Femoston how long before noticing ease of symptoms

Thank you for your reply. I felt sensation as you described in my breast about a week ago, which then seemed to be the "start of my bad week"(how many years have I heard my long-suffering husband say this, normally retrospectively and from a safe distance) as usual it has been hell. When I was using a bio-chemically identical hormone cream I think I had a mixture of progesterone, estradiol

, even a tiny bit of testosterone the doctor was working with my symptoms alongside blood tests. I think that maybe due to early trauma I have problems self regulating my emotions. Add any number of triggers alongside the hormonal imbalance and boom! Its devastating every month, and then the recovery and my good week, then descending towards that"bad week". Thank you for sharing your experience of the patches though, my doctor mentioned patches too.

Two things I suggest that your dr test: pituitary gland hormones (after 6 years of severe menopause symptoms while I was using oestrogen), I went to a different dr and was found to have a small tumour on my pituitary gland which was causing excess prolactin making my oestrogen ineffective.

The second: Iron Studies (not just iron) to see what your ferritin and transferrin saturation % levels are. If they are high, then it is most probable you have haemochromatosis, early symptoms of which are very similar to menopause as well as being a hormone thief. Best to eliminate the possibility of these issues, otherwise you will never get your hormone therapy right.

Let us know how you go.

HI Sheryl thank you for your reply, the severe symptoms that you had of menopause what age did they start? I have had the severe dips in mood since my periods started. I was found to have low progesterone as well. The doctor also said my ferritin levels were low, not high. My hot flushes have stopped though, so that might not tally with you.

The doctor felt I also had Adrenal Fatigue, and I still take the DHEA but this was a doctor I saw privately for natural hormone treatment. So after over a year with no relief I went on regular HRT from my local gp. Getting surges of tenderness in my breasts and today period like pain.

I am not going to be of much help as I had to have a hysterectomy and oopherectomy at age 39 and pellets were inserted immediately which worked perfectly. Then patches when they stopped making the pellets. Apart from the haemochromatosis which came on almost immediately after the surgery (I was no longer losing blood) but took 9 years to be diagnosed, the hormone therapy was working well. Then I suddenly started severe head and face sweating from the pituitary gland tumour for 6 years, then after getting that back on track, my dr messed with my hormone balance by insisting I also use progesterone. Well that completely threw it all out, and my hormone balance has never been the same since. Hence the problems.

I discovered I could get the pellets again from compound chemists and thought all would be well, but they have not worked as well as the original pellets did. But I am persevering and I know now that if the pellets fail I can go back to patches, as inconvenient as they may be, they do work.

At one stage I tried pregnenolone to supplement the oestradiol but it actually increases progesterone instead. I was going to try DHEA but discovered it did the same thing.

Progesterone seems to be the problem for most women and I read that a research gynecologist in Leicester University Hospital reported that only minimal progesterone, enough to stop break-through bleeding, is necessary. He also said that some women can need up to something like 1200 ???/l to stop menopause symptoms.

Years ago when I was suffering all these undiagnosed haemochromatosis symptoms, I too was tested for adrenal fatigue, but that was normal. I sure felt I had burnt out everything.

My period history was always about pain - very heavy periods. I would not say I had dips in mood apart from dealing with the pain.

Something I don't think I mentioned, pre hysterectomy I was prescribed Androcur which is an anti-androgen to reduce the symptoms of testosterone - bad acne, loss of hair male pattern, hairy face, upper body weight, and I am sure my voice was deeper. Skin became good, hair growing back with the help of a certain shampoo, no facial hair, still upper body weight. So I don't understand why females want testosterone. Even men cannot get testosterone hormones (legally) without the say so of a urologist or endocrinologist in Australia. It has never been mentioned by any of my drs - not that I have asked given my need to get rid of that hormone. When I am getting sufficient oestradiol, my libido is very good, but during those bad times, it is non-existent.

If I HAD to have progesterone (i.e. uterus insitu), I would take them separate from the pellets or other transdermal oestrogen, so that the progesterone can be controlled separately from the oestradiol. Start low and build up slowly to the necessary amount.

I often think we should have hormone tests when younger and everything is good so that we have a record of what to aim for when our hormones fail. Too late now!!!!

Sounds as like a not straightforward case, and not a easy one. My hair has got incredibly thin over the last year more so. I do have a under active thyroid and on a very low dose of levothyroxine. Its incredible how much hormones effect us if they are out of kilter, maybe one day they will think beyond the sex hormones.

My periods were always long but when I hit my thirties very painful and getting heavier and heavier. Years of anemia and needing iron tablets.

The testosterone I was on was very low, and only the bio-chemical equivalent. Apparently women do produce it naturally and it is needed for motivation and if you are too low it can affect that and confidence. I think brain fog is another symptom of too low. Too much and you can experience aggression too. I think early and regular testing would perhaps show if a imbalance is beginning .

My brain fog came on with the undiagnosed haemochromatosis, but that is another story.

I do long for a time when medicine can see the whole picture and be able to work out customised solutions for people instead of being only able to treat symptoms one by one which may upset the balance of another.

I hope you can find your solutions and mostly it is trial and error and often being assertive with drs, or changing them. Their personal biases should not come into it but they do. Self education is imperative.

Good luck with it all.

Error correction:

He also said that some women can need up to something like 1200 ???/l to stop menopause symptoms.

Should be

He also said that some women can need up to something like 1200 ???/l OF OESTRADIOL to stop menopause symptoms.

Thank you I feel I don't have much choice but to at least do the month, but I think I have to admit that I need a antidepressant alongside. I need and my family need me to be safe, the suicidal aspect is not acceptable. I told my gp that I was suicidal, sobbing down the phone, and I know he wants me to give it a chance, but I don't feel his taking me seriously .

What a twit - ignoring you when you are at that stage. A long time ago I was prescribed Fluvoxamine because of stressful problems happening in my life. I still take one before bed. We cannot expect hrt to be the panacea of all issues, especially when there are events occuring in our life outside of menopause.

Is there another dr you can see in the same practice (because your usual dr was not available when you needed to see him!!!)? This dr will have access to your records and may have different thoughts - perhaps a female.