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Author Topic: Estrogen dilemma - too much or too little?  (Read 6421 times)

SueLW

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Re: Estrogen dilemma - too much or too little?
« Reply #15 on: July 12, 2018, 05:50:42 PM »

Hi SueLW I take utrogestan orally for 25 days out of 28. I use 4 pumps of gel every morning on shoulders and outer arms. X

Thank you Dottie.  That's a lot of hormones.  But it's good to know it works for you.
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Dotty

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Re: Estrogen dilemma - too much or too little?
« Reply #16 on: July 12, 2018, 05:55:16 PM »

Hi Sue LW - it's not really a lot of hormones. It's all within licence x
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MummyClanger

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Re: Estrogen dilemma - too much or too little?
« Reply #17 on: July 13, 2018, 08:57:32 AM »

Hi I'm new here but just wanted to share my experience of Mirena coil and patches  (evorelle) I've had three Mirena coils fitted in last 15 years first one after my daughter was born. I've literally never looked back. I had a little spotting but very soon stopped having periods all together. I've been using Evorelle patches since for about 15 months and although initially I had continous spotting when I tried to increase dose to anything abovery 25mcg.  I slowly increased by cutting patches in quarters! Am now on 50mcg Having the Mirena fitted is not the best experience and I found it very painful for a few seconds each time but for me the benefits have outweighed this. Just wanted to add that I'm not brave about medical procedures,  I feel faint having blood taken! Hopefully this might reassure you about Mirena if doctor thinks that's an option for you.
« Last Edit: July 13, 2018, 09:05:44 AM by MummyClanger »
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Milamam

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Re: Estrogen dilemma - too much or too little?
« Reply #18 on: July 13, 2018, 03:19:36 PM »

Hello Andie, and I am sorry that I didn't respond earlier but was really occupied with work these past two days (just finishing a consultant assignment ). Thank you for your generous response. I am a relatively shy person overall, but this forum has been a lifesaver for me through the years (registered I think 5 years ago when peri started). The women here helped me so much go through the rough times. Now, weird or not as it may sound, I am afraid to post when I feel well for the fear that things may deteriorate the next day  >:( But you and everyone else is right: sharing your wobbles is probably better than keeping to yourself . When I feel rough , I open the forum and read and I usually , immediately, find someone else that has felt just like me or feels like me at the moment. This is such a great help at moments when things go really dark! Thank you all, wonderful women here! You have been my rock !

In terms of the Mirena, I have many times considered this option. I am definitely not progesterone intolerant as when on Femoston, I definitely felt much better on the progesterone/estrogen days than the estrogen-alone days! I was sleeping better, felt more composed and content and with more energy! But - and this is just me perhaps - and my fobia of pills and ailments - I don't want to have something in me that I cannot remove straight away if I feel bad! If you can understand what I mean. So, no , Mirena at this point is not an option for me.

As to getting Dr. Currie's advise - this is such a great service with MM and I would love to be able to get access to it, but I am not in the UK (I live in Bulgaria), and the preparations and combinations here are not the same as in the UK, so I don't want to put Dr. Currie in position to advise on a different medical system than in the UK. I don't know fully the pharmaceutical market here, there is no such website as MM to summarize in a great way what is available to women. I have to trust the doctors here to prescribe what's available.

For now, I have decided to change a few lifestyle approaches like doing more regular walks and trying to add more supplements to my daily routine. I eat very healthy, cook every day from scratch , no conservation foods, everything is bought from the local market (same for the whole family, this is how we are used to). We rarely eat outside, as we are so used to cooking at home. No frozen meals, lots of vegetable dishes (for me - I don't like meat), no sugar ( I don't like sugar ) , lot's of vegetable juices, lemon water. So the problem is not in my diet, nor in my exercise.  I am sure it is from the hormones, but for now I have decided that until I am convinced that my estrogen has fallen down steadily, I will not take HRT in order not to aggravate things further (re the hyperplasia).

My symptoms that make me think my estrogen is too high are:
- water retention, with blotches of puffiness on face, arms and mid-section;
- all of a sudden, developed cellulitis - never had that before! I have been  a tiny skinny person  all my life.
- constant anxiousness , jittery, esp. in the mornings, nausea in the mornings;
 - sleep disturbances - I wake up at least 3-4 times /night with anxiety and have to get up, go outside and calm down;
- hot flushes and night sweats stopped miraculously a month ago. No hot flushes now.
- feeling sluggish, lethargy, no motivation, brain fog, forgetfulness;
- Periods come every 17-20 days, last 4 days with dark blood, not particularly heavy, but sufficiently (sorry TMI).
- enlarged boobs , painful, as if in a constant PMS.

So my questions are, if anyone can help:

1. If I am deficient in progesterone, which I probably am, can I go to a continuous combined HRT regime at a low dose so that it can ensure that I have a steady dose of progesterone and a relatively small dose of estrogen throughout the month to avoid the wild fluctuations, skyrocketing estrogen in particular, during this peri period? I know I still menstruate , frequently, and I am not a candidate for a continuous regime but has anyone gone to a continuous before they have reached the menopause?

2. If that is not an option, is there a way that I can only add a progestin as a everyday support (i.e. we have dydrogesterone sold separately here (Duphaston) and Utrogestan as well coming only at 100mg)?

3. If none of the above is an option, what do women do to alleviate these estrogen surges when they happen? Any success stories will be very helpful!

Thank you !

Milamam XXX
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Dancinggirl

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Re: Estrogen dilemma - too much or too little?
« Reply #19 on: July 13, 2018, 04:54:52 PM »

Milamam - I fear you have misunderstood what is going on in peri menopause. It is not oestrogen that surges in peri meno, it's the dips in oestrogen that are the problem. Essentially, through peri meno, ovulation will vary, the ovaries are struggling to produce oestrogen so you get flushes and night sweats - some months there is no ovulation and this can result in not enough progesterone produced to shed the womb lining properly - so erratic and sometimes heavy bleeds are the result. The ovaries are also struggling to work and oestrogen levels fluctuate and gradually drop through peri meno - sometimes there can be months of very low oestrogen production and then the ovaries will try to come alive and start Producing oestrogen again. Flushes and night sweats will come and go because of these fluctuations and a sequential Hrt can help control this.
As you are still peri meno, you can't use a conti hrt which will have progesterone every day, as your own hormones will still be fluctuating in the background and this can result in erratic bleeding, but the sequential hrt treatments will control the dips in oestrogen and this will balance things better. Starting with a low dose is best.
You can just have progesterone only, without oestrogen, but this is unlikely to control flushes and sweats.
The Mirena is the best way you can have low dose progesterone all the time in peri meno and it can help to protect against heavy bleeding. Once the Mirena is in place you can just use Oestrogel or oestrogen patches alongside to reduce flushes and sweats.  The Mirena is very easy to remove if you don't like it and it gives contraceptive protection in peri meno. DG x
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Milamam

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Re: Estrogen dilemma - too much or too little?
« Reply #20 on: July 13, 2018, 08:11:55 PM »

Thank you, DG! Your advices are so very helpful all the time. I guess I'll have to rethink starting some sort of a sequi combination soon if my symptoms continue as they are now which is quite debilitating. Femoston worked well for
me and it is so unfortunate that here it is offered in 2/10 only! I've tried a patch (50) with Utrogestan 200 for 12 days but this regime did't quite help. Femoston worked faster and was much more effective.

Will have to go back to my doctor and rethink. I am also thinking to ask for a blood test soon to see where I am now without HRT although I know tests vary and are unreliable.

Back to the drawing board!

Milamam xxx
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dangermouse

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Re: Estrogen dilemma - too much or too little?
« Reply #21 on: July 13, 2018, 08:38:56 PM »

There are quite a lot of women who have very high oestrogen in perimenopause (or the time just before that as never sure what's technically pre or peri?). My endocrinologist said she sees many women with this issue but not many seem to report it on this particular forum.

It may be due to a last ditch attempt to trigger ovulation and when measured the levels can be much higher than younger women's oestrogen.

Mine has been high for nearly 3 years now and I have growths in my liver similar to what women apparently get in pregnancy. I suspect it's responsible for the oestrogen driven breast cancers too. The surging feels very over stimulating and can trigger migraine and heat coming up the back and neck. It can also cause breast tenderness, bloating, nausea and diarrhoea. Adrenaline goes through the roof too!
« Last Edit: July 13, 2018, 08:40:37 PM by dangermouse »
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Milamam

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Re: Estrogen dilemma - too much or too little?
« Reply #22 on: July 13, 2018, 09:17:08 PM »

Ditto, dangermouse! Bloating, nausea, diarrohea is what is me nowadays! Frequent bleeds, insomnia, jittery, anxious. I think I am having final estrogen surges - will go for blood tests and will update here.
Thank you!

Milamam
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