some guidance

Hello .. been on estrogel for about 6 wks now.

2 1/2 pumps per day, produced 285 on my levels.

2 mgs troches. of tesosterone , my free was around 3
total, not sure but somwhere in the middle or more toward the lower end but not way low

no progesterone tests done, cause doctor isnt interested

heres my issues. my breasts are not sore, so i cant figure this out ..285 would be considered high.

the one dr. who ordered the tests, still hasnt called me back to discuss this. how aggravated i am at her, you have no idea.

so i had them sent to NP in another office ..great place, it only took two days but she had to get them from the other dr. we discussed them, she thinks my levels are ok.

she thinks that if i go see the pharmacist she will want to give me progesterone too.

no one really wants me to have it. i feel like something is missing, my libido is not all that, in fact i have an attitude daily and care much about nothing.

anitdepressents are a sure recommendation and im caught between a rock and a hard place with that.

i feel like id rather get my hormone issue settled before taking them if i need it, im at the end of my rope and ready to, but first.. let me tell you how i feel

first of all, i am depressed, i can admit that, i have an appt at the womens clinic where the NP is and plan on unloading, but i know my body and when i want to have sex i want to have sex (i dont feel it) thats number one.

number two... im exhausted, mornings are hell and in the evening lately i have been coming home and eating then going to watch tv and die, well not literally but fall asleep.

thyroid is good. so .... also, boobs never did get fuller.

so the gel is giving good blood levels, but?? im wondering

can i be too high? on estrogen too low on testosterone and will progesterone even help any of these issues here??

i mean, fatigue and moodiness or depression... wont it make me more depressed or will it help ??

any advice?? i know everyone is different but id like some feedback before i go back in.

the dr. who is the one who is supposed to be the all know everything, has gone out of town and took my results with her. why would she do that?? after i called .

i cant understand drs. thinking some times. im so irritated with her id like to choke her, she knows how aweful i have been feeling why make me wait??

cymbalta cymbalta ..antidepressants, this is gonna help my brain, i agree.. but i also have deep rooted issues that i need to address, and dont want that pill to cover it all up and then me be ok with life and not take care of whats buggin me.

i dont know anymore. then i gotta worry more about libido issues, its a never ending battle.

ill check the too much too little, but ill probably get upset and sign off.

thanks in advance

Maria

Maria,
I don't know how old you are , but that apparently makes a difference in what estrogen level is ok. At least that is what my doc told me. I used estrogel 2 pumps a day for 1 month, and got blood levels of 304. They called me in a panic b/c i'm 51 with a TAH and they said that was way too high, around 100 , more or less ,was my target . Also, labs use different guides to interpert, so i'm unclear about your testosterone level. Mine was 80. They said that was too high. Not sky-rocket high , but high enough. I was using a natural testosterone 2% coumpounded by pharmacist. For now i need to let my blood level go down, and as my symptoms subside(feeling angry and agressive). When i start feeling ok again, i'll start using it again, just less frequently.B/c i need extra testosterone, bc without the supplement, my own levels are normal, but on the low end. So for all we know, your testosterone levels may not be adequate. What kind of testosterone are you using? B/c it really makes a difference, the synthetic kind did not help me nearly as much as the natural stuff. But you do need a compounding pharmacy. By natural i do not me herbal, or what u buy from the stores, i mean the real testosterone that he pharmacist compounds.
I do so understand depression and having "issues". I think the antidepressant is a good idea, but i'd seek therapy too. What the meds do is help you think more clearly and assist you to function normally. I assure you they will not make you artifically happy . They will only help you feel less depressed, and think more clearly. It will give you the focus to be able to concentrate and participate in your therapy. I am a big fan of therapy. It can work wonders. But it takes time, and depending on what your issues are.
about the progesterone, I can't get anyone to check my levels either.
So maybe if your doc can't be reached or won't vary your therapy, i'd get a second opinion.
vali

hi maria
you sound a little like i felt a while ago. After almost a year on the estrogen shots and i got way too high. i was tired inthe morning andjust plain blah.i switched to the estrogel one pump- almost 8 weeks ago and i am really beginning to level out. i am very active, run 3 days per week raquetball 2 days. the only other thing i use is test shot once per month and i am good. the thing i learned is that balance is most important, rather than what you use. when you estroen goes increases it competes with your thyroid receptors because estrogen is a bigger and better receptor, this can also make you feel funky. Is there a reason why you are on so many pumps of estrogel?

The way my doctors (2) have explained it, hormone testing is unpredictable and there are two many variables, therefore doctors don't put a lot of faith in them. That's what I was told.

I think progesterone is what helped with my libido, but that's just me. It makes sense when you think about it because in our productive years we have surges of progesterone during the second half of our cycle. That was always the time I was most "interested".

I have struggled with depression since surgery too, but I seem to be feeling better now that I backed off on the estrogen. I'm totally convinced that hormones play a huge part in this depression. I feel more balanced now and I'm not depressed at all. I felt great on Wellbutrin though but had some pesky side effects so had to quit. I don't really feel like experimenting with any others. I had a bad result with Effexor. For now, I'm trying to do without AD's. Have you tried any OTC progesterone cream, such as Progest or the cream from this site? A low dose is not likely to cause you any problems but might give you an idea about how you feel on it. Just a thought. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon.

Well, sammie jo.. yes just funky is the best way to describe it and tired, but a strange tired.. like so tired walking was too much. LOL.. but just these past few days tho.. I havent felt like this long, and i remember it was the same feeling i had when i was on the shot. the reason for the higher amount, was because i was so low.

today i went to the NP and she actually thought that it wasnt too high of a level, because of the ranges in cycles.. but i told her that i think id feel better a bit lower, she was also concerned that because of the depression issues and such that i be careful how i adjust down. Maybe do 2 pumps and 2 1/2 every other day, for a while then go down.

but we will see, im in no danger right now. My breasts arent sore and my vagina is getting better and healthier. Honestly, I am not sure if I should go messing with estriol too, but have an appt. with the compounded pharms on tues to discuss this further.

my libido is really weird and she thinks its the combo of both depression and hormones that is affecting it. I believe her and agree.

I have an RX for effexor and had taken it once before and it worked fine and didnt interfere with libido.. so im taking in all i can from the two that i like the most and making decisions from there. I havent taken an anti depressent yet. I know I need some help in that dept. and Im accepting it and will do so with counseling as well, i really want to get my hormones fixed first .

just not sure what to do yet about it. I dont want something to absolutely kill my libido but dont want something to cause me problems too.

the reason im so nervous about cymbalta is cause it is fairly new, worried about maybe 6 mnths. down the road they yank it off the shelves for some reason, so doing something that has been around a while makes me feel more comfy.

effexor is a hard one to get off of too. all in all, its my decision but feedback from you guys here does help tons and is necessary and i thank you. the antidepressent issue is frustrating me, what to take what to avoid.

i have my levels for the pharmacist, and i have yet to hear from the dr. who ordered them which really is ridiculous if you ask me and unfair.

i had my levels sent to 2 other docs and they called me with the results right away, its just bs ..so i dont think im gonna continue with her, she may be knowledgeable, but I really like this NP she is on the money, although i dont agree with the higher level of estrogen, but where im dealing with the depression, she was concerned about the drop, but we will wait to see what the pharmacist says, i think ill take it down slowly.

i dont think one pump will be enough for me, but we will just have to watch it.

i am thankful for the responses ..

sammie jo, are you using anything else besides the gel?? one pump is ok for you? wow, ill try to taper down slowly and see how i do maybe on two.

then go from there.

yeah i spent 11 weeks after my last shot and got really low and funky. i also dropped the progesterone cream too. now i have been on the estrogel for almost 8 weeks and i am really starting to lean out again and feel so much better. my libido seems to be returning too cause i had a dream last night which i have not had in a long long time. i do take a depo test shot once a month which is about 60 g per month. i think the estrogel works better for me than the shot cause it is a regular same dose every day. the shot worked really well the first 8 months then started going wonky. you get too high symptoms at first then after 4 weeks you just start going down hill. after 2 weeks of the same dose i started noticing a diff and then at 4 i reallly started to feel alot better. now i sleep normally and am still really active with no aches or pains.

I never had the aches in my calves before, but yes...the shot is not a good thing.

apparantley, once it hits the tissue after while it builds up, wanna hear what my levels were after a long time on the shot when i finally had enough.

600!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG right??

i think im gonna drop it down. although it helps libido, (estrogen) im talking about.. i can say that everything in moderation is the ticket. of course balance as well.

i dont know what my problem is, but im not sure about the progesterone thing yet either. we just drew some tests to see how i am in that dept. if they dont think i need it then i wont use it.

alot of the pharmacists push it. the drs. say that they dont know enough yet about whether its good or bad.

some studies are against it some are for it.

all in all this stuff isnt easy. sheeeshe

Maria

Here is a Discussion Board site and have found it to be very helpful. Crazyboards.org this is the discussiion board where you can go and ask questions and get feedback and help. It is the best support board on the net for persons who have to take psychiatric meds. Also, crazymeds.org This site used be partners with crazyboards, but they have split. But, the site is great. lots of really good info on the drugs and side effects and in plain english.
vali sory i don't know how to make links.

Vali, how long were you on the 2% testosterone cream before you started to feel aggression. What dose did you drop back to in order to achieve the desired affects? Thanks