Starting pellets Thursday
Posted , 6 users are following.
I'm so grateful I found this forum. So to be clear, my body will only use the amount of testosterone and estrogen it needs in pellet form? So mg amount doesn't matter? My concern is too much estrogen in the pellet causing serious side effects for months. The oral HRT stopped working, the bioidentical testosterone pills that are supposed to bypass the liver are not consistent and I won't do patches or creams for personal compliance reasons. Am a bit concerned about scarring as won't be butt look like it was shot by a pellet gun eventually?? I know, first world problems but hey...
Thank you for listening 😃
1 like, 22 replies
melanie6421 peacefulmarie
Posted
im having severe pain in breast now for 7 wks at lowest dose .. hoping it will get better.. but it hurts to walk get up and down etc.. excrusiating
peacefulmarie melanie6421
Posted
Thank you for sharing your story, I'm a bit worried how my experience will be since you are on lowest dosage and having side effects. I must say, I really do hate menopause. Hope it gets better for you!
sheryl37154 melanie6421
Posted
Melanie, you dr should be investigating that. From your pr4evious contributions, it has been going on for a long while now.
melanie6421 sheryl37154
Posted
yes since 2nd week. took me off progesterone. hasnt helped.. im awaiting my blood count i had taken thurs.. but if its too high i will Just have to wAIT til IT WEARS OFF... ugh.. but havent had a good first run of this.. been in pain and worried what its doing to my breast tissue since ithurts so so bad
sheryl37154 melanie6421
Posted
Have I suggested that you get your pituitary gland hormones tested, particularly your prolactin? It might be high (indication of a micro tumour on your pit gland - benign) and this causes problems with pain. I had it once and it felt like the pain I once had when I got an infection in my breast while breast feeding. I have had this tumour and I continue to take the medicine Carbergoline to prevent it reoccurring, but something must have interfered with it for me to get that pain near the end of last year. So it is important for your dr to try harder.
gina05134 peacefulmarie
Posted
not correct .. once inserted if its too much its in there until it wears off . and be aware that over time it compounds in your body and that some of the testosterone will automatically convert into estrogen . i was on testosterone and estrogen pellets for a year and then my estrogen was too high. i never had the dosage increases , but because of the conversion it was high . i was bleeding and had to increase my progesterone for months to get the bleeding to subside . i then went off of estrogen for 6 months . then i started to get hit flashes and began a low dose estrogen cream . this seems to be working well . pellets are great , until they are not. just go for regular blood work to monitor . BUT be aware your body reacts to the dosage inside you .
no scarring ...
peacefulmarie gina05134
Posted
Thank you for clarifying about the dosage. I've had blood work done several times over the last couple of months so we know my estrogen is nil and so is my testosterone. This is such a pain getting the hormones level. Thank you for sharing your experience I will keep that in mind when I meet with doc on Thursday
sheryl37154 peacefulmarie
Posted
I disagree with Gina. It is on medical record that the body only takes oestradiol (pellets) as it needs it and when it needs it, i.e. different times of the day. I can't vouch for testosterone - never experienced it nor read about it. In fact I take an anti-androgen to reduce testosterone levels which have terrible side effects for me. I have been using oestradiol pellets on and off since 1990 - the off when they stopped making it, until I found that some compound chemists do via a script from a dr. During the off time, I used oestradiol patches even though rather annoying, they are better than oral as you say. When my pellets is running low, I use patches to get me through till next implant.
I am using 2 x 100mg pellets because I want them to last longer. My body uses it up quickly. If you are concerned, try the 50mg pellet but it is likely to last a short time, depends on how much your body needs it. Progesterone is an oestrogen antagonist but if you still have your uterus you have to have some (try small amounts until you stop having break through bleeding).
Mine are inserted in my abdomen as low down as possible - in case you wear bikinis - I am past that now! And if I look closely, I do see the little scars. I prefer them than the alternative.
There is such an issue as having high SHBG which binds up the oestrogen to prevent enough getting to the tissues that use it. In the meantime, a lot of oestrogen is circulating in the blood giving a high blood level giving a wrong impression. I have searched for a solution, and found that boron capsules help release the bound up oestrogen to the tissues that need it. I haven't tried it yet. I am waiting on what my SHBG level is. Boron also helps release testosterone also, although my anti-androgen will take care of that.
peacefulmarie sheryl37154
Posted
Thanks for sharing your experience, especially since you've been on them a long time. I exercise 6+ times a week and heard that may cause body to use pellets up quickly, I want mine to last longer than 3 months if possible. I wasn't tested for SHBG but we suspect that's why oral meds weren't working anymore. Boron capsules, I'll have to buy some I didn't know that.
So there are little scars, thank you for the heads up.
I will need progesterone but don't see how I can do pills if my body isn't processing hormones properly. What I am learning from this forum is it's a complicated process finding the right dosage for each woman.
sheryl37154 peacefulmarie
Posted
I get my information (and believe me, I searched a lot before I had my hysterectomy and went straight onto pellets (no google back then)) from medical research (since google) and books written by menopause specialists (drs). Oestradiol was the standout and the slow absorption as required by the body was a great benefit. It is the same as getting oestradiol patches that are Matrix and those which are not. Matrix ones release slowly to last the prescribed days and the others give you a big hit all at once. My gp wrongly prescribed the not Matrix one time and the young female pharmacist told me that I should not use those because they will cause me big problems. We do not get a big hit from the pellets, and bio medicine is an amazing thing that we as non research medical professors will not understand the process but love the outcomes. As far as excercising, I have not heard of that unless it is applied intramuscular. Upper buttock is too close to muscle for me. We know the pellets should go into fat. However, extreme temperatures made my newly planted pellet melt and ooze out of the incision one time! It was not infected. And yes, I had to get another one within a short time. So I suggest you don't exercise if you get really hot until the excision is healed. Even if it melts afterwards, it will stay in the body and be absorbed by the fat as usual.
But by all means, read up for yourself - not blogs and facebooks, and be armed with printouts if necessary when you visit your dr.
catbee peacefulmarie
Posted
I believe its a reasonable concern about the absorption of the pellets. I'm not sure psysiologically, how the body knows to absorb only that that 'is needed'. It just absorbs it over a period of time. So just to share (and not throw a monkey wrench into all of this),but I have read a couple posts from people who were having a bit of intolerance to the hormones from the dissolving pellets and the pellets, I don't believe, can be removed completely once they start to dissolve. But then again, what constitutes an 'intolerance' these people are speaking of and could of it have been caused by something else? Most people seem to be happy with the pellets. You should not be scarring from the pellet insertion nor should they be noticeable. It's a small puncture and the pellets are small. Then again, if you are prone to keloids, this may be a concern as some people will form scar tissue with anything invasive. You have good questions. Make sure you get them fully answered before proceeding with this.
peacefulmarie catbee
Posted
Thank you for the info, that's what I had heard too but don't know anyone firsthand who's had pellets done. I am writing down my questions for my doctor to answer.
karen95753 peacefulmarie
Posted
Hi there ☮ Ive been on the pellet for 1 year and it has kicked ass with my finally being able to sleep all night long.. No more digestive issues.. no more irritability or sadness which was my biggest complaint.. hit flashes gone.. However....after the 2nd pellet i started to feel bit depression and anxious.. they took blood work my estrogen was too high.. So easy fix the next pellet insert was lower dosage and i felt back to normal within 1 week.. Point being our bodies can start to store estrogen.. keep up blood work checks for your levels.. its the safest and easiest method of HRT.. I hope this helps
Karen
peacefulmarie karen95753
Posted
Thank you for sharing Karen. I go in tomorrow armed with questions but I feel so miserable I'm ready to have them inserted. I got divorced after 25 years last year and these menopausal emotional symptoms are worse than the pain of the divorce!!!
sheryl37154 karen95753
Posted
Yes, I investigated this for myself. If SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin) is high then it is binding up oestrogen and preventing from getting to the tissues that need it. Instead we end up with a high oestrogen circulating in our blood stream not doing its job.
Searching for a solution, I found that Boron is supposed to release oestrogen (and testosterone for men) to enable it to be effective. I have requested my dr to give me a pathology request for SHBG and have ordered some Boron from a Compound Chemist (this must be medical Boron which I guess is different to that which we put on our garden and clean our sink plumbing). It is a natural mineral and is found in some of our foods (broccoli is one, but we would have to eat a mountain of it to get the medicine effects). There are high quantities in the ground in Turkey. The dose recommended is 5-10mgs.
As I have to wait till mid April for my next blood tests (3 monthly), I am waiting for the SHBG results before I compromise the results with Boron (should it work).
In the meantime, I am using patches till my next implant and/or these results. But if I went to 50mg pellet, it would only last me a month or so and they are too expensive for me to do that. 50mg being almost the price of 100mg, plus dr's costs.
If this does not provide the answers then I am back to square one. The pellets were not causing me any problems but I questioned why my blood tests were high when the benefits were wearing off on schedule.
sheryl37154 peacefulmarie
Posted
I am so sorry you have that misery. I am sure the menopausal symptoms of depression and anxiety are making your pain worse. It seems a lot of marriage breakups occur during the menopausal (and manopausal) years too.
I hope this oestradiol eases your pain some and gives you new life.
peacefulmarie sheryl37154
Posted
Thank you, it's been a journey as you all know it to be. Not even meditation is working. Interestingly, I didn't know about manopause till after the divorce and believe he had all the symptoms.
I hope it does too, don't feel like myself.
peacefulmarie sheryl37154
Posted
If you don't mind, will you let us know if the Boron works? I thought SHBG was only in the liver, so pellets shouldn't be affected?
sheryl37154 peacefulmarie
Posted
Yes, I will, but I think it will be at least a month or so after starting (mid April).