New to this. Starting Estradiol 1mg today.

Hi. I am 26 years old and had a complete hysterectomy on April 10. I took my first HRT pill this morning. Dr. started me on Estradiol 1mg once a day. What should I expect from this. When does it kick in? Since the surgery I have had mostly hot flashes. I would say about 15 hot flashes a day maybe more. I also started having a really bad headache two days ago. It is still there but kind of comes and goes now. But when I have it is terriable pain. Oh and since my surgery my hair and face has been very dry. I started using a better facial mositurizer and that is helping. My hair is more dry but nothing terriable.

So I guess my questions are
When does it start working?
Is 1mg the normal amount most are on?
What sort of side effects should I expect?

Thanks for any help and encouragement.

I'd started on oral estradiol (Estrace) when I was just a bit older than you. You may end up needing a higher dose since you are so young. I was on the 2mg. Even so, the hot flashes took some time to stop. Your body isn't used to a lower and steady amount of estrogen. It's used to regulating up and down as needed. Give your body some time to adapt to the new hormone source and to heal. It's a slow process.

I have also had headaches after any surgery I've had. I think it may have something to do with the anesthesia. I DID end up developing migraines that I suffered with for 17 years. After joining this site a few years ago, I realized that it was probably due to the once daily dosing. I was highly sensitive to fluctuations. With the daily rise and fall, the weekly or bi-weekly migraines were a constant companion. You might try to break your pill in half and take a.m. and p.m. because the level falls quite a bit after 10-12 hours.

Get lots of rest and don't do too much too soon. Being weak, tired, and stressed seems to stir up hot flashes too. Give yourself about a month or so to see how well you adjust to your dose of estrogen. If it doesn't seem to be taking care of your symptoms DO call and speak with your Dr. about it. You don't have to suffer and your Dr. Keep track with a journal of what is happening to you each day. It helps when you speak to your Dr. to remember what was happening symptom wise.

Good luck with your recovery! Things DO get better!

Thank you so much for the encouragement and for sharing your story with me. I will follow your suggestions.