Increased my own HRT as a test

[mogsjanuary]

Had an appointment for my 6 monthly HRT check with my GP practice just before Christmas, this is where they just check my blood pressure (which was fine) before prescribing the next 6 months worth of patches.

I had been noticing some symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats coming back so asked about a higher dose of my estrogen. The nurse could proscribe and no appointments until the end of January to see the GP for the increase.

I was feeling so awful flushing a lot with all the rushing about before Christmas and so I cut a patch in half and stuck it on with my 50mg patch. Within a few days the flashes and night sweats improved or disappeared and now a few weeks later I feel so much better. I feel much less anxious, I am sleeping a lot better, feel more focused, my skin is feeling and looking much better and I'm having less / no vulva pain, no palpitations, less aches and pains already and have more energy.

I see the GP in a few weeks to talk about increasing my dose "officially" but can I just keep doing what I am until then? I still do 12 days of 2 x 100mg Utrogestan each month and have a bleed (I'm 46 and have been on HRT for three years). What I out of order to increase my own HRT?

I am certainly someone who seems to do much better on HRT and I don't really have any negative side effects but I do worry if my GP will say no to the increase or if in a couple of years they will say I need to stop taking it. Obviously if I had some serious health reason to stop using it I would but barring that can't I just take it forever if I feel better on it?

I think so? I upped mine from 100 to 150 and my GP wasn’t phased at all!

@RedChester Thats good to hear! Hopefully mine will be similarly supportive!

I was the same, hot flashes and sleep disturbance and a feeling of anxiety, joint pain, brain fog, and ants crawling on my skin feeling, sudden wrinkles, until I was chatting with a lady at a Christmas event who told me that she’s covered herself in patches until she can get an appointment.

now I take off my old patch after a week so I wear two: an old one and a new one, just taking the old one off after a week instead of three days, as I’m putting a new one on, iykwim!
I’ve also started using a little testosterone again as I had a little break from that and I feel better taking it.

I feel much better anyway even though my powers of explanation seem to have gone down the tubes!

I’m going to use hrt forever, if I can.

I'm 10 years older than you btw and still have ‘periods’ taking Utrogestan for 21 days, though I think my ovaries are coming to a natural stop and that might explain why I feel better on more oestrogen from the hrt, as they give up making it.

I think you will be fine.. if it's done what you wanted then l can't see a problem.
It's your body and no one knows it better than you .
I'm sure your GP will increase your dose if it's to your benefit.