Surgical Menopause?

[Sheila6830]

I am in surgical menopause due to a total hysterectomy in 2006. I have tried a few differnt forms of estrogen.

Has anyone noticed any particular form of estrogen helping them more with their IC? Right now I am frustrated with the patch and am thinking of going back to the estradiol pill, plus the estrace cream (it seems like the vaginal cream hurts a little though).

I have heard from so many docs how bad the estradiol pill is on the liver, which is why I switched to the patch. But, I don't think I am getting a consistant amount of estrogen.

With all the other meds I take for allergies, asthma and IC, is the estradiol pill really that bad? I was on birth control pills for years and I never once heard a doctor tell me how bad it was on my liver?

Also - do you notice your bladder hurting you more when you are low on estrogen?

[Want2BPainFree]

If Estrace bothers you, ask your doctor for VagiFem. It is a small tablet. For the outside skin if you vvs, you can get some estrogen compounded in a neutral base. I get mine in petroleum jelly and use it everyday.

I noticed a great improvement in my IC symptoms of urgency/frequency after starting estrogen, and I noticed a great improvement in moisture as I have atrophic vaginitis even though I'm not in menopause.

I think if you try it vaginally, it might be better because it won't be metabolized by your liver. Then if you also need to supplement with estrogen for other reasons, you can take a low dose estrogen.

Some doctors don't have the updated information about estrogen and cancer. It has been proven that the original links between the two were previously overstated.

[NancyB]

Dear Sheila -

I am one whose IC is fine as long as my estrogen level is good. I used to be on the patch, but I stopped absorbing it after about 13 years and so went to the estradiol pills. I was sensitive to the blue dye in some of them, so I got the pills from another pharmacy that had pink ones and have had no trouble with them. They are made by Mylan and any pharmacy can get them for you. This year I turned 60 and started having some minor bladder issues again and had to get some vaginal estrogen to supplement the oral pills. I tried Vagifem, Estring and Estradiol cream that I had compounded for me. All three of those gave me vaginal and abdominal pain. The pharmacist said it was the estradiol in those products that was probably causing the problem. So, he recommended compounded Estriol vaginal cream 1 mg/gm in a hypoallergenic cream base. Estriol is a weaker form of estrogen produced by the body. I now use 1 gm of that 3 times per week with no problems along with the estradiol pills and am also in the process of reducing the dosage of pills to see how little I can get away with before I start getting hot flashes, etc. If you don't have a compounding pharmacy in your town, you can order from the Women's International Pharmacy.

Hope this is helpful to you.

NancyB

[BrittanysDance]

I had a total hysto (everything is gone including ovaries) at the age of 30 and went into menopause immediately due to it (I'm now into my 40's) and began on Climara - didnt work. Went to another patch (vivelle dot I believe), didnt work - then onto Premarin. Ealier this year my new gyno decided to switch me to a compounded estrogen/progesterone pill and I had the WORST reaction (broke out in a wicked rash everywhere and triggered my migraines) so thats out. Back to Premarin .625 once a day. No problems with it so far although we've played with the dosages due to my having osteopenia at 1 year after my hysto - and now osteoporosis...(went from .3 to .625 and back down again on Premarin - now back up again along with supplements of Viactive and other calcium, Vit D, K, and C).

[amaranthe]

I use Estrogel. It says on the bottle "EstroGel .06% (estradiol gel)" It is a clear gel that you apply from wrist to shoulder. I use one pump of gel on each arm at bedtime. It dries in about 3-4 minutes. It is the only HRT I have every used. My Dr. put me on this the day of my hysterectomy, and I have never had any problems with it or with menopausal symptoms. It has never bothered my IC.

I hope that you and your Dr. find something that works well for you soon.

[SandyRN]

I just had a total hyster on Sept 12 of this year and am one 0.1mg if Vivelle Dot Patch (the highest dose) and love it. I've had one or two hot flashes and seem to be doing ok in that department. The rest of me is falling apart though. Don't know if you've tried it and had problems with it sticking or what, but I use a bandage called tegaderm over my patch and it keeps it on til time to change it. Having it stay put was the only problem I was having.

Sandy