Hi, Karan. I just hit the IAS message boards today and saw your question. I hope my answer helps! Please excuse my weird 'handle' (houseoftwits), but I fear employers or others reading about my illness.
I'm assuming you've had your ovaries removed, which is why you are on hormones. Were you ever diagnosed as having endometriosis? If so, there's a very good chance that you have endometrial tissue still in your abdomen. That tissue feeds off of estrogen. Most surgeons who remove ovaries, etc., due to endometriosis do NOT remove the existing endometrial tissue in the abdomen. Hence, the estrogen in your hormone patch could be feeding that remnant tissue, thereby increasing the size of the endometrial tissue and thus causing you more pain. I was lucky that a surgeon told me this, and that he removed all traces of endometrial tissue he could find when taking down my adhesions 4 years ago.
Something else about endometrial tissue: it travels. I was told by that same surgeon that it can travel throughout the body, which means that even if a surgeon searches for it, patches could be hidden behind something, etc.
Despite my last laproscopy (surgery #12) 4 years ago to take down adhesions and get rid of the endometrial tissue, the pain never truly went away and has gotten progressively worse. I'm now seeking a NEW surgeon to go in and take down the adhesions that have come back, because the last surgeon apparently suffered an ego crisis because I still have pain. Guess he's not the "be all and end all" that he thought he was, huh? Of course, the adhesions are *my* fault, because he is clearly the best surgeon, ever... LOL You gotta laugh or you might not stop crying! :P
Hang in there, I've been coping with this garbage for 28+ years now. Find a surgeon who is educated about endometrial tissue... that, or stop taking the hormones. For me, that's not an option because I get suicidal when I go off my hormones. But if you can stand the menopause symptoms, it might be a stop-gap measure for you until you can find the right surgeon.
I hope this info helps! Email me if you'd like to talk: houseoftwits@mac.com. Stay strong! You're not nuts, they are! :)