In a word---YES!!! I used natural estrogen for about 10 years. Dr quit so I stopped. Life has been hell since. I need to go back on it but how to start with a new dr???

Sounds like you found a solution. Now you only need enough patience to wait for the hormones to balance out. It's difficult for us to determine where we are other than research and symptoms. It takes a doctor with enough gumption to take their knowledge and apply it using compassion and wisdom, rather than quoting their textbooks and "playing it safe' buy not doing enough. I have a talent for ending up with 'play it safers'. My last actual PCP would have had me on boniva by now to prevent osteoporosis and hormone therapy for bipolar moods and big hormone dips. My current doctor has done none of it. I get the general questions.

I am where you are Mary. I am tired of getting lukewarm care and ready for someone who is not afraid to help get me where I need to be. The problem is finding the doctor. I'm already two inches shorter than I was when I graduated and no one has bothered to give any suggestions or solutions to shrinking frames.

I was desperate and started searching online for bioidentical hormone replacement, came to the BioTE site and searched for a BioTE certified dr. in my area. Maybe start there.....I was at my PCP and Endocrinologist bouncing back and forth for a month before I could get into the BioTE dr. but so glad I finally got in!! We must be our own advocates!! Best wishes MaryContrary and GardenLass!! We deserve better!!

I am so glad you are doing better. You are right in that we should have a doctor who will listen and follow through. By the way, your age should not make you post menopausal. The end of symptoms and periods altogether should make you post menopausal. You are full menopausal.

I am feeling the same way....same symptoms and wish there was a magic pill to control these unwanted symptoms. Let me know how it all works out with BioTE. Best wishes and may God help us!

GardenLass, I am post menopausal according to the blood work that I had done, the symptoms of menopause are in full swing! No fun :(

MayFlowers, I burned thru the first round of pellets in 2 weeks, my body used them right up, I was feeling great improvements and then everything went down hill again....getting more blood work Monday and a booster pellet the following week. Sorry you are in the same boat....and I agree....may God help us all!

SJH, sorry to hear about how you're suffering with these symptoms. I'm 51 and in peri-menopause myself (month 10). So far no symptoms or changes in my energy level. I've also been insulin dependent diabetic for 36 years, so have this to balance too.
I eat whole foods, exercise, pray & meditate daily. I take Maca Root powder, this is a hormonal adaptogen herb from Peru. I recommend it to all my friends and health coaching clients. Wishing you prayers and improved health!

Hi SJH,
I got all those symptoms AND brain fog. On top of that, I have fibromyalgia. Sleep is crucial for fibro since we need sleep to regenerate our muscles, so my body ached even more due to sleep disturbances from night sweats.

I tolerated all these for 1-1/2 years hoping that they'll go away after a year, but no! They got worse! My brain fog rapidly got worse recently to the point of my not being able to follow conversations. I was taking a herbal pill all this time that contained a combination of black cohosh, licorice root, dong quai, and chasteberry. That decreased the hot flashes by about 50%. But it was still not good enough.

So about a week ago, I started HRT (Vivelle-dot estradiol patch and Prometrium progesterone pill; both bio-identicals). I immediately slept well. I haven't sleep so well in a long time! And calm. Brain fog is lifting. I still have hot flashes, but I'm noticing they are changing--night sweats abating. The ob-gyn said I have to wait about a month for my body to adjust. (It was tremendously reassuring that my doc said she experienced all these symptoms herself, including the brain fog; and she herself takes HRT.)

This HRT is giving me my life back. I am hopeful. I hope you'll find what works for you!

That's good news Achybones23! I am experiencing a huge improvement in my symptoms as well!! Next pellets are inserted on 10/17 and hoping to see the rest of the symptoms gone after that!! Here's to continuing healing for both of us!!

HealthT1D, thank you! I am improving as of the last few weeks and my dr is quite encouraged with my labs as well....it looks like we are on the right track :)

SJH,

What are these pellets??

Pellets are bio identical hormones made from plant materials. You can get estrogen or testosterone or in my case....both. Made a world of difference!

Ok, I want to give you all an update. When I wrote my last post, I started HRT for only 1 week. Now it has been slightly over 1 month.

My hot flashes are mostly gone. I may have 1 or 2 flashes a day (much less intense); most days none at all.

No more night sweats. I still sleep a bit hot, but they are not night sweats. I don't need to have the fan on all night anymore.

Brain fog lifted.

As for sleep and anxiety, this is so strange:
Immediately when I started the hrt (the same night), I slept instantly and WELL---every night for a whole month. And I woke up refreshed. I hadn't slept this well in over 10 years. I also felt noticeably calmer during the day. (This must be the progesterone pill.) Initially when I first started the hrt, I was sleepy even during the day, but that went away as my body adjusted. My doc said to give my body 1 month to adjust to everything.

Now it's been 1 month and 1 week. Suddenly last week, anxiety and insomnia came back! Oh no! I read in a book that anxiety and nervousness are symptoms of progesterone being too low. Could my body have adjusted "too well" to the point of going back to baseline?? That is not the kind of baseline that I want! I called the doc and she did not want to change the dosage (of either the progesterone nor the estrogen); she said high progesterone can lead to breast cancer.

Has anyone experience this kind of "adjustment" to HRT??

I was so happy that the HRT gave me my life back...sadly, now I'm back to the baseline of anxiety and insomnia...

Update: Turns out that was a stressful week. I went back to normal now--can sleep again.