High anxiety

Posted , 5 users are following.

I saw Proffesor Studd last July as I’ve been suffering from depression for several years .

He felt that Hrt could help.

I am using Oestrogen and testosterone gel each day and also take progesterone tablets .Is anyone else doing this?

My anxiety does not seem to have reduced so I’d love to hear from anyone who is in a similar situation .

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  • Posted

    I saw him in December 16. He prescribed estrogen, testosterone and progesterone - the latter to reduce bleeding. The progesterone didn’t work so I had the mirena coil fitted last April and my hormone levels were tested by the hospital at the same time and were 4 times higher than the maximum on the scale! Prof Studd advised carrying on at that level but I worried they were too high so at my own consultants suggestion I came off. Disasterous! Hair like straw, bad mood swings, depression. I went back on the estrogen only at two pumps a day and very infrequent amounts of testosterone and I was fine. I had a minor cosmetic treatment that caused burns at the end of last year and the high levels of estrogen caused pigmentation at the burn sites so i was advised to reduce again and as before bad mood swings etc. I’ve just gone back on again. My advice would be to take control of your dosage and test where it works for you. Prof Studd might have progressive treatment compared to the NHS but he still employs a one size fits all approach. I felt much better once I’d taken control and on the two occasions I reduced my dosage and everything went pear shaped I was reminded how much better I was on th HRT than without. Not perfect but better. 
    • Posted

      I use x 2 pumps of Oestrogen and a blob of testosterone each day.

      I found that taking progesterone to prevent the uterus lining getting too thick made me feel very down.

      It did not promote a bleed either.

      My gp suggested taking progesterone 100mg each day may help but I’m still feeling very down.

      Did you see proff Studd again and what did he say?

    • Posted

      I saw him twice. His view was as long as I had the symptoms of depression, anxiety, bleeding etc I should up the dosage even further. It was a long and expensive journey to see him and I got no more than 10 mins the second time. I think his treatment is absolutely right but the dosage is too individual for him to use the sane amount with everyone. You were given exactly the same dosage as me but he told me to up the estrogen to 3 a day.  Ny normal dosage now is 1 pump estrogen a day and one blob of testosterone weekly. My depression goes, hair is good, bleeding virtually non existent on the mirena coil, sleeping great. The anxiety is hit and miss but much better than it was. I think whichever health professional you see unless they are seeing you almost weekly to understand your symptoms there is an element of wait and see.  I didn’t do well with the progesterone tablets and am much happier with the mirena coil. Maybe you can look into that? It’s a much much lower dosage which is regulated daily as opposed to a large dose from the  tablets once a month. 
    • Posted

      I am 57.

      I’m not sure the coil would help.

      How long is it since you started the Hrt?

    • Posted

      I was 49 when I had it put in. I only know the progesterone tablets caused more issues than they solved -same as spotty1.  Happy not to have those symptoms anymore. I started the HRT in December 2016 and felt great by August last year once I’d got the dosage right.  I still get anxiety when life gets tough but I respond by either temporarily upping the dosage or by taking herbal supplements. 
    • Posted

      Initially it was the NHS consultant that told me to come off and when I went back on I decided to start at one pump a day and see how I went. I didn’t feel any worse on one pump a day than 2. On days I feel anxious on waking I do two pumps but have a herbal supplement from my herbalist I take during the day for immediate relief. It was trial and error for me testing how I felt on each dosage. 
    • Posted

      What herbal supplements do you use please and are they successful?
    • Posted

      I see a homeopath in Nottinghamshire and she mixes me up something she calls a depression mix. It’s a little pill that dissolved under my tongue that I take if I need it for anxiety, low mood. These things tend to be made up specific to the individual based upon their symptoms, physical make up etc but you can see generic homeopathic remedies online. I tried it as a last resort but she’s been brill for this and lots of other issues. I had nerve damage in my knee that conventional treatment hadn’t fixed and her remedy sorted it in two weeks. Might be worth you finding a homeopath near you? I can ask what’s in mine but you might be better with your own tailored version. I was a big skeptic but you’ll try anything when you feel bad and it worked for me. 
    • Posted

      Please can you forward me the details of the homeopath who sounds very good.

      I’ll travel to see her/him?

    • Posted

      I was prescribed antidepressants but didn’t want to take them as I was also experiencing hair loss at the time and all the antidepressants would have made that worse. I wanted to try a more natural remedy. Wendy gave me some other remedies to help balance my mind and body and I felt much better. If you look online she is called Wendy Jackson, homeopath East Bridgford. Her initial consultation with me was about 2 hours! She went through my whole life history and events. Therapy in itself. I don’t know where you live and this might be a long journey. Look at her website - Wendyjackson.org.uk - ring her for a chat? You may have someone just as good locally? 

    • Posted

      I’ve listed a response to this but it’s gone to be moderated presumably because I’ve mentioned a web address. If it doesn’t post soon I’ll try something different. 
    • Posted

      Hi Angie. Do you mind me asking about the 'blob' of testosterone. How big is a blob? How long does a tube last you? I was told to make a 50mg tube (testim) last for 7-10 days.  I'm on my second tube and must admit the first one lasted 20 days as I was very cautious and nervous about using it. I'm using a blob about as big as my little finger nail and rubbing it on my thigh. 

    • Posted

      I was originally told to make it last 7-10 days like you but it lasted much longer. As I’ve cut down on it now a tube lasts me weeks but it took me a while initially to find the right dosage. When I upped the ‘blob’ so the tube lasted 10 days my testosterone levels were very high! You are right to be cautious but if a 10 day tube is right for you then you’ll need to experiment with the amount. It won’t do any harm to be under or over estimating for a couple of tubes. The amount you describe sounds right but if the tube is lasting too long you need to apply more! 

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