I'm tired of experimenting...frustrated vent

It's been nearly 2 years since my hyst. I have chosen not to take HRT because of cancer concerns. However, I am finding it difficult to find anyone who is willing to help me. For the most part, I have done fairly well on vitamin supplements and natural progesterone...but, ever six months or so, I CRASH....like I am doing now.

I had my yearly check up about a month ago and asked them to check my hormone levels. They won't. They (the docs office) say that I'm low on estrogen because I've had a hyst and I'm only 38. Well...I started the bioidentical (what is it...estriol?) gel for the last week and a half. I'm about ready to kill everyone in my path.

I'm pretty sure that now my estrogen level is spiked (because my theory is it was elevated to begin with, despite what the doc said).

My question (and this is rhetorical....I'm venting at this point): Why do we have to continue to experiment with our hormone levels? If I were a diabetic, I would have to check my blood sugar levels before adjusting meds, If I had high chloresterol, I would have my levels checked, If I had high blood pressure.... see where I'm going with this?

Why do we have to suffer through EXPERIMENTING??? The doctors dont want you to experiment with your other meds...why hormone levels??? The saliva test is fairly accurate. My doc's office said they don't use it. Why not???? (this is still rhetorical...)

Is this a problem all over the US or just in the area in which I live? I know this area is somewhat behind the times. I figure if I still lived in Houston, I probably could find someone to help me.

I havent posted on here in awhile. Thank you for letting me vent.
have a great rest-of the week!

Hi,

I moved your post over here to the Hormone Jungle, since you say you are now taking the bio-identical hormone estriol. The ladies here may have some input and ideas on the concerns you have mentioned.

I take the bio-identical Vivelle dot patch and have really liked it. I understand that estriol is the weakest form of estrogen and it may not be the right estrogen to help you. Estradiol which is in Vivelle and some other forms of hrt is most like what our ovaries made before we had our hyst.

You might want to give your hrt a chance to work though, since you have only been on it a short time. If you are not pleased with your dr and the way they do things, you might shop around and see if there is a dr who is more up on things like testing. Maybe an endocrinologist who specializes in hormones would help you.

Hang in there , it does take time to find balance as we are all different .

Sorry you have had problems getting help.

s

Hi Lisa I'm sorry you are in such a tough spot. I can't comment on whether or not you could use estradiol for symptom relief (it takes a lot less of it than it does using estriol) -- only your DRs can do that. But I can comment on your frustration with the experimenting.

There is still a lot of controversy over how accurate both saliva and blood testing for hormone levels are, and even what they test. It is also not known how the hormone levels correlate with symptoms or with the amount of HRT's necessary to relieve the symptoms. So, really, the tests are of very limited use to most of us. The best way to find balance is to focus on symptoms, and make adjustments slowly, one at a time, until the symptoms are relieved. It is, unfortunately, a trial and error process, although with a little experience, you can start to learn how to zero in on the right combination for you without making too many wrong choices.

I'm sorry your DRs are not being supportive in your efforts to find symptom relief. Is it possible to seek out a new DR to partner with in your struggle? I have very supportive DRs and it is a huge help - at least I don't have to argue with them every step of the way. If you want to find a DR who understands more about bio-identical HRT's and hormones, you might ask a local compounding pharmacist which DRs in your area prescribe HRT's through them. I'm guessing you already know where a compounding pharmacist is since you are using estriol, but in case you don't, you can go to www.iacprx.org and use their pharmacy locator to find one. The site has been redesigned so you have to register to use the locator, but it's free to register. In your case, you might want to see if there is an oncologist in your area who uses the compounding pharmacy.

Hang in there! I know it's frustrating, and especially so when you have cancer concerns to deal with.

s,
-Linda

I can relate to your frustration 100%! It's been a roller coaster ride for me too, 1-1/2 years of trying several combinations of HRT and still not finding the right thing and not yet have I had a doctor do any tests of my levels. I'm seeing a new doctor next week because my insurance has changed and I had to change docs anyway. I am going to insist on having some labs done because I am totally clueless as to where to go from here. I am also planning on asking for Estrasorb or Estrogel because the Vivelle Dot doesn't agree with me. I can not sleep with the patch on. If I take it off, I can fall asleep fairly soon afterwards. I feel like my heart is pounding out of my chest and my mind races, and that's on a relatively low dose of .05, which in reality probably isn't even enough estrogen for me.

Didn't mean to ramble on, I just wanted to tell you I understand where you are coming from and I know for me I couldn't get by with estriol alone. I tried going HRT free and became extremely depressed, tried 3 different antidepressants. The way I see it, my choices are HRT and a little risk but emotional stability, an active sex life, and feeling mentally alert or antidepressants which make me fat, sexless, and a zombie. I'll take the HRT!

Thank you all for your kind words and encouragement. I re-read my first post and need to clarify...I am on Estriadol, not estriol. I'm not sure what the difference is between the two. As far as the cancer, I am in the "at risk" group because my mother had breast cancer at my age.

Other than that, I am trying to locate a doctor who specializes in women's hormones in my area. I prefer to go the natural route...I don't want to take the estriadol (or whatever I'm taking...). He (the doc) put a Climara patch on my in the OR and I couldn't stand myself...after 8 weeks, I had ENOUGH of that. For the last 2 years, i have been using vitamins and natural progesterone.

I don't like dealing with the symptoms...I am the type of person who wants to find the cause. For the most part, I have done OK with just the vitamins and occasional Black Cohosh (when the hot flashes get unbearable). It seems, though that about every 6 months or so, I totally "crash".

From what I've read and researched, the symptoms of not enough estrogen in the body are almost the same as too much. My frustration is...how am I supposed to know which is which?? Yikes. There is a hormone doctor who is some distance away from me, but I might have to make the sacrifice and go for a visit.

I know that the Climera did not work for me....I was about to kill everyone. This estriadol isn't much better. I don't want to experiment...I don't have "time"...

Oh well...I guess I'm going to have to be patient. What do you do when you dont WANT to take the HRT...??

This is getting to be too much of a science experiement...I never liked science. I've always had a mental block when it comes to science...maybe thats why I'm frustrated.

I work in the grant & contract office at a university...I am surprised at how little research dollars are available for womens hormone studies (at least at my institution). Oh well! Guess we're all in this together.

I am so thankful for this site!!!!

Here is a helpful article from the Mayo Clinic:

http://mayoclinic.com/health/hot-flashes/HQ01409

You might want to ask your dr about Effexor which is said to cut out hot flashes up to 60% and is used for ladies who have had breast cancer or have history of breast cancer in family.

s

Thanks, SuzyQ~

That article contained a bunch of useful information. I shall be "armed" when I face my doctor...

Hi Lisa!

It sure can be frustrating here in the Jungle. Some women are lucky and do well on the first hormone therapy they try. Then there are those of us who have to experiment, tweak, research and try different methods of delivery, types of hormones and even combinations of hormones.

I hope you are able to find a doctor to partner with you in finding your balance, but I want to stress that even working with a specialist is no guarantee that you will find instant balance. There is still apt to be some experiementing and tweaking before you find just the right hormone therapy, with or without testing.

Have you tried keeping a journal of your symptoms? Jot down the symptoms you are experiencing, including the time of day or night, and note what hormone therapy you are using along with any supplements or medications you're using. You might also find it helpful to print and refer to the too much/too little symptom list. True, many symptoms do overlap but if you work on balancing the estrogen first, it's easier to see how your body reacts to the dose you are trying. Once you have estrogen balanced you can add progesterone and/or testosterone, one hormone at a time, until you feel balanced. I'm personally not a big fan of testing because the range of what is considered normal is broad and what may be normal on the lab results it doesn't necessarily equate to feeling normal.

Estradiol is as natural to the body as the estradiol your ovaries made. It's one of the three bio-identical estrogens compounding pharmacists use when compounding tri-est. (The other two in tri-est are estrone and estriol.) Bi-est is a combination of estradiol and estriol. Estradiol is the strongest of the estrogens while estriol is the weakest.

If you are interested in managing menopause without hormones, the No-Hormone Desert Oasis is the ideal place to post with questions and concerns for input from others who can't or don't want to use hormone therapy.

Whatever you decide to do, I hope you find what makes you feel better!

s

Hello Pianoplayer,
I understand your frustration. I'm in the midst of reading Suzanne Somers book "The Sexy Years" and at first I said whoa, now I'm really confused. But into the book she has a statement from a friend of hers who decided that she was going "with nature's course" and decided to just go with the flow. Suzanne on the other hand has gone the route with testing, etc.
What I'm getting so far is this: I guess it depends on what our symptoms are and what we are willing to put up with. I'm on a low dose premarin, but I had suffered with major insomnia. Happy to report it's actually getting better. Now I only wake up once during the night. I could go on about this, but I believe too that a lot has to do with our state of mind. How do you want to feel? Since my hyst I've learned I really need to "balance" my life....that's another discussion I've seen posted on this site and I hope I haven't gotten you more confused. Bottom line: We are Women and we've got what it takes to get thru this jungle !!

Suzanne Somers book is great, and I have read it too. The difference is that she is talking about going through natural menopause, which is a whole different ball game than surgical menopause that we are going through. In natural menopause, your ovaries still produce some hormones, even though it is less than what they made before. We are dealing with a total loss of hormones which is much more severe.