changing meds

[Laurie K]

Seen endo last week amd my hormone numbers are stalled.... not sure of measurment but in canada it is metric. testostorone is 7.5 and estrogen is 175, it has not changed in 3 months. Currently i am on promitrium and estrogel.   When current script of promitrium is done he would like me to switch to provera,he said it promotes breast growth. All I could find on provera is severe depression and no breast enhancement. Also I thinking of changing delivery of estrogen, would like patch ,but if abosrbtion is poor on gel maybe that is not for me . My endo wont prescribe injections  as he says it leads  to abuse.  So only other option is the pill, liver and blood clots area concern.  If you have any personal experience let me know, I know we all are different. Some input may help thanx .

[JLT1]

Hi,

I had adsorption problems with the gel.  Patch works much better.  Just clean the area with rubbing alcohol and let dry before you put a new one on and clean the area after you pull it off with rubbing alcohol to remove any residual adhesive. 

I like the patches.

Hugs

Jen

[KayXo]

testostorone is 7.5 and estrogen is 175

T too high, E seems a little too low even in the beginning. T is nmol/L. E is in pmol/L.

When current script of promitrium is done he would like me to switch to provera

Bad idea. It can indeed cause depression and other mood problems in some, is slightly androgenic, is harmful to vasculature, can increase the risk of blood clots and the risk of breast cancer. Prometrium (bio-identical progesterone) does none of these things and can have anti-depressant effects. This is all based on several studies which I can provide if you wish. The only advantage to it (which is not worth it as there are alternatives) is that it will bring down T levels to a much greater degree than Prometrium.

he said it promotes breast growth.

So does Prometrium. LOL.

Also I thinking of changing delivery of estrogen, would like patch ,but if abosrbtion is poor on gel maybe that is not for me

Both are transdermal so absorption would be the same.

My endo wont prescribe injections  as he says it leads  to abuse.

An endo that doesn't trust his patients is NOT a good sign. That is insulting, if you ask me. Each case, each patient should be treated independently. Distrust and suspicion is not conducive to a healthy and good relationship.

So only other option is the pill, liver and blood clots area concern.

Bio-identical estradiol in pills (can be taken sublingually as well) is quite safe and studies in transsexual women have shown it be quite safe as well, even in higher doses. It behaves differently than other forms of estrogen like ethinyl estradiol and conjugated equine estrogens because, being native to the body, it is quickly metabolized in the body, does not goes through the portal vein again and again, triggering estrogen receptors to increase clotting. As far as I know, there is not oone single study showing liver damage from intake of bio-identical estradiol, this might have been the cases with older forms of estrogen. Your doctor seems old school and not well-informed, I'm afraid and you are paying the price.

You might inquire into a low dose of cyproterone acetate (Androcur) to reduce T further, take more E by gel, ask for spironolactone but that may not be for everyone as it messes with electrolytes and reduces blood pressure or there is also bicalutamide (Casodex) which blocks T (say no to flutamide if he proposes, hepatotoxic)

I'm from Canada as well. I'm on injections and Prometrium. I'm post-op.

[Tamika Olivia]

I'm moving from patches to gel. As a delivery method patches have a lot to recommend. They don't tax the memory, give steady estrogen, and are very little mess.

Unfortunately, I've found them to be very hard on my skin. By the end of a cycle the skin under and around the patches is raw and flaky. I also have a bear of a time keeping them on. By the end of the week one or both of them is duct taped on.

Maybe you won't have these problems, my skin has always been super sensitive...

[jenifer356]

tamika - sounds like You are on the 1/week patches - huge things that fall off when you sneeze and leave big nasty red rashes if/when they do stay on - i hated them - switched to vivelle patches 18 months ago and love them - they are 2/week, about 1/5 the size of the weekly and i have never had a problem with them staying on - some people have mentioned rashes with them also but i have not had any problems with them - about 6 months ago the company started packaging them as generics (same facility but packaged as a subsidiary company) so they are cheaper than they were but still a little pricier than the 1/week

good luck!

be well
jenifer

[Laurie K]

Thanx fo all the good info.... I am also on spiro and have had no issues with that, Kay I have resorted to try the progesterone and monitor to see what happens, if it gets outa hand I will go back to prmitrium ...

[KayXo]

Kay I have resorted to try the progesterone and monitor to see what happens, if it gets outa hand I will go back to prmitrium ...

Why take it at all when there is an equally effective progestogen that is BIO-IDENTICAL with much less health risks? What you are taking is not progesterone but a PROGESTIN called medroxyprogesterone acetate. It can increase clotting risk which is rarely, if at all, monitored by doctors and can be deadly, increase the risk of cardiovascular complications over time, the risk of breast cancer although less likely in our population...so why subject yourself to these when you don't have to, at all? What are the benefits of this progestin vs. Prometrium, if any?