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[cazjen44]

So having been at an all time low a month ago thinking I'll never see the end of this menopause misery, I've finally seen a menopause specialist (only waited a year and 2 letters of complaint to GP) to get a referal.  I'm now on Sandrena oestrogen gel 1mg and separate progesterone Utrogestran 100mg at night.  Been on this regime about a month, I've seen an initial massive improvement but now I'm getting night sweats creeping back in early hours and restless sleep as a result.  Struggling to focus at work and luckily I only work mornings because by the afternoon I'm beyond exhausted.  Brain for back but light headedness eased.  I've spoken to the specialist I saw and she recommends upping the dose of oestrogen to 2mg a day ie 2 sachets of gel.  I've suffered all year with terrible light headedness and now that's eased, I've got crushing fatigue due to early waking and unable to get back to sleep 😡😪 

I guess I'm looking for reassurance that upping the dose of oestrogen will ease the fatigue?

Anyone else got any experience of using this type of oestrogen gel and separate progesterone? 

I've also bought a natural supplement to take alongside my prescribed HRT which is Femarelle recharge.  In for a penny..in for pound..nothing to lose.

I'm only 48.  Surgical menopause at age at age 31.  Ovaries removed due to endometriosis cysts, still have womb.

Desperate to have my zing and spark back and energy to do exercise and social activities!!!

Advice and reassurance appreciated x

[LJB12]

Hey! Can't particularly help, sorry, but wanted to say I'm in the same boat. Surgical menopause at 37. Been on Evorel 75mcg, testim and Mirena for 3 years but 2 months ago I just started feeling rubbish - exactly as you have described. Saw my meno specialist in Mr Panay's clinic today who said more estrogen so now I'm on a 100mcg patch.

I get the beyond tired thing and I too am hoping that the estrogen will help.
Talk about zing and energy for exercise - I am a weightlifter who hasn't trained properly for 3 weeks because of this and it is getting me down.

Weirdly the meno specialist today said that as I'm now 41 it's possible that my body is in peri-menopause. I said how on earth given I've been in surgical meno for 3 years and apparently just because you don't have ovaries anymore there are other bits of the body that produce estrogen and this might have started kicking in now? Maybe the same for you? Kind of sorta makes sense, I guess the brain/other parts of the body don't know your ovaries are missing and aging still affects us?

Anyway, I am so relieved to have got a sensible diagnosis and some help today (GP gave me ANTIBIOTICS for an infection, WTF?!) and I am sure that you are also going to get better.

Keep chatting, if nothing else, we are not alone

[Ladybt28]

Sorry cazjen44 there are no guarantees that upping the oestrogen will "definitely" cure the fatigue I am afraid, but upping the oestrogen is the thing that is "likely" to fix it.

I take separate oestrogen and progesterone, but my gel is oestrogel.  I am still having problems with tiredness but it is a different type of tiredness that I had when I was peri.  My eyes feel tired like I want to sleep all the time but if I lie down I cant sleep - its a bit like being very over-tired.  My energy seems to get use up quite quickly as well but I am much older than you 56 and post menopausal.  My next port of call is to ask for testosterone which is supposed to help with fatigue, motivation, depression and libido but I think because you are much younger and in a surgical meno the consultants views on testosterone would possibly be that it is not appropriate to your circumstances but threads on here show that it "could" be helpful to me but as I started out by saying there are no guarantees.

[cazjen44]

Thanks ladies.  I've upped the dose of oestrogen gel and that seems to have stopped the night sweats and night time wakings.  The progesterone however is not agreeing with me...yet again another progesterone I appear to be intolerant too!

I agree with the 'different type of tiredness'.  I think it's fatigue but then was struggling to fall asleep.  Weird! 

I'm going to keep taking/using this get till January when I see the specialist again.

Thanks again x

[Ladybt28]

Glad to hear the night sweats and waking up have got better.  Most women who have problems with HRT are usually havig problems with the progesterone part.  It's very difficult to get right.  You are on continuous progesterone - is that right cazjen?  I was prescribed them all continuously but cannot take it that way, as I am progesterone intolerant.  I take my utrogestan 200 mg currently 12 days per month and have a bleed and I use my utrogestan vaginally.  It is not prescribed to be taken that way but it is perfectly ok. Some consultants say to use it that way and loads of people on here use it that way.  The idea is that it bypasses the stomach and the liver so avoiding the side effects that passing through the stomach can cause.

I can manage (just about on my 12 days) but there is a regime which allows you to cut your number of days if you are really progesterone intolerant and cannot manage there is quite a controversial regime where the number of days can be 7 or even lower but should be done under consultant management.

How do you use your progesterone cazjen and what are the problems its causing you?  Maybe when you settle into a routine with the oestrogen gel then the progesterone will settle a bit more too?