Terrible PMT - Femoston

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I've been taking HRT since November 2017, firstly starting on Femoston, then after a review (& request at an HRT clinic) I changed to Eostrogel & urgesterone.

After 3 mths I've just changed back to Femoston because I found the gel too much - 2 pumps am & pm. I'm now back to the first month of Femoston & I've got terrible PMT. I can literally feel rage seeping out of every pore 👺

If I stay with the simplicity of Femoston, is this something that I'll have to put up with each month? (I don't think my family will put up with me) will it settle down or should I return to the gel & perhaps more gentle (for me) Utrogestan?

Thanks.

why did you use 4 pumps of gel? That's masses (3mgs) and far more than you are getting in Femoston.

I do 2 am & 2 pm. That's what the consultant told me. 😳 Yes it is a lot, pain in the arse to spread.

I also take 200mg of utrogestron for 14 days with the gel.

what's the reasoning behind the 4 pumps ( your age? Stage of meno?)
Why a consultant?

I was 48, straight into hot flushes after last ditch period. Dr gave me Femoston but after research asked for gel - what what I actually wanted was testosterone. Dr said no, so I referred to Menopause clinic. She gave me testogel & then I asked about gel & I came away with a prescription. The gel & Utrogestan was fine, just a faff rubbing it in all the time. After 3 mths of very low dose testosterone I've started to have my vitality back & feel a bit more womanly.

I don't know why you were told to use 4 pumps. The only women I've read about using that are much younger ( sometimes premature meno) or are using it to override their cycles to prevent PMT ( Prof studd suggests that dose.)

The starting dose is 2 pumps. That is 1,5mgs which is a low/ medium dose. 2mgs is the max in a tablet or patch, so you are using 3mgs which is very high.

Have you thought about going back to gel and using the recommended amount (2) and seeing how you feel?

Thanks for your reply. I assume it's the standard for menopause clinics? Also at 48.5 perhaps they considered it younger?
I can certainly try 3 pumps - what would the correlating Utrogestan dose be? I was on 200mg for 14 days.

Also my Femoston is 2/20. (In case it's relevant)

Whatever happens, I can't have this PMT each month

There is no logical reason why a menopause clinic would prescribe differently to anyone else. Some posters have been told all sorts of nonsense at meno clinics- such as having to stop HRT at 60. Some drs in meno clinics are just GPs who want to work in a meno clinic so they are not necessarily consultants.
The dose is 2 pumps and the advice is increase gradually to get relief is 2 pumps is not enough. I was told (by a consultant) to start with half a pump and work upwards to relieve symptoms. I went to 1 pump then 1,5 pumps and sometimes 2. I'm not on 1.5 pumps.
That amount of Utro is the same , so you don't need change it.

not= now on 1.5 pumps.

I went to the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital to their gyno/Menopause clinic so i assume all ok.

My dr bit old school & initially offered me anti depressants.

My original point was though - if I stick with femoston, is PMT likely every month?

queenofthenights do you use Utrogestan too? If yes which days & how much?
I was advised to take it for the first 14 days of the month. Which was also a bit odd.

Ah okay! C&W is good! But still puzzled why your dr thought 4 pumps was the dose (was this Panay or a woman dr?)

You can take Utrogestan on any days as long as it's the same each cycle. Some women start on day 1 others on day 15. 14 days is quite long. Some women who are progesterone intolerant do it for only 7, I was told min is 10, and I do 10-12 on long cycle.

I use it long cycle every 6-8 weeks under a consultant .

A woman. Perhaps because I sounded desperate? I told her I felt like an empty shell. My GP was kind but told me the gel was a nuisance & it is actually. But i seemed to tolerate The Utrogestan much better.

Perhaps I'll get my GP to give me another 6 mths & use 1 squirt am & pm. I did have a few 'warm' monents when I first switched over though.

Could you tell me how much oestrogen you get in the femoston v the 2 pumps of oestrogel?

It's femoston 2/10 not 2/20

I ought to have been specific earlier and asked if they'd done blood tests that showed you needed 4 pumps.

Femoston is 2 mgs [https://menopausematters.co.uk/perimeno.php]]

Gel - 2 pumps is 1.5 mgs (Each pump is 0.75 mgs - tells you on the packaging.)

But don't forget that gel is better absorbed than tablets where a lot can be lost in digestion.

Blood rests a few years back.

Maybe because I was having so many hot flushes?

So I was taking 2mg of oestrogen & then the gel took it up to 3mg a day?

Hmm...I might ask for it again & try the 2 or 3 pumps a day. I wonder if she made a mistake?

I know (of) some of the drs at the C&W (professionally) and don't want to name anyone but would have thought they were good. maybe if you said you were having terrible flushes they put you on the max dose?

Yes Femoston is 2mgs (most women would start with the 1mg lower dose anyway!) and 4 pumps of gel is 3mgs.

I found that 1 pump controlled my daytime flushes but by 11pm and nighttime I was having flushes again and insomnia. I use 1 pump am and around half a pump at 11pm just before bed. 1 pump divided between two upper arms dries in seconds.

I use 4 pumps of Estrogel. When your refer to blood tests QueenoftheNlghts do you mean FSH tests?