Change in HRT

Hi everyone.
For the last 12months I have taken Estalius Continous Patches 50/250. I gained 18kg which would be about 36 pounds in one year. (Depressing)
Saw my Gynie last week and he has changed my HRT to Livial 2.5mg daily tablets.
He agreed the patch was the reason I had put on ssooooo much weight.
I took the Livial at night before bed and through the night I woke with chest pains on the left which went from under the breast into the shoulder and down my arm into the side of my face.
I am 39 by the way.

I couldnt get settled as the pain didnt go away so I called my GP who rang an ambulance to take me to the emergency ward.

They ran several tests but no real answer.

Has anyone experienced anything like this?

Would appreciate some help.

Donna

Donna, Livial is apparently rarely used in the USA or maybe it is not even available here. I looked it up and found the concept very interesting. Let us know how you like it and if you have any side effects. Diana

My Gynie Bruce Farnsworth has had good reports on Livial with alot of his patients.

Bruce said Livial has been available in Australia for 12 months now and is used overseas alot.

He is to contact me today as I was to have a consultation though was not able to have my ultra sound as yet.

I feel alot better now but will ask him if my reaction the other day could have been from having too many hormones at one time??

Anyway I will keep you all informed how it goes.

Love Donna

Hi Donna,
I don't like the sound of what happened As with any HRT there can be adverse effects, so I'll be interested in what your gyn says and hope he contacts you ASAP.
Did you just that day take the patch off and then take the Livial? If so there may still have been some circulating estrogen from the patch which caused an overload. You really need to discuss this with him/or your GP in more detail, I'm no expert. How are you feeling now?

I can see why he put you on it and how it may help discourage endometriosis from recurring, I found this amongst the product information:

	Quote:
However, at other sites of the body, notably the lining of the womb (endometrium), Livial does not cause the endometrial stimulation and proliferation characteristic of estrogen treatment. This means Livial does not need to be administered with a progestogen to induce a regular withdrawal bleed in women with a womb.

Of course the womb bit doesn't apply..........but perhaps it's a good choice for other endometrial implants, i.e. any microscopic bits left behind after surgery.

Seems it has some androgenic properties, can protect against osteoporosis, and fills estrogen receptors but doesn't act like an estrogen with breast tissue etc. Very interesting, we've discussed it before, but if you stay with it let us know how it goes? I haven't known anyone who has been on it for a period of time, so I'd be interested in how you find it.

Hi Donna, I know absolutely nothing about hormones but my GP did prescribe Livial a few months ago but as I was also under a Prof. (endocrinologist) and he had prescribed Zumenon ( 2mg estradiol) and it was working well, I didnt try the livial. ( hope you understood all that ) . Just popping in to give a and some support x x

Lily
I got to speak to Bruce again, he is off to Africa after a few days in Sydney.

He told me to either stop taking it or give it a bit longer if I am feeling better now.

It was a really scarey thing to happen at the time.
In fact I asked the Dr at the Emergeny Dept if I could of had too much HRT running around my body that caused the reaction?

He told me he didnt know anything about the Livial or its side effects for the matter, so that was so reassurring for me at the time.

I decided to be brave and continue on. No more pains what was after the first tablet. Though I will give it a month at $34.95 a packet for one month supply, its quite costly.

I joined Weight Watchers hoping to lose this weight compliments of the Estalius Patch I was on for the last year since having the ovaries removed. Tonight is my weigh in but my tummy has puffed up more than normal this week since being on the Livial.

I lost 1.4kg last week so I am hoping I havent put it back on this week with the change in HRT.

Robyn
Thanks for the support.
I think with the amount of HRT on the market I realise I can ask my Doctor to change the prescription back to a patch or another tablet.

I did understand your comment. Its hard when you have two Doctors looking after you and one puts you on something and the other tries for another.

Its all triala and error in fact so I guess as much as I hate the thought of mucking around with HRT I guess in my case after the retro chest pain and numbness down the arm could have been due to changing HRT.

It was the day I was due to change my patch and my Gynie didnt say to wait or anything. So instead of putting on another patch I took the Livial. Hmmm!!!!!

Anyway will keep you all informed how I go with it

Lily it does represent a good alternative to my previous HRT as I was a very bad sufferer from endo, we have breast cancer on my mums side really bad, I also have Idopathic Granuloma's on my liver diagnosed at POW Sydney in 1985.

Chat to you soon

Love Donna

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Donna, I was on Climara patch before the zumenon and it became my whole life purpose to keep it on. not to mention the depression. For me the zumenon is working well, no side effects and like the wise aussie jungle guide who lives here in the hormone jungle , said ' if it aint broken well dont fix it ' good luck x x

Donna, I'm glad you haven't had any more 'events'. I understand, me and hormones do weird things together so you're not alone. Give the tummy time, any change in hormones gave me a swelly belly until I got used to the new regime and good luck with weight watchers.
BTW did you get a chance to ask your gyn about that other matter we discussed? Could you email me if you did......thanks.