AIBU to worry the progesterone-only pill could worsen perimenopause mood swings?

[flowergirl24]

I’ve just been to my GP with symptoms of peri-menopause. I’m 40. The worst symptom I’ve got is horrendous mood swings and feeling terrible (like not wanting to live anymore) straight after ovulation. The GP has prescribed the progesterone only pill. I haven’t been on the pill for over 15 years.

Trouble is, I’ve got home and researched it; it seems that taking this could make my symptoms worse and I really don’t want that to happen. I’ve got a FT job and 3DC and I really don’t want to upset the balance.

Does anyone have any experience of taking the progesterone only pill just for this - managing mood swings and did it work or make things worse? Any support would be much appreciated.

Im peri menopausal and got the progesterone only coil, it changed my life for the better, I've played around with different doses of oestrogen via gel and patches but the progesterone has had the most positive impact.

Oh that’s great to hear! Thanks so much. I was quite pleased to have the opportunity to try this, so hopefully it works. I’m so glad it worked for you.

How long did you take it before you noticed any difference?

A month or or so, I was having pretty much every symptom in the book, the coil made a huge difference to all of the physical ones, the oestrogen has had the most impact on the mental ones, but its a fine balance and too much or too little affects me in different ways.

When I had too much i felt more positive but was having constant headaches and massive hunger. I dropped down, the positive impact on my mood dropped a bit but I would rather take practical steps like CBT and exercise than end up with migraines and weight issues.

The progesterone-only pill made a huge difference to me and to my sister as well, especially around mood swings. I'd say it's worth giving it a go. I really felt like it gave me back my mental stability.

I'm on desogestrel and it improved pretty much all of my perimenopaisal symptoms.

I moved from combined Pill at 40 due to severe headaches and stroke risk to the mini Pill (progesterone only). It was the best thing I've ever done. I'm now 54. No side effects. No mood swings. No breaks so no periods.

Saw the nurse this week for Pill check and she's quite happy and we were discussing that I'm probably peri but don't know it. I do have rubbish sleep and some aches and pains which could be a peri symptom.

I'm not peri yet but the progesterone only pill and coil made me more chilled and level than I'd been in years!

I got the progesterone coil and felt increasingly mad until I read about progesterone intolerance 2 years later. Just had it taken out and feel so much calmer.

Depends which one it is. Cerazette made me incredibly depressed and wanting to punch anyone in sight. Noriday was absolutely fine.

I was prescribed the progesterone only pill for peri - my main complaint was mood imbalance. I'll admit I was sceptical about trying it (terrible experience on estrogen previously) but its been great. Really helped. I've been on it about 2.5 years now.

I’m on the mini pill as well, I enjoy having no periods but how do we know when to stop this pill? As having no periods they could have stopped due to menopause or the mini pill but how would we know? At what age will you stop taking it? I’m 50 and don’t know whether to start hrt.

What do you think HRT is? You are already on it, the mini pill is replacing the hormone progesterone which decreases as you age.

If you have other symptoms you may benefit from oestrogen, but there is no difference between the pill you are taking now ans an 'HRT' one

I’ve read up on this and apparently it’s not the same 🤷‍♀️

Hrt (oestrogel and progesterone) + mini pill = life changing. Truly. For the better!

I started POP pill at 45, all good but at 48 the joints started playing up, at 50 I had a frozen shoulder, came off pill, had a blood test to find out I'd gone through menopause!!! Listen to the joint pain or any other menopause symptoms you get, as the lack for periods at this point in life can be confusing regarding peri or menopause. 2yrs with a frozen shoulder was not fun.

Not HRT but the progesterone only mini pill made me a bit crazy and also made me spot / bleed ALL the time - I tried for about 3 or 4 months as docs kept saying it would settle but it didn’t.

But I think I’m quite hormone sensitive and lots of friends loved it

Not HRT but the progesterone only mini pill made me a bit crazy and also made me spot / bleed ALL the time - I tried for about 3 or 4 months as docs kept saying it would settle but it didn’t.

But I think I’m quite hormone sensitive and lots of friends loved it

Mini pill definitely benefited me no periods and im so much calmer

Mini pill just made me miserable tbh, I was bloated and felt down all the time.

It made me much much worse.

I have PMDD and it’s definitely a known thing that the mini pill can cause issues.

It improved things for me. No ovulation, no periods, no mood changes.

I stayed on it till I was 55 then stopped.

This. I went on it while breastfeeding. Dc1, it was like depression and anxiety in a pill, truly awful (I came off it twice to be sure it really was the pill and not postpartum or anything). Did my research and dc2 demanded the older style progesterone only pill which has been shown to be more stable. It was perfect, no issues at all.

I now have the progesterone coil, it has no affect on my mood at all

The nurse told me they usually take you off early 50s (didn't say a specific number) because risk of pregnancy stops then.

I said I would prefer to keep taking it if there is no risk to my health rather than come off it and risk late pregnancy or periods or peri symptoms.

At the moment they are still prescribing it.

I see no point in switching from something that is working for me to the unknown.

I would prefer to just keep taking it, my nurse said a blood test wouldn’t pick up if I was in menopause or not, as I said how do you know, if your periods have stopped because of taking the mini pill.

Woukd you consider a small dose of Steraline to balance your mood? I personally think it is great.,The coil helped relieved my symptoms but I am having long light periods after 6 months. GP said it’s just the end of the road for full menopause, I’m 46.