HRT advice please

[YourElatedLimeShark]

Cross posted for traffic.

I’m 43. Having tonnes of horrible symptoms which have recently escalated. I’m still having irregular and heavy periods.

after a long fight with GP (they tell me I’m too young) I have been prescribed Estradiol and a progesterone tablet.

the GP took a personal call whilst I was on the phone to her so I’m confused about this combination and how I’m meant to use it.

does it act like the pill where you stop it and you have a bleed?

how long will it take to feel like myself again?

does it really work for all symptoms? The one I’m struggling with most is the aches and pains and exhaustion.

is it a contraceptive?

I know I should call and ask the GP but honestly it’s been a battle getting this far and I can’t face the GP again.

Try the menopause board more expertise there.

I did, it’s a little slow there but awaiting a reply there too

Is it a patch/pill or gel for the estradiol? Has she explained when to take the progesterone?

It’s definitely not a contraceptive.

HRT is very effective but can take a bit of tweaking.

The Oestrogen gel you apply to your outer upper arms, or outer upper thighs. Usual starting dose is 2 pumps. You may find you need to increase. I am on 4 which is the maximum. I split these into two doses AM and PM.

I found it worked pretty quickly on starting, brain fog was better within a week, other symptoms took longer and I needed to increase. I am also on vaginal oestrogen for vaginal atrophy and stress/urge incontinence - this is common (using both), so if you have any of these symptoms you may need to go back and ask for this.

You are still having periods, so you would normally take the progesterone cyclically - either 12 or 14 days every 28 days. Some women find that their bleeds then sync with this but this has not been my experience.

It’s transdermal. Not opened it yet… I think I take the pill 25 days out of 28….

I’ve not heard that routine of 25 out of 28. I do think you need clarity on this. I take mine every day but my periods have stopped.

Is your Estradiol a gel? If so, you’ve been prescribed exactly what I was prescribed 18 months ago.

I started with two pumps of the gel each morning (on inner thighs one day, then on outer upper arms the next day). It took about a week for some of my symptoms to improve, and a couple of months for others.

The progesterone tablets should be taken from day 15-28 of your cycle. Because my cycle was becoming much less regular, I asked my GP whether I should follow the cycle or take the tablets two weeks in and two weeks off. She said definitely the latter.

It’s not a contraceptive!

Please see my post above, as far as I know HRT progesterone is taken cyclically by women still having periods - 200mg a day - it's always either 12 or 14 days in every 28. It won't be 25. Have a look at the leaflet that came with it, it should explain it,.

The other way of taking it is daily - this is for women whose periods have stopped.

Both the gel and patches are transdermal. The pp was asking whether you have patches or gel. I've assumed gel in my post above.

The prescription says one capsule at night day one to 25 of each 28 day cycle

Can you go to a chemist and speak with a pharmacist?

Just emailed the GP querying it. Hopefully they’ll come back to me quickly. Thank you for helpful replies everyone :)

The labels on my progesterone are always wrong which I have pointed out to the GP…if you’re still having periods it’s 2 tablets in the evening on days 15-28 as PP have said

I wonder if the prescription is a typo. If you’re still having periods it should roughly be two weeks on and two
weeks off. Is it 200mg or 100mg?

It’s 100mg

Do they want you to take 200mg every night or 100mg? It doesn’t sound right if you’ve been given 100mg for 25 nights. Hopefully you’ll get clarity from the email.

Sorry to but in on this thread but i am taking progesterone for the first time this month (alongside the estradiol). Day 27 and my period has arrived. Should I take the progesterone for another 2 days or just stop now as period is here?