Hello All

This is my first time posting on the board. I have been reading different posts for a few months, and thank everyone for their openness!

A little about me I am 37 and strugling with dizzy/migraine/anxiety issues for past few years someone finally mentioned hormones and well I got
started the Vivelle Dot for perimen type migraines and anxiety and fatigue a few months ago, but have some concerns about the dosage and if I am on to much or to little. Summary

-last month I got up to .06 during my luteal phase. Bu my ovulation was horrible, felt a lot of stomach issues and back pain almost like I had a cysts. On the .06 of estrogen i felt like I gained 10 pounds, my breasts were sore and everything felt big

-period came and felt very tired, changed my patch and had massive frontal HA and anxiety, brought patch dosage down and it helped, could not seem to get it back up, everytime felt very edgy and HA, around day 14 tried a .05 again and had massive leg and hip pain. Went back down, tried again day 18 t bring it up, have only made it to .0375 and feel tired, breasts feel swollen. Is this estrogen def or excess? Usually when I am estrogen def I get dry itchy eyes and more HA in my eye... ugh...not sure...

The other think concerning me is I am not on progesterone. Seems to be two different schools of thought. The practitioner I am seeing blames all symptoms on progesterone, but she also works with mostly meno not perimeno where levels are fluctuating? Anyone have opinion on progesterone? She also says estrogen should help with energy level but sometimes I think it makes me feel heavy and bloated and sluggish, but then maybe I need more and its the progesterone...She also said it will not cause you to gain weight but I was not this heavy before estrogen?? I am also concerned that my problems with ovulation are coming from to much estrogen.

Any input or suggestions would be appreciated. What a road.......
Thank you

Welcome! I wonder whether you have discussed with your doc going on a low dose bcp that has estrogen and progesterone? They supply a steady dose of both hormones and override your bodies own production. With your age, it might save you from having to keep recalibrating hormone doses as your own hormones are roller coastering away. I started them at the beginning of the summer for my peri symptoms (anxiety/panic, depression, vaginal/bladder irritation) and I feel much better. I don't have to guess how I am going to feel every day....You might read the threads on them--they don't work for everyone, but I have found them very helpful.

As long as you are not a smoker I think going with a low-dose bcp might be easier for someone like you. When I first started using an estrogen patch after my hysterectomy, I had all the symptoms you are experiencing and than some. Everytime I bumped my dose up, my symptoms would increase. I had achy joints-which I never had prior to using estrogen, brain fog, bloated feeling and the coup-de grace was the leg cramp I developed. I can now use a estrogen patch with little or no problems, but I had to add progesterone cream to the mix so that I could tolerate the estrogen.

Thank you for telling me you had those symptoms on the patch. My legs have been aching! I new the patch could give you side effects not sure why nurse will not admit it.
Not sure about the bcp, I like the idea of Bioidentical. I know the pill has changed but years ago I tried it, a few different ones and I could not tolerate. Part of my issue is I am super sensitive!! I can't take meds, and have not for years. The vivelle dot was a huge step for me, but I was desperate. Migraine and dizziness and light sensitivity!

Not a smoker by the way

I tried progesterone before estrogen and had a very bad response after a couple of months became estrogen def. I was using over the counter progesterone cream.. not that strong. But I guess since I am now on estrogen that would not be such a problem.

I think I need to find another Dr, I will look on the resource pages.

Thank you!!

I seem to be sensitive also and it has taken patience to get this right. The first patch I tried was the dot and each increase in dose made things worse. So, I switched to the Climara patch and tolerated that much more than the dot but still had some symptoms of excess estrogen until I added the otc progesterone cream. If you have trouble with the dot after adding progesterone, try the Climara patch. I know it sounds crazy, they are both estradiol but something about the dot caused major body aches for me. I am now back to using the dot along with otc progesterone cream and am okay but initally I couldn't tolerate them.
Wish you luck.