Thank you Michelle for your story in Paradise Mag. I like you have been tearing my hair out wondering what is going on with me. I finally put my foot down and demanded answers. I am 49 yrs old and was just told I am in menopause! I am reseaching the product SottoPelle the Bio Equivalent Hormonal Replacement Therapy. If anyone has some insite to the use of SottoPelle I would love to hear about it.Thank you Barbara
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I am 58 and I know when I am running low because I get the aches and pains you are referring to. I think our hormones do more than just keep us in balance but affect our whole system. The progesterone if you read the pamphlet from your pharmacy has side effects as break through bleeding and spotting especially I found when the dosage is too low, (but then I have the side effect of being too tired). The other it can give you periods again because if you have a uterus it builds up to be shred. Also one other side effect can be yeast infections. You may need a prescription dose that is higher than over the counter yeast medicines. Your doctor can prescribe 4 % Terazol. The store bought ones are usually 2% taken every night as a cream for 7 days. Sometimes it takes having to repeat it for another 7 days to get rid of it. You should also take acidophilus for the good bacteria and avoid too much sugar and starches that the yeast live off of. A yeast free diet can help. When you are doing hormones it is hard to get them to be precise for your body and they can only get them as close as a certain pellet dosage. Good luck! Jan
May 19, 2010 - 11:23amThis Comment
I am 72 years old and before my first implant had all over pain. My legs, arms and upper chest would ache like crazy. I went to 3 different doctors and had every scan, test, therapy that was available. Finally, one doctor said I had Fibromyalgia. BS... when all else fails put it in the Fibromyalgia Bucket.
On one of my therapy visits I came across 3 ladies who were all over 50 and they advised me how the Soto Pelle implants changed their lives. Said they felt 30 again. I didnt care about that I just want to not hurt.
So, I went for my first implant in January of 09. Dont know what the dosage was but after about 8 days my pain was GONE !!!
My constipation was GONE, Vaginal Dryness was GONE, and i slept without taking sleeping pills WOW I was feeling stronger and could open bottles without asking hubby to do it. AND... my husband loves this part. I have the Libido of a 20 year old boy. Cant get enough of sex, and I am also starting to watch porn by myself (LOL)
They may have to lock me up.
Then because I started to feel a bit of the old pain back (not much) and there was no way i was going to go back to my old self, in July of 09 i went for another dose. Felt great but noticed some bleeding now and then. I told the Dr. I thought it was because of the progesterin. He didnt think that the progesterin could cause it, so we ignored the problem.
In January of 2010 I went for another treatment and this where all the trouble started. It all started with vaginal itching that drove me crazy. Constant usage of drugstore Vaginal infection creams.
Then I got a period each month in March and April that lasted 6-7 days each. Went to my Gyno and they did the interuterine biopsy and a ultra sound. All came out negative
I quit the progesterin because I still think that is the problem. So far no period. However, I still have terrible vaginal itch and cannot get rid of it.
Havent called the doctor who implanted the Soto Pelle Pellets but plan to make an appt. with him when I get back in his area.
If I have to live with the vaginal itching I will still get the pellets because I have NEVER felt this good and I can once again live. Its not the quantity of years its the quality.
May 18, 2010 - 11:56amThis Comment
I still have my uterus and I am concerned about what side effects I might have as a result. My libido is alive and well! My problem is bleeding with sex. I don't think it matters to my husband but it is driving me crazy. From the comments that I've seen most women have had hysterectomies so I wanted to get info from someone who still has their uterus and what experience you've had with the implant.
April 21, 2010 - 6:50amThanks!
Bleeding Heart
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I still have my uterus so what I can tell you about the bleeding problem may lie with either the progesterone is not high enough which I found to be a problem when I complained that 200 mg was too high taken from my 15 - 25 day because of the extreme fatigue. When I lowered it this past month to 50 mg in the morning and 100 mg at night I had spotting a few days before my placebo week. So I guess I need a higher dose. I was just at my gyn for my well care and had a pap test and everything was normal then so I assume the bleeding was a progesterone problem. Or your thinning out down there from lack of estrogen and need more hormones. A blood test can show that as well. Otherwise a visit to your gyn might be in order to make sure nothing else is happening. Good luck! Jan
April 21, 2010 - 11:34amThis Comment
I'm a 52 yr old male and had the pellets inserted twice. I'm replying to warn you about using the pellets. I had them inserted for a second time and developed a staph infection within 36 hours. It abscess within 48 hours. I was hospitalized for 4 days, had surgery and spent the next 2 months with home health care every other day and going to a wound care clinic weekly. Very painful.
After $12,000 (after insurance) in medical bills and a hole in my hip, Dr. Tutera's response was "infections are always a possibility".
I have since discovered that the pellets are made in a compound pharmacy and there is no way to make the pellets sterile.
After the way Sottopelle treated me, buyer beware.
March 19, 2010 - 7:32pmThis Comment
Wow, I've had the pellets for a few years and feel fantastic! After reading your note, i called the office and asked them about the pellets being sterile. They told me that the pellets come in sterile vials, even wrapped in tape so if it had been tampered with they wouldn't use them. So not sure where you got your info from... Could it be post op care? I havent had any issues with mine at all... I LOVE LOVE LOVE Sottopelle! Sorry to hear that you had problems.
March 30, 2010 - 2:30pmThis Comment
I figured as much myself, they arent going to risk lawsuits, and malpractice by not following safe medical practices. It is very very true, that when ever anyone has any kind of proceedure, there is always a risk of infection, or side effect, they cannot control everything 100% of the time. That is with any medical proceedure. By reading all of these posts, it looks like the pellets seem to be working better for those who have had hyterectomies ??? Course I"m sure there are thousands more that we are not hearing from that have had this done. Like any medical proceedure, they will probably be
April 7, 2012 - 9:32pmmaking it better, or tweaking it, [ I would hope] as they learn more & more. I for one am glad they are finally at least working on womens hormonal issues, at least getting more knowledge and more options.
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I too felt great. Spoken to 2 different HRT's and an attorney with malpractice experience. All three have raised issues with the process.
Regarding post op care, the day of insertion I laid on the couch with an ice pack. The next day, ice pack as well. There was no bleeding or oozing or disruption to the bandage.
The documents you sign before your insertion warn of infection and possible death. The reason I'm posting my experience is not to say the pellets don't work...they did for me. I'm posting to say that infection is a real possibility. Some have raised questions on the sterile environment during the manufacturing process, and the ability to maintain a sterile process during insertion. This is why many HRT's won't do insertions.
With MRSA being very prevalent (they thought I had MRSA), the doctor's warning of infection complications, buyer beware. It's not pretty.
March 31, 2010 - 4:15pmThis Comment
what state did you have this treatment in? I am seeing a dr. this weekend and am hopeful this will help me. I have friends who have had the Sottopelle treatment and it has changed their life in a positive way.
March 23, 2010 - 11:19amThis Comment
I'm curious...from the women who have suffered from hormonal MIGRAINES and have found relief, what dose of estrogen pellets were you given? I'm 42 and have been suffering from chronic/daily migraines for over a yr now. While I have gotten some periods of relief it never lasts long. This latest bout started in Oct and continued thru Feb. The docs I'm working with have prescribed Estrogen patches for me but insist I'm E dominant and have had me on anything from 200mg -800mgs prometrium a day. About a month ago I decided to Heck with their E dominant theory and stopped the Prometrium and Finally felt some relief, but I'm thinking that the E patches are konking out on me either by getting damp from showering or giving me fluctuations when I change them....I am beyond putting up with this. I have an appt with a clinic who uses the pellets and really want them to listen to me and not be afraid to give me as much Estrogen as I need! I have spent so much time and money with various docs who are just not listening to me!
Thanks!
March 17, 2010 - 9:14pmThis Comment