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[paisley]

Hi I started a low dose oestrogen only HRT 6 weeks ago. It is a spray that I got because I live in Spain. It is probably equivalent to 25 patch or 1 pump of oestrogel. Anyway I feel like I go 1 step forward & 5 steps back. Yesterday I had a bad crash, anxiety, weepiness etc. I don't want to change anything for 3 months to give it a good go. I know some women say they have started HRT & within a couple of weeks they have felt great. Is there anyone else for whom it has taken them a lot longer to stabilize on HRT. I know we are all different. Thanks

[suziq99]

Hi Paisley, sorry no experience on anything other than tablets, I'm sure the more knowledgeable will be right along. Maybe the dose is two low  ?

[Daisydot]

Hi paisley sorry to hear that,I would say it took me a good 6 weeks plus to get any kind of stability with the oestrogen,I'm hanging fire on trying the spray right now as like yourself I don't want to rock the boat too much when I have other issues I need to resolve,maybe you need to increase the spray dosage to get a higher fix on it if you've been taking it 6 weeks now I'd try increasing the sprays as you've had a chance to build up at least some reserves you can always drop it again if it doesent suit.xx

[paisley]

Thank you both for your replies.
I think I will just wait 3 months & see how things are then. The weird thing is yesterday I felt so awful & this afternoon felt better. I don't know if I am coming or going sometimes. Up one min & down the next. It is so unnerving to not know how you will feel from one hour to the next.
Thanks xx

[Daisydot]

That's the biggest issue most ladies have with this hormonal stuff it varies almost on an hourly basis until you can get that stability, then, if I'm honest you don't even think about it and you have to sit and think now what symptoms “don't” I get now and it really can be hard to remember.That time will come again for you paisley your lucky in that you have the sun to help lift your mood and it allows you to get out and about more so hopefully that three months will pass quickly for you.take care xx

[paisley]

Thank you so much Daisydot for your lovely post. It really does help xx

[Daisydot]

That's only what we should be doing,helping each other though the hard times.It will pass,keep on the forum and keep communicating and passing on your knowledge it's truly a lifeline for some ladies we've all been there xx

[suziq99]

I've been trialling various tablets & have found the 3 mths really are a good test. Twice I've felt ok for the first 2 months with the 3rd going haywire. I've just started the 3rd month on the latest & so far so good. So yes hang in there if you can. It might suddenly balance out.
Good luck.

[paisley]

Thanks Suziq99
I hope it continues to work for you xx

[Tempest]

Hello again, Paisley.

I've rejoined the forum, so we can do this together if you'd like as i'm having to start HRT (you may recall I'm 3 plus years into surgical menopause). I was advised this could help me a lot to ease some of the symptons related to my Multiple Sclerosis which was diagnosed last year. It can be beneficial, according to research!

I will be starting in 3 weeks, under close professional supervision. I flirted with a 25mcg estradot patch, but it really didn't have any discernable positive effect (this was under my GP, who was too scared to go any higher given my circumstances). I gave it a good few weeks too.

So i'm thinking for you that it might be an idea to raise your dose now after 6 weeks? I know over at Hystersisters (whose go low and slow mantra I very much follow) that Surferbabe (one of the mods) says that a 25mcg equiv. dose is unlikely to help with surgical meno. symptoms - and is only really advised for use for minimal bone protection for ladies post natural menopause.

I also recall I think that you have problems with fluctuations like me? (I now know why my CNS is so sensitive)! I know when I was nearing the end of day 3 of the 25mcg patch that I had a feeling of 'crashing' - so this could be happening to you as the small one spray dose may be leaving your system each day after just a few hours. Also, don't forget that estradiol daily dosing decreases significantly in the body after 12 - 15 hours and us girls without ovaries can really feel this if our dose is too small. I hope this helps!

I'm sure you've checked out the Surmeno Connection website (which has recently been updated), but if you haven't, it's another very useful resource for us. xxxx

[paisley]

Hi Tempest
It is so lovely to hear from you again but I was hoping that because you weren't on here that you were now stable. How are you feeling? Sorry about your multiple Sclerosis diagnosis. How is that impacting on your menopause? I am 7 years post hyster & still trying to find balance. I was off HRT for a year & was gradually getting worse & so had to restart it again but it is taking so much longer to stabilize this time. We can keep supporting each other. I know what you mean about increasing but it is just that in the past I have never given anything a good 3 months & so this time I was determined to not tinker. Also I started perimenopause at age 45 & I am now 54 I was thinking that I might need less oestrogen but who knows. It is trial & error

[Mary G]

paisley, to be honest, I would be surprised if that very low dose (equivalent of 25mcg patch?) would do very much for you other than put you in what I call the HRT half way house i.e. half baked and not quite there.  When I used a 25mcg patch I didn't get any benefit at all.  I know everyone is different but that is a very low so I would be inclined to use two pumps and split the dose by about 12 hours.  You should be feeling some improvement by now and if you are not then it's time to up the dose I think.

Tempest, I'm glad you have come back but sorry to hear about the MS. 

[Tempest]

Thank you so much for your kind words, Paisley! Yes - I wish it were true that i'd ridden off into the sunset, as it were!

Symptoms wise which I KNOW are menopausal still are a few hot flushes, damned adrenal surges (urgh - when do they EVER go)! And generally feeling wrung out all the time. Energy of a slug......compounded by MS flare I've just experienced and MS means heat intolerance, so double whammy there! I'm avoiding the heat and sun today like the plague!

I too was guilty as charged of not letting things settle - never managed 3 months on anything either (but i'm blaming that I was trying to fix MS stuff that I didn't know I had with HRT)! I'm sure the specialist who'll be overseeing me now will keep me in check (someone needs to)!

So - I ABSOLUTELY understand your caution. Been there! But as Mary G says, I think (and this is from my recent experience) that a tiny dose does just leave you dangling in a hormonal half baked state. If it's any help, when I previously used 1 pump of gel AM and PM, that was the best I felt so maybe you could maybe think of doing this with the sprays? Once you get 'steady' - 2 sprays AM or PM would probably 'hold' you so that you don't need to go through the faff of twice daily (I've read about such over at Hystersisters).

No wonder we're a bag of nerves though - as they say over at HS, we've been in this hormonal jungle a looooong time already!

Thank you for the welcome back too, Mary G!  xxxx

[paisley]

Yes I think you are both right
Definitely if after 3 months I still feel bad I will increase it to 2. Strangely the last few days haven't been that bad but as we know with hormones it is never that simple or easy.
Tempest which HRT are you going to start?

[Tempest]

That's good news that the last few days have been better, Paisley! For sure i'll be taking it slow and steady, like you. Unfortunately I've accumulated a few specialists since my MS diagnosis but all agree that the HRT is well worth going for.

At my appointment in less than 3 weeks now, we'll decide what to try. I so wish we had the spray here as it sounds good and cuts down on drying times - this is what used to put me off the Estrogel  (that and I did notice a big difference when I was given Oestrodose - it's definitely runnier in my opinion and I think I was the first person to notice that on here. Thought I was going bonkers - but other ladies have noticed too)! It gets kinda stale walking around like John Wayne whilst you wait for it to dry on your thighs! xxxx