Not absorbing estradiol
Hi all,
I am 39 and have been on HRT since 05/24 (started at a lower dose and increased over time) + 100 mg nightly progesterone.
I recently switched from my .1 mg patch that wasn't absorbing (my levels went down to 54 and I was having breakthrough symptoms) to a 1 mg divigel generic. I applied last night at 10 pm and tested today at 11 am. I still am having some symptoms, but figured it'd be higher than 54 because I've been losing a bit of weight easier (as if that's the only litmus test lol).
Well...I get my tests today. FSH is up to 26, LH is 19.5, and estradiol is <10!!! This was shocking to me and now hindsight, I have been waking up hot despite my AC being on nightly and my room being cold, waking often, having awful foot pain when I walk, and had a DEXA and lost muscle and gained visceral fat despite being active and prioritizing protein.
Has anyone experienced this? I suspect I need a higher dose and maybe I need two delivery systems (patch plus gel or mist), but I wanted to avoid OCPs and oral estradiol at this time unless nothing else works. I am just so defeated as I've been dealing with the HRT journey for a while and this just scares me tbh.
Any input is appreciated, thanks!