Anyone know lots about women’s hormones, particularly low oestrogen?

[SinkGirl]

Really need some help as GP isn’t especially interested and I’m just trying to get my head round things.

My health has been bad for a long time especially the last 11 years, since a treatment for endometriosis that put me into a temporary menopause.

After that I completely lost my sex drive and had various other symptoms - I was diagnosed with ME because my fatigue was so bad. Over the years more and more symptoms have appeared including pain all over, thinning hair, joint pain and weakness etc. Doctors say it’s fibromyalgia.

I was sure it was my thyroid and I’ve done quite a lot of private blood tests trying to track my thyroid levels which vary a lot - TSH from 1.4 up to 3.8 mostly, with one level of 5.95

I noticed the TSH level seemed to be lower when I was ovulating and higher at the beginning and end of my cycle. I decided to get my hormone levels tested.

I did the test on day 3 of my cycle - TSH was 3.2, FT4 15 so nothing there that my doctor will help with. FSH and LH both in the middle of the normal ranges.

However, my oestradiol level was 32.3 (normal range 45.4 - 854). I realise that lots of my symptoms could be caused by low oestrogen.

What I don’t understand is that I am currently off hormonal contraception because the pill made my sex drive (which had come back temporarily after I stopped breastfeeding) completely disappear - I’ve been off it for 9 months now and it still hasn’t come back. But the pill contains oestrogen so shouldn’t it improve symptoms related to low oestrogen?

I need to go back to my GP and talk to them but I’m not sure what I should be asking for them to do at this stage - I’m concerned about things like osteoporosis as well as the symptoms I have that make me feel dreadful. I’ve had these symptoms a long time but no one has ever tested my oestrogen levels so I don’t know how long it’s been like this.

Anyone else experienced this? Any advice for me?

Hi SinkGirl
Totally different condition but your symptoms clicked with me. I have had breast cancer and am now on tamoxifen/letrozole which block and reduce the oestrogen levels. All your symptoms are common side effects of these drugs. No idea what my levels are now but I have DEXA scans every two years to check for osteoporosis. Hope this helps perhaps with a discussion with your GP.

Thank you - I’m sorry about your diagnosis, I hope you’re doing okay?

I think I should definitely have had a bone scan by now as I was on that medication for a long time.

Just realised I did have my oestradiol levels tested six years ago (and it was 183 but I had the mirena coil in at the time so no idea where I was in my cycle).

Just hoping they will listen - I am so tired of feeling so ill.

My situation is very different to yours except that doctors weren't interested either! Last summer I got a bad case of thrush that went on for months and months, not responding to treatment - tests for thrush were variously positive and negative along the way but I was in agony and bleeding at some points. The doctors just didn't seem to care, at best they suggested using a vaginal moisturiser that did nothing. They were not interested at all in testing hormone levels even though I suggested I might be low in oestrogen. They dismissed this idea.

So I decided I'd better do something about it myself. Dr Google (I know!) had pointed to low oestrogen so I started taking Agnus Castus to try and balance up my hormones a bit and what do you think happened? The symptoms cleared up straightaway... It was such a relief after so long.

After three years of trying, I also got pregnant within a few months - I don't know if that was anything to do with starting the Agnus Castus but it's an interesting coincidence.

Thanks Lily - if they are still not interested then I will look into this.

Interestingly I’ve found that low oestrogen can be linked to thyroid issues - I am pretty certain something is going on with my thyroid but until my thyroid levels go out of range I’ve got no chance of addressing it. At least the low oestrogen level is something I can ask for help with.

Thank you SinkGirl I'm doing fine except the tiredness/fatigue that is the side effect of the letrozole!

Bless you, I can’t even imagine. My mum had cancer, a very different type (always terminal), and the treatments were very tough on her. I hope things improve for you- thank you so much for responding