Heidi Rae Coaching - My HRT Side Effects

Beauties,

I have now been wearing an Estradiol patch for 11 days. I switch, again, tomorrow.

The pros, for me, far outweigh the cons! But, there are a couple of things that I am experiencing. I want to be completely transparent with my journey through menopause and hormone replacement therapy!

First of all, my doctor was very honest with me regarding my HRT. He started me with a lower dose, knowing that we can increase it if necessary. I feel like it's a great dose for me. There are some known side effects when females have too much estrogen:

* Weight gain, especially around hips and waist

* Heavy or light periods

* Fibroids in the uterus

* Fibrocystic breast lumps

* Fatigue

* Low sex drive

* Low mood or anxiety

**I think it's important to be aware of these. I am not experiencing too much estrogen, personally.

I am experiencing some more-than-usual back and neck and muscle pain. *Note: I've had three back surgeries, so I have constant back pain at a pretty high level. Because of the chronic pain, I just don't notice it as much. However, it's noticeable lately. I also have above-average (more than usual) muscle pain throughout my body. My workouts are consistent with what they always are. Tylenol and Ibuprofen can help with these pains.

After doing some research, I am not alone. These are possible side effects with Estradiol. Others include runny nose or congestion, darkening of skin on face, and unwanted hair growth. I'm not experiencing these.

Other noted side effects of taking estrogen:

* Headaches

* Breast pain or tenderness

* Nausea

* Mood changes (depression)

* Leg cramps

* Mild rash or itching

* Diarrhea

I'm not experiencing any of those.

I have had TWO hot flashes in the last eleven days. I was having them absolutely constantly prior. Personally, I feel that the libido issue had to do with the pain that I was experiencing which I also feel was due to the dryness. The dryness has cleared up since I started my HRT, which has in-turn helped my other issues significantly. My sleep is slowly getting better as well.

Carry on.