Is this all my doctor should do??

Oh wow that is a lot! Did he explain what all of those mean? It took me prodding him to finally cough up just a simple "your estrogens low... do you want antidepressants?" What kind of doctor do you have that did all that and did he just do it or did you somehow know what to request??

He went through some of it with me. Obviously estrogen, progesterone, testosterone & thyroid, liver function, etc. The stuff I'd understand. My boyfriend put me onto him. He treats complex metabolic disorders. Peri/post meno, infertility, menstrual disorders, chronic tiredness, pcos, erectile disfunction plus others. He's in his mid sixties and is a gp/surgeon but started doing hormones probably 20 years ago now he one of the best. It isn't just about how much estrogen you have its ultimately about having your hormones balanced and from what i'v learnt so far its incredibly complicated. I have very high estrogen and testosterone but my body fat is very low and I show no physical signs of my estrogen being high. For me it showed itself as severe mood & emotional problems and explains problems i'v had for a long time. Without a doctor who Understands so much about women's hormones I don't know where I'd be right now.

Hi Azzumi, your issues sound similar to mine as I've always had high estrogen except when I was breast feeding, and then I actually felt great, so the whole 'low estrogen' issue doesn't seem to apply to me, what bio identicals did they recommend for you??I think it must be something to do with the balance...I'm getting my hormones tested next week but if you could pm me the details of your doctor if they are in the U.K. That would be useful thanks

I'm currently on oral progesterone only. I have it in a troche each morning plus i'v been on myomin an estrogen aromatase for a few months and currently on dim anti estrogen. Once my cycle stops completely I'll go back onto a combination troche of all three hormones and stay on for life. I'm 7 months into BHRT and feeling a lot more balanced. I'v had emotional and mood problems on and off since I was a young teenager but Peri took it to a whole new level and it scared me to death. I live in Australia but I'm sure if you search the internet you could find someone similar where you live. Be interested to hear when you find someone.

Hi Azzumi, can you let me know which progesterone you are on and how much each day? I was taking ultrogestan which I noticed really helped, so I starred taking it every day at 100mg / day, but after a week and a half my symptoms would come back again so I think that might have been too much...?

I have mine made by a compound pharmacist as a troche. 200mg each morning and it dissolves under my tongue.

Thanks Azzumi, I'm seeeing a bio identical specialist on Tuesday in London who has had great reviews so I'm praying that will help, though not convinced the blood work will show anything so trying to identify my symptoms and when they occur - typically I have always felt worse post period which always confused me, as all the medical explanations are focussed on pre menstral problems, but i think you mentioned you also had this?? Sorry to keep bugging you! But I've been on bio oestrogen before which didn't work so hoping for an alternative thanks

Don't mind you bugging me..I feel worse post too. I hardly bleed now but I still go through a cycle and post I tend to get agitated and feel low. It isn't bad anymore but I can still feel it. The person you're going to see if they're really good, will know what's going on through blood work and symptoms. You tend to know first visit if you trust them enough. That's a big part of all this as I found out it can be tricky and take time for even an expert to sort things out. You'll know when you meet them. I did as soon as I met my doctor the first time he would fix me..please let me know how you go.

Hi Azzumi - I'm writing to say thank you so much for your recommendation, because since I've been taking Dim, plus Calcium D-Glucurate I have felt so so so much better, its amazing - I have my life back!

?I was planning to take hormones as well - but I feel so good that I think that they have balanced me out enough - its been 2 months and I can't believe the change in my physical and mental health - I only get the odd say of symptoms now - long may it continue - love to you wherever you are! xxx

Hi this is really interesting, I'm trying maca at the moment after 18 months on estrogel, which worked at first and then stopped. Hormones have been all over the place since coming off it but I'm hoping the maca will help to balance things out - you said it worked for you social is there any reason you stopped it?

Karen, I was taking a lot of different things at the time, that once I ran out, something else would pop up, & I'd buy something else for that symptom or take a prescription my doctor would suggest. The Maca worked for my hot flashes such that once they went away there was no reason to buy it again. Sage worked really well too but I broke out in hives due to being allergic to Sage. Chia I found was excellent for hormones, and eating yams too. Some women I know swear by the Maca for hormone & hot flash balance, but with me, I would have one symptom at a time. Let me know how it's working for you. Hugs. 

Gailannie,

I didn't have a hysterectomy so now I'm confused. Is this correct it should only be given if you have had a hyst?? This gp doctor I thought was fairly good but come to think of it he was good up until the point my health needs became more than just a flu or allergic rash--- this hormone thing I realized how he is either apathetic or really underinformed and out of the loop on how hormones work and should be tested/ treated. I didn't know if I should laugh or feel upset when he called to announce my test results-- I had already told him I was starting menopause and that's why I wanted my hormone levels tested. When he called to tell me the results I thought he would be going over all that was tested and explain the different levels etc but all he said at first was "your test results show that your going through the change" 

Danielle, my mom and I were both given Premarin cream and I've never had a hysterectomy. My mom didn't take anything with the Premarin either. My doctor, owns an all women's clinic, who sees about 100 women a day, would never make such a mistake knowing all too well I also worked in Ob/Gyn as a Doctor's Assistant in giving me or my mom medication that wasn't suited for us. If you were given the Premarin pill, then request for Premarin cream and forget about taking it. There are better alternatives than taking the pill for which was never offered to my mother who had a partial hysterectomy.

Danielle, Premarin is a synthetic estrogen.  As I read back through your posts, you didn't mention how you were given Premarin.  A pill, or a vaginal cream? Dosage?  Women who still have a uterus are given Prempro, which is a combination of synthetic estrogen plus a progestin, which protects the lining of the uterus from over growing.  This is why I assumed you'd had your uterus removed, because it was learned decades ago that menopausal women with a uterus needed both the estrogen and progesterone for uterus protection.