estrogen causing chest pains?

[transistor (imported)]

I started on 2mg/day of estrogen (Estrofem) a few weeks ago (taking 1mg in the morning and the other 1mg at night). I felt great after the first week, so I upped it to 4mg/day (still split morning/evening). Within a day or so, I started having frequent pings of pain in the center of my chest (heart?) and on my right side (lung?), as well as some persistent leg cramping and pain. The chest pains were happening several times an hour, and kept me up quite a bit at night. It continued for about 3 days, and then I stopped taking E altogether and the pain stopped the next day and hasn't come back. Is this common for oral estrogen, and if so, does that mean I should look at injections or patches instead?

[Elizabeth (imported)]

I started on 2mg/day of estrogen (Estrofem) a few weeks ago (taking 1mg in the morning and the other 1mg at night). I felt great after the first week, so I upped it to 4mg/day (still split morning/evening). Within a day or so, I started having frequent pings of pain in the center of my chest (heart?) and on my right side (lung?), as well as some persistent leg cramping and pain. The chest pains were happening several times an hour, and kept me up quite a bit at night. It continued for about 3 days, and then I stopped taking E altogether and the pain stopped the next day and hasn't come back. Is this common for oral estrogen, and if so, does that mean I should look at injections or patches instead?

That sounds pretty serious. You know female hormones increase blood clotting and can lead to heart attack, stroke or a blood clot in lungs that cuts off oxygen supply to the blood. Legs are a common place for the clots to form and unexplained calf pain can be clots and should not be massaged. This can be very serious and life threatening. If you have not seen a doctor, you should see one right away. Preferably the one that prescribed the hormones. I am in no position to offer medical advice, but if it were me, I would contact a doctor.

Elizabeth

[transistor (imported)]

I have an appointment with an endo in about a month, that's the quickest I could get in. So I guess I'll hold off on taking anything else until then. I've read about the clotting and chest pains issues associated HRT, I just wasn't sure if my mild pains were common or not.

[daledale (imported)]

You should stop meds and see a doctor right away

[purpletomato (imported)]

I agree with what's been said. 4mg is not supposed to be an extremely high dose. Go see a doctor / ER if you can, and stop meds and anything else you might be taking (particularly things that effect blood pressure -- bad food, alcohol, etc.).