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I had a bad experience with bioidentical hormones. What information can you give me on this topic?

By Anonymous December 2, 2008 - 9:03am
 
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I ended up in the hospital with severe panic attacks and delusional thoughts after being given too little estrogen and way too much progesterone by an N. D. here in the valley. I have had a full hysterectomy and was told by three other doctors that I never should have been given the progesterone. This episode caused a chain reaction in which I was then put on too high of a dose of Lexapro and many other anti-anxiety drugs for the next two years. All of the side effects made me feel horribly worse and I ended up being weened off of everything except some Adivan. I feel better now, but still not right.

I need some help with my hormones, but don't know who to get it from or who to trust. Any info that you have would be helpful.

Thanks, Debbie O'Donnell

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EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

I have had my second pellet inserted and am done. I had PMS type symptoms after the first insertion, but then felt pretty good for the rest of the time. More energy etc... It was hard to determine the source as my thyroid meds changed at the same time. After the 2nd insertion, I had cramping and PMS type symptoms for 4-5 weeks. I am bloated and tired. I talked to the practitioner about it and got a shrug. My testosterone is a whopping 195. I pluck dark hairs from my moustache area daily. I can't wait for this stuff to wear off. I have other friends using bioidenticals that are not pellets. I may consider them in the future, but am giving my body some time to stabilize again.

November 6, 2018 - 7:42am
HERWriter Guide (reply to Anonymous)

Thank you for sharing your experiences, Anon. The more we know - from all sides - the better.
Best,
Susan

November 6, 2018 - 3:52pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

I have only testosterone in my pellets and have felt amazing since the first time I got them. Two days in I started sleeping through the night solid. Two weeks in I have more energy, a super high sex drive, no more vaginal dryness. My skin looks better. My dr said (and proved with a blood test) when you raise the testosterone level estrogen also raises naturally so I’m not sure why people are getting estrogen put into their pellets as well but I wonder if that is the problem people are experiencing. I just had my fourth insertion so nine months on them and have more muscle than I have ever been able to have in my life even though I always work out. I think it may be like anything else, that you really need to research who you go to. I watched my friend go through a nightmare because she wanted to go to the place she gets Botox and they had her on progesterone cream, estrogen & testosterone in her pellets in a way to low dose of testosterone and she was an emotional wreck while they kept having her come back in to add more of this or that while my lrovider just guessed the right dose on the first try. My friends dr told her the amount I got was way to much, but they slowly raised her up to that amount anyhow so it would have saved her 6 months of bullshit and feeling like a train wreck if she had just gone to the woman I go to and had the higher dose of just testosterone in the first place. Find someone by referral, that is the best way to find providers for these types of services.

July 25, 2018 - 8:51pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

I too had very extreme anxiety, pounding racing heart, very strange negative thoughts, a feeling like I wanted to jump out of my skin, and sleeplessness. (not my normal personality). It was bio identical progesterone that caused it. My MD said to take magnesium with the progesterone but that did not help. It got worse. I just quit the hormones. Why don't our doctors warn us that this can happen?

May 23, 2018 - 10:00pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

The bio identical hormone replacement theraphy also gave me anxiety and panick attacks. After the first dose weaned out the doctor put less testosterone in the second dose. They still gave me anxiety. I don’t think I will be taking them again.

March 22, 2018 - 3:50am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

I used bionatural oestrogen cream and Progesterone Troche for 3 weeks then had hives and welts develop on many parts of my body plus extreme itching, fast heartbeats and an overall feeling of being very hot. I stopped the hormones immediately. The doctor wants to start them again in a week, on a lower dose, but I am definitely not using them again. I might add, they had helped with the menopausal symptoms I was experiencing.

November 15, 2017 - 2:34am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

A doctor implanted a testosterone pellet three weeks ago in me and 2 days later I started to feel lots of widespread pain and constant nausea and even diarrhea. Those last two are super rare in life for me. I've discovered via having an mthfr expert go thru my 23andme results and other biochemical tests than my detox pathways for hormones are not functioning. Once hormones are used by the body their leftover metabolite forms are "trash" and need to be escorted out of the body but my body wasn't doing that via the glucuronidation pathway and one other. In part because of a genetic SNP at CYP1b1. Shawn bean is a brilliant guy and one of a half dozen people I've seen in is who can cull thru medical tests and genetic results and figure these complex biochemically driven things out. And he recommends protocols to fix these issues. Meanwhile I am feeling blessed as an amazing surgeon in Maryland ( just outside D.C. ) removed my pellet today without pain and hassle. It was tough as it was one inch down. Don't ever try this he said without ultrasound guidance thru entire operation! Many surgeons just use ultrasound before the operation but he said he really really needed it thru the whole thing. I've heard horror stories so I went to the best surgeon I could find!! It paid off. Dr Thomas Zorc in chevy chase Maryland.

August 29, 2017 - 6:23pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to Anonymous)

I have the same mutations (x2) of the mthfr. I am Bioidentical HRT (all 4 hormones) for 6 months now and feel worse than before I started. Mine are compounded all together in one cream. Did you stop the HRT all together based on the mthfr issues or are you still on them? Any advice is greatly appreciated. I. 54 yrs old with total hysterectomy 6 years ago.

January 27, 2019 - 1:45pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

I have been on HRT for about 4 weeks now. I honestly do not feel good at all.
I am experiencing mild depression and moodiness. Things bother me more.
I really felt better before starting all this. I am 62 years old.
I think I am going to quit completely.

July 23, 2017 - 4:57pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to Anonymous)

I had it done and am done with it, with the high out of pocket cost of it: didn't make any difference whatsoever on making me feel any better.. I think it is a waste of money and personally there has nothing been proven to what is in the pellets and if they aren't approved for FDA then that is a statement right there . Atleast with the capsules or meds you can regulate the dosage.. Waste of money is how I see it.. I think the doctors get a kick back on pushing it to the patient is reason they are so sold on it. It isn't about health or making you feel better. nothing has been proven per what the doctor tells you on the pros of it.

February 4, 2018 - 9:47pm
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