I am going to try bioidentical hormone pellet implants. Anyone know about them?
Posted , 28 users are following.
I had a hysterectomy when I was 34, vaginal, leaving the ovaries. then at 37 or 38 I started having the crying and stuff, so doctor put me on the patches, which only stayed stuck on my skin a couple days, so got real expensive changing them out all the time. Then tried pills, and after trying about 5 different kinds over a period of 4 or 5 years, I gave up. They just didn't work like the patches. Never knew about weaning off them. That would have been useful to know... By then the doctors were all up in the air about the cancer scare so they didn't want to try anything else on me either. So I rock along for 15 or so years, feeling like crap, you know, all the same symptoms, plus now I have osteopenia, and had hip replacement last year. And I am just sick of not feeling like myself. This is no way to live, the sleeplessness (which can cause one to get alzheimer's I have read) and the crying, anger, weight fluxuation, all of it. For this long. So my daughter told me they said just kidding about the cancer thing (nobody ever said anything to me?) and maybe I should try them again. So today I go to the GYN specifically for that and was told that since I had been off for over ten years, that it is "too dangerous." Really? It is stuff that I had in my body all my life until menopause. I told her I would rather die than to live this way for the rest of my life. She just said she was sorry. Really??? I am 64, and don't feel like I am just here wasting time til I die. I am a contributing member of society. She had the nerve to tell me I was too old to start them again, that I just need to take Paxil. Paxil!!! That stuff (yes, we went the antidepressant route too) was horrible and I would not give it to anyone ever.... I told her I didn't have a depression problem, it is hormonal. Then she offered some cream for vaginal dryness after I had just told her it was not in use since over a year ago, due to lack of libido from no hormones. Do they ever listen? So I called and talked to the nurse at the doctor's office who does the bioidentical hrt with the little sub cutaneous pellets after blood work so they know what I need. She said there is no reason to feel old if I don't have to. I told her I don't mind feeling 64, but would like to feel like myself and not feel like a spayed dog. Do any of y'all have any experience with this? I am through feeling like this, and am willing to try just about anything at this point. This nurse practitioner acted like I am just a drain on the system and should just accept feeling like this. This doctor seems to at least care about the patients, and he does "men's health" also. Any feed back would be much appreciated. I am glad I found this site, because it is shocking to become aware of all the women going through the same thing and so many doctors just seem to not care. I thought we had made more progress in society than this.....
4 likes, 63 replies
sheryl37154 kathleen10268
Posted
Hi Kathleen, When I had my hysterectomy and oopherectomy at age 38 in 1989 my surgeon implanted an estradiol pellet immediately. It was better than sliced bread - the best invention. Then some years later they stopped making them. So I, like many others went on to the patches. So tedious, after not having to do anything about my hrt for at least 9 months of the year. I would have a 12 month one but my body needs more oestrogen than most and it would run out at 9 months. But I was allowed to re implant when needed.
The patches used to stick better but the glue was irritating. Now the patches don't remain stuck. As it was the oestrogen would run out before its time and I would supplement with a gel on the 7th day.
Then I found out I could get a compound chemist to make up the oestradiol pellets with a script from my dr. However, it did not seem to work as well as the original, although they assured me that it was exactly the same. Two implants did not work at all, and I had to keep on going with the patches.
The compound chemist said my gp was not implanting them properly. They must be inserted in a fatty area (of the abdomen usually). As I have had many over the years, it know it was not my gp's fault. This year, once again my gp insisted I increase my Ralovera which is a progestin (a drug pretending to be a hormone). My night sweats and head sweats were immediately worse. I immediately stopped the Ralovera. Theoretically I don't need Ralovera as I don't have a uterus but I was originally put on them by another gp when I told her I used to have very bad endometriosis which the surgeon removed but there may have been some that the eye could not see and this is activated by the oestrogen.
I had no problem with only 5mg(?) a day, but when my current gp insisted I needed more balance, i.e. more progestin (it is not progesterone) to correct my oestrogen dominance - everything would go haywire. I searched about oestrogen dominance, and found that really there is no such thing in menopause and I don't need progestin (anymore), and that we need as much oestrogen as it takes to reduce menopause symptoms. I found a gyneacologist from Leicester whose research stated that sometimes up to 1200 pbs (sorry can't remember exactly - as I am in bed now) to be symptom free.
So while away on hols, I stopped all progestin, and finally my oestrogen started working again. I still need to top it up with gel to be sweat free at night. So while I was thinking I was not getting true oestradiol from the compound chemist, it may have been me being oestradiol resistant because progestogen in any form is an oestrogen antagonist. I think my gp's thinking is being mixed up with having hormone balance pre menopause but post menopause, we do not need that.
So now I feel ready to try the implants again. The compound chemist also told me that the pellets only last 4-6 months (that is a 100mg one) and the old version used to be the same. But that is not true, as the 100mg was meant to last about 1 year, just that my body uses it up faster.
I have told you all that so you are aware of what can go wrong, but it is not the pellet's fault (unless the compound chemist uses poor quality product).
Blood work is not really necessary to work out what you need. Your body just uses the oestrogen as it is needed. So a 50mg one will run out faster than a 100mg. It is not about being a stronger dose, like oral or patches. That is the beauty of the implants. The body uses it as required.
Good luck, I think you will be very happy with it.
PS: I stayed on the patches till I felt the pellet kick in - for me it was a surge/fullness in the breasts.
kathleen10268 sheryl37154
Posted
Hi, Sheryl, I have a question. When you got the implants, I know this sounds weird, but could you feel a lump or any sign of anything being there? I took off the bandage and I can't feel anything there, like no lump or anything that would indicate they put anything in there, unless it is deeper that just right under the skin. No sign of an incision, a hole, nothing. I know it is very difficult to get a close look, as it is on the top part of my butt, so am going to have my husband take a picture with my phone and see, just curious....
sheryl37154 kathleen10268
Posted
Hi Kathleen
I get mine in my abdomen, and I remove the stitch or stitches myself at the precribed time. I can keep an eye on it too. I once had it in my upper butt because the dr (a fill in) doing it considered close to pubic hair was "dirty" and germy!!! I had to get my husband to remove the stitches for me - saves having to go back to the drs.
And yes, I can feel the little lump, and I have many little scars from previous implants. There was once I could not feel it and it was not kicking in, and I thought my dr had fooled me because she was not totally accepting of hrt at the time (she has changed now). I had to have an ultra sound on one of my veins, so I asked the techician to do it on my abdomen to check, and yes it was there. That one might have been planted deeper.
I think my first response has been printed but something was changed.
But you should have visual signs of the incision A good idea to take a photo as I am sure you will see something.
My implants take about 3 weeks to kick in and I keep using the patches until they do, I feel a surge or fullness in my breasts which may only last half a day. I stop the patches then.
Let us know how you go.
kathleen10268 sheryl37154
Posted
Hi, Sheryl, I got my husband to take a picture of it, and yes, there is a little cut there. She didn't suture it. I guess it is just deep cause I can't feel it. I would rather have it on my belly than in back of me. I hope it kicks in soon. I will let you know. Thanks!
patricia66913 kathleen10268
Posted
Hi All, I thought I would join and share some of my experiences and observations. I am 67, started menopause at 38, had complete hysterectomy at 43. The main problem we have is that we are in the minority. My experience has been that a small percentage of women have SEVERE menopausal symptoms. Most of my friends and family can't even relate and some act as if it must be mostly "psychological". If more people knew how "real" it is, there would be more help out there. I have run the entire gamut of what I am reading in these posts. To sum it up, becoming someone I totally did not know, in fact like something had completely taken over and made me the opposite of who I had been. When I hear or see on the news of a woman doing something extreme and "out of character", hormonal problems is the first thing I think of because I know the feelings all too well. On to my treatment....I could not take HRT by mouth as I would see no benefit at all and initially because I had not had a hysterectomy I had to also take progesterone which made me meaner during the time I was taking it. We started out on Estraderm patches .025, then .050 to .075 and finally to .1. That was a God send, that and the hysterectomy so I didn't have to continue the progesterone. I was completely normal for 20+ years until they stopped making that brand of patches. I tried everything and it all failed, I know , doesn't make sense, one patch with the same dosage should work as good as the next right? Wrong....then I tried a generic brand made by Sandoz, Estradiol .1, and it worked just like the Estraderm patch until my last refill 2 weeks ago. I am wearing it but all my symptoms are back with a vengeance. When I use the words to describe my feelings just know that each one has to be AMPLIFIED, like impatient would be radio volume at normal listening range but IMPATIENT would be the volume so loud it would burst your eardrums. See with severe menopause even descriptive words have a whole new meaning. ILL TEMPERED, DEPRESSED (don't want to interact with anyone about anything), lack of interest in anything, can't get excited about or look forward to anything, in short no interest in life, INSOMNIA, HOT FLASHES, SEX??? I do not take any prescription or over the counter drugs, I even have to have a really, really bad headache to even take an Advil. I am not sure what to do at this point as I will not take antidepressants. The only change recently is that I had to have an epidural for my back, a repeat of one I had in 2013. I don't know if that could have caused this change or not. I will keep praying for an answer for all of us.
sheryl37154 patricia66913
Posted
From winter 2002 till winter 2008, I suddenly suffered menopausal symptoms although I was happlly on oestradiol since 1989 (implants at that stage, I think). My face and head sweated horribly, constantly. I don't need to describe the effects of that - you all know. No answers were found - not much was investigated really. Thyroid, and I was already on oestradiol. Finally, before I jumped off a cliff, I went to a Botox dr to investigate the possibility of having botox in the scalp etc, to stop the sweating.
This dr, bless her, said she would like to find out what was causing it, and sent me to an endocrinologist who did blood tests of my pituitary gland. It was discovered I had high prolactin caused by a small tumour on my pituitary gland. The medication for that was Carbergoline. There was immediate relief.
Excess prolactin causes oestrogen to be ineffective - hence the menopausal symptoms despite using Oestradiol.
So, I suggest you get your dr to check your pituitary gland hormones. If they are ok, then insist they investigate further because THERE IS A CAUSE!
patricia66913 sheryl37154
Posted
patricia66913 kathleen10268
Posted
Hi again, After my previous post, I decided to google to see if epidural (cortisteroid shots) could cause hormonal changes and here is what I found. I believe now that this is why my patches have appeared to stop working.
Steroids can alter any and all hormone functions of your H-P-A axis, which means it can effect sleep, metabolism, temperature, cognition, energy level, etc. Glucocortocoids can induce hypo/hyperthyroid symptoms (weight gain/loss, insomnia/hypersomnia, intolerance to heat/cold, heart palpitations/ slow heart rate, anxiety & depression/agitation & aggression), hypo/hyperpituitary symptoms (estrogen/progesterone/LH dysfunction, excessive/ absent bleeding, body termperature dysregulation), adrenal hypo/hyper function (no energy/ excessive energy, poor/ excessive muscle activity, eye dysfunction,etc).
Women who do not have these issues may experience them for the first time (if so you now unfortunately know what it is like to have PCOS, hyper/hypothyroidism, Cushing's, medically induced menopause, or any of a huge list of hormone imbalances that effect your brain and other hormone secreting glands/organs). Typically these issues resolve in the coming months.
kathleen10268 patricia66913
Posted
Oh, Patricia, hang in there. At least you are intelligent enough and motivated enough and have resources to look it up and now know the cause of all this. And you know it isn't just that the patches don't work. What if you hadn't looked it up and just gave up on the patches when they really work?!? I am so sorry you are going through this again. It seems like we take two steps forward and then ten back.
I got my implants yesterday and I feel better, but not from the pellets, but I think from knowing I am doing something about my health. And now have hope that I can go back to being myself again.
So do you think any steroid will have this effect? Because I have a torn rotator cuff and a knee with no bursa, and am looking at having shots for them both real quick. They have cortisone and lidocaine in the shoulder one and the knee thing is the other lubricant stuff, from rooster combs or something. Trying to avoid knee replacement, as I just had hip replacement in 2016. Tired of operations.
When they first started me on hormones at about age 38 or so, It was the Estraderm also and it worked great, but those things wouldn't stick on me more than a couple days, so were not very effective. Not cost effective anyway. Then they tried me on oral which never worked, after trying all different ones. And the rest is history, gradually losing myself and not knowing why.....
I sure hope you start doing better soon.
patricia66913 kathleen10268
Posted
Hi Kathleen, I don't know about the shots for your knee and rotator cuff but if you are like me, when it comes to my back, I didn't have a choice. You know the big deal here is figuring out what the "cause" of something is. If I know something is temporary and I know a reason for it, I can get through it, but this "out of the blue" stuff really plays with your head when it comes to hormones. You know the word hysterectomy comes from the word hysteria. Years ago many women going through a severe menopause were "committed" to asylums because no one knew what was going on with them. I fully understand. Had I lived back then I am sure I would have been one of them. I am better, like you, just knowing I am doing something gives me a better outlook. God bless.
kathleen10268 patricia66913
Posted
Hi, Patricia, you are so right about the joint issues. I get to the point I would do just about anything to stop the pain, and I am allergic to all the NSAIDS like Ibuprofen, so am basically lost when it comes to help with that. Ice has become my friend.
And along with that hysteria deal, did you know that what they called hysteria, or what it meant to them back then was a "wandering uterus." Is that insane or what??? I learned that in Psychology class. I am guessing it was their ignorance, not just degrading women....? I don't know, but it sure seems that we become more of a utilitarian being than a human being in people's eyes (including, maybe even moreso to doctors) after we quit popping out babies.
I sure would have been locked up back in those days, too. You know, a lot of old timey records I find while researching family say that the person, female, died in an asylum. It seems to me that is a bigger percentage than those I see of more modern times, and it makes me wonder if it was just menopausal symptoms. What a tragedy and a waste of what they could have contributed to society and their families, grandchildren, etc... if only someone cared about why things were the way they were. Of course, the ones I have found like that were ALL women.
I took off the bandage the nurse put on my butt where they did the pellet implant, and aside from a bruise, very light and small, it doesn't look like anything was done back there. It doesn't feel lumpy or anything. It's not like I can get a good close look, but I just think it is weird. I still don't feel anything different except that I feel good about being proactive. It is really soon for results I guess, but we shall see.
sharon24521 kathleen10268
Posted
LouLou46 sharon24521
Posted
Hi Sharon
Would you mind telling me more about how you started pellets? Are you in surgical menopause? I'm on 2nd one with mixed results...no marvellous positives really yet...
cmz kathleen10268
Posted
Thanks
dominique99410 kathleen10268
Posted
Hello I am new here but just wanted to say I have been on bio T pellets for over 10 years. All has been great !!! And then this last year around may 2017. My dr decided to change formula & where she got them from with out telling me & then the fun began. I started slowly going down hill. Not knowing at the time by aug of that year second set of new pellets really set me off. I had depression, anxiety, panic attacks , fear of leaving my home along with a bunch of other things. I still had no clue about new pellets, so I did TONS of blood work they thought it was thyroid so we played with it. & through it all I went from bad to worse at times kept seeing a ton of dr,s. With so many ideas & bloodwork I have spent tons of money & time so I get labs done in April of 2018. & bloodwork comes back every thing is great except estrogen & testosterone they are low so we do the new pellets again. And about 3 days in I start to feel really bad again & I ask dr if she changed my pellets & she says yes. But does not see a connection between the 2. My question is. Has any one had this happen to them. Can someone please help me I really really feel it’s the change in pellets cause my whole life I been happy go lucky & now I am scared to leave my house want to give up on life. And I can’t find any one on line about this subject.
kathleen10268 dominique99410
Posted
Hi, Dominique,
Sorry I took so long to answer this. I have not been keeping up well at all. I have not had that happen to me, but if your doctor is really good, they will keep you up on what they are doing, especially if they are changing your formula. Jeezuz, what gives with these doctors? Mine is terribly expensive, $375 every 4 months, but I have to say it is worth it. It has been a year now that I have been doing the Biote implants, and I have had to go back for free booster implant one time I think. My husband gets the implants also, but I don't see any difference in him, and the men's ones cost $750 but they supposedly only need them twice a year. The doctor told us that stress and heavy exercise are the two things that will use the pellets up really fast and you will need to get higher level of hormones so they don't use up so fast. Hang in there, and don't give up. I hate that the medical community is so non-chalant about our health and medical treatment, especially with hormones. I just don't know what the answer is. I am sorry you are going through this, but glad you found this discussion site.
manon70553 dominique99410
Posted
I have had 2 rounds of pellets. I still have my uterus and I am 60 years old. The first time, 06/5/19, according to my bloodwork they implanted 12.5 ,mg Estradiol with 200 mg Progesterone. to be taken at bedtime. All was good. Had bloodwork done 8 weeks in and estradiol was 43. I went back for second round on 12/4/19 and without doing further bloodwork they increased the estradiol to 22.5 but did not increase the progesterone. I started bleedimg 03/14/20. Dr then increased the progesterone to 300mg on 03/20 and I'm still spotting. Going for Uterine Ultrasound and hoping for normal results. Can anyone relate?