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estrace/estradiol question

My Dr. wants me to take estrace (estradiol is the generic) .5mg. Has any one had any good or bad experiences while taking it? Does is help with moodieness or cause weight gain? I would like to hear any input of any eperience of anyone taking it.

Elizabeth,

My research into this subject, which has been pretty extensive, suggests that a lot of women don't get good results with the generic. It might be worth it to pay extra for (or argue with your insurance company to cover) real Estrace. You can also try gel or patch forms, which bypass what's called first-pass liver metabolism, and some women get better results with them.

What I understand of estradiol's effect on mood and on weight is that women report feeling better when they have good levels of estradiol, whether pre- or post-menopause. It works like this: in reproductive-age women, estradiol rises in the first half of the cycle and peaks at ovulation, making women feel happy, energetic and sexual -- in other words, in the mood to make a baby, from a biological standpoint. After ovulation, the ovaries bump up the progesterone (pro-gestation') in case the woman did conceive. She then tends to feel quieter, more sedate (this can spill over in depression if there's already a tendency toward that) and she tends to eat more.

That's a simplified explanation, but you can see how this applies to HRT. I'm not suggesting anyone not take progesterone who needs it, by the way. I'm saying I don't think you should worry about trying estradiol -- just experiment to find the right delivery system and dose for you.

I've read that you can take the micronized estradiol tablets (Estrace or generic) sublingually to bypass the first pass through the liver. By taking it this way, it has risks that are similar to the transdermal estrogen products (patch, gel, cream). If you take it sublingually, you wouldn't need as large of a dose.