Estrogen therapy can take up to two weeks to work, and temporary side effects can take several months to dissipate (although some can be persistent!). We recommend tracking your symptoms and side effects daily (or at least weekly) in order to have a clear visual of how symptoms are responding, and whether side effects are decreasing over time.
Similarly, any changes made to your therapy route, dosage or frequency should be noted in your tracking information so that the pattern of any changes can be monitored objectively. We recommend waiting at least one full month on the new therapy before evaluating the new treatment or making any additional changes, since effectiveness and side effects may fluctuate prior to stabilizing again on the new treatment.
This is particularly important for those who have an emotional hormone sensitivity; studies suggest that any change in hormone levels can provoke symptoms among those patients, but that those symptoms go away again after one month of the new therapy. Therefore, patience and support are needed to evaluate the “true” effects of any treatment change.
More reading: www.iapmd.org/estrogen-therapy
Visit www.iapmd.org/surgery for lots of evidence-based information and resources for those considering, going through or recovering from surgery for PMDD/PME.