Traci, I got 137 mg of testosterone and 12.5 of estrogen. What amount did you get?
Hi Shelly-sorry for the delay I'm not getting notifications and I've got it set up correctly in my settings. I'm taking 100mg generic progesterone.
Kathleen, I'm honestly not sure. I forgot to ask! I am going to call and find out though.
Haha! Yes he does have a sense of humor and is way more patient than I would be putting up with myself!! It wasn't hard for me to find treatment here. Honestly, my doctor wanted me to do this 1 1/2 years ago but I couldn't afford it then. My muscle aches have gone away but now my nipples are tender!! Ugh!! I wish this sh!t would balance already!!
Ya know, when I read all our posts, and ones in other discussions about the same topics, I keep reading the same kind of comments from most of us. One of us talks about our treatment and how it worked so well, and it had to be stopped because there was not a doctor to prescribe, and another has a doctor, and others are ordering online, and talking about who is reputable for that, etc.... It makes us sound like a bunch of drug addicts, trying to find a fix. All we are doing is trying to find competent medical care and treatment so that we can continue to be contributing positive members of society, and not feel like death warmed over while we do it!!! And we have to act all surreptitiously, trying to find this care. I think it is a crying shame that we are treated like this..... or NOT treated.
Hi Traci! I'm in Roanoke. I'm wondering what Dr. you saw for your HRT. Did your insurance cover any part of it?
Are you feeling better now?
Thanks for your help
Cathy
Hi after a full hysterectomy 2 years ago I have tried all hrts and was still struggling with joint and muscle pain, fatigue, no libido etc. So last week had implant/pellets. 2.5 oestrogen and 0.5 testosterone.
Could anyone with similar experiences tell me if this worked and how long it takes to kick in, how long they lasted, any other useful information?
Many thanks.
Yes, the same questions are asked over and over again and I feel like I am repeating my responses over and over again.
One good thing is that I am seeing more interest in oestrogen pellet implants. Maybe this increased interest might bring them back to the pharmacies instead of chasing them up from compound chemists.
How is your's going?
Hi, Sheryl,
I am feeling a bit better. I don't feel so angry all the time now. I guess that is a good thing, right? It has been almost a month, or maybe only three weeks, so I don't know if I am just imagining it or not. Either way, I feel better.
I had to look back to your responses - it may be 5 weeks. You posted 14 days ago to say that you had them implanted 3 weeks prior.
i am glad you are feeling better.
Hi you ladies that are on pellets...Ive had a low dose oestrogen and testosterone one for about a month but feel worse than on tablets, think too low....how long did it take to get settled on them?
Mine took about 3 weeks till I felt a 'surge' in my breasts. If your body needs more oestrogen than what you have been given, it will use it up quicker.
Why do you need testosterone? I never have that and in fact, I take an anti androgen medication to reduce the androgens/testosterone that cause high sebum in face (deep pimples) and scalp (sebum coating), hair loss, but hair gain on face.
I notice that a number of ladies on this forum are also given testosterone implants.
I was just telling my daughter the other night that I feel better but can't pin point why, and that I thought that maybe part of it was that I felt good about doing something about how I felt. I told her I hadn't felt like killing anyone in weeks, and she said that is VERY good! Ha! Ha! She had a hysterectomy about 12 years ago, really early, I think she was 26, and is feeling much the same way I did and is wanting to do HRT also. I haven't had any of those noticeable changes, like breast tenderness or anything I can pin point, but I was telling her I jut do have generally a feeling of hopefullness and a kind of calm that I can't really explain. I need to go get blood drawn again and go back for follow up real soon, though. I do think I need the amount adjusted, though, because I think I should feel better than I do by now. It has been two months. I feel better, but think I should feel better than this, if I am anything like some people who have posted here. I am very impatient, though. Having said all that, I am 10% glad I sought out and found a doctor who would do this for me. It was worth the trouble, and my husband has had his blood drawn already and when I go for my follow up, he is going for his appointment to get the pellets, also. But I still would like to have my libido come back....hence my thoughts about dosage adjustment......
Hi kathleen - have all your other menopause symptoms gone, e.g. flushes, sweats, dry vagina, aches, pains, skin, etc? It might be too soon to see an improvement in your hair as it may depend on new growth. I also use vagifem and estriol cream (alternate each night). I just smear the cream on as it is too messy to insert. The vagifem does the internal job.
An appropriate amount of oestrogen works for me regarding libido, plus I am taking an anti-androgen which reduces any testosterone I may be manufacturing, so obviously I don't need any testosterone to do that. When my oestrogen was being compromised by progestin that my dr insisted I take, my libido disappeared.
The next problem we have is getting one's libido back when our husband's is disappearing
I didn't have the dryness but the heat flashes seem to be subsiding and my skin seems better, so I think it is working! Now if I could sleep at night..... Yes, the husband's libido......I got mine to take the blood tests, and he says when he knows what work is doing, he will be able to take off to go get implants. They freak out when he takes off even a few hours. So I guess things are getting much better, just isn't like snapping a finger and seeing it. Ha! I am impatient....
Hi, think mine has run out, feel awful, literally like running on empty.
Testosterone given to try and improve energy and libido. Not working. Guess Ive just got to hope that it'll build up with each implant but not sure how long I can cope like this.
Well I had my implant in 6 weeks ago and miss impatient I am I had 2 blood drawings I paid on my own and 1 with the GP..
My Estrogen went sky high and goes now rapildly down... like it went at week 4 I think it was to 2300 pmol (that's the Australian unit we are having here) , which is about 4 times as high as it should've... now at week 6 it's down to 1440...
I just wonder what dosage Estrogen you guys have? I was under the assumption pellets release a steady dose not up and down ?
2300 pmol does seem extraordinarily high - maybe it was the first flush if you were low beforehand. A research gynaecologist says levels of up to 1200pmol/l are sometimes required to maintain a symptom free state. So we need to ignore "normal" levels for "normal" women.
The strength of the pellet is more to do with how long it will last. I use a 100mg pellet which originally was meant to last one year. It only lasted me 9 months as my body seems to need more oestrogen. When I went back onto the pellets made by compound chemists (supposed to be exactly the same), they claim they are only meant to last 4-6 months. They suggested I have two pellets implanted to last longer.
Recently I found that the progestin that my dr insisted I take to have 'balance' between oestrogen and progesterone, was making my oestrogen severely ineffective. I read up on progestin (which is a drug pretending to be a hormone) and its effects, plus information that surgical menopause do not need "balance" of progesterone and oestrogen, and stopped taking the progestin. My oestrogen hrt kicked back in and my menopause symptoms subsided. I am planning on going back to the pellets again, now that I have got that sorted.
With implanted pellets, it is not a steady release. The body takes what it needs when it needs it. There is a cycle of requirement during the day. So morning is different to afternoon, and to night. I can't remember when we need the most but this information is provided somewhere. So maybe when you had the blood test, it was when the body required the highest amount.
Mmh could be... I had it tested after 1 week- it was at 1380 then, 4 weeks 2300 and now at 6 weeks 1440.... I also have a 100 mg one... my Gp obviously was a bit in shock, so was I but I didn't feel bad with that high of Estrogen... its not healthy but lol
I wonder if it's depending on compounder to how it's absorbed or how long it lasts? What do you think? I asked the Pharmacy that did mine and they said if the implant was damaged then it could release high Estrogen... so i wonder if my GP perhaps did as he did have troubles taking it out the vial, and then also had troubles getting the trocar in my abdomen etc , was quite bruised after ...
My Gp also said he had ladies that had 2 implants at the time, like 2x 100 mg ones. He used to use them when they where available via Medicare as official HRT method until a few years ago when the manufacturer stopped making them
Oh regarding progestin, I do take progesterone USP using them vaginal 2 weeks a month. That's the only method I can handle without getting side effects