Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: CrispyChick on November 17, 2025, 04:58:48 PM
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Wel, here I am again.
I've not touched anything hormonal for 8 weeks. I've been on 75mg desogestral (cerazette) since June.
The last 5 weeks have been some of my toughest ever. I've regularly felt like I need to die to get away from the awful physical symptoms. Despite feeling hideously periody and nauseous with hormones, I thought things were slightly improving from 5 weeks ago.
But alas. Today I feel hideous motion sick, gagging with nausea, so so ill and toxic, my ears are full and sore, my emotions are all over the place and i just cry constantly.
Doing nothing doesn't seem to suit either.
This is exactly how I felt when all this started 9 years ago. But how with emotional turmoil on top. Plus hot flushes.
I really cannot go on...
Perhaps I go back to 2 desogestral and just live with the joint pain??? Or 1.5???
My GP suggested mirena. Or combined pill. But I tried all the combined pills a few years back. They give me migraines and trigger suspected mcas. As hrt does.
Out of options. Struggling to go on. 8)
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Hey crispy chick, I think you need to find (do research AI can help) a really knowledgeable hormonal/menopause specialist. Get all your bloods done via gp so you are armed and hopefully they will be able to help soften your symptoms. Gosh it's so horrible being sensitive to hormonal changes, I'm the same. Keep going xx
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Thank you for replying Flamingo.
I have booked one of the top (I hope) hormone experts. But that's not until Jan.
So from now until that appointment I feel I'm in some sort of endurance horror show every day. I just don't think it's sustainable to stay in a place where I feel so physically ill, i'd rather be dead.
Over the summer, when the double cerazette had supressed me, I had agonising pain. But I no longer wanted to be dead. I think that's because I was supressed.
So I guess I'm wondering about retrying combined pill. Possibly zoley. But I note, apart from the crying, I'm in a nicer mood just now - if I change again, I'll go narky and rageful. Any Estrogen I add will trigger my nose pressure headaches daily. :( plus, the change itself will poison me for at least a month.
What a way to live?!?
Apologies if we've spoken before - what happens to you with hornonal sevsitivity??
P.s any other bloods needed except E, FSH, lh and thyroid?
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Hey Crispy, I believe you did have a DUTCH test, were your oestrogen pathways ok?
I know DIM made you much worse but it can do that as it works its way through and if you take too much it can lower E too much.
Regardless of what you’re trying you’ll have E floating around and needing to be metabolised and it does seem to be the MTHFR aspect that compounds the hormonal volatility.
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Hey DM.
Yes, pathways looked ok. Plus my methylation was good.
I don't actually think my issue is hormone levels. Otherwise it wouldn't have been so severe in chem meno.
And every time I add/remove hormones it all kicks off. Which I think is why most people tell me now to stabalise on nothing.
But on nothing (well just cerazette controlling nothing) I'm in absolute hell every day as my body reacts to my natural peri movement.
I just don't know if I can sit here 'doing nothing' until Jan when I see the top expert - who may or may not be able to help.
I'm seriously thinking about zoley.
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Crispy, you probably have more than one thing going on and MCAS sounds likely but you obviously have menopause induced migraines too. These are chronic migraines that can result in 15 migraines per month and they don't necessarily present as headaches. This is a debilitating condition that means you spend most of the time in either prodrome, the actual migraine itself which can have any number of manifestations or postdrome. This would make you feel very ill for most of the time.
It sounds like your body is crying out for oestrogen but you can't process it. If migraines are part of the equation then you need to close down FSH and LH to create a stable environment and then add in oestrogen so Zoley sounds like a good candidate.
MCAS will need additional medication to help you process hormones so you really do need a diagnosis. I just don't understand why you have been left like this for so long without proper help. Why haven't you already been tested for MCAS?
Have you tried taking antihistamines alongside HRT? When you do eventually see a specialist they will probably prescribe additional medication like calcium channel blockers.
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Thanks Mary.
The severe nose pressure (migraines?) is certainly induced by adding hormones. HRT will kick it off within 24 hours. And it stays. But, progesterone can also kick it off.
Combined pills kicked it off every time on those trials.
Mini pill I'm ok, but it's not doing anything.
Then there's the stomach that kicks off as soon as I put these hormones in my body too. Excruciating stomach pain. I can only assume it's an MCAS reaction, as my stomach is fine when I'm not adding in. And endoscopy clear.
Why have I not been tested??? Well, to start with many in the NHS don't believe in MCAS. And certainly finding someone that deals in it is impossible in Scotland. There isn't even an immunology service where I am.
My Neurologist has poo pooed the idea - along with anything else that I mention - as he believes all my issues are nervous system. I hope they are. I'm doing the Gupta programme just now.
So. I see the very expensive ME / MCAS / dysautonomia specialist soon. I agree. I want these things ruled in or out once and for all.
Unfortunately I know the treatment for MCAS - and I tried one via my GP last year - it caused an immense nose flare (which can happen).
I regularly take strong antihistamines as I have normal allergies. I also take montelekast. But they dont touch any of this stuff.
My concern with zoley is this:
The estrogen will kick off my nose pressure and migraines severely. That pill may or may not trigger severe stomach pain - that's a deal breaker.
It will re flare the hell I am currently in. Simply because it's a change. The question is - can I survive it? And will it settle?
Ideally I'd like to do nothing until I've seen the mcas specialist. And really the hormone one - but that's a long wait. My benchmark is how often I feel I'd rather be dead.
And yes, I've lost the faith a bit to be left feeling like this.
I'm also starting therapy for chronic illness and trauma as I think I am now traumatised by it all.
I just long to feel 50% better. Right now I'm sick as a dog, motion sick, spinny head, ear pressure/pain and just simply feel hideous. But I have no low E symptoms this week. I'm clearly in a follicular even though the Cerazette prevented a bleed. This is classic days 1-7 for me.
Thank you so much for still trying to help.
So, i guess the question is zoley? Or not?
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I just write down all my E and fsh blood results for the last 14 months - of which I have many.
My E has been all over the place, just as they say if is in peri. My FSH is now the highest it's ever been.
So it is clear I'm in peri fluctuating hell. My main issues are not linked to low E. Yet...
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One thing you could try whilst not changing anything (or even if you do) is to write down every day in a diary/calendar if it’s a bad/ok/good etc day plus any other different feelings like anger/nervousness to look for a pattern. This will help you to know what to expect when a really bad day is looming. I often found that those were the ones where I would take/change something in desperation not realising the worst days were often followed by a relief day, such as ovulation.
In peri it may not for a 28 day cycle but if you have some obvious symptoms you can work out the cycle length from that and it’s so you know what to expect from what came before rather than a strict day of the month prediction.
It may also help the consultant to see what might be going on if you have a couple of months to show them.
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Thanks DM.
I do do this. It's not pleasant reading.
I can already say for definite that the ears and spinning comes pre and post period. The Cerazette has stopped my bleed this month. But I now feel in early follicular. So I know these symptoms are hormonal. I might as well have bled, I'm no better off.
Unfortunately, I don't ever get a better day. Ever. Every day is horrific.
Admittedly some I want to be dead. Others I don't. So yes, I guess that is my benchmark.
It is clear, when I supressed on more cerazette in the summer - I was in a lot of joint and muscular pain, but I didn't want to be dead.
This is why I'm seriously considering trying zoley right now. Because every single day for the last 5 weeks has been pure torture. That is definitely fluctuations as it started with a breakthrough bleed.
But, I also know my body kicks off when I make changes. Violently. Even when I removed all hormones. So I feel truly stuck.
I just don't know I can hack feeling this physically bad for much longer. >:(
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Yes I know what you mean about good days! It’s more relative though so you can see the difference but clearly you’re already doing that.
Could you do the Cerazette as in the summer and then when the joint pain hits, start the E or Zoely? Or did you try that then?
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I tried hrt on top of cerazette.
It instantly triggered my nose pressure, headaches, which I was living with. But then I increased dose to the highs of 25mcg and I felt so so ill and my stomach kicked off in agonising pain. So I had to stop. Then stopping caused horrific agitation.
Honestly. I give up.
I know I need to sit this out. Because there is no help for me.
I just don't know if I can keep going. It's too much. The symptoms seem fiercer than ever this last 5 weeks. :(
Thank you for trying to help. I do appreciate it. I've got a fear that even a top hornonal expert is going to say 'sorry. You've already tried it all, there is nothing I can do'. :(
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I have pondered 1.5 cerazette, because, what the hell ???
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Worth a try. I just looked up a couple of things up:
1. Cerazette lowers oestrogen levels
2. Chemical menopause lowers progesterone levels (as well as oestrogen)
So perhaps this is all still to do with too low progesterone, hence why chem menopause made you feel so bad as would have wiped out prog. Then Cerazette makes you feel better but too much lowers E too much to cause joint pain.
I remember in peri when I was using the combined pill, I would use an E dominant one for 2 weeks of cycle and a P dominant for the other 2 weeks. High E was obvious so it was easy to work out the days. If I didn’t do that I would feel too nauseous on the high E days but prog dominant all the time made me feel low. It worked for the 6 months I did it. As you know, eventually the E spikes became too difficult to suppress but we do sometimes have to be creative to match the cyclical patterns!
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Hey.
Yip - chemical menopause obliterated all hormones. Was horrific. But my worst bit was the same symptoms I have right now.
The same symptoms I get with high or low E. I'm now certain the overall hormone levels are not my issue.
I'm now getting some episodes of low E symptoms. But they are not my worst symptoms.
So I can only surmise it's the changes that get my body so hard. And, whilst doing nothing (as one cerazette is doing nothing) these changes are now worse than ever as my E surges up and down - I assume.
I think this is why my only option, if I take one, is yet again to seek supression. But in doing do, I'll go through weeks of hell - with the change.
Then there's the awful reactive symptoms if I add in E. And certainly cannot tolerate natural P.
So that leaves supressing with just higher dose cerazette again. But the pain was unbearable - assume low E. :(
I dont feel it's too low P. Cerazette gives me progestin. My natural P is zero because I'm not ovulating. But after all my P trials - and been led to believe my issue was low P by an expensive BHRT clinic - it's not. P makes me feel ill like this too.
It just seems like I have some severe oversensitivity to hormones as they charge. And as I add them in or remove them. But noone can offer any help.
Stabalisation is all I crave. I either wait for it naturally. Not sure ill make it. Or attempt again with pills. >:(
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If you react so strongly to estradiol, do you think Zoely will be any good? You’d be taking a medium estradiol dose all at once.
I think you said Slynd didn’t work for you, but not sure if it was because of the progestin or for another reason? If it wasn’t the progestin, you could look into Drovelis, it has 3 mg of drospirenone and estetrol (E4) as the estrogen. Estetrol is supposed to come out next year as a standalone for hrt, but that is obviously not an option right now.
The good things about estetrol is that it has a long halflife and levels will be very stable (drospirenone has a long halflife too, so for both hormones it will be very smooth). I didn’t get any nausea at all from estetrol, (I do from estradiol, especially oral, because I think I metabolize it too fast.) not even at the start, which is weird for me, I get nauseous from almost anything.
I don’t think Drovelis is available on the nhs, but I did read a lot of reviews on the lowdown (whatever that is, I’m not in the UK), so it should be available as birth control.
For me, the estetrol dose was too low once I got suppressed and the diuretic properties of the drospirenone gave me eczema. If not for that last part, I probably would have stayed on it and supplemented with transdermal estradiol. I did supplement with oral estradiol for the last month, that is why I know oral estradiol is not a good fit for me. So instead of switching to qlaira (which was next on my list), I switched to standalone dienogest + oestrogel. My ovaries woke up from the switch, so my first month hasn’t been great, but I do have hopes that this will work ok for me (I do have side effects, like stomach issues, bt treating those with a PPI).
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Thanks kon
Interesting reading. In answer to your question - no. I don't think zoley will go well ;D.
I get the same reaction to all hormones. E or natural P. I get intense nose pressure migraines with E or synthetic. So realistically I don't think any of the pills will work. I went through all the older ones about 5 years ago. Literally all of them.
I've just looked at drovelis. Yes, seems like I could buy it. But I know I tried elione (same P) and it was bad. So I doubt it's for me. Also sound made me do so dizzy I couldnt hack it. I don't know if that's from the diuretic or anti androgen profile or what.
I prefer the idea of separates. But in order to supress I need more than my 75mg desogestral. And, as I can't tolerate the add back E, too much supression leaves me in agony.
I totally accept that zoley would be throwing in a med dose of E. So it'll all just kick off.
I think that's my reality. I either ride it out. Or just keep retrying and circulating through hell as I do so.
So, this dienogest - that's the progestin in qlaira? But you are taking as separates? Great idea. So is dienogest in the same disease as it would be in qlaira?
I'm not sure I'd get dienogest. It looks like it's only licensed for endo over here.
I'm not sure any of this will improve my situation anyway. The progestin i tolerate ok is desogestral. But at 75mg I've got no supression. And I don't tolerate add back E.So it's all such a mess.
Zoley is just a desperate attempt to buy some time before I see the expert in Jan
Thanks for sharing your trials. It's so demoralising being so sensitive.
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Right. You've made me rethink kon.
I think my answer lies in re suprssing. But I'm.scared, as the side affects were bad. But - it was a quick supression. I went from zero to 2x cerazette.
So. Perhaps now I crawl up slowly. Extra 1/4 then extra 1/2.
Then. If I got supression, and the experts are agreeable, I may be able to try tiny dose estrogen gel. Add it in very slowly.
Id rather wait until I've seen the expert. But I am desperate.
Anyone any thoughts on this bizarre plan???
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Yes, I do think your plan sounds good, if you know 2 gives you suppression, but too much, somewhere in between might be your sweet spot.
For me, in terms of stable estrogen feeling, lenzetto feels most stable, then gel and then patch (I do get a skin reaction from the patch, so that could contribute to the absorption going a bit weird). Gel would be easer to measure out if you’d want to start even lower than 1 spray of lenzetto (which is less than 1 pump of oestrogel). And oestrogel is working quite well for me regardless of feeling slightly more uneven compared to lenzetto. (I’m very sensitive to fluctuations).
The dienogest I got is the one for endo too, because that is what it’s licensed for (but it has a very strong progestogenic effect on the endometrium, so it’s superb at keeping the lining thin), here when a gynaecologist prescribes, our (mandatory) health insurance pays, even if it is off label. But it is also an anti androgenic like drospirenone, so if you think you don’t respond well to anti androgenic progestins, it might not be a good choice anyway.
(I do seem to respond ok mood wise to the anti androgenic progestins, but do have some less favourable effects like increased vaginal dryness and even less libido (was already very low), so I’m going to discuss androgens at my next appointment. Not sure if it will bring me anywhere (testosterone is only very rarely prescribed here and we don’t seem to have vaginal dhea here), so I am prepared for a “can’t help you with that” and bought a dhea cream myself).
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Thanks kon.
Yes. I guess, although it's going back round in a circle, supressing using this tool I do tolerate (desogestral) is possibly not a bad idea. There is no point swapping my P. It's supression I'm lacking.
And keeping the E and P separate. Not a bad idea.
If I swap to zoley - it will be a nightmare. I know it will. I guess you've made me see this.
I can spot a few things that, through all this horrificness, are now better that I've stopped messing:
Mood - I get hideous crying episodes now. True peri. A bit fiat at times. But I'm not narky or horrible to family any more. I've not got the rage I get when I make a change.
Stomach and nose are much calmer now I'm not changing things.
So probably a slow climb back up to supression is right for me.
Is there a difference in supression though? Can you have a lighter supression at say 1.5 pills versus full on supression at 2x dose. Is it not simply supression versus no supression?
Which country are u in kon? I'm so interested to hear how your system deals with someone so sensitive to hormones in peri. X
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I’m in the Netherlands, we have a mandatory health insurance system, people that can’t afford the insurance, get subsidised, so they only have to pay a small amount.
We have to go to the GP for everything, they are the gatekeepers, I think this is similar to your NHS?
When my GP couldn’t help me anymore within the guidelines, she referred me, I could choose where I wanted to go myself. The clinic I chose had a waiting time of 3 months I think, other hospitals were a bit longer.
The gynaecologist prescribed what I wanted to try and was available (I wanted to try Duavive first, but that had just been discontinued here). On my last appointment she said she was referring me to her colleague, as menopause isn’t her area of expertise and she felt she wasn’t guiding me enough. So next monday, I first have an appointment with her, because prolapses are her area of expertise (and I’m not sure if I have a prolapse or just severe atrophy, so need that checked out) and then with the new one about the hrt.
About suppression, I do think there is a range of suppression, because when women that are not in (peri)menopause take certain pills, they don’t have low estrogen symptoms, while we do, so it’s not like the ovaries are completely shut down by the pill. Chemical menopause is a complete shutdown and even young women will get low estrogen symptoms. However, I haven’t read enough about how this works, so these are just my theories and I could be totally wrong.
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I would go with the 1.5 Cerazette.
I still think they are right at the other clinic and it’s too low prog, I think many of us fall into this (particularly if you look how low our levels go in peri compared to E), however, it is is not as simple as using natural progesterone as that just kicks off stimulation of oestrogen receptors and/or it starts donating to the whole hormonal cascade.
Getting E down to a level you can tolerate without it kicking off too low E may be easier to hormonally manage than full suppression and adding back E. It is hard with the volatility though but progestins do act more on a day to day basis and are probably easier to manage than natural progesterone. I could feel the difference from one day on Brevinor and the next on Loestrin.
I can see you want to try suppression first though so you can, perhaps, return to the 1.5 Cerazette, as a Plan B, if the suppression doesn’t work out.
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Thanks girls.
DM - I'm not sure I follow. I can't try 2x desogestral again, as the supression was too strong.
On one I gave absolutely no supression.
But, because I'm.so sevsitive. I think I'll need to creep up slowly.
Do we really think adding an extra 1/4 or 1/2 a cerazette will work? Will it calm my cycle? Reduce the fsh?
I think if I go too fast, I'll just boom and bust again. So I'm thinking try extra 1/4. Test. Then another 1/4.
Not sure how accurate these quarters will be though
I'm such a mess right now. I feel sure this is my perimenopause on nothing. 😬
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And then I just think: sod it.
When I look back, every change makes me feel like this - my own hormones, adding pills in to try and supress. So I'll feel like hell whether I'm trying to supress or not.
Which brings me back to just chucking a stronger pill in and being done with it. So back to considering zoley.
I feel i'll just go round on this merry go round for a long time. >:(
I think I need to go something. My own fluctuations are keeping me in hell.
I guess, I'm already in cerazette - so easier to trial another increase if that. Perhaps straight to 1.5 is best. Then test supression. If Iain returns, I'll know it's low E and need to act somehow. It cant happen twice and not be low E.
Yes. I think I'll increase to 1.5. Cerazette.
Decision made. ::)
How many weeks to start supressing??? About 4???
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I spent a while on the HRT merrygoround too, it's not fun.
I'm sure I mentioned it before, sorry for repeating, but have you tried tibolone?
None of the HRT crap they churn out did anything but make me feel awful.
I was given tibolone as a like it or lump it alternative, as such I expected it to be as bad if not worse.
It was my golden ticket to getting my life back.
I can only assume that women on tibolone aren't on this forum because they don't need to be, it is recommended as first line treatment for anyone sensitive to the usual hormones, which are incredibly hard to live with.
It seems safer from the scant studies too, but who knows?
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Thanks flo.
Are you able to give me a bit more background?
What were you struggling with? What happened when you tried HRT???
Yes. This is interesting. I've looked at it a few times, but it sounds so mysterious. It scares the hell out of me.
Also, I'm not post meno yet. I still think my body is overreacting to changes, not levels themselves. Are you post meno or still peri???
I'm not suffering, in the main, from low E symptoms. Yes I now have some, but they're not my main problem. If it is hornonal, mg main problem is fluctuations. With my own still moving around, I'm not sure tibolone would help...
Many thanks.
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I have a small insight to offer:
Oestrogen (oral and transdermal) → increases cholesterol saturation in bile + slows stomach emptying.
It stimulates the gallbladder and causes bile reflux (not acid reflux), in those sensitive to increases in bile flow/vagus stimulation, so could be the reason for your stomach pain/sinus pressure/migraines.
Also, bile instability → reflux → vagus activation → migraines + nausea + cortisol spikes.
I checked if this gallbladder stimulation decreased as your body gets used to it but it doesn’t. I now know why I cannot tolerate it at all so can now let go of the notion of ever trying oestrogen again.
I’m currently doing well with activated charcoal, as this mops up excess bile, histamine, endotoxins and stops oestrogen from reabsorbing in the bowels (to stabilise the oestrogen–cortisol feedback loop). Sometimes you just need to go for a really practical solution!
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Interesting DM.
I'm not convinced in my case as it's natural progesterone kills my stomach the most.
But, I suspect I'll never be able to take estrogen either. It's definitely the cause of the awful nose pressure - some sort of mast cell issues I think.
So I'm now on day 9 of 1.5 cerazette.
Huge difference already. I can tell I'm more stable, less dramatic fluctuations.
However, I'm already heading straight back to chronic back pain and fatigue. Both plagued me for months in the summer after I started on 2x cerazette. Almost as bad as the fluctuations. But not quite. :o
But I plan to keep going. Give it a real shot. Get my FSH and E tested in a few weeks to compare.
It's quite vital info ahead of seeing top hormone expert I think. Especially as desogestral is the only progestin I tolerate. :-\
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dangermouse, that's very interesting. It's really important for women to know that HRT (both oral and transdermal) changes bile composition and the way the gallbladder works/empties and it often means loose bowels. This might be unpleasant at times but it's not dangerous and it actually means you excrete cholesterol leading to lower serum cholesterol levels. It actually has an antioxidant effect too which is why women on HRT are less likely to contract bowel cancer. I consulted a gastroenterologist a few years ago and he explained it to me. There are a lot of oestrogen receptors in the gut and HRT wakes them up.
Crispy, it's good that the Cerazette has improved things for you even if it's not perfect. It's also worth getting your LH levels tested too because it's important to suppress that along with FSH.
There is a definite but very complex connection between migraines, IBS, loose bowel movements, FSH and LH levels. Cerazette will suppress your endogenous oestrogen levels which is probably why your are getting aches and pains again. If you add in exogenous oestrogen later on Cerazette should not suppress that - at least I know it's doesn't for me. I'm not surprised natural progesterone (Utrogestan?) had an adverse effect on your stomach.
I'm amazed at just how good Cerazette is. I decided to try it after bomb posted about it on here and it's really kept my migraines (brainstem auras) at bay coupled with a higher dose of oestrogen and calcium channel blockers (Verapamil). I've just had my extensive annual health checks and my new HRT regime along with the Verapamil has improved all my blood test results from last year. Even my thyroid levels have improved not that I had a thyroid problem as such. FSH and LH were both very low too.
I wonder I'd you might be able to introduce oestrogen at some stage in future because Cerazette creates a stable hormone environment meaning you should be able to introduce it once you hit the right Cerazette dose. That's definitely one to discuss during the appointment with the hormone specialist.
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So I have always had issues with digestive enzymes, ox bile, Vitamin D, taurine etc as I have had slow gastric emptying (causing, plus made worse by, SIFO/Candida) so was always trying to find something to speed up my digestion. I have the opposite of the fast bowel issue with constipation - so having to be very careful with not overdoing the charcoal!
All the above plus oestrogen, and now prog cream, cause immediately silent migraine and Chat GPT suggested it’s a hypersensitive gallbladder–vagus axis and that pathway triggers migraine for me.
The prog cream is now immediately an issue as:
Oestrogen receptors are still volatile (even though levels are low). Even after menopause, the brain’s oestrogen receptors don’t die — they become more sensitive because they’re under-stimulated. So when progesterone is added, it shifts the oestrogen–progesterone balance abruptly, and the brain interprets this as a rapid drop in relative oestrogen.
I can’t seem to win! I think I just have to accept any stimulation will make me feel dizzy and nauseous. Understanding about the bile also makes sense as I have had overlapping symptoms with a friend who had to have her gallbladder removed.
It was more the stomach issue I thought may overlap with you Crispy.
So glad the 1.5 Cerazette is helping and I
am curious as to how you would be if you add back E. If it works maybe I’ll brave it in the future!
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MaryG - Do you only use the Cerazette for your prog now or do you still include compounded?
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dangermouse, I had to ditch the compounded progesterone because, sadly, they can't send it to EU states post Brexit. So I use progesterone gel and 75 mcg Cerazette which is working very well. I really liked the compounded lozenges and didn't have a single migraine for the entire time I used them but the combination natural progesterone gel and Cerazette is also working very well and it's much cheaper!
I was using the progesterone gel interspersed with Cyclogest for a while which was also good but a bit messy. Like Cerazette, Cyclogest suppresses FSH and LH which is essential for my type of migraines.
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Thanks, makes sense!
I have never tried Cerazette and I also have the migraine issue so I am curious whether the others couldn’t suppress FSH and LH enough. Although, I suspect I would still not tolerate oestrogen but it could have helped in peri.
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Interesting ladies.
I perhaps sounded a little too positive in my post. I'm still in absolute hell. But...I feel I may no longer wish to die - which was a daily occurrence.
So, I know one cerazette is not supressing me. My FSH was in the 50s - highest it's ever been. My E was low though. So god knows where that's headed now.
I do feel I need to test this theory ahead of my hormone appointment - if 1.5 suppresses my FSH (point noted on lh Mary) and I feel a bit better - even if in agony and so fatigued - then I'll know it's the fluctuations.
Estrogen - that's a whole other ball game. It will trigger my nose pressure and MCAS reactions in me.
If could maybe do miniscule doses.
The problem is Mary, 75mg desogestral is not licenced as P part of hrt here. I doubt even an expert would agree to it. But I'm on that really scientific dose of 1.5 now ;D so who knows.
A lot of my reactive symptoms kick off irrespective of what hormone I add or remove. Like my stomach h is on edge now I've increased cerazette. It's bonkers. Heightened sensitivities I think.
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Crispy, you did just make me laugh then, with your concern that we’re getting all carried away about the Cerazette’s success. Which, of course, we are. 8)
I just looked it up and can see it was in Marvelon and Mercilon pills that I tried back in the day. Felt awful on them. I did also mention Cerazette to a friend a few weeks ago when replying to another post here and she flinched recalling the horror it caused her when given it for her fibroids.
Cannot ignore MaryG’s migraine smoothing though…
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Crispy, re my low 75 mcg Cerazette dose, I was using one pump of Oestrogel gel plus the progesterone gel and I had a womb lining reading of 1mm. God knows where I would have been had I taken the recommended dose of 150 mcg. I have since increased to two pumps of gel with no breakthrough bleeding so I'll see what the next reading comes out at but after a low reading like 1mm, I think I've got some leeway.
I suppose everyone reacts differently to Cerazette and you might need more to get full FSH and LH suppression. My blood tests came out at 0.49 for FSH and 0.07 for LH - sorry, I think your measurements are different in the UK but they are both low readings. You might be lucky and the extra dose of Cerazette might work but it will take a few weeks to significantly reduce FSH and LH and show up on blood tests and it takes about a month for levels to rise once you stop taking it. I found Cerazette stopped my migraine auras completely within a week.
The hormone specialist you are seeing should be able to help on this and might suggest an even higher dose of Cerazette of something else entirely. Cerazette is very potent and should work at the right dose.
dangermouse, why don't you try Cerazette? You can buy it over the counter in the UK and you might be pleasantly surprised with the results. You will know pretty soon if it's going to work.
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Thanks Mary
I take it all back - having a horrific day today with hormones. Extreme agitation in morning then one of the biggest mood swings I've had ever in the afternoon - irritation and then low, teary to the point of suicidal thoughts.
So I'm guessing, 9 doses in with my extra half cerazette - it's not yet bringing down the fsh/lh and therefore the fluctuations. Dues that seem right? Possibly need a month on increased dose?
Yes. It should be potent. I think be ause I'm late peri now it's struggling to control. I guess you being post meno, maybe makes if easier.
I'll keep going. Because being on nothing or one us absolute hell.
Two was far too supressing for me. When I first started out on 2 - I tested at 4 weeks in and fsh and lh (and estrogen) were very low. So I guess 4 weeks.
Thanks for helping. X