Endo and estrogen

Well the doc said no estrogen for 6 months, because of endo. He put me on Prometrium (progesterone) for the 6 months instead. Now it has been 3 weeks since I have been on the Prometrium and the only thing that I can't handle is the hot flashes.

I work in a factory in no air conditioning and the weather is getting hotter and more humid and so are my insides! So I called the doc and he said he would call in a prescip for Vivelle .025, but to continue to take the Prometrium with it.

My question is: Do any other sisters, who have had endo, take a low dose of estrogen with or without progesterone? Do you have any return of the endo symptoms? Please give me any info that you can.

I have not gone to the pharmacy to get the new patch and before I do I want to know if I am going to cause myself more pain by giving in to the symptoms of no estrogen.

Hi Meanine,

I had a TAH/BSO for endo and fibroids. The doctor said absolutely no hormones for 3 months. I thought I was going to flip when she said that. Her reasoning was that endo lives off the hormones and if you begin talking them immediately, it renders the surgery pointless. The endo needs to die off first. So.... I have been taking 800mg of vitamin E and 500mg of Black COhash (herbal for hot flashes) and am happy to say that I am flash free. The only menopausal symptoms that I have had are insonmina (I've alwasy had that) and a few night sewats. Howerev, those improved when I boosted the Vitamin E.

Hope this helps. I know those factories can be a furnace in this weather.

Lee

I had a TAH/BSO on MAy 29th for endo and my gyno said i had to wait 6 weeks to start taking the hormones. She said that would be long enough to get the left over estrogen out of my system. I don't go to see her until July 17th for my check up but that is what i was told to do.



Good Luck!
Lori

Hi Meanie

I find all this very confusing re endo and estrogen

I have re'd lots of threads, discussed with both my DR's and Gyni, re'd lots of articles and I'm still none the wiser.

I am fully aware that estrogen can trigger the disease of again if to high - my gyni and Dr were more concerned that if I didnt take some form of estrogen that I may develope osteo later on in life and that the risk of endo returning was very low.

I chose to go onto hrt, evorel 50 3.2mg of estradiol, a low dose of bio-identical hormone replacement in the form of a patch which I change twice a week. I started these 3 days post-op, on the advice of my gyni

I have only experienced a few hot flushes, a few bad headaches, I havnt experienced any pain from returning (or possible remaining) endo. I have complained to my Dr recently about problems with my bm's (keep getting very consitipated, taking lax, suppos and using jel due to tearing and bleeding), achy joints - wrists, knees and ankles, lower back pain (but this could be from slight prolapse, and possibly needing a rectocel in the future) and suffering from mild depression (I have been on prozac for about 18 months now) Anyway Dr took blood tests for achy joints/arthiritis, thyroid and hormone levels and guest what everything came back ok apart from hormone levels - showing that I'm menopausal and this is why I'm feeling like I am. Dr suggested that I increase hrt, I declined stating that I'm still worrying about the endo returning, therefore I'm going to wait another few months and have my bloods taken again to see what level my hormones are at.

I do take a combination of nutritional supplements which I feel are helping.

We are all different, I'm trying to manage on a low dose hrt and trying alternatives ie supplements, aromatherapy, rieki. I have been told by 2 dr's and a gyni that I do not need to take any form of progesterone, yet I've re'd that its been recommended by others that we should be. I've also been told by 2 dr's and my gyni that I do not need to have anymore smear tests c/o my cervix being removed (again I'm confused as I've re'd that if you have had your cervix removed and have been treated in the past for CIN 2 c/o pre-malig cells and have HPV you should continue to have smears on a regular basis)

Sometimes I feel that the more I read the more confused I'm becoming

Anyway, I'm sure other princesses will reply to your questions and I'm sure others feel just as confused. I think its all trial and error and luck.

Take care

Bluebell

Hi. This is all so confusing to me also. I had extensive endo and was put on the v-dot .05 the day after surgery. I had horrible night sweats at about five weeks, so at my six week check, he bumped me up to .075 and that did the trick. I have no symtoms at all anymore. He never talked to me about waiting six weeks to start hrt. Now I'm worried about the endo coming back. I thought it was gone for good! I only learned from this site that it can come back. Hope we get more responses so we won't be so confused!!!

My dr told me yesterday that if the if estrogen is low levels the endo shouldn't be triggered again. I'm only taking progesterone right now and he said at my 4week appt he want's me to start the low level estrogen for the bone issues. I have read this also in researching due to my endo concernes.

Crash

I had a supercervixcial last year for severe endo. I never stop hurting. I started hrt while still in hospital. Each month around the same time I was having pain mild at first. Then I started spotting every month which increased each month along with the pain until it was unbearable. To make a long story short I had surgery on June 5 part of my intestine had to be removed because of the endo and part of the ovaries on both side had been left along with everything else that was supposed to have been removed in an earlier surgery. So if at all possible wait as long as you can before starting hrt.

Thank you for your responses ladies.

Montana, I did the same thing after surgery. I was put on Vivelle .05 right after surgery and then bumped up to .075 shortly after. The only reason I was then told to go off the Ert at 8 weeks was because they found endo on my liver, behind my gallbladder, 4 weeks after my hyst.

Please understand, that my endo did NOT return. The endo had always been on my liver, they just didn't know it. I had been having severe gallbladder-like attacks, once a month, since last August and they couldn't figure out what the problem was because all of the tests came back normal including ultrasounds of the gallbladder. My gallbladder was actually not functioning properly because the adhesions had wrapped around my gallbladder and caused it to function poorly.

After the general surgeon found the endo on my liver, my gyn wanted me to go off the Vivelle at 8 weeks and then start taking Prometrium. Progesterone is supposed to supress endo growth. He did say that a low-dose of estrogen would not hurt. I am going to start taking .025 Vivelle, because of the hot flashes and night sweats.

I know the confusion of all this hormone stuff I am still trying to learn myself. Hang in there girls.

I started on Premarin (estrogen only) right after surgery which shocked me since my doctor orginally told me no estrogen until six weeks or six months, can't remember which. When I asked why he changed his mind he just shrugged his shoulders and said he figured I would do better with some estrogen in my system. What an answer huh? I am 29 so I knew I had to go on estrogen for bone loss but to up and change his mind out of the blue like that was kind of weird if you ask me.

Anyway, I started cramping again and bleed about a week ago so I went in to see him. Turned out I had a polyp which he removed right then in there. I am now cramping again, nothing major, and I am HOPING it is just the formation of another polyp which he said was rare but possible and NOT the endo growing inside.

If you are worried I would do more research on it on the net and at this website like you are doing now. Good luck and keep us posted!

Jennifer

Have any of you sisters that had severe pain with your endo kept your ovaries? I was told by 3 drs that I needed to have them both removed and warned me of the side effects and possible bone loss associated with going on HRT at my age (32 this month). Three of the drs said the same thing...have them removed or I'd still be in pain. The last dr said she didn't want to remove them because I was too young. PLease inform me if any of you have had return pain from endo...I'd just as soon take my chances on the osteo and take calcium supplements than to be in this much pain. Thanks for any responses...
Christy