10 WAYS TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE ‘ESTROGEN ISSUES’

1. Everyone around you has an attitude problem.
2. You’re adding chocolate chips to your cheese omelette.
3. The dryer has shrunk every last pair of your jeans.
4. Your husband is suddenly agreeing to everything you say.
5. You have the air conditioner on high and are sweating while everyone else is wearing a jacket.
6. Everyone’s head looks like an invitation to batting practice.
7. Everyone seems to have just landed here from ‘outer space.’
9. You’re sure that everyone is scheming to drive you crazy.
10. The ibuprofen bottle is empty and you bought it yesterday.

 On that little note :)   I finally went and saw a doctor, a real OBGYN, not my family doctor.  No bad against my family doc but he is a he and he is not an OBGYN.  Now why in hell I put it off as long as I did, I will never understand especially when I came out of that appointment educated, listened to and involved.  How simple is that?

I went and saw one of the female OBGYNs that work here and who I really like.  I told her about the problems I am having and about being on premarin.  Here is what we talked about and it really is a no brainer:

1.  hormones doses are NOT a one dose fits all.  And it seems that the entire female population that is on Premarin is on 0.625mg once a day.  Not all woman are alike so why should their hormone needs be alike??  

2.  lots of options besides Premarin and they are not animal products, but are bioidentical which means they are like what WE humans produce.

3.  Woman also make testosterone not just estrogen, so when we have no ovaries we don’t make either, so why do doctors just put us on estrogen?

3.  The first dose of hormones that a doctor puts you on is just a trial.  It takes testing and tweeking to find the dose that FITS YOU.

4.  Just having a hormone level that is ADEQUATE FOR YOUR AGE, is not appropriate.  It is good to have a hormone level that is healthy as it was before you were post menopausal….OR MY AGE!

5. Men will NEVER understand even if they are men doctors.

So she started me on Divogel at triple the dose of the Premarin I was taking.  I used the gel once a day.  I am also on low dose testosterone cream once a day.  And progesterone cream for 6 days a month only.  This is what I have noticed already………..I have some breast tissue again, not just two tube socks hanging on my chest.  My hair is no longer falling out in hand fulls.  I have not had a hot flash or night sweats since Monday. 

What I have not noticed yet is an increase in my libido, an improvement in my irritablility or moods, or improved insomnia.  She said that can take a while, so we are to give it 3 weeks on the same dose before we start to tweek it.

But bottom line is that I am feeling better.  And I have faith that she will help me find what is right for me.  Finally after 6 years of doing the Premarin battle, there is hope. 

So if anyone out there is on Premarin and doesn’t feel it is working for them or you are worried about the problems associated with Premarin, see a OBGYN and talk about biodentical hormones.  And if they won’t talk to you or listen to you, go to another one until you find one that will listen and talk.  Trust me it is so worth it.  No one should have to live in hormone hell…ever.

AND, she also told me that Premarin cause weight gain especially in the stomach area!!!!!    WTF, I thought it was the chocolate chip cookies :)