Progesterone making me ill

[halfwayupthehill]

Depressed fatigue etc. as I still have my uterus, docs have tried me on various levels of utrogestran and now mirena which I hate.
When I have been on oestrogen only part of cycle or on doc advice taken a v short break from the progesterone I feel great.
Is there any solution short of a hysterectomy if I want to go oestrogen only?
Could I have regular scans to check my womb? Or do long cycle hrt...at the moment the side effects of the treatment are almost as bad as the menopause?

[pinkfrocks]

I think lots of us find the progestogen part a pain for various reasons.
But a hysterectomy is really not an option- surely?
Major op and risks etc.
Are you being treated by your GP or a consultant?
Have you had Utrogestan 100mgs for 7 days only each month?

Consultants (privately) tend to be more flexible with different regimes because they can organise regular scans ( it's unlikely I think you would get these on the NHS as a 'routine' check up).

If you look at the website of Prof John Studd, - can't tell you which page, sorry, you will have to dig around but it's the HRT section- he is happy for women to take 7 days of Utrogestan a month if they are intolerant. So you could always print this off and show to your GP.

Other consultants are sometimes happy to go with long cycle with the proviso that there will be an annual scan. Long cycle can mean anything from 8 to 12 weeks. But the progesterone dose will be 10 days (possibly 12) in a long cycle.

Would that help you?

[HappenstanceMarmite]

I thought it was uterus-free women and/or women who have gone through Menopause and out the other side who could have Oestrogen only HRT?

Though how one knows Menopause is over whilst taking HRT is a mystery to me.

[pinkfrocks]

No- if you have a uterus you have to also use progesterone because this offsets the build up of the lining that is caused by using oestrogen. Too much build up can cause hyperplasia which may eventually show changes that develop into cancer- endometrial cancer.

Drs define 'menopause' after 2 years without a period in women under 50 and 1 year over 50.

[alltheworld]

Many thanks pinkfrocks. Saw GP. Not willing to monitor with scans (understandably) or do just seven days of utrogestran. But has prescribed longcycle HRT so I should only have to take progesterone for two weeks every three months. Let's see if that works!

[HappenstanceMarmite]

Wondering how it's going alltheworld? Also what the name of the 3month/7day HRT is please?

[alltheworld]

It is tridestra. I didn't react so badly to the progesterone but then again didn't feel so well on the oestrogen. Have now been put back on patches but with cyclogest as the progesterone. Have got to them yet but will be interesting g to see how I react

[Bluebell66]

Halfway - I too tried many different HRT combinations, none of which suited me. Like you, I still have my uterus and I'm still having periods, but was having crippling peri menopause symptoms - violent mood swings, permanent headaches, no sleep, exhaustion etc.

I'm now on Ellesste Solo 1mg daily and Provera for 14 days every three months. This suits me very well, and I didn't even notice any adverse side effects from the Provera, which I expected to. Good luck, I really do sympathise, it's horrible feeling like this.