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[coldlittleheart]

Ladybt you sound just like me! I had fibro (or as they said back then, ME) in my late teens, early 20s, it's a bit vague. And I too had depression since then, panic and anxiety disorders since 14 yo. Peri was really bad too, I had to stay in bed for the first day sometimes 2 of my period, I was a wreck emotionally. Then it kind of calmed down after my last period. Then all I got was a constant feeling of dread and background anxiety that would just flare up at the smallest little thing. Or for no reason at all. The hot flashes started, that was unpleasant, but hey, if that's all I had to deal with, I'd be ok with that. But in the past couple of years, I have been feeling crazy. Really obsessing over things that might have upset someone, things those people most likely weren't even aware of. And I was tired, mor than usual, all the time. So I spoke to my GP and that's when she put me on kliovance which helped but my hair started shedding, a LOT. That killed all the benefits I had started to gain from hrt. She switched me to femoston and that did nothing for me. hair was still shedding. I know you mentioned hair loss too in another of my threads, but this wasn't TE I am pretty sure it wasn't that. It was too coincidental. That it happened again, after a few weeks of taking progynova, before I switched to oestrogel. But that has maybe settled a little.

I think that like us, too many doctors have no real idea, even if they have a special interest. I think maybe it is so complex with everyone being so different, they would need special training and they are spread thin these days with shortages. I can't really put them blame on them too much, it's just a shame that people have to suffer because of shortages and cuts. The two female GPs I've dealt with are young, but sympathetic. We'll see what she comes up with re utro.

About pain meds, I have given those up a fews years back, I only use OTC painkillers now and manage my pain the best I can. Only one painkiller was working for me, it was a private prescription and I couldn't afford to keep going for private reviews every 3 months and then the cost of the meds themselves. Then it turned out that the product was recalled or withdrawn or something as it wasn't suitable for long term use. As for ADs, as I said in my reply to Birdy, I don't tolerate any of them anymore. I have given them up about 15 years ago, my GP at the time laughed when I told him I was coming off seroxat. He said Ha! Good luck with that! You'll be back begging for a repeat before you know it! Arsehole.

[coldlittleheart]

I totally understand. I'm sort of in the thick of it now. I started using mirtazapine roughly three weeks ago.

I feel for you, it's really difficult to go through, I hope it helps you. I am more worried now than I used to be about depression because I don't tolerate any antidepressants, so that would leave me up the creek without a paddle.

If you panic, you know it'll make things worse. If you are anything like me, you risk becoming hyper vigilant to every day you aren't 100 per cent. It honestly sounds to me like you are oestrogen depleted, so have some faith that the gel will start to make a difference soon. X

I know what you mean, I meant I am concerned about getting depression, I am generally not worried about it, but days like today scare me because they feel way too familiar and I wouldn't have anything to fall back on.

I hope the oestrogel will help eventually.

[Cassie]

Why dont you try taking it for 12 days a month,vaginally,  so many women use it cyclically! My gynae has ladies in their 70s using it like this, I could never take it daily, I am suffering through 12 days as we speak, not having much sleep and feeling jittery, other ladies react the opposite way and feel sleepy and exhausted, its not the best of meds but unfortunately necessary if using oestrogen.

[Honeybean]

Hello,

I'm just about to start (this coming Monday) on estrogel and utragestan HRT and thought I'd start a support group thread for anyone else on the same HRT to compare and contrast and discuss any problems/positives.

I think I remember ellie66 saying she'd be up for it - anyone else?

I'm hil - aged 47 and have had peri-menopause symptoms for the last 4 years and haven't had a period since beginning of October. I'm having hot flushes and bad night sweats which have affected by sleep so I'm hoping those will be helped.

hil x

Hi Hil,

I was just wondering how you are getting on with Oestrogel and Utrogestan having started thread quite a while ago?

Thanks x

[Pinkjan4288]

I saw a nurse today for a smear test. She asked if I'd had all my kids by c section because my cervix is so small. I had 2 kids vaginally. I keep getting urine infections and sex needs lots of lube now.
I'm on 2 pumps of Oestrogen daily.
I take utrogestan 100mg for 25 days.
Bleeding lightly every day at the moment.

I'm seeing the nurse practitioner tomorrow. I want to ask for some Vagifem I think.
Is this a good idea?

[itsmejojo]

Hi
After a bumpy start I am now 6 months into the Estrogel and Utrogestan (vaginally) regime - and it has been life changing.  Most symptoms had disappeared or were much improved but last week the night sweats/insomnia returned with a vengeance and this week I'm getting waves of heat from my chest upwards during the day.  My guess is that I need to increase from 2 to 3/4 pumps of Estrogel??  Any advice/experience would be really helpful.  Also, interested to know how many pump packs you are all getting per prescription?  My GP will only prescribe one on repeat.
Thanks
JoJo

[Ladybt28]

I am on 4 pumps of gel and I am getting 4 packs on repeat up until the last one which was only 3. interestingly enough I have always had the Besins re-packaged gel oestrodose and this time with the 3 it was oestrogel itself direct from Besins.  That's a new development for me.  Wonder if hrt shortages are now moving to gel?

[Tracey E]

My hot flushes had returned on HRT however since I've stopped taking it they've gone. So upping my Estrogel dose made my symptons worse, plus caused a number of awful side effects 

[coldlittleheart]

Why dont you try taking it for 12 days a month,vaginally,  so many women use it cyclically! My gynae has ladies in their 70s using it like this, I could never take it daily, I am suffering through 12 days as we speak, not having much sleep and feeling jittery, other ladies react the opposite way and feel sleepy and exhausted, its not the best of meds but unfortunately necessary if using oestrogen.

Hey Cassie, I heard back from the doctor, she spoke to the menopause clinic consultant and she said that using utro every two months might not offer enough endometrial protection but if I want to try 200mg 10-12 days a month then I can do that.

To those of you who are sensitive to progesterone (I think I am, doctor doesn't but she has only spoken to me once on the phone) have you found that 200mg affects you a lot more than the 100mg did? I am a little wary of the side effects the 200mg might cause, it is putting me off a bit.

[Tracey E]

Tracey E, I can't work out why your flushes would worsen with more oestrogen but diminish on less. It is the complete opposite of the norm.
Have you ever had your SHBG levels looked at? Did you every use testosterone?

No Birdy I haven't, I've never had tetesterone was waiting for the Estrogen and progesterone to settle first. Which it never did.

[Sammiejane]

Hi Tracey e

Have u now come off everything ?

[Tracey E]

Hi Tracey e

Have u now come off everything ?

Hi Sammie, yes I have..

[Tracey E]

Tracey E, sorry to go on but if I were you i'd Look into the SHBG thing. Tc might help with this too, as will Hurdity no doubt.
Because you have reacted so atypically it might be worth a shot. X

Hi Birdy, thanks I'll take a look.

I don't have any of these issues though,

Excess body and facial hair growth
Deepening of voice
Menstrual irregularities
Acne
Weight gain
Fertility problems

[coldlittleheart]

200mg of utrogestan affected me much more severely than the 100 did. It was very noticeable and after about 9 days I dropped back to 100.
The withdrawal was more intense and diffficult too. Hate it!

That's what I figured, doctor also said something about the bleeding pattern "not always being brilliant" with utro. I am going to have to think about this, I am not sure I want to have more intense utrogestan side effects, I might just give it some time on continual and see if it settles and if I am actually gaining benefits from HRT versus side effects or if I should discontinue. I will see how things go in the next little while. My hair has started shedding quite a lot more too, I am not happy with that.

[Sammiejane]

Hi ladies

As you all know and for those of you who don't I'm having a rubbish time with hrt I'm only 40 no ovaries or uterus and take 2 pumps estrogel no progesterone or testosterone at the moment !

Blood work all fine !

So I've been experiencing exessive sweating lately in groin and armpits and thought it was due to low estrogen so up the gel to 2.5 pumps which made it worse more flushes more hairloss more sweating and my mood irratic!
I went to my GP as a lady mentioned that she perscribed anti depressants for exessive sweating and so I thought well the GP has mentioned before about anti depressants for my mood level so I went to get them thinking kill 2 birds with one stone , no such luck as my GP wouldn't perscribe them as she said they can cause sweating which would make your situation worse ! However here is the
thing I understand my body is different from my 20s and 30s although had my op at 35 now 40 and I really want to go on the contraceptive pill as I had no issues on that yet hrt seem to have giving me a whole host of side effects and issues but I know for my age no HRT is also an issue but I also suffered in my past with depression for 10 years and took prozac fluoxetine with no problems no hairloss from it or sweating so I'm wondering maybe if u went back in the pill or those anti depressants my body may well recognize them better then it seems to be doing with hrt !

My recent estrogen levels revealed that I'm not absorbing the gel well and they want me to increase to 3 pumps ! But if then makes side effects worse breast pain constipatio. Hairloss no sleep irratic mood depression aniexty
I had tried everol patch 50 wouldn't stick
I had tried estradot patch 75 as 50 wasn't enough as had flushes but maybe it was enough but gave me flashes as the more gel I have the more flushes I get but the estradot patch made hairloss worse and boobs mega sore crying kind of sore I don't know what to do I keep trying every hrt or just sack it and go on the pill ! I think estradiol is causing my hairloss and the gel has triggered diffuse alopecia I reckon we can feel it activate on my hairline around my back of ears and nape of neck !