High Estradiol Result 1180

[CircleOfMisery]

Hey all,

I spent hours googling and reading this forum last night (sleep is something I used to br good at!) trying to work out what to do. I had a consultation at the Louise Newson clinic last year and have been on HRT since June 2022. I should speak to a doctor again, but I can’t afford the fee and my GP is proving evasive so I’d be incredibly grateful for your experiences. I have just had a blood test done with an online company as I wondered about testosterone and the results came back that that’s in normal range, however my estradiol is very high. And frankly I feel awful, but high and low oestrogen symptoms seem to cross over to me a bit so I’ve always thought I’m low and have been using 50 to 62.5 Estradot patches (I chop them to get dose) and I have a Mirena coil. I have never had flushes as such, but sometimes my face flames and I have two vivid red patches. My skin feels ‘tight’ and I have a crawling sensation. My tinnitus is FIERCE, wakes me up sometimes. Brain fog is intermittent, I’m depressed (but I think some of that is because I feel so utterly vulnerable). I feel lousy all the time. Muscle aches, migraine with aura, fatigue. HRT is not the magic I hoped for. I am now classified as obese, I gained 3stone in 3 years, which I could attribute to lockdown, divorce and what I thought was peri, but since HRT my boobs are enormous and my stomach is huge and I’ve put on another stone. I crave carbs constantly. I decreased my patch to 37.5 last night. Does anyone know if that’s the right thing to do? I feel like so vulnerable and unwell all the time. My cycle was regular before the coil, but periods were so so heavy. I’m 54. Thanks so much for reading.

I'm not sure I can help much but from what I've been told by my specialist, tests like the one you had are a waste of time and inaccurate. The levels of estrogen can change during the day.

To be honest, maybe you could look beyond HRT and consider some tests for other health issues. Craving carbs can be a sign of diabetes, and as you are obese (your words) you should see your GP for tests for diabetes, your cholesterol levels and your blood pressure. They might also refer you for weight-loss support.

Your face- could be rosacea that can appear in menopause.

My skin feels ‘tight’ and I have a crawling sensation. This is called formication and is a well-known menopause symptom.

Andy maybe the Mirena coil doesn't suit you? Did you have it before HRT or just for part of your HRT? Might be worth getting it removed and trying another type of progestin - Utrogestan or a combined patch.

I know it may seem like a mountain to climb but addressing your weight is really important. See your GP and ask for some help and get some tests to rule out other things might be a good start.

Thanks so much @JinglingSpringbells My bloods are all normal, for now anyway! and I am acutely aware of the need to address my weight problem.

@JinglingSpringbells I have a Mirena as Utrogestan didn’t suit me at all, I have always dreadful PMS and the coil was deemed the lesser evil.

From my appointments with them I increased my oestrogen because the symptoms where creeping back in. Hope you can get some support soon op

Well, I did say I probably wouldn't be much help 😀
The only other thing to try are getting rid of the Mirena and trying a combined patch (Norethisterone is the progestin in it) or you could try stopping all HRT for a month and see how you feel, then start again on a low dose and build up.

@JinglingSpringbells You’ve been ace! Thank you! The weight caper really does need to be addressed… I am utterly miserable with it, and somehow passive. Like it’s an impossible task. It isn’t. I needed that reminder.

@IfYoureGonnaBreakMyHeart thanks so much :)

I just wanted to add that I had gained a lot of weight but since being on the right balance of hrt I've had the headspace to lose weight and am almost three stone down so it is possible x

@CircleOfMisery sorry you are suffering. Reading what you've written ... and disregarding the estradiol test results which could not be down to your modest patch dose ... you sound like you are still low in oestrogen. Being low in oestrogen makes weight gain more likely, as @IfYoureGonnaBreakMyHeart says. I would say you need more not less. Is this a possibility? 100 patch is the max licensed dose and you're well within that. Your GP shouldn't object. I like your name - I can relate. 🤯