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[Kathleen]

Hello ladies.

Another question from me I'm afraid.

I am trying to take a break from HRT to see if my symptoms settle down. So far I feel the same as when I was taking it, no better but no worse. Does anyone know how long I should wait to be sure that all Oestrogel and Utrogestan has cleared my body? I know we are advised to wait three months for HRT to begin working and wondered if it was the same for coming off it. Back in the day we were told to wait three months from giving up the birth control pill before trying to get pregnant.  I think part of the reason was to let your natural cycle return so that you would know when you were ovulating. After all the pill, and HRT need to be taken every day so is it possible that they hang around very long?

Sorry if this seems a  silly question but hopefully some of you lovely ladies will have an answer.

Take care everyone

K.

[Jari]

Hi Kathleen, if it's any help, the bad side effects that it caused me started to go within days, but I didn't get any flushes for a couple of months..so had the impression it took at least a couple of months to properly leave my system. How long have you been off it now? X

[bear]

Hi Kathleen,

Another interesting question, well done.

According to the most recent Oestrogel leaflet:

'Daily application of 2.5 g or 5 g Oestrogel over a surface area of 400-750 cm2 results in a gradual increase in oestrogen blood levels to steady state after approximately 3-5 days and provides circulating levels of both oestradiol and estrone equivalent in absolute concentrations and in their respective ratio to those obtained during the early-mid follicular phase of the menstrual cycle.
Oestrogel was administered to 17 postmenopausal women once daily on the posterior surface of one arm from wrist to shoulder for 14 consecutive days.
When treatment is stopped, oestradiol and urinary conjugated oestradiol concentrations return to baseline in about 76 hours.'

The molecular action of hormones is very complex, their metabolism in specific tissues vary considerably. The last study on BC has found that HRT can increase the risks for more than 10 years after being stopped, so it seems difficult to answer your question, because how do you quantify ‘leave' or ‘clear my body'? If this means estradiol blood and urine levels, then according to the pharmacokinetic studies provided by the manufacturers/sellers of Oestrogel, it only takes about 76 hours. The study was performed in only 17 women, I haven't read the whole study yet, but it's a very small sample.

Most women who have stopped HRT and reported that symptoms have returned, usually say they came back ‘with a vengeance',  but many don't say when that happened. So your question is really interesting. Regarding progestogens, it's likely that each type has different metabolism and elimination rates. I'll have a look later on, I find the whole thing fascinating, thanks for posting!

BeaR.

[Kathleen]

Hello ladies

Thank you so much for responding.

Stellajane and Jari - it's interesting that your experiences indicate a couple of months to really notice the full effect. I have been without any HRT for nearly two months and as I said in another post, I am feeling about the same. I noticed my breast tenderness disappeared within a week of no Utrogestan but zero Oestrogel seems to   have caused a dry vagina, something  I've never had before!

BeaR - I'm glad my simple curiosity is interesting you lol! Sometimes it's the basic questions that provide the best answers. I find it all fascinating as well.

Thanks again ladies and take care.

K.

[jaycee]

Hi Kathleen, i am pleased you asked that question, as i am doing the same,i have been having hair loss for about 18 months, but lost more with a vengeance when i was switched to Evoral Conti about 3 months ago,i have stopped mine too
Initially i was taking livial for about the same length of time my hair started getting thinner, also vagifem at the same time
but i didn't really notice the thinning too much at first, until my daughter said i was getting bald patches, i got in a panic,as i hadn't noticed because it was mainly from the crown down and was hidden up to a point by a layer which stayed ok,
After taking the E C my hair got much worse, my daughter was also given E C as her usual femseven was unavailable by then,her hair is coming out now too, and still both of us losing some, so i wondered too how long HRT  took to get out of the body
Should say my Dr put me back on livial,which is quite Androgenic i think

[Jari]

I really find it all fascinating too! Thanks again for your interesting post BeaR!

Just to add, although my hot flushes did come back after I stopped hrt (only took it 2 months), they did not come back with a vengeance.
I'd say less intense than before and since then, ( almost a year ago), they have become less and less..

I think, for me, I was a bit taken aback with it when I first started getting them as I'd had no peri symptoms and I think I panicked a bit, worried what I was up against, but, now I feel more relaxed about it and realised, it will pass.. x

[Kathleen]

Hello again ladies

Jaycee  - for some reason I have never experienced hair loss or thinning on any of the HRTs I have tried, including Livial. I know this is a common problem for many ladies and can understand how upsetting it is.

Jari  - I also didn't have any peri symptoms, my regular periods just stopped. However they were quite heavy and I now understand that this can be a sign of  peri. I was determined to see this whole thing through naturally but three years after my last period I felt worse than ever so asked for HRT.  I think only trying HRT for two months has worked in your favour now you are trying the natural route. More power to your elbow!

Take care ladies.

K.

[bear]

Hi stellajane,

Thank you for the detailed reply, your Month 1 post HRT sounds like my menopausal days and your Month 3 post HRT sounds like my perimenopausal days. Very interesting.

BeaR.

[Jari]

Hi Stellajane, these symptoms sound exhausting for you.
Are you still in your 3 rd month since stopping hrt?
How long did you take hrt for and what was the dose and type?
Were your symptoms as bad as this before taking it?
I’m wondering; as it seems to take a while for hrt to get out of system and for our own hormones to balance, if things will start to calm down a bit for you going ahead of the 3 months?!

[bear]

Hi again stellajane,

One pump is the lowest dose, so that's great if it works for you! Do you have to take progesterone?

BeaR.