# Can HRT's make you CRAZY?????



## Tlyon (Feb 20, 2001)

My doctor put me on estradiol tablets, 1.5 mg to try to resolve two large cysts on my left ovary, and 4 small one on my right. I have taken them for about a month, and will go back to the doctor for another ultra sound on the 22nd of this month to see how things are going. My question is...can HRT make you a crazy person? When I first started taking them, I felt great, or maybe I just thought I did? Now everything sets me off. I am overly emotional. Either a commerical can make me cry, or I am a complete ######! I had to refill my prescription, (Doc gave me the first 30 days, and wrote the script so it could be filed at the pharmacy to fill when the other ran out) and they told me that it was not 1.5 mg.'s it is 1. Will the fact that it is a lower dosage help?


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## careena (Nov 3, 2001)

I've read tons and tons of stuff lately about menopause, perimenopause and drugs that help with these issues. You are correct in your assumption that they can mess with your mind. It's amazing how much these hormones can effect your mind. In a basic sense, they can cause you to have PMS symptoms such as mood swings, bloating etc. Pretty much any PMS symptom. Lowering the dose might help considerably. There are lots of good sites on the net about HRT drugs. Give them a look. It is a pain to find just the right combination of drugs that have the least side effects. Keep working with the doctor and don't be afraid to speak up. Good luck to you. I hope you get your issues resolved.


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## zigmissus (May 19, 1999)

I have done some research on this subject (I've suffered cysts and one tumor in the past), and, from what I've read, hormones DON'T resolve cysts. They can prevent new ones from occurring (by stopping ovulation), but they don't magically make existing ones disappear. The cysts may well go away on their own, though, which, of course, the dr. will attribute to the treatment.Did you have your hormones tested before going on the HRT? If you don't need it, it could be bad for you. At least BC pills are supposed to suppress your own hormones and replace them with a measured dose, but HRT doesn't do that. Between the HRT and your own hormones, you could be getting double what you need. That would definitely cause killer PMS.


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## Linda mac (Feb 24, 2002)

I don't know about the cysts, etc., but when I first started having hot flashes the Dr. put me on HRT. It was awful. I almost bled to death. I wasn't having hot flashes and sweats any more but I was so anaemic from the heavy bleeds that I was exhausted all the time. I stopped taking them and went the "natural" way which helped a lot.During the time that I was on HRT I cried at the drop of a hat, had terrible mood swings and awful dreams...Yuk, never again!Luilu


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## Tlyon (Feb 20, 2001)

Thanks everyone for your reponses. You have given me a lot to think about. The last couple of days I haven't been as moody, thats a blessing. No, no one tested to find out where my hormone levels were, and I feel just plain stupid that I didn't even think about asking them to. If the HRT's don't get rid of the cysts, then I would rather not take them. Ziglady, where did you read (or hear) about this? I hate to hear this, I was really hoping they would help. I am glad that you all are here to help out, thanks. Oh, and Happy Mother's Day!!!


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## HipJan (Apr 9, 1999)

I agree that the estrogen could be too much for you, causing symptoms of estrogen dominance instead of hormonal balance. Maybe the doc could try BCPs instead of HRT? If you felt like going the "alternative" route (but still tell your doctor), you could try using some progesterone cream and possibly something called Vitex (chaste tree berry). A little pro. cream won't hurt you but could provide at least a little relief and balance. Again, though, I don't know that it will shrink your current cysts. I had a problem with small cysts, and the cream at least seemed to relieve some of the discomfort.


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## zigmissus (May 19, 1999)

Tlyon, I know this disagrees with traditional medical thinking, but I got it from "A Gynecologist's Second Opinion," by William H. Parker, MD. He writes, " If you have recurrent functional cysts (follicular or corpus luteum), you may want to consider preventing the formation of new cysts, especially if they cause you pain. Since functional ovarian cysts are related to the process of ovulation, anything that stops the development of a new egg will decrease the likelikhood of cyst formation. Birth control pills prevent pregnancy by preventing both the development of an egg and ovulation; therefore, they are an excellent way to reduce the risk of forming follicular and corpus luteum cysts, although they will not make an already formed cyst go away."I bought this book from Amazon.com right before my surgery, and it was really helpful and reassuring. There's lots of good info about fibroids, cysts, bladder problems, ovarian cancer and hysterectomy.Hope you had a good Mother's Day, too!


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## Wes and Tracy (Apr 14, 1999)

Hipjan's right, A natural progesterone cream will help with fibroids and cysts. Estrogen can be very dangerous, but it's an easy medication to offer patients and it's good for the insurance companies. They can't prescribe pure estrogen while you have your uterus because it's cancer causing and it's been proven, so the normal advice is to get a hysterectomy and then offer you pure estrogen. Can HRT's make you crazy, yep, sure can. You and everyone around you. The balance between Estrogen and Progesterone and the other cholesterol based hormones is tricky. Most woman I believe have an Estrogen dominance. Where does it come from? Well, when you factor in that all pesticides that are sprayed on crops contain estrogen, all the food supplements feed to cows and chickens contain estrogens, all plastics contain (and emit) estrogens, our lawn fertalizer, make up products, and most dairy contain estrogen I think you can see that added to the production already occuring in the body you can see where it comes from. This is why it's much more common for a young girl to hit puberty much earlier then she did 40 years ago. It's not uncommon for signs to start at age 5. You can balance the dominance with a natural progesterone cream and some dietary changes, multi vitamin and mild exercise.There's a very good book out there called "What your doctor may NOT tell you about pre-menopause"I recommend it, it's really helped us to understand where and why Tracy has endometriosis.Wes


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## Tlyon (Feb 20, 2001)

Wes, and everyone else, thank you for all the information. I will be armed and dangerous when I go to my Gyn on Thursday!







You may have helped me more than you know. I hate feeling like this, and if I could leave me I would. Getting old sucks. Thank God I have a wonderful husband who believed in his marriage vows, for better or for worse! Again thank you Wes, for coming over here from the MP and giving me the info. I will also go out this week and buy the book that you recommended. It is sort of funny, when you are young you are told what to expect when you hit puberty, but no one really talks about menopause, which to me is MORE confusing.


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