PMDD, Lupron, and Estradiol.

[oreithyia.livejournal.com]

I've had really severe PMDD ever since I started menstruating, yet also have this horrible inability to tolerate any sort of Progesterones.
Any sort of contraceptive pill with progesterones in it makes me completely, utterly, suicidally depressed.

I go to a Reproductive Endocrinologist for treatment, and we have worked that treatment with Lupron and Estradiol add back therapy in small doses relieves just about all of my symptoms - I'm no longer hypoglycemic, 20 lbs overweight, unable to function to 14 days out of every month, and I'm just completely healthier in general. All over. It's really amazing.

However, I'm looking for some support on trying to find the right Estradiol dosages, and side effects, and whatnot. Is there anyone out there who can help with that?

I was taking 0.05 mg Estradiol (these are estradiol patches i'm referring to here), but it makes me slightly more lethargic than I prefer. 0.0375 is optimal, but when I switched down to this, I started bleeding a week later. When it didn't stop for about 7 days (and it was insanely heavy, I guess because I haven't had a period for 6 months?) I called my Dr, who told me to go back on the higher dose of estrogen, and that it was probably just breakthrough bleeding.

That was Tuesday. It's saturday, and I'm starting to get tired and still bleeding a little. Any advice on tweaking dosages, dealing with breakthrough bleeding? I'm trying to figure out if I can obscure a small part of the patch to work out a dose inbetween the .0375 and .05.

Any advice or support would be helpful, thanks!