Why does oestrogen make me feel so awful?

[Letitrock]

Even though I took the pill for years with NO issues!

Im 51 and have tried on and off for a year now to start HRT but after about 2 weeks of the Oestrogen I give up. I get terrible tension headaches, blurred vision, light headed, tension around my head and jaw and awful shakiness. I feel awful all day and only a little better in the night when the gel wears off.

I can tolerate progesterone well and if anything it makes me feel calm and I sleep better but the oestrogen, ugh after 10 days EVERY time I feel appalling. I do sleep a little better

I’ve tried 2 pumps of gel, 1 pump of gel, 25mg evoral patches and the result is the same every time.

My GP cannot understand it at all and has never come across this before. I’m desperate for it to work to help me sleep and improve my low mood.

Can anyone shed any light on why this is happening? I’m beginning to wonder if there’s a problem with the way my body processes it? My liver or something?

Presume you have tried taking it at night or splitting the dose morning and evening?

Yes I’ve tried 1 pump morning and 1 at night, just one pump, it always results in tension headaches with me clenching my teeth it’s really strange.

I am very sensitive to oestrogen too. It makes me feel incredibly sketchy, like a pure heightened anxiety. It’s hard to describe. I’ve managed to finally tolerate a 37.5 patch, but my blood levels are still subterranean. HRT not the magic I’ve read about at all,

It is very unusual. The estrogen in HRT is body identical- meaning the molecular structure is identical to our own. The Pill isn't- it's a different type.

The only advice I can suggest is you reduce the dose to even less and gradually build up. My consultant advised me to start with half a pump (or even less- pea size) and build up over several weeks.

This wasn't because I 'had any problem' it was their standard advice as a menopause specialist.

Maybe you're anxious over using it? There is such a thing as the opposite to the placebo effect.

Odd isn’t it. Anxiety is through the roof with me hence the tension headaches and jaw clenching like a junkie.

I know I need extra oestrogen as I have all the symptoms of low E. Going on it sorts my digestive system out, helps me sleep, my mood lifts a little but my head feels awful and I’m low level jittery the whole time.

I'm not anxious about using it, I was really looking forward to it working and me feeling better. It’s really strange. I’ll dial right back on it and see if I can tolerate pea sized amounts to start.

Have you tried the oestrogen tablet formulation?

If you felt that the combined pill was helping menopause symptoms and you don’t have other contraindications for it such as blood pressure, is it worth discussing that as an option with the GP?

I understand that but having had a series of bad experiences, it could be your body is remembering the adverse reaction and producing it anyway.

I'd go back to a tiny blob and not rush in with 1 pump.
IMO one of the commonest 'faults' of GPs is they tend to tell women to start with 2 pumps when ideally it's best to start very low and give your body a week or two (or more) to adjust to a tiny dose before increasing it.

Similar. Patches did nothing, gel sent me mental, regardless of how I took it and the amount. I've now only got the coil which has stopped my period hell.
May try patches again. At least I didn't get the anxiety...it may take the edge of the hot flushes and other symptoms.
I've just ordered a testosterone test kit from superdrug..she was my level is

I’ve started with one pump as instructed but after three days having headaches - would you recommend maybe half pump?

Absolutely.

Try half a pump, it's all I can manage too. Anymore and I get bloated, dizzy, anxious.

Just so you know you are not alone…..I tried the gel for hrt and it gave me panic attacks! I came off it as I couldn’t function. Not the silver bullet I had hoped for either xx

Me too OP,exactly the same symptoms when I use Ovestin gel, I have tried a number of times.

I have a friend who can't tolerate oestrogen either. It literally makes her crazy. Personally, I love the stuff, so I feel very sorry for her that she can't take it.

What can you do to help your sleep? Well there are lots of things you can try, from exercise during the day (not in the evening), to meditation, avoiding caffeine after 2pm (or cutting out entirely, if necessary), to supplements or lotions containing magnesium, to sleep aids like this stuff, which sends me into the most wonderful deep sleep https://www.thisworks.com/collections/deep-sleep-pillow-spray If you've never tried it, do.

Magnesium spray helps me sleep. I also use the pillow spray and it's great.

Oestogel gives me anxiety too, as does the combined pill. I didn't get anxiety when pregnant though, when my natural oestrogen would have been high. I had to drop my oestrogel dose, which improved matters and then added testosterone, which improved matters further.

I had no mood problems in peri menopause without HRT at all

really interesting to read this. i've just upped my oestrogen dose in an attempt to tackle some remaining peri symptoms: loss of mental acuity, low mood, poor memory. I've been on HRT since Feb and the increaed oestrogen for 10 days and I can really feel the difference. And not in a good way. I feel anxious, tearful, moody and my sleep is now poor, having always been good.

I upped the dose because the practice nurse said that this was the first step before adding testosterone and that I have to take it for 3 months. When I started HRT, it did take 3 months for everything to settle. I got a batches of nasty migraines after about 9 weeks but I haven't had one since (though I'm expecting a return).

i also swapped to taking the big dose (2 pumps) to the morning, rather than at night and I do get less headaches and jaw pain when I wake up. I realise now that it might have been the oestrogen.

at this point, I think I'm going to do the 3 months in order to get the referral to the hospital for testosterone then stop as it just seems to be making things worse and not dealing with the brain issues.