If HRT didn't work immediately for you....

[Whosmoralsarelastix]

When did it??

What were your symptoms?

What dose did you start on and at what dose/combination did it improve?

I started on December 1st with 50mg patches and 2 weeks progesterone but since then my breasts are growing bigger and they're painful nearly all the time since Jan 1st I've been counting calories, mostly sticking to 1200 a day (sometimes less sometimes more but it works out at 1200 pd). I walk a brisk 5 miles every day for the past 4 weeks and I am still gaining weight (6 lbs since Jan). I lost 2 stone 2 years ago doing this.

I went back to the doctors in late Jan and switched to 75mg patches and 100mg progesterone every night plus a blob of testosterone gel.

Thing is I don't feel any better. Negative mood, sore joints, bloated belly, huge sore boobs, It hurts to get out of a chair. My clothes don't fit which has a knock on effect on the already bad mood. My next review is in May.

Should I give up on HRT or do you think its possible that my symptoms have actually gotten ten times worse and its helping them? I don't feel any different on HRT.

My diet is healthy. I don't know what else to do. I'm miserable to live with but actually the walking is the only thing that feels like its working - makes me less depressed.

Interested to hear what helped when the drugs don't seem to

Hi are you peri or post menopausal? Just wondering why you increased your patch and changed your progesterone regime. Taking it for 12-14days a month is peri and if still having periods. Taking it daily is for post meno who haven’t had a period in over 12 months.
when I started 50 patch and 12 days utrog in Aug last year I remember feeling really bloated and sore boobs for a few months, I used to get terrible heartburn and indigestion too. All settled down after about 3-4 months and I felt so much better. They say to give it a good 3 months to settle
down any side effects or see all benefits.
if you don’t feel any better after 3-4minths after starting it increase it could be you are not absorbing the patches and need to try another type of HET.

It’s taken a couple of years for me to feel better and testosterone really helps. If I try to stop it I feel terrible.

I’d suggest asking your GP to check your oestradiol levels. Some women can’t absorb HRT through the skin, so you may not be getting the benefit. Or maybe try the gel or spray and see if that works better for you.

That's interesting Menomeno

I am peri. I was having regular periods every 28 days til about 6 months ago. The Dr recommended the change because I was as miserable as I still am!

I'm going to give it another month and then go back. That will have been 5 months for the HRT to hopefully start working.

it could also be that the oestrogen is too high as you get similar symptoms if oestrogen is too high. X

Hi OP, for me, once the oestrogen had settled, the progesterone made my breasts swell like they always did before my period. I mean I couldn't touch my breasts and it hurt to take my bra off.

I've switched to mirena with high oestrogen and I don't have any more swelling or bloating.

Memorably I went on a pre holiday diet the day I finished my 12th utrogestan and I lost 4lbs in a week, which was mainly bloat from the progesterone.

I think it's possibly too soon to have made so many changes. If you're changing both progesterone and oestrogen as well as adding testosterone it'll be hard to understand what's working and what's not working.

I only had small improvements on patches (no more flushes, improved sleep and slightly improved joint pain) even on a higher dose and a blood test showed I wasn't absorbing so now I'm on gel and the last blood test showed better absorption.

I really suffered on Utrogestan and the Mirena has been an improvement.

Doctor doesn't want to add in testosterone until the oestrogen levels have been good for longer.

This process is taking years, not weeks or months.