thats happened. Currently on strong antibiotics for 10 days. Im half way through and although they feel somewhat better, they are still very tender and sore - also i discovered one of my nipples is different - small bump on the side has gotten bigger and a strange dark patch has appeared on the bottom of it. Trying to not overthink, but this all started when i went on the Gel. They have been sore since the week i started and got worse to the point that i was having to hold them going downstairs because the movement was too much.
I have a follow up Friday , and the GP (different one) said if it was no better then ill have to go to the hospital.
Can the gel cause mastitis? I dont smoke, i haven't had an alcoholic drink since NYE, im not overweight and clearly not pregnant or breastfeeding!