Posted by 4WD on July 13, 2005, at 22:26:23
In reply to Re: SOS - feeling a little desperate » 4WD, posted by MidnightBlue on July 12, 2005, at 11:56:07
> Marsha,
>
> For peri-menopause what I did is go on an estrogen patch. I used Esclim. The more even delivery of drugs was better for me. I never took it off, just changed it twice a week. And then every THIRD month I would bite the bullet and take progesterone for 10 days. That was the most I could take and it was enough as long as my doctor kept tabs on me.
>
> I used the progesterone that is in most birth control pills (sorry can't remember the name--starts with an n?) as opposed to provera which really sends me over the edge fast. I think the natural progesterone in peanut oil might be a good alternative for some, but it wasn't for me. That is a rx drug, not a cream. Can't remember the name of that one either!
>
> I still have hot flashes sometimes and LOTS of brain fog-- right now I'm on nothing. I do miss the estrogen. It was actually helping some with my depression.
>
> MidnightBlueHi,
THanks. I didn't know you could take the progesterone that infrequently. When I see my gynecologist next time, I'm going to ask to do that. I was actually on bioidentical hormones for a month but even that progesterone made me crazy - very depressed. I kept skipping the progesterone part of the regimen and just taking the estrogen.
I tried the Combi-Patch but that was no better. And Activella was bad, too. I don't know why Prefest is less depressing than the others.
I've been wondering for a while why it is that HRT is so bad for women while birth control pills (same hormones, right? just in higher doses?) don't cause the same issues.
I keep thinking I'll get off hormones altogether at some point. Right now, I just need to get stable first. And I don't think I could deal with the not sleeping. That was worse than the hot flashes themselves.
Marsha
poster:4WD
thread:526181
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050713/msgs/527347.html