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[Pinkdreamer]

Hello Ladies,

I would really appreciate some advice and or experiences using this combination of HRT.

I am 48, my periods just stopped 7 years ago. I've had no menopausal symptoms or none that I am aware of but over the last 6 months or so I started to suffer from bad joint pain, mainly in my hips, pelvis and knees.  These pains were making me feel tired and low so under the advice of my GP and a Rheumatologist, due to having such an early menopause I started taking HRT as they felt that it could help with the joint pain and the symptomless affects of Menopause such as being at risk of osteoarthritis and heart disease etc.

I started taking 1 pump of Estrogel and 100mg of Utrogestan every night at the beginning of January this year and after 2 weeks I felt better in ways that I didn't know I needed to feel better!  My mood lifted, my brain pinged awake and I felt motivated again and the joint pains disappeared.
I had some breast tenderness and a slight vaginal discharge but I could cope with these side affects.

But, over the last two weeks, my joint pain has come back with a vengeance and it feels different then the pain I was suffering before starting HRT and on top of it I now have leg cramps and period-like pains and also indigestion pain and I just feel like my body is seizing up!

I really don't know what to do. I can't get a Doctors appointment at the moment and I don't know whether to stop taking it or carry on until I can see the GP.

It seems like it's gone from miracle cure to the devils medicine and I would be grateful for your thoughts.

Thanks x

[Sammiejane]

hi

i?m into this combo 2 pumps gel and utro 100mg and the first week was great but now i find after 3 weeks i don't sleep aswell my vagina is dryer more discharge and headaches quite intense so i?m wondering whether i need to up the dose also the prog is given me flushes which when i was on the gel only they were gone . i?m taking progesterone as mood stabilizer as i've had hysterectomy

[Elmsey]

Pinkdreamer,

I have found the email consultation service on this site highly effective and helped me identif that some odd symptoms were the result of having a rather large Fibroid rather than being related to HRT.

I agree that you should be going back to your GP, and if neccessary get referred to your meno clinic. 

Elmsey

[Sammiejane]

hi pinkdreamer

have u had hair shedding on this regime
1 pump gel and 100mg utrogestan x

you have been on it since jan ? it may be that you need another pump of estrogen x

[Hurdity]

Hi pinkdreamer

You've already had some good advice but just wanted to say 

Also some of us find that taking progesterone every day can lead to depressing symptoms. The period like cramps may doctor to run some blood tests especially thyroid function, especially if you are also feeling more tired/cold than usual as low thyroid function can lead to joint aches too.

You had an early menopause and have been without adequate oestrogen for some years, so it is important for your health to try to find a dose and regime that you can tolerate to help protect heart and bones.

All the best

Hurdity x

[Pinkdreamer]

Thanks for all of your replies.

I managed to get an appointment with a doctor but not my usual one. She didn't seem very knowledgeable regarding HRT/Menopause, she advised me to take up pilates and increase Estrogel to two pumps.

The aches and pains felt better when I increased to two pumps but over the weekend they have come back again.

Not sure what to do next    I am going away tomorrow for a few days and will decide when I am back whether it is worth carrying on with HRT.

[Hurdity]

Sorry to hear this Pinkdreamer. Did you ask for blood tests - if not I would insist on these if your aches and pains do not improve.

Yes of course it's good to take exercise but your doc sounds like my nominated GP  who when I complained about aches and pains and feeling after riding her horse  . Needless to say I never go to her any more.

I asked for tesosterone levels to be tested and she said "we can't go around testing testosterone in everyone who complains of feeling tired" !! This was in 2014 before the NICE Guidelines made provision for it to be prescribed off licence. Anyway maybe you would benefit from some testosterone - what is your libido like as this is the best guide to decreased testosterone although some meds eg anti-depressants can also depress libido?

The other thing is did you consider going back to a cycle so you don't have to take utrogestan every day? After all you are still not yet at the natural age of menopause so although you're not used to bleeds this isn't the end of the world and some of us still have them (very reluctantly) in our 60's do avoid the continuous progesterone.

Hurdity x

[Pinkdreamer]

Hi Hurdity,

It just adds to the stress of what's going on to see a GP that is so unhelpful, especially when it's so hard to get an appointment these days.
I didn't ask for blood tests but I will ask my normal GP when I see her mid March.  I've never had a testosterone test, in fact I've not had a hormone test of any kind for about 3 years.
My libido has been more or less non-existant for about a year now... I miss it but had just thought I'd have to live with it.  Or without it

Do you think it could be the Utrogestan causing the aches and pains rather than the Estrogel? I'm wondering if I should just take the Utrogestan every other night.  I would sooner put up with bleeding again then the pains.

x

[Pinkjan4288]

Hi Pinkdreamer. I take this combo daily. 1 tablet every night and 2 pumps of gel in the morning.

I have had chronic hip bursitis since I became peri menopausal at 43. ive had lots of treatment, Ultrasound therapy, Physio, Cortisone injections but the only thing that has helped with joint pain is CBD oil.
I take it morning and evening. Only 3 drops each time. I got mine from Simply cbd after being recommended it on a menopause FB page. I started in Jan and its really helped. Its not cured but ive managed to stop painkillers which is incredible for me.

im using the Gold one as it has turmeric and black pepper in it also

[Pinkdreamer]

Hi Pinkdreamer. I take this combo daily. 1 tablet every night and 2 pumps of gel in the morning.

I have had chronic hip bursitis since I became peri menopausal at 43. ive had lots of treatment, Ultrasound therapy, Physio, Cortisone injections but the only thing that has helped with joint pain is CBD oil.
I take it morning and evening. Only 3 drops each time. I got mine from Simply cbd after being recommended it on a menopause FB page. I started in Jan and its really helped. Its not cured but ive managed to stop painkillers which is incredible for me.

im using the Gold one as it has turmeric and black pepper in it also

Hi Pinkjan,

Is there any reason that you take the gel in the mornings rather than all together in the evening?

That's good to know about the CBD oil, thanks I will give it a try.  I don't want to keep taking paracetamol and ibuprofen every day.
I only started taking HRT to see if it would help with the joint pains as I've never had any other menopausal symptoms but now I seem to have more problems then before I started

[MicheleMaBelle]

Hi Pinkdreamer. Welcome! I changed from the gel to patches but I take Utrogestan on a slightly shorter cycle of 10 days. it's not been a great combo for me but better than some of the previous regimes.
Not everyone gets on with it. I've had all the symptoms you mention and they?re currently getting worse but I believe that the Utrogestan can give you some muscle pains and cramp like symptoms. To be honest I've given up trying to work out what causes the various side effects! I did come off a couple of years ago and I actually felt better although my joint pains got worse. I went back on it due to hair loss but I think the loss started when I was on it. So, who knows?

 a professor of gynaecology I've been seeing has said that if HRT makes you feel better, stay on it. If it doesn't, come off it and see how you feel. She said that not everyone gets on with it. The problem is that despite it not being a godsend for some of us and we don't feel great, it's a thought to come off it and go back to our total pre HRT mess. There's only one way of finding out . But for you, I'd try some tweaks to your regime. Eg, increase of number of pumps as suggested and possibly moving to cycle on the Utrogestan .
And one final thing- have you had the bursitis definitely confirmed by an ultrasound scan. I was treated for it a while back and had all the treatments you mentioned. I finally asked for a second opinion with a Dr who specialised in sports injuries ( was private consultation) . She did a ultrasound and said it wasn't bursitis, there was no evidence of it and if there had been the steroid injections would have helped ( they had no impact) So I was referred to a proper sports physio as I had damaged muscles in my back and it took two years of physio to get me back to normal. It was a horrible time.

[Sammiejane]

hi pink dreamer

have u found with the utrogestan and the discharge u getting its more watery ?