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Confusing advise from different Gp's on Hrt

Posted , 5 users are following.

nikki-yvonne
nikki-yvonne

Hi ,Can anyone help me -

I had a full hysterectomy at the age of 34 Years old due to endometriosis .. I am now 52 Years old

I had been on 1mg climaval up to February of this year - then came off it and anti depressants straight away in hospital .. Causing me terrible problems .. 3 Months ago i was put on a patch evorel 50 - I started getting  getting bad headaches - stomach problems - severe breast pain - and itchy skin where the patch sits ..I went back to my Gp and it was reduced tried the 37.5 Patch still the same - but my gp said i had to stay on it - went to see another Gp the other day -he told me i did not really need to take hrt anymore - i was a bit uneasy with this -I said i wanted to think about the situation he reduced my patch to 25 --now i am up all night - patch is making me itch - legs aching - breast still hurt - had a dexa scan January last year it was top meduim band which was good - but advised me to take the hrt for another 10 years to be safe ... My problem is i have come off Antidepressant and i feel this is not helping my recovery with all these changes ...2 Gp's i have seen are telling me different things --I would like to take a natural product not sure what i would take .. I really do not want to cause my body other health problems by giving it up to early -not sure it is helping me though - I am really lost -- Can anyone help -or give advise Please ..Thank you 

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • looloo43
    looloo43 nikki-yvonne

    Posted

    Hi Nikki. Firstly hun, can i ask what is climaval, & why did you come off anti depressants suddenly/at all? x

    • nikki-yvonne
      nikki-yvonne looloo43

      Posted

      Hi , Climaval (estradiol) tablet 1mg - they no longer do this -- I had to come of anti-depressants as i was getting severe headaches - my body just could not cope with it after 17 years -tried several different ones all the same problem .. So i was advised not to take anymore ..
    • metamorphed
      metamorphed nikki-yvonne

      Posted

      hi nikki.

      I am no expert on this, at all, but it seems that your doctors are not giving you the right advice.  what's new?  Would it be that because you were taking anti-depressants at the same time as the 1mg estradiol, that the anti-d's were dulling the menopause symptoms and only then, when you had to stop them, you started really feeling the symptoms? Maybe you should have been on a slightly higher dose of estradiol all along.  Other ladies on this forum have had great results with oestrogel, you could possibly start at 1mg and then increase it to see if it helps? At least you would not have irritation that comes with using patches.

      Maybe others here will have better advice

    • looloo43
      looloo43 nikki-yvonne

      Posted

      Hi Nikki, sorry its taken me so long to reply to you, computer problems for few days & some other issues to deal with.....firstly, i cannot believe any doctor would be so stupid as to take you off anti d's that you've been on for 17yrs, just cold turkey like that. there are so many other anti d's they could've tried replacing it with too. i totally agree with metamporphed's comments - everyhting she says.  i use oestrogel too - its a newer version of estrogen hrt - low risk, easily adjustable dose (compared to patches) & causes me NO skin problems at all.  the severe headaches could well have been hormone related ( i used to get them terribly before i started hrt in april) & not actually caused by your anti d's???? it is very odd that you've been on a particular anti d without problems for 17yrs & a doc decideds to attribute your headaches to that, probably because they are not clued up enough about hormones/peri/menopause. i have been very lucky in that my gp is a specialist meno/gynae gp- been on lots of courses & has a gigantic folder in her office - she is well gen'd up. apparently many surgeries now have specialist meno/gynae gp's or nurses, you could phone & see if your surgery has one or like metamorphed says get a referral to gynae. but you have 2 issues going on - your anti d's & your hrt so really a clued up gp would be best. do not be walked over or fobbed off. you were once gettting on well with ad's & hrt - & can achieve that wellbeing again with ad's & different hrt. if i were in your shoes hun, i think i would ask your gp to put you back on the same ad's you were on before, & try a low dose of the estrogel &  see how you get on. (i get by fine on just the 1 pump nightly-lowest dose). of course as you've been off the anti d's for a while you may get some temp side effects for 4 -6wks if you go back on them, but this can be minimised by starting low & increasing gradually to the  best dose for you. in any case you need to talk this through with a gp(hopefully a more specialised one if your surgery has one).  xxx

  • leah1969
    leah1969 nikki-yvonne

    Posted

    I'm 47 and had a total hysterectomy 8/2/2016 and was put on estradiol 2 mg tablets right away and I feel good, the only thing is I have put on some weight and my boobs feel heavy and full.

    have you tried HRT pills or just the patches ? if not maybe you could see if pill form would be better. good luck

    • nikki-yvonne
      nikki-yvonne leah1969

      Posted

      Yes they put me on Evorel 50 to start off with - it felt way to high 

      my breast were awful -itching skin were patch sits -diarrhea -stomach cramps -ask the be reduced  put on 37 .5 -still problems - now on 25 mg in total been on them again for 3 months my breasts are feeling terrible .

  • lynda20916
    lynda20916 nikki-yvonne

    Posted

    Hi, sorry to learn you're struggling with this.  

    Instead of going to regular gps, I suggest you go to a gynecologist who should be better able to treat you.  For one thing, even though you don't have ovaries, the fat in your body can still create estrogen.  For another, taking estrogen supplementation can be hazardous to your health in some cases.  It seems you are having an allergic reaction (the itching) to what you're on now.  

    I just went to my doctor, a endocrinologist, who told me that estrogen isn't that necessary to assimilating calcium.  So, I'm confused, too.  But I have to follow her advise because I'm on a estrogen blocking medication. I'm 67.  

    At your age you should be approaching menopause.  Please get a referral to a doctor that knows what they're doing.  And, if they can't help you find another--but 

    gps don't have much if any knowledge about female problems.  That's why they're just giving you pills.  

    Good luck and let us know how you do!  

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