Hi there....I'm 49 and was just prescribed the abov after being diagnosed that I'm in full blown menopause. I'm haven't been thinking clear, very scattered, severe insomnia and hot flashes. Period only stopped 3 months ago... Doctor told me my estrogen level was really low..... .75

Anyway, hoping you guys could enlighten me on some things, as I'm such a newbie to it all.

I've been doing some of research and recently read Suzanne Sommers "the sexy years" book. I figured BHRT would be great for me and might make me feel alive again....holy grail type thing...LOL I am however a little nervous now after reading tonight about alot of adverse effects of the oral form.

I am 5'2 and 130 lbs...and actually trying to lose about 10 lbs before I go on a winter vacation. I really don't want weight gain and it seems this is common! Agh!!

Do you think I should have gone with the compound or patch form over the oral?

Also some are saying they got depressed yet, other things I've read is it does the opposite. I'm confused?
Dizzyness, headaches??

Perhaps we're all different and everyone reacts differently? Honestly, what can I expect....I might wait it out for about a week to see if I get any responses here....

Thank you very much!!!

oh as well forgot to say...the pharmacist told me to take both at supper time...and I've read here some take the P in the night and the E in the morning?? Also, I'm not sure how you guys figure out which one gives any particular side effects...?

Thanks again!!

PS: I notice you cannot edit your posts that's why I seem to be talking to myself in posting a reply....LOL

Hi Cdnfriend,

I turned 50 this year and I started on the BHRT 3 years ago! I started on the oral estrace at 1mg and the prometrium 100mg.

Starting with the oral is okay, at least you will find out how it makes you feel. I started all of this after reading the same book, I was sold. I needed help, I was feeling just like you are feeling now.

Each women is unique, so how these hormones affect us can differ (you understand that, right). I personally found that the estrogen made me feel MUCH better. It gave me back my energy and made me feel human again. You would have to pry it out of my dead fingers, I love the E.

The progesterone is what bothers me, it should be taken at night, it makes you sleepy. I was trying to only use the prometrium for 10-14 days per month ( cycling them). But they made me so tired, groggy and irritable. That is the only down side for me.

Not every women will experience this problem with P. But many do notice it, so be aware.

I also would split my E dosage, taking half in the morning and half at night. This helps to keep blood levels even during the day.

Once you get going you can decide if you want to try a different method. I switched after a year and started estrogel, which is a gel that goes on topically. It works great for me.

It never made me gain weight, infact I think it helped me to loose weight, being in a better hormone balance.

Juliann

Hey Juliann! thanks for the reply... I have read some of your posts this evening and glad you responded! And how about that, you started out the same way, same dosage! Cool...

So are you saying I shouldn't really take both at the same time? I guess that is the way I could determine which one is effecting me in their own way? ok I'll do the Prog. at night for sure, it will be great to sleep through! Dr. told me to take it EVERY day instead of cycling so I my period wouldn't come back so I'll stick with that for now. And maybe I'll try taking the Estrace at breakfast, if it gives energy...excellent! Not sure what you mean about the blood level thing and to split them in half...could you clarify that for me?

Glad to hear you lost weight...so there is hope...YEY!! As I mentioned I'm going away in January so I'm hestiant to start taking it for fear of gaining...here I am dieting right now!!
I'm not terribly overweight but at my little height every pound shows...especially in the belly!

Another question, if you don't mind....so why did you switch to the cream...perhaps it is stronger since it doesn't go through the liver??

Sorry to ask so many questions....but really appreciate the answer(s) !!

Thank you again!
Michelle

Michelle:

I just wanted to pipe in here and say that my experience with Prometrium is different that Juliann's. I have had good response to the Prometrium, I sleep better on it, I have no anxiety on it.....I do if I only take estrogen. So for me, prometrium is a good thing!!

I haven't used Estrace so can't give you any advice on that. I use Estrogel, the transdermal, as the risk of stroke or blood clots is the same as taking nothing. Also I feel I have more control to tweak the dose, which I have done.

I take use my Estrogel in the morning and the Prometrium at night also. Again, the P helps with sleep, so obviously night is the best time. I probably should split the E to morning and evening, but I just can't seem to get that together, I always forget the second dose!!

I have gained weight, but in my case I believe it is from taking Paxil. I took Paxil once before and packed on the pounds, so I am sure this is what is happening.

Hi Michelle,

Just wanted to clarify a few idea's for you. Usually if you take your hormones together daily, which means taking the Estrogen and progesterone each day, it probably will result in no more periods. That is called the continuous method. The reason that I mentioned taking the estrogen in half doses is because it only stays in your system for 12 hours. Therefore if you take the whole dosage in the morning, it could be totally out of your system by nightime. Do you follow my thought??? That is why I break up the dosage morning and night, that way it is always in my system.

The only reason that I switched to the "gel" was because of the many things that I read about, worrying about blood clots and things like that, I wanted the lower side effect usage. But I did use the estrace for a year and the only thing that I had trouble with was sore legs. My calves would be sore at night, which freaked me out, but my doc told me it was nothing and it would ease up and it did after a few months. Plus she told me to eat a banana each day or a couple of oranges which provide more potasseum (sp).

I also like the gel for the same reasons as floater stated, it is easy to add a bit more or a bit less on certain days, which you will see once you start the hormones. You begin to read your body, if you are irritable, that could mean to much E, if you are sluggish and foggy, that could mean you are to low on E, you begin to learn these signs.

Taking 1mg of estrace is a fairly normal to low dosage, you should do fine on this and start to feel better rather quickly. I am taking 1.5mg of the gel.

As you can see, not everyone has problems with the P, but I just wanted to make you aware that if you seem to drag and feel more tired, it could be from that.

I really don't think it will make you gain weight. Please let me know how it goes, and of course if you need any other advice feel free to ask.

Take care, Juliann

Ladies you have no idea how much I appreciate your suggestions and comments.....thank you. It was the first thing I check on this morning.

I might just hold off in starting this until after Christmas and my trip to Jamaica (Jan 20th)..... I'd really hate to run in to any of these side effects during this busy and exciting time. Sounds like I'm still nervous doesn't it!!?

Leg craps I can deal with...the banana idea is great!! Irritability, would be horrible, I'm normally a very "bubbly" and active person and sluggish would not be a good thing in my line of business as it's very phyiscal (I have my own cleaning business). And the possibility of weight gain I'd flip out, I just started taking a green tea diet pill a week and ahalf ago, to lose a few extra lbs. so I might just stay on that and hope it works, then start the BHRT's at the end of January.

I truely think I'd prefer the gel too....but I have been given a 3 month supply of the pill form to start out. I'm also not sure the gel cost would be covered under our benefits plan as it's compounded and doesn't have a DIN (drug identifical number).

Anyway, thanks SO MUCH again....I'll keep going through this forum and read, read, read when I have more time tonight.....gotta fly to work!!!

Hey again!

Estrogel is an FDA approved hormone and it is covered by insurance and available at all pharmacys. It is not a compounded hormone. In Canada the full price for Estrogel is $37.

Interestingly, when I started the estrogel I noticed a positive effect within an hour of applying it. I am sure that I was so deficient that my body was starved for estrogen.

I hope you enjoy your trip, it sounds exciting.

Floater, wow about the Estrogel, my bad I thought it was a compound....and it works so instantly...and is that cheap!
I'll have to investigate that further if there are less side effects with it...

I second that EstroGel suggestion !! I'm now a big fan of the stuff. It's especially great for perimenopause because you can adjust your doses as necessary.

ok ladies, Christmas and my Winter Vaca to Jamaica over (wonderful btw), so I'm ready to bite the bullet and start on this BHRT ride....I've read so many negatives on here it really does scare me as I've never been a medication person! If I end up fat, depressed and drowsy I'll be very upset!

My hope is .....

-hot flashes stop
-enjoying a night without waking several times burning up,
-muscle/joint aches subside,
-memory bounces back,
-energy levels increase
-currently 5'2 130 lbs so a little weight loss is welcome
-mood swings level out

Am I on the right track thinking these things might happen?? And I do realize everyone is different, but how soon can I expect to see results??

Thank you again for all your feedback it is truely appreciated to be able to discuss this with you all that have so many suggestions. I'm shocked so many of you know your hormone levels so in depth, I never thought to ask my doctor for a piece of paper to jot down my levels, but next time I will be sure to. I watched the Oprah special but it didn't really do much for me, other than realize it is a life saver for some. My life isn't a train wreck or anything right now, but if this is some sort of "fountain of youth" for my feelings and well being then I'm willing to try it.

Hi cdnfriend,


I started on 100 mgs. Prometrium and 1 mg Estrace almost 4 months ago. My list of symptoms that I needed relief from looked pretty close to yours. I can say that HT has eliminated my hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings (well, most of the time I'm pretty even but my buttons can still be pushed), memory is sometimes better, sometimes not so much, energy....definitely yes better.
So far I haven't lost any weight, but I haven't put any on either so I guess that's good.
I have recently gone up to 1.5 of estradiol and am trying Estrogel. It's OK. I think I may prefer the Estrace though. I'm trying it for a month and will decide what to do when it's done.
I did have trouble at first with the Prometrium (weepy, dopey, sad and just not well) but now I take it with no side effects at all.
My doc recommended that I take both continuously, but I'm trying a week off of the P for a break. So far on day 4 with no period.
Good luck and let us know how it goes. From everything I've read here, it's pretty usual to have to monkey around with doses and delivery methods, so try to be patient with it.

Cathy

Michelle,

Try not to be too nervous! Remember that the drug companies are required by law to list every possible bad side effect, no matter how unlikely.

For me hormone replacement relieved the following (with the help of an anti depressant):

Hot flashes dramatically reduced
Cold flashes gone
Insomnia gone
Dizzy, lightheaded off balance feeling gone (except when I am tired)
Anxiety mostly gone (it is very minimal now)
Panic attacks gone
Depression gone
Agoraphobia gone
Foggy thinking, memory problems gone
crashing fatigue gone
Itchiness gone

Negatives:

Libido not restored (could be the ADs)
Gained weight (likely the ADs)

I feel that medical intervention gave me my life back. Because of how horrible I felt, I could barely leave my bedroom. I couldn't work, couldn't see people. I know I would have chosen death over living the way I felt, so if my risk of death is SLIGHTLY higher on the hormones, it is well worth the risk.

I went thru menopause at 46. I am now 48 and been on hormones for a year. I feel like Juliann, no one is taking my hormones away from me except from my cold dead hand!!

Thanks Cathy and Floater for your comments, this is a great forum.

Only day one, slept on the couch just to experiment without having hubby waking me..... slept like a baby until 5....that's good for me... but this morning I'm having a little bit of heart palpatations, we'll see how the day of work goes. I will start taking the E 1/2 am and 1/2 pm in about a week, wanted to get it in to my system. Gosh I hope it works well !!!

Oh Cathy forgot to ask..... how did you know you need more E ? Was it determined from a test of your levels?

Hey there,
I was having side effects from the P that I didn't like. I brought it up with my doctor and we decided to go up from there. That .5 made all the difference in the world. Now I don't feel the P at all. You'll know when you've got the right doses.
My doc doesn't go strictly by blood levels. He's more into going by my symptoms/side effects/symptom relief. Hope this helps.

c

I finally found a doctor yesterday who prescribed for me. She, also said that she goes more on symptom relief than blood levels... I'm feeling optimistic today!

TJ

Sorry to bug you again Cathy.... what symptoms did you get from P that extra E would cure?? More good advice though...keep em coming!


This is all so confusing to me...

Today went well, and hoping to have another good night's sleep tonight!

Hey TJ,
Good to hear that you found someone to work with. And, that's what it is really....working with your doc so that you get to where you want to be or how you want to feel. I've been back and forth to my doc's office and on the phone here and there (and lots of conversations with the pharmacist too) tweaking doses and changing presciptions, trying different delivery systems.
I have to go for blood work (whenever I can muster an 8 hour fast with NO COFFEE) and we're going to look at my testosterone levels. I think that may be my next challenge. Doc says again, that what the blood work says really isn't an indication whether you should supplement or not, but rather whether libido is there or not. In my case, it has left the building.....:-)
Good luck and let us know how it all goes for you!

Cathy

Hi,
No worries.
When I first started on the Prometrium it made me very, very tired. I felt like a zombie all day even though I was taking it in the evening before bed. Good thing was, I finally slept through the night after almost 7 years of either insomnia or night sweats waking me up. But, I also felt very down with the P. My doctor is always telling me that I am hyper sensitive to meds and I have to agree with him. I seem to be better on much less than most can handle.
Regardless, I still needed the P, doc doesn't like to prescribe compounded P (doesn't believe it protects as well) so we tried Provera for a few weeks to try work up to the 100 mgs. Prometrium.
When I switched back to it, I felt totally fine.
Now I am taking this one week break from the P and I kind of miss the calming feeling it gives me. I go back on it Sunday.
This is just my experience. Some ladies can easily take 100 mgs. and more. Some can't take it at all. You will find out soon enough if it is going to bother you. If it does, there are many other options for you so don't be discouraged.
Hope this helps.
You can always PM me if you'd like.
Glad to hear it's all working out for you so far!


c

Well it's been 3 weeks now.... I'm VERY happy! Flashes are gone, I'm not bloated, sleeping well and feel quite clear headed!!

Just need to loose 15 lbs and i'll feel 30 again !

cdnfriend!!!

Been waiting for you to tell us how you're doing.
That's great news.


Cathy

I'm so glad to hear you are doing well. You are on the oral forms? And every day?

yes to both! As so far no ugly side effects I was worried about !
I'm actually so happy to go to bed and look forward to taking the pills cuz I now know I'm in for a good rest !

It's been a miracle !

It was too good to be true....feeling great BUT .... I got a ******* period yesterday!! What's up with that !!???

ok, I just looked it up here and it's apparently normal......it's just weird since I was so happy my periods had stopped for several months.....hopefully this is just like a few people have said that my body is just adjusting !!!

Yep. That's what it would be.....
When that happened to me, I spoke to my doc about it and he reassured me that it was just adjustment. I've read that some ladies will have breakthrough bleeding/periods for a number of months in the beginning.
I hadn't had a period for 6 or 7 months, but then got one two months after starting HT. Quite the bummer.

I'll say!!! Just when I thought it was gone forever !! I thank you for your reassuring response!

Well 3 months have passed and I'm booked to have my blood panel done next week.

Not sure if I'm totally thrilled about my current status...

Yes the hot flashes and night sweats disappeared but still having alot of breakthrough bleeding and mood swings, joint pain and have gained about 5 lbs. and I'm not really that overweight 5'2 130 lbs. What's the trade off here... hmmmm The first month was the best but the last two I've felt bascially the same as before I started them but without the flashes.

Will look forward to seeing what my blood work indicates...

Maybe my dosage isn't right or perhaps I was looking for a miracle based on the success stories I've read?

It's probably a dosage or delivery issue. Sometimes it does take longer to find the right dose and delivery method for some of us. I know how you feel though, looking for instant success. As my best friend says, I want to go from A directly to Z and skip all of the steps inbetween lol... Good luck with your blood work!


TJ

My best guess is that the Prometrium is contributing to the weight gain and mood swings.

During the first few months I was on the BHRT I did have to increase the Estrogel dose. I started at one measured dose and ended up at two. I seem to be fine on 2.

As for the Prometrium, I took it for over a year, orally and have recently switched to vaginal as I had some rather awful blood test results. Very shortly after the changed delivery method I was retested and everything showed an improvement. I think some of us can't tolerate that Prometrium orally. Our livers have to work to hard trying to filter all those hormones out, and they are not naturally occurring in the digestive system.

Just food for thought! I have dropped 7 pounds since I stopped the P orally (although I did improve diet and start exercising regularly as well.).

you guys are fab and I appreciate the comments. Haven't made it in yet this week for the blood panel.... then I supposed I have to wait for the dr. to call me in. I'll definately ask to have it prescribed in a different form. Estrogel and whatever he suggests for the P.

UPDATE: Just got back from the Doc.... he said the bleeding was due to my estrogen level still being a little low. When he said he'd increase the dosage I asked due to what I've read here, if I could SWITCH from the oral Estradiol to ESTROGEL and he had no problem with that.

Now I have the Estrogel 0.06% @ 2 pumps per day along with the 100g Prometrium. He said if the bleeding/spotting continues to try 3 pumps....

So now we'll see what happens!!

I will also go through all the posts on estrogel and educate myself on it.

Thanks ladies....always a pleasure to have you to discuss and learn and experience this with ! : )

Nice.
You'll like the Estrogel.


c

Not totally convinced on the Estrogel.... it really smells alcoholly and find it takes quite a while to dry.... I'm wondering if I'm not getting it all absorbed since I put it on prior to bed time, have to wait it out until it stops being sticky then it might just get transferred on my sheets? I still am breakthrough bleeding too so I changed from 2 pumps to 3.

1. So do you think if I switch to putting it on in the am is okay, then I can spend more time without clothes on to let it totally absorb...I find I'm tired at night and end up going to bed within a few mins of applying.

2. Using it in the am, with this give me more energy during the day opposed to putting it on at night?

Why not try splitting the dose? ie - 2 pumps in the am and the 3rd in the pm? Or, 1 pump 3 times per day? Regards, JZZ

since I missed the pump on Sunday night I did it in the am.... works better for me.... so I'm hoping that's ok... but I'll still take the "P" in the evening..still getting great sleeps : )

Hey there,

I split my pumps of E up AM and PM. I take the PM E around 3. That's when I feel a bit laggy.....:-)
Taking the P at night is a good thing.
Sometimes it takes a while to work it all out and it sounds like you're on your way!


c

So mb, do you carry your container of Estrogel with you every day so you can apply it in the afternoon? Too bad there isn't a travel size !

Hi,

I am lucky to be at home right now (but not for long, my youngest is off to HS next year). So, I can put the second dose on anytime. It usually hits me around 3 that I'm feeling dragged out, so that's when I use it again.
Lots of days I don't feel the need for it and don't use it.

Travel size is a good idea for those times when you need a "hit".....:-)

How are you doing these day?


c

I'm not really sure....I'm doing your idea of a boost here and there but I honestly think the last few days I've been hot flashing....and not sleeping well the last week or so. I'm almost out of my first bottle, waiting for the gel to dry at night is a drag when I can hardly keep my eyes open...and using it in the morning I was feeliing kind of weird, depressed like.... My appetite is going through the roof too ! I seem to be grazing constantly.... So I don't really know how it's going.

Hi there,

Nice to hear from you!
Are you rubbing the gel into your skin?? That helps for it to absorb quickly. Sometimes it take a couple of secs, but it helps.
I can't remember. Are you still taking the Prometrium?
I found that when I was taking it, I was always totally ravenous. It was insane. Right now, I'm using transdermal (at least for the time being) and that crazy appetite is much better.
How much E are you taking now?
If you're flashing again, it could be that you need a touch more.


c

Here we are 7 months later and the break through bleeds have not stopped... as a matter of fact it's gotten so bad I'm seeing the Doctor Thursday...I was also flashing again this weekend too....

This current breakthrough is heavy and very red...(sorry for the details)... what the heck causes this...too much, too little, is the estrogen or progesterone factor?? I haven't stopped taking either and yet it keeps coming !

I'm really getting sick of this, maybe it's just not for me !