I'm bumping this question forward because I have some similar issues.

I am on HRT but have always only taken bio identical hormones (pure estradiol, natural progesterone). Even though I was in menopause I still took these also to help prepare a lining for transfers of frozen embryos I already had (obviously took estrogen and progesterone in higher doses for embryo transfers than when I just took for control of symptoms).

Basically to control my menopause symptoms, the worst by far being extreme weepiness and emotional lability, I take estradiol 1mg vaginally and 20mg natural progesterone dermally. I am not going to start taking bcps or any other synthetic hormones so that's not really the question.

I guess I'm wondering if my doses are high enough to simulate pregnancy. Based on the numbers quoted in this thread, it would seem so, but synthetic doses are not the same as natural hormone doses and I don't know what the absolute correlations are.

My other question is -- how will I tolerate going off my estrogen in terms of the weepiness and emotional lability?? Please don't suggest soy milk -- it does NOT work. Hot flashes I don't care about. I can manage those. It's the emotional symptoms that are so uncomfortable. Does the oxytocin really improve mood enough to offset the lack of estrogen?

Cappy - I can't answer your questions, but wanted to suggest you e-mail Dr. Newman. He has been very responsive to my questions in the past (usually answers within hours). Good luck.
Jennifer