The experts always say ESTROGEN?????

Thanks Sheryl.  I have heard this that many women love estrogen only.  Especially those who have had hysterectomies.  But yes, I have my uterus and therefore will need progesterone.  

If you don't mind I ask, how do you take your estrogen, orally, patch?  

Thankfully, I am back on the implanted pellet and my body draws on it as needed.  Last implant was a 100mg and a 50mg to try to last longer.  Next one which I have just ordered 2 x 100mg because the 50mg cost almost as much as a 100gm.  I was surprised my dr agreed.  So it should last longer again.

The last couple of weeks I have been slapping on a patch per week but I don't think it makes any difference (as I think my body then draws less from the pellet) because I am still sweating from the hollow in the back of my neck often, at the slightest exertion, a bit of extra heat, and sometimes even in air-conditioning.  It seems that once the tap was turned on, it still has a leak.  I keep up with my Vit D3, a deficiency of which can also cause sweating.  There may be another cause - just have not found it yet.  But I do know that during the periods when my oestrogen was blocked by progestin, my head sweated profusely.

 

Plus I also alternate each night with a vaginal pessary and a smear of ovestin cream on the outside because inserting the cream is so messy.

 

Thanks again Sheryl.  I have heard of some women who really like the implants.  Just curious (if it's not too noisy)  How old are you now?  I know you said your had a hysterectomy, so progesterone isn't an issue for you.  Just wondering if you're younger, or in natural menopausal age.  

I had to have a hysterectomy at age 38 - I had a low grade cancer tumour on the outside of my uterus with roots about to pierce my large bowel (or was it my colon - so long ago now!)  I also had endometriosis everywhere, right up to my diaphragm.  I am now 66.  Long past natural menopause age.

I am so grateful to have oestrogen in my life.

 

Hi Sheryl do you mind me asking what Oestrogen you take & what strength ?  Thanks

MARS,   Sheryl is on implanted pellets at age 66.  

SHERYL,  just curious, but I know your doctor must run labs.  What sort of estradiol and testosterone levels do you run?  That's so great that you feel well and like the pellets.  

Labs on oestrogen, etc are not an important feature for me.  The last couple that I had were always in the normal range for oestrogen, low progesterone, and never get testosterone tested.  With the low progesterone, my gp insisted on me increasing progesterone (I was taking low dose because of my endometriosis history) because she believed in having balance.  It made my oestrogen ineffective and it took a couple of years to discover that progesterone was the cause, from my own searching and reading on the subject.  So no more progestin (because that was what it really was).

I have also been taking Androcur (an anti-androgen) for years since pre hysterectomy because of all the high testosterone symptoms I was having.   If I go off them, they come back.

I found a para by a Prof of Gyneology (a researcher) in Leicester who stated that women should take whatever it takes of oestrogen to eliminate their hormone symptoms, not according to some pre conceived criteria.  However, I had searched for how much to take for surgical menopause, which might make a difference.

Before that my gp was concerned about having too much oestrogen.  She has learnt that with the pellets, our bodies only takes what it needs when it needs (different times of the day) and does not swamp the body with oestrogen.

A 100mg pellet was not lasting me very long and then I had to use patches till I could order and have another implanted.  So the last order I have put in is 2 x 100mg which will be implanted at the same time, and they hopefully will last double the time.  So strength of oestrogen has nothing to do with it.  It is the time that it takes to use it up.

At the same time, I discovered that Androgen has a lot of progestin in it.  And while it did not affect me negatively for years, once the dr insisted I take more it really blew up in my face.  I had to show her the information about it so she knows that now too.  I have had to cut back on the Androcur (half my long term usual dose) and am now watching some deep pustules growing in my skin, and hoping I don't lose hair male style again, and grow hair on the face instead (which was what was happening before).  So I have to monitor that.  And maybe try increasing it again.  I have to now get the balance between getting male problems and keeping my oestrogen effective.

The only oestrogen I will use is estradiol.  Same with the vaginal pessaries and estriol for the cream.

 

Boy it has been a nightmare.  So, I'm really interested in your move up on the T.  Was a blood levels that prompted the move upward, Or how you were feeling.  

My skin gets so wrinkly on E and also P.  Seems there is a combination that does make it better, but in the meantime I simply look like hell.  

I know you did P only for several weeks to start.  When a doc gave me P with an E level of 13 pg/ml it literally put me under.  I don't know how you did it, except that you were younger and not so far out in menopause, so possible you still were producing enough estrogen.  

I'm so glad you are still doing well.  Wish I could figure this all out.  Honesty, I'd almost prefer to go back before I started all this.  I looked much better then.  

Hi Gailannie,when I was transferred to Femoston from Elleste (which I had been on for years and then patches, and then.......Several different hrts)I was fortunate to be able to speak to the practice pharmacist who was so much better informed than the doctors! She told me that the progesterone in the Femoston is a kinder one than in the Elleste. It appears to be a higher dose, but actually is not. It's better for anxiety and mood ie depression etc. So perhaps the hrt you are being prescribed may not be the one for you? Just a thought?

Thanks Supemack.  Apparently the progestin in Femoston has a very low testosterone profile.  Maybe that made a difference to you.  

 

It was the combination of me wanting to increase it and my blood test showing I still had room to go up. Women's normal range is 2-45, a big range there. They are finding out that women need more testosterone than this now but few docs will even run a testosterone test. My holistic dr says women should be up toward the 75 range. When I first started it was very low and slowly building up. Last testing in the fall was at 25, now it is at 29. Although I am feeling very good and have come along very well in the intimacy dept I know there is room for improvement here and I want it to be the best at this point in my life. I really do think if a woman's testosterone is brought up along with her other depleting hormones she will feel good in mind and body. I don't think I could have gotten this with just estrogen and progesterone alone to tell you the truth. So to answer your question it was the lab work that confirmed and my wanting to increase the testosterone that it was raised to 6mg. 

WOW Deb, that's amazing.  I just ran and looked to make certain, but when I was in perimeno, I got put on estradiol, testosterone and progesterone creams as well.  My Testo was also 6 mg.  OMG.....my blood levels shot up to over 600ng/dl.  I was growing a beard.  (LOL but it really wansn't funny.)     It wasn't good for me.  

But glad yours are going up slowly and you're doing so well.