Started HRT/Back Pain

[Peggymae-18]

HRT

I have started taken oestrogen and progesterone 12 weeks ago I have notice Lowe back pain is this common ? I also have under active thyroid 100g per day.

[HashiFedUp]

My endocrinologist told me just yesterday that HRT feeds under active thyroid and can make it worse. He recommended that HRT be avoided unless i was really desperate and suffering a great deal with menopause symptoms. Not sure why you would have back pain though.

[radd in reply to HashiFedUp]

HashiFedUp,

‘My endocrinologist told me just yesterday that HRT feeds under active thyroid and can make it worse’.

How dramatic! He makes it sound as if HRT is some sort of toxic antagonist fueling the demise of your thyroid gland. What a load of tosh!

It is elevated oestrogen that encourages too much thyroid hormone to become bound by a protein called SHBG, which makes it unavailable for use, ie not 'free'.

Elevated oestrogen commonly happens during peri-menopause or oestrogen only HRT. If you have a uterus you should be taking both oestrogen & progesterone combo HRT which reduces the chance of it inactivating thyroid hormone, and using body identical transdermal oestrogen that avoids the liver reduces the risk further. In fact balancing one hormonal system often encourages another hormonal system to work more effectively as they are all interconnected.

He sounds ignorant and horrible to try dismissing you with such ridiculous claims.

[radd]

Peggymae-18,

Introducing HRT will be effecting other hormones involved in the reproduction cycle that now can't reproduce 😬, eg LH & FSH will have risen, etc.

I experienced the release of prostaglandins when I introduced HRT and had terrible PMS on & off for several months. As well as regulating the immune response these regulate fibrous tissue formation, whilst progesterone makes us floppy/stretchy in preparation for child birth. This could be why your back is hurting. Also oestrogen can trigger pain chemicals (whilst progesterone acts as the tranquilliser), so introduction can be quite a shock to the body if it's been deficient of these hormones for some time.

The HP-thyroid and HP-adrenals should correlate and introducing HRT combo should make your thyroid meds work more effectively. Also improve bone health, skin, hair, energy levels, immunity, etc. However, if you start feeling more hypo than usual you may need a Levo raise to counteract a small amount of thyroid hormone that may become bound to proteins created to carry the additional sex hormones.

[Peggymae-18 in reply to radd]

Many thanks for your support.

[Josephineinamachine]

Hi I re-started HRT a week ago after a 2 year break trying to sort out thyroid hormones. I cannot tolerate progesterone easily - I puff up and become very sleepy within a day. My mood drops really alarmingly and I can end up with suicidal thoughts. It’s awful 😣 Before my Hashi diagnosis I was on something called Tridestra which meant only taking progesterone every 3 months. It was lovely not to have to worry about it for 3 months! 😃 Now I’m taking oestrogel -avoiding the tablets for now to ease myself back in. I feel more clear headed and mentally alert than I’ve felt for a year or so and my energy is returning. Also mood much better! I actually properly laughed the other day! 😆 But - yes - the body aches are back. It’s like pain receptors have been woken up 🤔 I’m going to take progesterone every 3 months on GP advice… not looking forward to that but at l least only every 3 months again. I just want to wait a bit and see how my thyroid meds react at the moment as well 👀 I expect to have to raise them but not everyone does so now it’s a waiting game… again… 🙄 I’m picking up yoga because the aches are making me want to stretch. Much stiffer than I was so maybe a good thing? But this just shows how different we all are and how all of these hormones affect us in different ways… when I first started HRT years ago I had to go through a lot of different ‘types’ of HRT until I found what suited me… I was a right pain in the @ss for a couple of years including demanding testosterone which at the time was a big fat no (but I got it anyway by refusing to leave the surgery) 🫤 maybe consider a different HRT regime? Don’t worry about the impact on your thyroid for now…you could maybe tweak later if you need to. Good luck! 🥰

[Peggymae-18]

Many thanks for your support