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[sjpercy3]

I wanted to know if anyone has had absorption problems with hormones and if so, what was the cause?

I am a 31 and haven't actually been diagnosed with having the menopause, however, I have every single symptom there is. I have no quality of life and pretty much just want to give up at this point.

I have tried every type of estrogen patch, progesterone, HRT pill, and birth control pill. They work for a couple of months, then I'm back to square one and all my symptoms return. I have upped the dosage, sometimes even to 200 with the patches, taken two birth control pills, but nothing happens.

I have read other people on here have gone through this, but has anyone been told why this happens?
I am currently seen by Chelsea and Westminster and the care I have been given is appalling and they are clueless. I'm going to see my GP on Friday. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[CLKD]

Have a look-see at the Daisy web-site, details here - for ladies with early menopause symptoms.  Maybe take a list to your appt.? 

If you put the product names into the search box on here you may find threads which will help.  Many professionals have no idea about menopause! 

[Hurdity]

Hi sjpercy3

 

I am so sorry to hear about your symptoms - please don't give up. You will find plenty of help and support on here but as CLKD says the Daisy Network is exactly for women in your position.

However I am a bit confused by your situation re menopause though. You say you haven't been diagnosed as menopausal but you have all the symptoms and are with the Chelsea and Westminster and are trying HRT?

I presume they are prescribing HRT because they think you are peri-menopausal despite your age? Also if you are that young it is very important to investigate your symptoms and determine whether they are due to menopause or not, rather than something else?

If you are taking the right HRT and still experiencing symptoms then it may not be menopause although I feel sure this will have been investigated.  Have you had blood tests for example? What are the different HRT types and pills you have tried and for how long?

If you take too high a dose and achieve levels of oestrogen higher than physiologically usual then a condition called tachyphylaxis ( sp?) can develop which means you can get a return of symptoms despite having very high oestrogen levels.

Can you tell us more - about your menopausal status, when it started (peri-menopause) and what your periods were doing before you started HRT, so that we can possibly help?

Hang in there a bit longer - you wil find a suitable treatment that helps you....hopefully this will be soon!

Hurdity x 

[sjpercy3]

Thank you so much for replying Hurdity and CLKD.

I have seen C & W for estrogen deficiency. Dr Panay said that I initially had PCOS (even though I don't meet the criteria) or Hypothalamic Amenorrhea. Again, unlikely as I haven't lost weight and still have periods.

My blood test showed that my LH was 12, LH 4 and estrogen was 90, so was treated for estrogen deficiency with HRT.
I was on HRT for 7 months. Most of my symptoms resolved, such as hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia and vaginal atrophy, however, I felt awful and was suicidal. It also made me look very strange… lol

After the 7 months, my symptoms suddenly returned. I had my bloods tested and was told that my estrogen was still high (so I was clearly making it up in their eyes).

Hurdity your comment has been so helpful. I have been scouring the Internet for weeks, unsure why this is happening to me, but now it all makes sense!!!

Prior to all these symptoms starting 2 years ago I was happy and healthy, with regular periods. The first symptoms were actually physical; hair started changing, my face started aging prematurely, severe eye dryness and then the vaginal atrophy hit and periods went from 7 days to 2 days and became very light.

I have paid thousands in private health insurance and seen C & W and still don't actually have a diagnosis.
I am very thin and petite, so clearly I don't produce a huge amount of estrogen, but I have always been 8 stone and never had these problems in the past.

[CLKD]

It's The Change.  Things alter.

What's your next step?

[sjpercy3]

I am going to give my body a break for a couple of weeks and then try Tibolone.

[CLKD]

Let us know how you get on!

[Hurdity]

Hi there

I only made a few suggestions based on what you told us and without knowing your complete history. Clearly you are in the best hands if you attend the Panay clinic, but sounds like you might not yet know quite where you are with diagnosis?

In terms of oestrogen levels - although blood tests are not usually recommended as oestrogen levels vary from day to day and week to week, and even during the day due to Circadian rhythms, nevertheless in your position a couple of blood tests of oestrogen can tell you at least something about whether your levels are too high or not. You say your blood estradiol levels were still high - do you have a record of these and if not - do get hold of them? What birth control pills have you tried?

Also you mention the oestrogens that you have tried - but what progestogens have you been taking with them or are they combi pills/patches? You mentioned the 200 mcg patch but you must have to take a high dose of progestogen with this dose? Also very high doses of oestrogen are used to suppress ovulation so that alsi is another explanation of what is happening although your background oestrogen level should still be suffucient to make you feel OK!  What BCPs were you taking - I presume taking two was with medical supervision?

Tibolone is usually for women who are post-menopausal ie not having periods at all otherwise you would get some sort of breakthrough bleeding but I presume this has been recommended by the C and W (Panay)?

I hope you don't mind the questions and also on here, we comment on what is the usual scenario based on what we know and have read, but if you are a special case then you will be receiving specialised and maybe non-standard individualised treatment to try to help you, so I don't want to sound like I am disagreeing with the experts lol!

Hurdity x

[sjpercy3]

Thank you again for your reply Hurdity! 

Tbh I'm not impressed with the support from Panay's clinic at all. Both my GP and current Endocrinologist (Dr Conway) have been surprised at some of his and his advice. I actually had to tell one of the nurses that I should not be prescribed unopposed estorgen...

I will double check the level, but I believe my estrogen was in the 500's when I experienced symptoms. When HRT was providing symptom relief my estrogen was always around 400-500.
I tried vaginal Utrogestan with the HRT estrogen patches, however, did not take them as directed as I didn't get along with it. I took one tablet 7 days of the month and was severely depressed during this time.

I have tried Yasmin, Marvelon, Millinet and I am now on Cilest. I was actually getting on okay with Millinet and then my symptoms returned, so I decided to try Cilest as it's higher in Estrogen. Symptoms have started to improve so is it Tachphylaxis or did I just need more?? Who knows?!!

Dr Conway has suggested Tibilone as I have very bad fatigue on HRT/BC and no sex drive. I was prescribed Testosterone gel 8 months ago, however, this has made no difference whatsoever.
I am quite a complex case. I expressed my frustration to Dr Conway that I still don't have a diagnosis, so before I start Tibilone he has recommended coming off everything for 3 weeks and re-testing my bloods.