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[Tc]

The thing is stella,when you are sitting in an oncologists office you are so scared stiff that whatever they tell you , you go with. I bitterly regret not looking into it further.  I didnt advocate well for myself and had nobody to advocate for me. I cry about it practically every day.  This time 2 years ago I was fine. Now I'm struggling in a world of issues with exogenous hormones that my body doesnt seem to like and which have made me suicidal at times and practically psychotic at others. 😪

[Tc]

I didnt think you were stella, not for a minute. .its all good.

I suffered terribly with utrogestan and I'm   not doing well with mirena.  If It turns out I  cant tolerate anything else either i would certainly look at the cbhrt.
After my experience and the fallout of BSO I know  I would give up before risking more pelvic surgery  so that's  why I am  so interested to learn about cbhrt and came to the thread.   Xxxx

[Hurdity]

Hi Tc, I wasn't going to post any more on this thread as I've said everything I think already but just wanted to respond to you personally. I am so sorry you are still suffering but I sincerely believe from everything I've read and heard you are in the best possible hands staying with the Chelsea and Westminster under the eminent and vastly experienced gynaecologists at that hospital and that they will be able to tweak and individualise your HRT, including off-licence doses etc if need be, with appropriate monitoring. CBHRT is just hormones, the same hormones, when it comes down to it, and it is the doses of these that need tweaking in your case, because it sounds like you are still trying to get your oestrogen dose sorted and I think this is just giving you false hope actuallly. I won't say any more about that on here because I have answered in more detail on your other thread.

All the best

Hurdity x

[Tc]

Thank you hurdity. X

[Jari]

Hi Mary G.

This is a really interesting discussion.

My own view is that hrt is no good for me. However, if I had had a premature menopause, I would likely have looked into cbhrt. They would seem a better choice to me, because you are replacing those hormones in the same molecular form that your own body would have produced them, rather than a synthetic version..
But, unless going through an early menopause I would steer clear of bioidentical hormones.
I know ladies taking hrt disagree with me (obviously), but I do feel, for me, that adding any form of synthetic or ?natural? hormones, would not permit my body to go through the transition of the menopause and out the other side in a natural way, unless of course, you have an early menopause. X

[Mary G]

Thanks for sharing your views Jari and I completely understand your decision.  It's all about freedom of choice.

For the sake of clarity, nearly all oestrogen products currently prescribed are body identical as is Utrogestan.  The Mirena coil and all other types of progesterone are synthetic.

I use Oestrogel which is a standard HRT product alongside bespoke 50mg progesterone so it's a mixed regime.  I also use separate testosterone.

Tc, I read your other thread and I really hope the Mirena coil works out for you.  If not, I think you said your implant is 50mg and if so, why not ask to try the low dose Jaydess coil?   They know you have a problem with progesterone and they are monitoring you so there is no reason why they should not agree to it.

I hope you can quickly resolve your oestrogen absorption issue.  I've had two Mirena coils and I can tell you I reacted very differently to it once I was post menopause and no longer had the protection of my own hormones.   It is vital to have high levels of oestrogen with the Mirena to counter the synthetic progesterone.  I'm afraid I always had breast discomfort with it.

Once you have completed exhausted every possibility and if you are then facing a hysterectomy, that is the time to try BHRT.   

I spoke to the compounding pharmacy last week and they are trialling sublingual progesterone drops.  They are working on the slow release mechanism at the moment and they might ask me to trial it.  They know about my extreme sensitivity to fluctuating hormones and resulting migraines so I'm a good candidate. 

[CLKD]

 

[Jari]

Hi Mary G

I think it makes much more sense, if you want to take hormones, to have them tailored to individual needs.

Stellajane, I did take estrogel and utrogestan, but only for 3 months. I had to come off it immediately, because of the horrific side effects it caused me and these are meant to be ?natural?
It gave me a huge appetite ( so put on a lot of weight), really horrible anxiety, but worst of all were the increasing breathing problems, to the point I was gasping for breath. At that point I was told to stop immediately. I think a possible blood clot worry.

One thing I do wonder about and this is because, since I came off hrt, my natural m symptoms have decreased very much over the last year...is, if I had not had those terrible side effects, I would probably still be taking the hrt. That would be nearly two years now. So, I could have gone on for years and years, but would not have known that my natural hormones had balanced out and those natural symptoms had passed. So, I would have spent years, maybe decades, spending on appointments and tests and prescriptions etc, not to mention adding those drugs to my body, when there was no need.

This concerns me for other women.

I have read quite a few posts where women are struggling with withdrawal symptoms, trying to come off hrt, which also leads me to wonder, if hrt is addictive? Does anyone know anything about this?

Take care ladies x

[Jari]

https://www.goshen.edu/bio/Biol410/bsspapers07/rachaelah/Hormone%20Replacement%20Therapy.htm

This is an interesting but long read...

[Hurdity]

Jari,  your distressing reaction (if it was due to the HRT) you experienced was extreme and unusual  and therefore should not put anyone else off using HRT.

Also the premise on which prescribing compounded BHRT (cBHRT) is based in principle ie that blood (or saliva) tests are needed in order to determine oestrogen levels in order to individualise the dose according to the woman's requirements ? is false. Research has shown that symptoms do not correlate with absolute oestrogen levels.

Good specialist menopause doctors are able to personalise HRT regimes using currently available products depending on symptoms, including being able to tweak progesterone regimes by dose and duration using available preparations, with appropriate monitoring (of womb lining). However it is recognised by many that we do need a licensed lower dose progesterone to enable women on lower/medium doses of oestrogen also to be able more flexibility in dosage, especially for those who are progesterone intolerant and for whom other options make them ill, but again these women will be in the minority as most women even those who are intolerant generally (unless extremely so) can just about cope with eg 7 days of progesterone (with appropriatemedical monitoring) even though this is off-licence.

The issue of stopping HRT is not really relevant to this thread as it is universal. Do have a lookat the main board and you will find some recent threads on it. Also stellajane's thread on stopping HRT on this board too.

I haven't looked at the link yet!

Hurdity x

[Sparrow]

Jari your reaction to HRT sounds very scary and it would be interesting to know how many others have had a similar experience.  Also the women who have had hair loss I find worrying.  That alone would dissuaded me from taking it, if I had been so inclined.

[GypsyRoseLee]

The thing is, Jari - you say you might have been taking HRT unnecessarily for years when you didn't need it. But actually your body does very much need oestrogen because our bodies aren't bio-designed to work without it. It's great that you're not having any symptoms but that doesn't mean your heart and bones aren't being affected by the lack of oestrogen. And it will only get worse.

I am very annoyed that I'm having to stop HRT because of my breast cancer DX because I am more than just the sum of my two boobs! I'm genuinely concerned about osteoporosis and heart disease because they run in my family.

[Sparrow]

Just read your link Jari.  Very interesting.

[CLKD]

I agree stellajane.  It's OK to meander a bit but to alter the basis of the thread ?

[Sparrow]

If you are referring to me I was replying to a point that Jari made.  Is that not allowed?

You always get side issues in threads.