Estrostep FE....Know Anything About It?

Dear BD I donot deny human pain of whatever origin it is,no!
Doctors have good days in front of them!
What I say is that many energetic problems come from the unbalanced emotional understanding of life which can be easely healed by devotion or yoga for ex.

Third month of taking Estrostep FE
Hi, I'm new here. I've enjoyed the information everybody has on Estrostep FE and thought id give my two cents to whom it may apply or help.
I was having trouble with mood swings (mostly irritability) acne, weight gain and other things (sound so hormonal, huh?). I am 36 so i though "why am i having acne trouble like i had as a teen??" i was trying everything to no avail and figured it had to be hormones so i went to the nurse, she did bloodtests and put me on "Ortho Tricyclene Trinessa" which is a generic version of ortho pills. This made me severely tired, i almost couldn't function, I was sick...i have 2 kids and just couldn't continue living like that, I didn't even give it the 3-month trial. She switched me to Estrostep FE and this is currently my 3rd month on it. So far so good. I feel very much like i did before, without anything (no bc pills) but i'm willing to give it time. I still get breakouts, not as badly and my skin isn't clear as i'd like, my mood swings are still noticeable, i occasionally get tired but all this is very similar to how i felt when i went INTO the nurse's office!
I'm wondering if i should go get my hormone levels checked. The blood tests i had didn't include hormone or thyroid checks, they were only the standard cholesterol, diabetes etc. which were all in good standing.

I'm not taking bc pills for contraception, i have a tubal ligation. I was put on the pills for the acne and mood swings. So i'm wondering if it's worth it. Any advice or insight is welcome and would be appreciated.
thanks.

estrostep fe
well i switched to estrostep about 8 months ago, previously i was taking allese, i like the estrostep better, i actually lost weight with the change, i like it so much better, and my lost sex drive is returing too! i know this post is late hopefully its of some help......

WOW! I'm a little surprised that there isn't that much help on the internet about Estrostep. I found this message board, but that's about it. Anyhoo, I am 21 and am going to start estrostep in like 2 weeks. My doctor prescribed orthotricyclin-lo to regulate my cycle since it got wacked out due to stress (ah college...) and it was a little heavy. Anyhoo, i realized that the worse side effects were going psycho, and bad acne! I have never had a problem with my face until now. I waited out a year using it to give it a chance. I finally talked to my doctor about the acne and he is going to switch me to Estrostep. I am a little worried/curious as to if it will work. Did anyone else experience a lost sex drive? I seem to have. OC is very favorable for some things (predictability of cycle, reduced pregnancy risk..) but I can't stand the downsides.

mis4, i have been on BC for about 13 years now, so i really don't remember a time when my libido wasn't affected. however, i would have stayed on estrostep if it weren't for the headaches i got. it takes a little time to get everything under control with estrostep so give it a chance. i ended up getting horrible, horrible migranes the week before my period and couldn't deal with that so i switched. but not everyone gets them, so good luck. keep us posted, loss of sex drive is a side effect, but if you talk to your doctor, he/she might be able to help you there, they offered to give me something to bring it back to normal..

Estrostep Fe
Does anyone know how this dosage compares to Ortho-Tricyclen? I've never been able to take low doses of BCP.

estrostep is a building dosage, starts low, then builds to stronger.

estrostep fe
My problem is that my body has a hard time handling the low doses. I hadn't been on the pill in years and decided to give it a try. my doc assured me that the low doses that they have these days would be just fine (I had only been on ortho-tri, years ago). I am also anemic. The dosage was so low that I had a period every two weeks that lasted 7-10 days. Every time I bled, my iron level became so low that I was lethargic and could barely keep my eyes open to watch my son. I talked to the doc, but he said that I would have to continue with those pills for 3 months to make sure that was the prob. I said no way. I wasn't going to put my body through that anymore. I have since found a new doc, that prescribed Estrostep. I was just wondering if anyone else has ever had problems with low doses.

hmm, have you tried taking iron supplements to support the loss? it might help. i do know one of the side effects i had with it was lethargy, but again, everyone is different. funny enough, estrostep was the only pill that actually controlled my period and made it lighter after the first month. your doc is right, it does take 3 months to stabalize which is why i recommended iron-but if you are anemic, i would presume you are already taking it. most people on this thread seem to have a reduction in their period from estrostep. i sure did (just couldn't take the headaches which stinks because everything else was so great about it).

thanks Dragon49. I really don't know what to expect, I have about a week and a half before I start the Estrostep, and I hate how BC is one of those things that effects people different...always a trial and error type thing I guess. The headaches I hope I can handle, i get some every now and then...If this doesn't work for me, I'll have to figure out somehting else, but it's going to be a good few months before i know. Has anyone else experienced acne after using BC even if they've never had acne before that?

Glad to know others empathize!!!
okay, so i just started taking estrostep fe last sunday, and i thought i was on the verge of losing every single friend i had acquired over the past 5 years as my mood was so touch and go. i mean, i am usually sharp tounged and quick witted, but my rather impervious shell seemed quite breakable. Furthermore, i have been unable to work out at all as i am devoid of any physical or mental energy or desire. i am surprised i have enough brain function to construct this message....And could i stop eating, please?!?!?!?!?!?! i have found that my appetite has waned only as of today...and the day is far from over. I think i managed to gain 4 lbs last week although i threw away my scale as i don't believe my weakened emotional state can support weight increase. So far, the only thing i have enjoyed about this es-fe is the maintenance, albeit slight increase, in my libido which had completely disappeared when i took loestrin ("oh, this is how it controls contraception," i thought). What else?...Oh yes, i began breakthrough bleeding today as well. I will try my best to give this stuff three months, but as my doctor, who was obviously wooed effectively by her pharma rep, gave me a years worth of samples for free...i feel i will lose nothing if i stop prematurely.

Good to know others can commiserate. PS, i am a 28 year old whose periods appear each month like clockwork. i am on the pill b/c i life sans children is preferable right now.

Yikes! I can relate to your moods but estrostep helped me ENORMOUSLY after only one month. I noticed a huge difference and although it took me 4 months or so to get used to it, it was worth it. It does increase your appitite, but i've made myself just start munching on fruit and other good for you foods. I think I could eat all day but I have to control myself.

I'd give it a bit, at least a month, to see if it improves your moods. Then, go from there. If you can live with some of the side effects, great. If not , switch.

Good luck!!

oh coco,

so sorry! i am with you 29 y.o. who is waiting to have kiddies... i switched to the nuva ring from estrostep because i couldn't handle the headaches i used to get. nuva ring is a plastic ring you insert at the beginning of the month, and take out after three weeks, then get your period, and then insert another. i have had almost no side effects from it, its amazing. i was unable to lose weight on estrostep as well, although i was forgoing it for the period control i had which was great. good luck!

Dragon I just read about your nuva ring and was wondering, does it get in the way of sex? I mean, can he pull it out?

no. but it flys across the room....


( im KIDDING )

i was just about to say, shewolf and i were just talking about that. i was telling her i was afraid that it would kill the romantic moment if it flew out and hit mr. d or went all the way across the room. however, no such thing happens, i have also been able to use tampons and not dislodge the sucker. it is amazing...

i will give it the three month trial period. i must say my head just cleared up and i am not bloated and feel rather refreshed all of a sudden. there's hope yet for the fatigued!!! thanks for all your words of wisdom.

Hello All!

I too have found this forum to be very helpful. I am 24 and never been on BC. And frankly I am nervous to mess with my hormones, and asks for a low amount to start with. Yesterday she gave me a 3-mo trial of Estrostep -- and now I read that I have to wait for the first Sunday of my period (would have been nice to know from my Doctor)!!

I too am worried about weight gain (although wouldn't mind a breast increase)

I will keep everyone posted once I start -- thank you for this helpful forum!

i must say, almost immediately after i posted my first post yesterday, my experiences have become a complete antithesis of the first 8 days. i have my energy back, by head is clear, and i am no longer bloated or hungry. i actually think that when i had the spotting yesterday, it help release the bloating, and i weighed myself today and have gained no weight after all. maybe there is hope for es-fe yet!!!

I am almost through my first month of Estrostep FE, and because I've been more conscientious of possible weight gain, mood swings, and weird acne, I've watched my diet and moods. It's been fine. I've retained a lot more water, but that's about it. I am now menstruating, and it's not that bad. The first month was not bad at all, so I hope the 2nd and 3rd are uneventful as well.