SandyL
Jul 25 2003, 12:39 PM
In March/2002 I was on the Vivelle Dot of .075 (changing the patch twice weekly) and 100mg of Prometrium (daily). In February/2003 I started a lower dosage of .05 in the Vivelle Dot and changed to Prometrium of 200mg for 12 days of each month. Now I'm going down to .0375 with the Vivelle Dot, but continuing the Prometrium of 200mg. My doctor gave me a 3 months supply this time. To me, this seems like a long time to wean off HRT. But by October I hope to be off HRT and not have any menopausal symptoms that caused me to begin the HRT. I've actually been on the HRT since March of 2001, so my total time will have been around two and a half years.
I've noticed when I begin the Prometrium each month my body starts reacting with weight gain, sore breasts, etc. I thought the estrogen caused these symptoms not the progesterone. (Although my problems with spotting have disappeared and have not had a period in the past couple months.) Does Prometrium usually cause this?
So far, the decrease in estrogen has been no problem. But there are slight changes in the first few weeks that I noticed.
I thought it was interesting that I've had different opinions from doctors on weaning off the HRT. One young female gyn told me to just quit taking everything. A "menopause specialist" told me to wean off. So I asked my family physician what she would advise after I told her of the two opinions. She said she would be the tie-breaker and suggested I wean off the HRT. Her Mother had quit cold turkey and had a very hard time so she went back on HRT and then weaned off gradually. She has been feeling good since then. So I am taking the "tie-breakers" advice and hopefully will have good results too.
I'm considering taking the Revival when I finish the HRT. I started trying out the soy products already like the soyburgers, etc. I don't notice anything different in the way I feel, but it certainly can't hurt. And I've actually found a few products that taste good!
Hope this will be helpful to anyone who is starting to go off HRT using the Patch/ Progesterone and would like to hear about other womens' progress.
MaryO
Jul 25 2003, 08:57 PM
QUOTE
I'm considering taking the Revival when I finish the HRT.
You can start the Revival while you're getting off the HRT, too. That's how I weaned off, and had no symptoms or problems. My "schedule" is on this board, if you're interested.
In the Power Surge Guest Chat this coming Thursday night, Dearest will be having Dr. Aaron Tabor. She said he will be giving away free samples of Revival, so you might want to drop in and get some, and get started even earlier.
Best of luck to you getting off the HRT!
Dearest
Jul 26 2003, 05:24 AM
In Power Surge's
Educate Your Body, there's a comprehensive article with recommendations by doctors and pharmacists about
on Weaning off Synthetic Hormones.Dearest
topperhatter
Jul 29 2003, 03:16 AM
Yikes! I'm going to cry. I'm 60 years old, have been on HRT for 10 years. Tried once before to come off (after the latest tests results), but I cried all the time. Gyn said stay on it. Endocrinologist said wean very slowly. Internist said maybe you're not ready to come off.I've been saying that I wish I had never started it, and I'd have crashed and burned 10 years ago and now would be fine.Gyn says I'm 6th patient who can't come off it. But I'm cutting back veerrry slowly. 1/2 Ogen (.625 whole) every 3rd day ... can't seem to drop another 1/2. Depression is getting the better of me, along with dizziness, vertigo, heart stent last year.
A long way to ask: Are there those who just can't get off this stuff. (Dearest, years back on AOL, I should have heeded the advice to use natural.)
Thanks for any help.
MaryO
Aug 2 2003, 08:37 PM
Best of luck to you with this, Sharon. I got off successfully years ago, but I knew it was going to be hard.
I recently read a question on the Power Surge Ask the Experts Page where a woman had been on HRT for 20 years and was trying to get off. Maybe, like other drugs, the longer you're on the harder it is to get off.
Maybe, while you're weaning off, you might want a boost from something else to help you get past the problems. The Power Surge Recommendations Page is full of all kinds of ideas for any symptoms you might have.
Best of luck to you, Sharon. Remember, we're here 24/7 to help you get through this.
topperhatter
Apr 7 2004, 04:53 PM
Thanks for he encouraging words, MaryO. It's been about 9 months since I posted this. I'm still only down 1/2 on 2 days of the week. Today my GYN said take Prefest eveyday for a week, then cut every other day. He said it had both estro/prog in each table. My research shows differently. So, now I'm ready to just cut back 1/2 on ogen every 3 mos. -- and just cry a lot.
Did anyone every know this stuff was going to be so difficult to get off of!!??:mad:
I'll check our your recommendations (I do have trouble with Revival Soy, even with the enzymes
)
Boone2
Apr 7 2004, 09:34 PM
Problems coming off HRT sound as bad as my attempts to balance during peri. I tried to use natural hormones under the guidance of Pete Heusman and Dr. Warner and my Dr. for the past 6 months. It has not worked good enough - I still have periods every 3 weeks and spot 50% of the remaining days. I have PMS 50% of the month. I decided to try the low dose birth control pill method recommended by Dr. Goldstein and others. I am on day 3 of the new pill Yasmin and have this terrible urge to cry. Will this side effect go away or is this experiment doomed?? I took BCPs for 20 years earlier and never had a problem. Anyone have any advice?
Dearest
Apr 8 2004, 12:39 PM
Boone2 asks, "Anyone have any advice?"
Yes, I have advice.
I'm assuming you're using oral naturally compounded hormones. Call Pete, tell him you'd like to try the transdermal form of the naturally compounded hormones - not the pills / orally ingested -- and you should find you have fewer side effects from the cream or gel with the same effects on your symptoms as the pills. It's also better for your liver.
Dearest
Boone
Apr 8 2004, 05:15 PM
Thanks Dearest - after being weepy all day, I will call him right now!!
CSugarGrove
Apr 13 2004, 02:28 PM
I've posted on other boards about Revival, and I hate to sound like a broken record, but I have no need for HRT in any form after I started having a Revival bar every day. I noticed improvement in four days and after two weeks, there was no doubt. That was over a year ago, and I feel great.
My doctor prescribed Activella HRT for me three years ago, but the first year I didn't fill the prescription and didn't think I needed any help. But then things got very bad, so I started the Activella and then had a period after ten whole months without one! I was really upset about this. I could feel the hormone starting things up and I wanted to go the other way. So I began to skip one pill a week, each Wednesday. I waited for a reaction of some kind but didn't feel any effect from skipping the pill, so after a month, I started to skip two pills a week, Monday and Thursday. I did this for about two months and in the meantime I started eating a Revival bar every day without fail. I felt okay, so I cut back the Activella to every other day for a month or so, then twice a week, then I just stopped altogether. I never had any bad symptoms and I feel great.
Boone
Apr 13 2004, 02:51 PM
I wish there was a way to deal with this without medication, but I think there may be some difference between when you are in menopause and have stopped having periods and when you are in peri and your hormones are jumping around.
I first tried the no hormone - Revival Bar - then progesterone cream route - but my body needed more help. I still have a long way to go before I would say I have found a cure - but natural HRT has helped some and has had the least side effects for me. No HRT at all was really bad!
Plus for me the Revival Bars caused major gastrointestinal distress. I guess my body couldn't handle the concentrated soy. I tried the bars for several months.
MaryO
Apr 13 2004, 02:58 PM
QUOTE
Plus for me the Revival Bars caused major gastrointestinal distress. I guess my body couldn't handle the concentrated soy. I tried the bars for several months.
Did you try splitting the bar into 2 or more servings? That works for many people. Also, if you're using the shakes, you can make up the serving and split it up through the day.
CSugarGrove
Apr 13 2004, 03:30 PM
Hi Boone & Mary O,
I think you're right, Boone, about being in peri--it is definitely a much more difficult time. I am post-meno now, and that may be partly why things are calming down for me. Peri is really hard. Good luck to you and I hope you find something that works.
SandyL
Apr 19 2004, 11:37 AM
Did I say I'd be off HRT by October 2003? Here it is nine months later, and guess what? I'm still on them. But I am down to 0.025 on the Vivelle Patch (the lowest dosage at this time) and yesterday I cut the patch by a quarter.
My doctor advised me to keep taking the HRT for a while due to "things going on in my life" at the time. "Things"...like my husband losing his job and long-distance care of two elderly aunts who both have dementia (one of whom just passed away). She was probably right for me to wait since the added stress would have made HRT transition more difficult. But now I'm back on course.
All the old symptoms are coming back. The hot flashes are here; waking me in the middle of the nights and coming more frequently in the daytime now. I'm optimistic they will disappear one day!
I have noticed a weight gain since going on the lower dosage. But I'm working on that by walking and trying to eat less....the big word here is "trying"!
Tried going without the Progesterone last month for the 12 days and it was okay.
The doctor says I should stay on it until I'm completely done with the estrogen, but I don't know why....I'll ask her the next time.
Regarding other posts: The peri-stage is so difficult, but just knowing what is causing them helps. You don't worry about having a more serious problem and here we have other women to talk with about peri and meno. And
CSugarGrove...great to hear you are in post-meno and to know you are feeling better.
chriscarol
Apr 19 2004, 08:46 PM
I had three doctors tell me that with
such a low transdermal dosage of
estradiol, I'd be safe without
progesterone. Back in the uterine
cancer days, women took massive
doses of estrogen. 0 .025 is the
highest dose I'd use, without
progesterone. I haven't gained
weight, but still flash and sweat.
I didn't notice any difference between
the small dosage and larger dosage of
Vivelle. I take a .01 patch and cut in
quarters. THe doctor has another
patient doing the same thing.
Pharmaceutical rep. said, "You can't
do that." Doc and I laughed, nodded
and said yeah, right, PROFITS!!!!!
Progesterone makes me feel like hell!!!!
chriscarol
Apr 19 2004, 08:50 PM
Me too, C Sugar. When I was getting
periods every 3 weeks, I thought I'd
end up in the bin. Hormonally challenged
for too many years. I still suspect
progesterone is the culprit, due to the
way it made me feel when ingested.
This is disputed, but double blind studies
have proven it does squat for PMS.
Whatever works for the individual.
Soy, and many other healthy foods
sends my bowel into revolt, these days.
chriscarol
Apr 19 2004, 08:51 PM
Let me clarify, I'm glad post is approaching, and that you feel better.
Geez Louise, I want to sleep, WAH!!!!
SandyL
Jun 10 2004, 09:08 AM
Here it is June and I'm almost at the end of using HRT. I took what I hope is the last regimen of Prometrium. I'm down to 1/4 of the .025 patch twice a week. I'm glad I decided to wean off gradually. Some of the meno symptoms have returned and I'll have to wait to see if they come back in full force like they were prior to HRT. Some hot flashes, of course, but not as many as before. Just started to notice night sweating. But again, not like before and some nights I'm even pulling on the covers! The only part that really bothers me is that my breasts are tender and seem to be fuller....something I didn't expect and don't want since I had the breast reduction to relieve me of this mental and physical irritation. I was hoping they would decrease in size somewhat since the estrogen level is now so low. Does anyone have an answer to this?
The weaning off process hasn't been too difficult; time will tell if it has been worth it to me. Right now I'd say that if it hadn't been for the progesterone side effects(which the physicians said was a "must" for me) I might still be using estrogen. I'll reserve my final thoughts on this until I'm totally off the HRT.
Thanks for sharing my experiences on weaning off HRT and hopefully something has been helpful or of interest to others taking the same road.
SandyL
SandyL
Jul 11 2004, 09:23 AM
Here it is, one month later and I'm totally off the HRT regimen. Like I mentioned in another post, the first change I noticed was the smoothness and tightness gone from my facial skin. It's back to the way I looked pre-HRT, not that it's a bad thing.
The hot flashes are more frequent now and the sweating comes on more, even during the daytime. I'm learning to cope with those; a hand-held fan (a real conversation opener!), deep breathing when they hit full force, and am beginning today on Evening Primrose Oil to see if it's beneficial. Had a "bout of irritability" yesterday that was surprising; but got on the treadmill and the rest of the day was okay. I realize it's going to take time to get through the symptoms again, so I'm okay with a little discomfort. That's what I say now.....hmm, let's see how it is in another month or so.
SandyL
Mar 1 2005, 02:00 PM
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Seven months without an update on weaning off HRT....shame on me! If anyone is interested at this point - I have not gone back on hormones and have not had a meltdown of any kind. Weaning off slowly is the way to go. No, it's not easy and no, it's not that I'm symptom free. I still have my "power surges" and continue to look forward to the day they disappear. They do, don't they?
My night sweating has calmed down considerably; they do occur on occasion, but I haven't had to get up in the middle of the night in a wringing wet night shirt.
I only miss one thing that estrogen is good for - keeping the skin toned and firm. My face is aging and I did notice it right after stopping HRT. But, if it becomes an issue with me at some point there is always some new treatment/procedure on the market....like Thermacool. I don't think I'd go as far as facelift surgery and I wouldn't want to look like Joan Rivers....it is Joan Rivers under that face isn't it?
My gyn (female) suggested I stay on some sort of hormone or try antidepressants for the symptoms....is she crazy or what?! Get off one drug and jump into another? If it was absolutely necessary to make me feel better, I might have tried that. But I knew I wanted to be off all drugs. And here I am. It's not a perfect body or life....but it's all mine and I'm feeling good.
Looking at the end of the tunnel.....and there's sunshine!
SandyL
sybilleruth
Mar 1 2005, 02:56 PM
I had been on NHRT for five years, stopped a couple of months and resumed after unpleasant vasomotor symptoms. Then I finally figured, I might as well stop, "face the music" and try to adjust. And adjust I did. My main problem is anxiety; the power surges I can take and of course age does bring on its peculiar set of aches and pains. These are liveable. Eventually, after stopping hormones, one does have to face the "withdrawals" in one way or the other.
CindyC
Mar 2 2005, 01:36 AM
I stopped using the low dose (.014) Menostar patch a couple of weeks ago. I think it was causing me to feel dizzy, although there may also be other facotrs involved. Normally when I am off the patch I wake up several times a night and kick off all the covers. But I read about Femarelle on another thread and started taking it. I believe it is helping with some of the symptoms I use to get before I started the patch. You may want to read about it; they have a website. Supposedly, they did a clinical trial and showed that it protected from bone loss. I have never tried Revival because I don't digest soy products very well and don't like the way they taste. Besides, Revival is not sold in stores and I hate things that I have to order by mail.
Twice1994
Mar 21 2005, 09:14 PM
Yippie I finally made it to this point and I'm glad I did.. I was just diagnosed with a Focal Nodular Hyperplasia.. mass of the liver caused by HRT. I have been trying to decide if I should quit HRT cold turkey after being on them for 10yrs or should I step down a little at a time.. FINALLY a web site that has REAL stories and accounts of women who have done away with HRT. I sure hope it works for me because I do NOT want to go through another liver biopsy.. OUCHY!!
Has anyone else been through what I have (liver mass)??? I'm new so bare with me...LOL, thanks
SandyL
Aug 10 2005, 11:20 AM
It's been one year, one month since totally going off Vivelle Dot and Prometrium.
It hasn't been bad. A weight gain has been upsetting and I can't tighten my stomach anymore; those muscles just won't listen to me. The mood swings are gone; just the normal excitability after having a couple cups of coffee. Night sweats are gone; but hot flashes are still hanging on. In fact, they are hitting me more often each day. I still carry my handheld fan at all times; using it is like breathing to me now. I'm no longer embarrassed to use it any place, any time. I notice more smiles when I pull it out; there are so many of us now! I'm glad I browsed the subjects today. Seems my cholesterol count came back high this week. Never had a high one before. Can I attribute this to menopause too? I thought of trying soy for the flashes, but read that soy is a no-no for someone with thyroid issues (multinodules, Hashimoto's). I'm back to the Evening Primrose Oil instead and hope I can stick to it this time. But it takes quite a while before it starts working and I get impatient. All-in-all, I'm happy with my decision to quit HRT.
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