Do you stop HRT when you get sick?

[Sarra]

I've stopped taking my HRT temporarily until I'm better. I'm taking various different drugs right now to function, my stomach just won't tolerate taking 6 pills a night and 4 in the morning. >_< I stopped my bipolar meds as well, as I believe they contributed to me getting sick in the first place.

I used up 2 entire boxes of kleenexes today.

[Wing Walker]

I've stopped taking my HRT temporarily until I'm better. I'm taking various different drugs right now to function, my stomach just won't tolerate taking 6 pills a night and 4 in the morning. >_< I stopped my bipolar meds as well, as I believe they contributed to me getting sick in the first place.

I used up 2 entire boxes of kleenexes today.

I take it that you are ill with something that has made your stomach sick? 

There is no penalty for stopping your HRT meds for a day or two.  They are residual in the body but the more often you stop taking them, the slower or less profound your results ***might*** be.

As for your bipolar meds, please do be careful. 

You might want to take your meds with room temp ginger ale or Coca Cola (the kind with sugar) and split them into smaller doses?

I hope that you feel well soon.

Wing Walker

[Butterfly]

Not quite.  HRT is an ongoing process and it must be continued unless its use compromises your health (blood clots, HBP, pulmonary embolism, etc).  Regular illnesses like the flu, stomach infection, tiredness are not reason to stop HRT.  Talk to your specialist.

[Keira]

Do women stop having estrogen in their system and being women because they're sick?
Sounds bizarre does it, well that's why you don't stop HRT when your sick
unless you've got some kind of DVT related ilness (then they'll stop it until
they get that under control, there are medication that works for that) or
SEVERE liver ilness (in that case, you'd have much worse thing to think about than
stopping HRT).

IF its a stomach issue
why not use patches or injections (though some people are squemish about the later).

[Sarra]

Yeah, it doesn't help if I take my meds then I vomit up all of the pills I just took. I find there to be less of a chance of that happening when my stomach is upset if I reduce the amount and number of pills I take in a given day. =\ It also seems to make my meds more effecting at clearing up whatever illness I have.

I had an ulcer problem for a while, I'm sure this is somehow related to it. And, I had to go off my long term used bipolar meds a few weeks ago anyway due to increasing side effects. The new stuff is really terrible on my digestive tract, they make me very ill and unable to work. >_< I've been doing okay off my bipolar stuff, I just had to give my credit cards and debit cards to a friend (I really trust her, they're in a lock box) until I'm back on the wagon.

[IsabelleStPierre]

Greetings,

Unless my pill are what is causing me to be sick, that is the only time I would stop taking my pills. Even if I knew I was going to die today...I would still take my pills!

The best person to ask this of is your doctor. There are a few time that they suggest stopping your HRT, usually before major surgery. Not sure that stopping them really has any affect or not; fluctuations in your estrogen levels can really affect your mood!

Peace and love,
Isabelle St-Pierre

[LynnER]

I grow exceedingly ill when I stop HRT for any period of time exceeding a week or two. <Im on overlaping injectables so it takes a while to feel the drop>  I dont know why it happens exactly, but my symptoms when I stop seem to be far worse than any Ive heard of from anyone else...  I know that most people suffer more mild effects when stopping and still wouldnt wish that on anyone...

If your having troubble with orals for any major reason and its going to last <you think> look into dermal patches or injectables... they do afterall bypass the stomach 

Really hope you feel better soon

* LynnER huggles

take care

[Sarra]

Actually, IIRC, when you get sick, your natural hormone levels drop, especially with fever. The body redirects energy to fighting the illness, plus high temps shut down the gonads (GG's have menstrual irregularities when they're sick, and everyone loses libido).

I think that androgens can boost the immune system too...

But yeah, I want to switch over to sub-dermal, but I want an orchie first.