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[Smorzando]

Hi everyone, I am new to the forum and I hope I could get some help from those with more experience than me

I am nearly 49 and started HRT about two months ago - two pumps of Oestrogel and Utrogestan for 12 days each month. I’m still having periods but they are horrendously heavy and have become a little irregular.

My mental health has been not great for quite a few years now (mainly anxiety but also depression) and my physical health had been worsening for a long time too (extreme fatigue, aches & pains, etc). I was diagnosed hypothyroid 3.5 years ago but have never felt well since starting treatment.

About 10 days ago I became extremely dizzy and it’s just horrible, I’m finding it very hard to function properly. It got so bad that two days ago I stopped taking any HRT to see if it would improve. I am feeling very teary today as well. I have another week to wait before i can see my GP.

Sorry this was a bit long but I really feel lost here and would love to hear if anyone else has similar experiences.

Thank you x

[SarahT]

Hello and welcome,

I'm sorry you are having a difficult time with the hrt. Unfortunately, feeling worse at the start of a new regime can make you feel worse to start with. I was ready to give in after 2 months but persevered. It has taken me a while to get my level right. It can take some tweaking.
Also if you are perimenopause we have our own cycle that always goes up and down hormonal wise so that can have an effect too.
It is usual for the thyroid to be checked about 3 months after starting hrt to ensure that the hormones are balanced. I too have an under active thyroid.

I am sorry this isn't much help to you as I honestly know just how bad you can feel. I!ease speak with your gp and make a list of questions or advice you want from them
Take care x

[Smorzando]

Thank you for your reply Sarah
Yes I know it can take a while to settle but I just couldn’t handle this dizziness any longer and am desperate for it to stop  - maybe clutching at straws thinking it’s the Oestrogel but had to try something. I really want HRT to work for me as I have felt rubbish for so many years now.
I actually did a thyroid test this morning at home (the GPs never do full thyroid testing so I use the private finger**** ones).
I know progesterone can cause dizziness but I stopped my Utrogestan over a week ago and it hasn’t got any better so I thought perhaps it was the estrogen. I am used to being exhausted but I just can’t function as I can’t think straight while I am so spaced out and dizzy!

[CeCe]

Hi Smorzando I’m new here too, however I have been on and off with HRT for several years, the side effects can be awful.

Oestrogel made me very dizzy and gave me vertigo. I couldn’t tolerate it at all. I switched to a patch and the dizziness/vertigo went. But I subsequently went to a menopause specialist who told me that because my periods were really heavy (and getting closer together) my progesterone level had dropped first and therefore I probably didn’t need to supplement with oestrogen at all or if I did, a 25 mcg patch would be more than enough.

During peri menopause our own hormones are fluctuating in the background, often wildly. A patch gives a much steadier dose of oestrogen, so switching to a patch with a lower dose might help.

Some people are also really sensitive to hormone changes, maybe starting on 2 pumps of gel is just too much for you right now. If you want to stay with the gel, perhaps start with half a pump and build up over  several weeks to a level you can tolerate that alleviates symptoms.

Good luck. There will be an HRT that suits you. It’s very much trial and error. In my case, lots of error.

[Smorzando]

Hi CeCe thank you so much for your reply, that’s really helpful - very interesting that you also had dizziness from Oestrogel. It’s strange that it took two months to happen, but perhaps it was just building up in my system somehow? My GP is helpful but quite young (!) and I don’t know how much she really knows about the intricacies of menopause.
I will definitely consider asking to try patches and at a lower dose.
I also have endometriosis and I did have some concerns that estrogen might cause a relapse in symptoms so perhaps that’s another good reason to start on a lower dose.
I actually have an ultrasound in three days time to check for fibroids and/or polyps due to the very heavy bleeding I’ve been having - not looking forward to that much at all I have to say 

[CeCe]

Good luck with the ultrasound, I hope it goes well. I have fibroids and heavy bleeding which is why my HRT usage has been on and off for a number of years. I joined the forum hoping I might find something that gives me a eureka moment. I’m still searching.

Re the oestrogel, my consultant told me the alcohol in it can trigger histamine issues hence the dizziness/vertigo, plus the delivery method can create surges instead of the steady constant dose a patch gives.

I hope your endometriosis hasn’t been affected by the HRT. Hormones eh???

[Smorzando]

Thanks CeCe. Ultrasound was yesterday and I was told I had several fibroids plus I think she mentioned adenomyosis? I’ve been told a letter will go to my GP in about a week and I can then discuss the results.
I stopped using the Oestrogel about five days ago and the dizziness has improved although I did have a return of anxiety a couple of days ago which wasn’t fun!
Interesting about the alcohol/histamine issues. I am thinking I might ask to try a low dose patch as an alternative plus if there are fibroids/adenomyosis it might be a good idea to think about the Mirena coil.
Yup, hormones are such fun! 

[CLKD]

 

let us know how you get on.