Will low dose estrogen HRT even out estrogen spikes and how long does it take?

My hormone tests showed the only thing unusual is a sky high estrogen level
three days before my period started, so she put me on the new low dose
Activella on the theory that eventually when my brain realizes that I have
estrogen it will stop producing estrogen spikes. (The new low dose form
of Activella has 0.5 mg of allegedly bioidentical plant derived estrogen,
and 0.1 mg of plant derived but not bioidentical norestrindone acetate.)

I asked how long it will take this to happen instead of the additional
estrogen making my estrogen levels still higher. She said not immediately
and that is why she scheduled my next appointment in six weeks.

First thing that's happening is my allergies, which are one of the two
problems most driving me bats, are instantly much worse. Not sure I'm going
to survive no six weeks. Not doing wonders for my temperature levels or
my mood either.

Is this strategy at all likely to work, and how much time should I give it?

Yours,
Dora

--
Yours,
Dora Smith
Austin, TX
tiggernut24@yahoo.com

On May 23, 4:28 am, "Dora Smith" <villan...@austin.rr.com> wrote:
> My hormone tests showed the only thing unusual is a sky high estrogen level
> three days before my period started, so she put me on the new low dose
> Activella on the theory that eventually when my brain realizes that I have
> estrogen it will stop producing estrogen spikes. (The new low dose form
> of Activella has 0.5 mg of allegedly bioidentical plant derived estrogen,
> and 0.1 mg of plant derived but not bioidentical norestrindone acetate.)
>
> I asked how long it will take this to happen instead of the additional
> estrogen making my estrogen levels still higher. She said not immediately
> and that is why she scheduled my next appointment in six weeks.
>
> First thing that's happening is my allergies, which are one of the two
> problems most driving me bats, are instantly much worse. Not sure I'm going
> to survive no six weeks. Not doing wonders for my temperature levels or
> my mood either.
>
> Is this strategy at all likely to work, and how much time should I give it?

I have no idea, but I though this post was buried under some spam and
too many other messages and thought I'd respond just to bring it up to
the top of the pile again. Hoping someone has an answer/suggestion
for you.

JustGB

x-no-archive: yes

Dora Smith wrote:
> My hormone tests showed the only thing unusual is a sky high estrogen level
> three days before my period started, so she put me on the new low dose
> Activella on the theory that eventually when my brain realizes that I have
> estrogen it will stop producing estrogen spikes. (The new low dose form
> of Activella has 0.5 mg of allegedly bioidentical plant derived estrogen,
> and 0.1 mg of plant derived but not bioidentical norestrindone acetate.)
>
> I asked how long it will take this to happen instead of the additional
> estrogen making my estrogen levels still higher. She said not immediately
> and that is why she scheduled my next appointment in six weeks.
>
> First thing that's happening is my allergies, which are one of the two
> problems most driving me bats, are instantly much worse. Not sure I'm going
> to survive no six weeks. Not doing wonders for my temperature levels or
> my mood either.
>
> Is this strategy at all likely to work, and how much time should I give it?
>
> Yours,
> Dora
>


I've been having adrenal problems and evaluation for over a year, and I
have some insight into why your allergies got worse and why it was
really not wise to simply treat a single hormone level without intensive
investigation into what sent it soaring.

Your estradiol is an adrenal hormone, and one of its roles is raising
cortisol binding globulin, the protein that delivers your own anti
inflammatory steroid to cells, thereby suppressing, among other things,
your allergies. Typically, a hormone goes very high when there's
feedback from your cells saying they're not getting enough of it or
something it delivers. Sex hormones are steroids. Steroids are
regulated by the Hypothalmic-pituitary-adrenal axis and it appears that
yours needs a thorough, careful evaluation to see if you have a
pituitary or adrenal tumor or dysplasia.

Endocrinologists competent enough to consider this instead of just
handing out pills are one in a million. In fact, I recently flew across
the country to see one of only two in this country I could trust to
evaluate my pit/adrenal problem, which is now under extensive
investigation and may turn out to be cyclical Cushing's disease, not
rare, just rarely diagnosed.

Susan

Thanks. Fortunately the volume on this newsgroup isn't really great enough
to hide something.

--
Yours,
Dora Smith
Austin, TX
tiggernut24@yahoo.com
"JustGB" <gettingbttr@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1180005627.282412.260660@p77g2000hsh.googlegr oups.com...
> On May 23, 4:28 am, "Dora Smith" <villan...@austin.rr.com> wrote:
>> My hormone tests showed the only thing unusual is a sky high estrogen
>> level
>> three days before my period started, so she put me on the new low dose
>> Activella on the theory that eventually when my brain realizes that I
>> have
>> estrogen it will stop producing estrogen spikes. (The new low dose
>> form
>> of Activella has 0.5 mg of allegedly bioidentical plant derived estrogen,
>> and 0.1 mg of plant derived but not bioidentical norestrindone acetate.)
>>
>> I asked how long it will take this to happen instead of the additional
>> estrogen making my estrogen levels still higher. She said not
>> immediately
>> and that is why she scheduled my next appointment in six weeks.
>>
>> First thing that's happening is my allergies, which are one of the two
>> problems most driving me bats, are instantly much worse. Not sure I'm
>> going
>> to survive no six weeks. Not doing wonders for my temperature levels
>> or
>> my mood either.
>>
>> Is this strategy at all likely to work, and how much time should I give
>> it?
>
> I have no idea, but I though this post was buried under some spam and
> too many other messages and thought I'd respond just to bring it up to
> the top of the pile again. Hoping someone has an answer/suggestion
> for you.
>
> JustGB
>

Susan wrote:
> x-no-archive: yes

> Endocrinologists competent enough to consider this instead of just
> handing out pills are one in a million. In fact, I recently flew across
> the country to see one of only two in this country I could trust to
> evaluate my pit/adrenal problem, which is now under extensive
> investigation and may turn out to be cyclical Cushing's disease, not
> rare, just rarely diagnosed.

Goodness, Susan - how long do you think this has been going on?

FurPaw


--
My family values don't involve depleted uranium.

To reply, unleash the dog.

x-no-archive: yes

FurPaw wrote:

> Goodness, Susan - how long do you think this has been going on?
>


It's complicated by decades of inappropriately rx'ed (and unmonitored)
topical steroids and a likely familial trait of partial/selective
glucocorticoid resistance, but since the age of 16, off and on.
Addisonian crisis hit last year, triggered by my use of an insulin
sensitizer (insulin inhibits adrenal hormones). I had Addisonian
symptoms and signs while running high normal serum cortisol. (My sister
takes 15 times the usual dose of Premarin to avoid headaches and total
crashes).

Thing is, I flew out to LA expecting to have the iatrogenic and familial
issue evaluated, and ended up with yet another midnight cortisol and
ACTH so high that I'm being worked up for Cushing's disease, which is a
long, annoying process.

Explains why I was so totally incapacitated by my peri; sex hormones are
steroids.

Susan

On May 22, 10:28 pm, "Dora Smith" <villan...@austin.rr.com> wrote:
> My hormone tests showed the only thing unusual is a sky high estrogen level
> three days before my period started, so she put me on the new low dose
> Activella on the theory that eventually when my brain realizes that I have
> estrogen it will stop producing estrogen spikes. (The new low dose form
> of Activella has 0.5 mg of allegedly bioidentical plant derived estrogen,
> and 0.1 mg of plant derived but not bioidentical norestrindone acetate.)
>
> I asked how long it will take this to happen instead of the additional
> estrogen making my estrogen levels still higher. She said not immediately
> and that is why she scheduled my next appointment in six weeks.
>
> First thing that's happening is my allergies, which are one of the two
> problems most driving me bats, are instantly much worse. Not sure I'm going
> to survive no six weeks. Not doing wonders for my temperature levels or
> my mood either.
>
> Is this strategy at all likely to work, and how much time should I give it?
>
> Yours,
> Dora
>
> --
> Yours,
> Dora Smith
> Austin, TX
> tiggernu...@yahoo.com


hi dora,

i'm new to this group, but just wanted to share my brief attempt at
stabilizing my hormones.
i'm 43 & have had horrible perimenopausal symptoms &my usual pms &
painful periods are much worse. my ob/gyn kept saying that there's no
reason to suffer & that the least risky treatment option was to try
low dose oral contraceptives. since i had used ocs in my 20s & 30s
without problems, i thought i'd try it. so in november i tried yaz &
lasted maybe 5 days. it was like having the psychotic flu, starting
with nausea & anxiety, & progressing to severe episodes of hot/cold,
severe achiness, crying for no reason, & finally, being almost
suicidal. on the last day, i was huddled under a blanket trying to
shut out all stimulation while trying to assure myself that this
insanely dark mood would resolve once i stopped the yaz (which it
did). if i ever minimized the power of hormones, i never will again.
the doctor & staff claimed to have never heard of these reactions, but
you'll find similar stories of these types of side effects on other
websites. it seems to me that even if such experiences are uncommon
( & suspect that they are not), that the possibilities should be
discussed. is your physician able to give you a reasonable timeline
for treatment effectiveness? i just wonder if anyone really knows
since there is such a highly individualized component to these
transitions.

good luck.

ellen