Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Eliphanty on December 15, 2025, 02:24:00 PM
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I am 56 and 4 years post menopausal. I didn’t consider HRT earlier because (thankfully) the only thing that ‘bothered’ me was hot flushes. However for the last couple of years I’ve noticed I am a lot more anxious and have joint and muscle pain. So, after thinking my menopause journey was behind me, I started to look into the impact of low estrogen levels after menopause and was horrified at the wide range of potential impacts. So I went and discussed with my GP and we decided HRT was a sensible thing to try.
I started with 1 pump of gel and 100mg of utrogestan - I take both at bedtime and apply the gel on alternating arms from shoulder to wrist.
I braced myself for some side effects because I was always very sensitive to a contraceptive pill.
But … nothing … no negative side effects whatsoever! I couldn’t believe it. My hot flushes reduced significantly and my anxiety reduced … but my main reason for taking HRT was for joint pain and that was still there. (I’ve also read conflicting information as to whether 1 pump is enough to prevent osteoporosis).
So after 3 months the GP suggested upping to 2 pumps. I eagerly increased my dose and bam! Within days I felt horrendously bloated and depressed and very reminiscent of how I’d felt on the pill.
That was 2 weeks ago and I am persevering but I don’t like this feeling. I’ve read that water retention is a sign of ‘too much’ estrogen but I’ve also read that it should subside. I’m considering dropping to 1.5 pumps for now to see if that helps. Perhaps 1-2 was too big of a jump for me. Perhaps 1.5 will be enough to alleviate the joint pain? It feels like it is such a delicate balance - balancing the estrogen and progesterone to start with and then the side effects with the benefits. I know we are all different but can anyone relate? I would love some perspectives/advice.
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They say 3 months is the settling down period where symptoms should be feeling better by then, that’s not to say you are wrong though and your oestrogen is too high. If it’s only been several days it might just be a side effect of upping the dose, this happened to me when I first increased my patch from 50 to 75 I went all jittery, gas heart rate and sore boobs for a week or so but it went away and symptoms calmed. This game is trial and error 🤔
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Increasing more gradually might help if you can measure out half a pump.
Or you could try dividing your dose and doing one pump morning, one at night for smoother levels.
The only way to know for sure if your dose is adequate for osteoporosis prevention is to get a DEXA scan now, and another in 3-5 years.
This is well worthwhile in my opinion as many women are undertreated and only find out they are osteoporotic when they fracture.