Asking to increase Estrogen amount?

[annamariemarou]

I am 45 and been on HRT for 2 years now. I use Evoral 50 (estrogen) patches with 2 x 100mg Utrogestan as my progesterone 12 nights a month. I am still having regular periods.

I have felt some symptoms return like some hot flashes, palpitations, joint pain and brain fog which had initially disappeared when I started HRT.

My 6 monthly review is coming up with the nurse soon and I wondered if I can just ask for an increased dose of HRT to say Evoral 75? I have some extra patches so thought I might test adding a little extra bit to my dose myself to see if it helps before I see the nurse?

Any advice?

Hi yes ask if you can increase. My GP did a 3 month check and due to my age (44) she said it is normal to need more oestrogen. I am now on everol 100 with an oestrogen spray daily as I am still struggling with hot flushes night sweats. Good HCP go on symptoms.

@Allthecatseverywhereallatonce Thank you for that, I will ask at my next appointment!

Hi OP. I increased my dose from. 50-75 after two months and then 75-100 after a further two months.

Definitely do it.

Definitely ask to increase it can take a while to get to the right dosage for you.

Am I right in thinking that as time goes by some women might need more? I have already been on 50 for 2 years and was ok until this summer when I felt symptoms return?

Be aware that if you increase oestrogen, without increasing progesterone to balance it, you may end up with unbalanced oestrogen....symptoms of which are bleeding, flooding, hot flushes, tiredness, night sweats, mood swings.

If you do, the British Menopause Society is now saying that women on 75-100 dose of oestrogen should maybe look at taking 300cyclical utrogestan or 200 daily.

@DreadingTheSalon Ah ok thanks for that info, I will ask for more utrogestan too then!

Can you link to this? Would be v helpful to share with my GP practice who recommended prozac because of increased meno symptoms especially disturbed sleep and anxiety. Bloody idiot (male) GP

https://thebms.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/14-BMS-TfC-Progestogens-and-endometrial-protection-01H.pdf

Bottom of page 3. Or do a search for 300 and it will take you straight to it.

I am on 75 oestrogen and 200 daily utrogestan. I felt shit on the cyclical (on the non-utrogestan days) but 100 daily utrogestan was not controlling the bleeding and I was still having the odd night sweat/early morning sweat. I had upped to oestrogen to 100 patches - but it wasn't helping. So went back down to 75. Better - but still bleeding issues

Been on the 200 daily for about 3 weeks now and all the little niggly symptoms seem to have gone...and random spotting etc seems (fingers crossed, very early days) to have diminished too.

I am in the same position - although as I have had a hysterectomy I am on estrogen only, not progesterone.

I started on 25, then after about 6 months increased to 50, after another 6 months up to 75 - now I'm almost 2 years into HRT and speaking to the GP about upping the dose to 100. As I said to her I feel like the HRT is knocking the edge off the symptoms. I'm having one or two hot flushes a night rather than 20 or 30. The anxiety hits once or twice a year rather than every six weeks. One UTI a year rather than once every 2 months.