How to work out how much oestrogel to take...

[Cherryblossom200]

Hi everyone,

I've just turned 48, my periods are irregular now so I'm definitely per-menopausal. I use ultrogestan which works really well for me. But I can't get my oestrogel amount right. I absorb the gel within about 5 minutes, and feel really good almost straight away. But I can barely take one pump. If I take too much, I go the opposite way and become severally anxious, weepy, palpitations, insomnia etc and it's completely brought on by the gel as it kicks in really quickly. I'm certain it's because at different times of the month I have higher levels of oestrogen.

I'm struggling to work out how much I should take. Does it get easier when you go into menopause?

when you apply the gel it dries in about 5 minutes, but it's not absorbed or in your system (and working) in that time. The amount in your blood stream and in all your organs builds up slowly over days and weeks. That's why it's advised to stick with a dose for 3 months before changing up or down.

The symptoms you're having are more likely to be low estrogen.

What you need to do is use the same amount for 12 weeks, at the same time approximately, every day. This will give you a consistent dose.

You don't say how long you've been using it now. The dose is 2 pumps a day which suits a lot of women, but you can start on 1 pump and see if that controls your symptoms. If, after a few weeks, you still have some symptoms, increase to 1.5 pumps, or 2, and stick with that for a few weeks.

Hope this helps.

Ok thanks, I've been using it on and off for about a year now!

Using it on and off is where you are going wrong. As @JinglingSpringbells says you need to use it consistently.

I’ve had a very similar experience to you! I started on 1 pump a day, it was ok but not great so I tried going up to 2 but that made me extremely emotional, impatient and shouty - I felt like a teenager again in a bad way! So I tried reducing it and that has worked for me. I know take half a pump roughly every other day and my mood is the best it has been on my HRT journey. To be honest, just wait until I feel snappy then apply half a pump. I’m also on Utrogestan which I take every day. And I have am really getting on well with I’m a supplement I heard about on this board, it’s supposed to help balance your hormones and it’s been wonderful for me! I’ll check the name and update.

It’s called Indole-3 Carbinol. I take one every morning and quickly realise if I’ve forgotten..! it’s been great for me, I’d never heard of it until someone mentioned it on this board.

That's brilliant thanks so much! I'll look into it!

I will try taking half a pump once a day and if that's too much I'll then drop to every other day. I can't take too much because it' send me the other way.

If you Google the affects of too much oestrogen it's almost the same as too little oestrogen. Also it's too much of a coincidence that it happens shortly after I've put the gel on. I absorb it very quickly. Which means I'm not low on oestrogen I believe.