I have a question about Biest cream, I have been taking it a little over a week ago-A mixture of estrogen and progesterone,I'm perimenopausal, on first day I took it (in cream form) by end of night I had stomach cramps, felt jittery, now a week later, my breasts are tender and I have muscle aches is this possibly from the cream or just those ROTTEN menopausal symptoms! Anybody experience this? Also have nausea too!

It is possible that your hormones are getting too high on the cream. In peri it is so difficult to know which hormone you need to feel better. I always advise taking one at a time, so you can see how you react. Tender breast and nausea are both high estrogen symptoms...although a lot of the symptoms cross over. It is generally advised to try Progesterone first, because as a rule that is the first hormone to "go" as we approach menopause. The belief is, as long as your have regular periods your body is most likely producing enough estrogen (although there are women on this board that prove there are exceptions).

I really am a firm believer in one hormone at a time during peri. How do you regulate hormone replacement when your body is still producing them?? It is a tough thing to do. But at least if you only add one at a time, at least you will get an idea if it makes you feel better or worse.

I hope you find relief soon, this time of life can be so difficult, can't it!

I agree with Floater. During this time the progesterone is the first thing to go. Estrogen appears to stay the same so we feel as though we have too much estrogen but in all reality, we have the same amount of estrogen and no progesterone. Maybe if you tried a progesterone cream alone to see how you feel. I believe that the estrogen takes a nose dive as we approach of the end of this. It may take a long time for that to happen. One hormone at a time sounds like a good plan. Then you can adjust and see what helps you the most.

I hope you feel better soon too!

Thanks so much to floater and happy times I've really got myself in an awful state with these symptoms...Iwill be going to my Gyno tommorow and will certainly ask her about just the progesterone,This site has been a godsend for me especially with all the panic attacks, which started right after my mother died in 2003,I never thought I might start taking an antidepessant but I'm at the point that I might consider it, especially since I have 3 boys ages 14,8,and 10, and a husband who thinks it's all in my head!!!.....THANKS!!!

I laughed so hard at the " and a husband who thinks it's all in my head" comment! I think we have the same husband. I have 2 teenagers too. Having a 17 year old boy who thinks he knows everything about the world and I know nothing just adds to the delight ( I really mean misery) of my life! I spend my life biting my tongue because I think if I open my mouth I will take him out ( and my husband too!)....ohhh the joys......

The main point of adding hormones at peri time is to help stabilize the ups and downs and fluctuations of hormones that your body is experiencing now...that is what contributes to the symptoms.....this is at least one way of taking them....

the endocrine system is rather complicated and involves a negative feedback loop...once you introduce outside hormones, you body senses this and shuts down its own production and the outside takes over...this takes a while for your body to adjust to this...usually two to three months. During this time you may experience "side-effects" as your body may have less, or more hormones for a while until the whole feedback loop things gets adjusted...then it may be a delicated adjustment of adding a bit of this or a bit of that depending on wether you are taking the progesterone and estrogen separately and adjusting to how you feel as well, not just by the numbers.

Every women's body is different and very individual....unfortunatly it is not one size fits all....some women opt for birth control pills (low dose) at this time to deliver the stable amounts of hormones in steady doses and this eliminates the fluctuations...my sister is doing this with great success...me, unfortunately, it did not work and after several tries I decided the side effects were not worth it...we are all different...but importantly you need to give it good trial before you make any adjustments....talk to your doctor.....Joan