Should I up my estrogen or am I just a bitch?

[Castaspella]

45 yrs old, 2 pumps oestrogel a day and cyclical utrogestan.

Am on day 15 of cycle, recently came off sertraline which was originally prescribed before they'd let me try HRT which is what I actually needed.

However, the last two days I have had the shortest fuse ever, I want to cry at everything, my mood is very low. I also feel horribly guilty for being such a cow to my children and husband and am anxious that karma will get me for not being grateful for what I have.

I do have phases like this but this is very oppressive, and it's come with a sleepiness and exhaustion that feels almost like the feeling after a migraine (but isn't.)

1. Does this sound familiar to anybody else ie have you felt like this before

1. Should I increase estrogen or is that unlikely to make a difference? I know the GP said when it was prescribed that I could adjust as needed but I don't actually know if this is an estrogen thing!

It's probably the Utrogestan.

How long have you been on it?
You can try using it vaginally, off licence and it will help the 'brain' issues.

If that doesn't work, you can a) increase the estrogen or b) consider other forms of progesterone. There are at least 4 more including the Mirena coil.

I agree with @JinglingSpringbells thats progesterone.

BUT some more oestrogen wouldn't hurt if you are allowed to increase freely? It will override some of the progesterone downsides.

I can't believe you had to try ADs before HRT.

I know, I resisted it too but because I was 43 at the time they wanted me to go on them first. Unsurprisingly, they did nothing.

thanks this is v helpful. I’ve been on it a year, been taking utrogestan for 12 days a cycle. My last dose this cycle was 30th June (8 days ago.)

I didn’t know there were other forms of progesterone bar the mirena :-(

When you say it’s probably the utrogestan do you mean withdrawal/not enough or is it the form I’m taking it in @JinglingSpringbells?

I'm not sure where you are in the cycle of it.

Many of us find the side effects build up over the 12/14 days.
Some of us get a migraine after the last dose before the bleed.
It won't be because it's not enough- 200mgs x 12 days is the dose on a cycle for 2 pumps of gel.

The first step is to try using it vaginally (look online for info.)
If that doesn't work consider other forms. (I don't have time now to list them all but you can do some researching.)

And at your age you maybe need more estrogen anyway.

recently came off sertraline
the last two days I have had the shortest fuse ever, I want to cry at everything, my mood is very low.

Maybe you need both sertraline (or another antiD) and HRT? It is possible to be peri and depressed. In fact, your age group is at highest risk of both conditions.

Thank you, I will look into vaginal use - id prefer that. And I’ll move to 3 pumps. So appreciate your info - thank you

also appreciate the depression angle, I do see that but it’s the first time on my life I’ve been put on anti depressants despite a lifetime of anxiety, and I just feel in my bones it’s not that

"and it's come with a sleepiness and exhaustion that feels almost like the feeling after a migraine (but isn't.)" I know exactly what this means, plus I get this feeling of complete overwhelm, almost sensory overwhelm, like I can't think and I'm incredibly irritable because of it.

Is this progesterone?

I always hear people talking about progesterone intolerance- is this what they mean ?

The only other times I've had it is if my period is late, I've left my patch off by accident, or when I first increase estrogen.

It's god-awful.

@BellsAllTheTime feels really good to hear you know exactly what that means, thank you!

after this convo I tracked my migraine this month (five over six weeks, what a party). All align with the progesterone schedule so this really gives me something to look into

Utrogestan is supposed to be the gold standard for being body identical, but I felt better on a mirena and wished I hadn’t been as stubborn about resisting on when I was younger. I have had a hysterectomy since so don’t have to take progesterone now, but the mirena was great.