Help...Extremely high Estrogen level

[Rach97]

My estrogen level was at 3946 yesterday with prog. at 146. I'm pg with twins. The nurse called today letting me know that it would be okay to discontinue the estrogen patch. I had just changed the patch just before she called.

So the nurse told me to keep it for three days and then stop using it after that. I was concerned and question why it should be removed right away if my number was that high. She was annoyed and claimed not to know the right range, but that I should keep it for three more days.

I'm so frustrated because this is my body and I don't know what sythentic estrogen do long term. I've been sitting here fighting with myself to call the off hour emergency pager.

Does anyone have any idea what normal estrogen levels should be? I'm 6wk5d I got the impression that the nurse decided to tell me to keep the fresh patch on because it was just replaced. That's not a good enough reason to keep taking hormones.

I don't know if excessively high estrogen levels can cause a problem to my unborn babies or my body. My body is apparently producing the right level of estrogen naturally. I don't understand why that nurse couldn't double check my concern about leaving this new patch on for three more days.

34 yrs TTC 4 yrs, DH is 39
IUI#1 pg\mc 9w
IUI#2, 3, 4, 5 All BFN
IUI-IVF#1
IVF#2,3
FET#1,2
Natural Chem. pg\loss
IVF#4 BFP 3/6
3/18 12dp3dt: 337 (p4=191)
3/22 16dp3dt:1452 (p4=305)
3/28 22dp3dt 11,536 (p4=205)

[BC-DKNY]

well i can't say that i blame you for being annoyed. i'd insist on an explanation. you're pg and it's understandable that you wouldn't want to do anything without proper guidance.

the first thing that came to my mind was that leaving it on and letting it "wear down" naturally as opposed to pulling it off abruptly would allow the levels to come down at a slower pace. does that make sense? i'm going to see if i can get some info for you.

[Rach97]

My nurse sounds annoyed when I ask simple questions. Her first reaction was that my numbers were over the top high. Then she claimed not to know normal ranges. How would she know that they were so-so high then!?

DH also thought that slowly going off a fresh patch was reasonable, but I had just put it on literally minutes before speaking to the nurse. I think she may have told me not to replace it otherwise.

There's reason to be concerned if my numbers should be around 300-400, but are actually up to 3,950! It's not like I'm questioning a small margin. If my estrogen is ten times the desired level, then I think the patch should come off pronto.

I called the off hours pager. I don't care if they think we're annoying. This is my body and unborn children we're talking about here.

[Rach97]

The on-call nurse phone back---my nurse happened to be on call. My RE wasn't clear on how to wean me off medications which I think is bullcrap. She said if we want to take the patch off---then go ahead and she'll tell the RE. If there's a problem, then she call us in the am to talk to us. Huh?

Now the decision is up to me. I'm so mad that she is making this complicated. We concerned about the effects of high estrogen levels. We don't want to do anything stupid or abrupt either. This is horrible. I could really use some advice on where the normal levels of estrogen should be for a 6.5 wk pg.

This decision will be mine. Take off the new patch or keep it! I don't know what to do because we don't have an understanding of the ranges, etc. to make this decision. I don't think it's right that they would put us in this position. If there is no chance of birth defects, health problems---then I'll keep the patch on. Reading the estrogen med. insert is scary. I don't know what to think.

[chris cdn]

Good for you for calling the pager number. We really have to be our own advocates--and for our unborn children. You have EVERY right to question this...there are risks to everything we put into our bodies. I hate it when nurses make you feel like a dumb old patient...grrrrrrr! I'm so glad you called back, and I hope you get a decent response

[BC-DKNY]

ditto to what chris said!

i'm having a hard time finding much on excessive levels of estrogen. or even normal ranges during pg.

i think you should pursue your doctor and get a straight answer from them. this infuriates me to no end. these docs get paid massive amounts of money to treat us for pre-natal care. you'd think they'd break their heart and get on the phone with their patient! ok, sorry.......off my soapbox now.

i will keep looking and let you know if i find anything.

P.S. i'm gathering they're speculating multiples based on your numbers and the fact that you had IVF? if so, i'm sure this accounts for at least some of the excessiveness of hormones.

[bebe]

I was told by my RE that your estrogen can not be too high only too low. No explaination either but I did not think to much of it at the time.

If you are concerned I would ask to speak with a different nurse or your Dr.

bebe

[Rach97]

I'm not going to get anywhere this evening since my nurse is the one on call and she is not willing to help much. She left it up to us and wasn't sure about how to advise us. We still couldn't get a straight answer about high estrogen levels that could be a danger. She didn't think that 3950 was dangerous, but still couldn't give us a range. What? It really bothers me to be given half-ass advice from someone that is not an RE.

We're asking for expert advice and she is pushing us off until tomorrow. Now I don't know what to do!!! She knows the number is totally high, but will not give us any answers about a good range for us to arrive at our own decision. It's as if she is trying to frustrate us with clueless answers. I would like to call my own doctor and leave him a message tomorrow letting him know about the lack of feedback and unnecessary stress.

I need to feel comfortable that if this is an extremely high number that it's nothing to be alarmed about. DH thinks I should leave it on until midday tomorrow and then take it off if they don't call. It's unbelievable to be put in this weird situation.

[BC-DKNY]

i definitely agree with you. you should let your doc know how unhelpful his staff is

[BC-MAV]

My E2 has been at that levle several times when taking the fertility drugs... it has also been at around 6,000. I think with THOSE E2 levels and taking the fertility drugs the Drs. are concerned about OHSS and when you get pregnant iOHSS can get worse. Even with my E2 that high I never got OHSS bad enough to go into the hospital and get a drip.

Also when E2 is that high artificially you do want to get off the E2 patch slowly because you want to make sure YOUR body is producing estrogen naturally on its own and it's not just from the patches! With surrogacy the SM #1 and SM #4, it took 10-12 weeks to get off all the pregnancy support medication like progesterone suppositories and E2 patches. The Dr. can test your blood to see what you body is producing and if levels drop too much then they just adjust how strong and how often you change the patch.

Gradually your OWN body wil be producing what it needs to sustain the pregnancy.