Started HRT yesterday and I feel very odd

[blackberrybat]

Oestrogel applied at 5pm yesterday, one pump each inner thigh.

Slept badly (not unusual and one of the reasons I wanted HRT in the first place) but every time I woke up my heart was banging in my chest as if I'd been running or something.

And now this morning in addition to feeling knackered, I feel kind of weird and floaty. Just drove to the shop and realised I was indicating way before the turning, because it felt closer than it actually was. I won't be driving again today! The only way i can describe it is like when I used to take E's in my younger days and the strange dissociative but not entirely unpleasant feeling I used to get the next day.

There's no way I could work if today was a work day so I'm quite nervous about continuing if this is what I'm going to feel like on it.

Any words of advice anyone?!

I wonder if it’s anxiety from starting the treatment, rather than from the treatment itself 🤔

@KangarooKenny I dont thiiink so, I didn't really give it much thought after putting the gel on, and I wasn't at all nervous about it.

It was a definite weird physical floaty feeling and I also felt very mildly nauseous, its worn off a bit now and I feel more normal. Wondering if perhaps i might be better off doing the gel in the morning rather than in the evening?

Hey, not much to add here except that the night after a new patch I definitely get that weird E feeling, like jittery rushes and teeth grinding - ‘coming up’ without any of the nice euphoria. So I know what you mean!

I decided to start on one pump, then started bleeding on day 4 so it obviously kicks in pretty quick.

Thanks both. Hoping tonight is better!

Yes, it took me about 4 weeks of rollercoaster feelings and emotions before it all settled down. I’m on cyclical estrogel and progesterone. I’m glad I stuck with it.

I had this for a while when I first started on HRT. I stuck with it as the spacey feeling was preferable to the other awful symptoms I was getting with peri menopause and it did calm all that down. My body slowly got used to it and I’ve not had that feeling for a long time now.

I’d give it a little while and if you feel the same in a couple of weeks, it might be worth reducing by half a pump and seeing if that lessens the side effects but still helps with your symptoms. My GP told me at first to play around with the dose until it was right. It is early days though and your body does need to adjust and get used to it.

This is exactly the patronising symptom-denying crap my GP always gives me. They looooove to tell women that it’s all in their head. Depressing to see that shit attitude on Mumsnet though. (I had to go private to get the surgery and antibiotics I needed as my GP kept suggesting counselling instead of scans and actual medical treatment 😐)

Funny how men never get told their physical symptoms are probably just anxiety.

Good luck OP.