Posted 2/17/2015 12:35 AM (GMT 0)
If you do HRT - do the bio-identical hormone replacement.
Before my diagnosis, several Dr's were telling me that it was the cause of all my symptoms. My estrogen was very low, but the standard test didn't test my progesterone. I did some research and found out that even though your estrogen drops when you are in peri-menopause stage of life, your progesterone drops even more...and we should actually be supplementing with progesterone only - to remedy the estrogen dominance issue. And only in some cases, does it warrant estrogen supplements along with it.
But, I went on a trial of the estrogel brand coupled with prometrium (the estrogel was a transdermal delivery -supposed to be bio-identical but the prometrium was not).
I gave it 6-8 weeks...starting very low (1/4 dose)...and that's actually when my symptoms exploded. That is when I got the nervous system vibrations. On the advice of two Dr's, I kept increasing to full dose...but I just kept getting worse.
So, I stopped taking it.
Several months later, ND talked me into trying the progesterone cream (supposedly bio-identical) on it's own...which I did for two months hoping to irradicate my hot flashes. It didn't help.
So, if you do go on it, make sure it's the "bio-identical" estrogen and progesterone.
It worked for Suzanne Somers...lol
When I look back on my symptom history....it doesn't really make sense that I needed those hormones replaced. I was in peri-menopause for two years prior to my 'crash'. I had never had 'hormonal' issues - no pms, no post-partum, and no symptoms during the peri-menopause....until I had my radiculopathy - which at the time was diagnosed as a pinched nerve in my neck. But, now have realized it was most likely the start of lyme disease. Within a few weeks of the radiculopathy, I started to have what the Dr.s thought was peri-menopause hormonal issues. My LLND thinks that the symptoms were actually lyme disease.
And, since lyme treatment, my 'mood' issues have resolved. They did not resolve with the hormone replacement. I still have the hot flashes, but my LLND thinks they may be a combination of things - adrenals, estro, proges, and I have read that they hypothalamus plays a part. So, maybe if I have lyme in my brain, it is wreaking havoc with the hypothalamus.
It's all so complicated to figure out!