How many HRTs does it take to find the right one as I'm desperate!

hi Karen I feel your frustration I started just little over 3 months ago started on everol combi pain side effects legs and feet pain really bad then was put on everol 50 plus provera on the 16th day for 12 days was ok on this still leg pain but managed it then they ran out of everol and was put on estradot with the provera still leg pain but getting coil in January so hoping that will help with progestron part so no need to take tablets go through emotional stages on the progesterone and like period pain for a week or so I do have small break through bleeds but I'm going to keep going on hrt until I find the right one tbh I think it just takes time for our body to get use to these hormones being put back into our body.. keep going Karen it takes time.. I'm here if you need to talk more xx

Hang in there, Karen! I TOTALLY hear your frustration!! This process can make you crazy!!! I was on synthetic Estradiol and medroxyprogesterone for 4 years and did just fine. Then in January of this year I had the dumb idea that I would try weaning off them since I am now 59 and worried about my increased risk of cancer taking HRT as an older woman. Has been a NIGHTMARE ever since! Menopause symptoms returned with a vengeance despite my VERY GRADUAL weaning process. Hot flashes, horrible crying jags and CRAZY irritability. OB/GYN told me to go back to full dose which alleviated most symptoms other than this feeling of "fuzziness" in my head and horrible intermittent bouts of dizziness which occur when my blood sugar fluctuates (exactly what I experienced 20 years ago when I was pregnant!). Are you seeing a hormone specialist or your regular doctor? Someone on this patient.info exchange recommended seeing a hormone specialist (even if your primary doc or OB is great) which I did a few mos ago and she switched me to bioidentical HRT which has really reduced my dizziness. It is still there a bit so we just adjusted the dose again yesterday! I have been told it can take a LONG time, especially for those of us that are extremely sensitive to any shift in hormone levels. I have a friend who told me her friend is two years into this process of adjustment and still struggling! UGH!!! So make sure you find a menopause specialist that you trust..... other docs are well intentioned but generally don't know this stuff well enough to manage the fine tuning of this VERY complicated nightmare!! Hang in there! You are NOT alone!!!!!

Hugs,

Elizabeth

Hi Karen,

If you get hooked up with the right doctor you wont have to guess what is the right hormone or how much you need. A qualified doctor will know and run proper labs to get you on exactly what you need. You should leave the office being well informed instead of more confused and scared.

I researched lots of stuff when i was going into menopause . First thing is the right doctor, then the right hormones. Never synthetic. Bio identical is what your looking for because its what our body recognizes and knows exactly what to do with them. Tablets are at the bottom of the list followed by patches. Tablets first go through the stomach and you lose much of the effect. Patches are hard to get the right fit because we are all unique and its not a one size fits all. Compounded bio identical transdermal creams are a nice start as are pellets.

Most mainstream doctors just have not studied up on hormone replacement to know how to treat women at this time of our lives. Fortunately, some doctors are leaving their busy practices and going into holistic and alternative medicine. It really is the coming times. Not sure where you live but a good place to find qualified doctors is through a compounding pharmacy. Hormone replacement doesn't have to be a scary mess. I'm 59, post menopause for over 4 years. Started with creams consisting of progesterone, estrodial, testosterone. The last year and a half been doing pellets. Best decision I ever made was changing doctors and getting with someone who knew what goes on with men and women as we age. My husband is on testosterone pellets too. You can have a life after menopause. I'm here if you have any questions. Good luck!