Progesterone / Cyclogest - what they don't tell you

[Frazzlerock]

I've just finished taking Cyclogest from ovulation for the second cycle, as prescribed by my RMC consultant.

I just wanted to share what I went through during my TWW as I couldn't really find much online (that matched my side effects) when searching for side effects and when I did, the outcome (BFP or BFN) was never shared, so I wanted to share my experience here:

5dpo
Weeing and drinking more
Hot flushes

6dpo
Weeing and drinking more (only get this in preg)
Slight cramps lower abdo - right side
Hungry!
Hot flushes (I'm always cold)
Cotton mouth (preg sign for me)
Right leg ache (I get leg aches in early preg so this relevant)

7dpo
Woke up for a wee in the night (very rare for me)
Weeing loads.
Woke with very dry mouth
5/6 bottles of water at least plus decaf coffee (usually have 2/3 bottles)
Pulling feeling in lower abdo
Nipples darker (I think?)
Constipated
Lower back ache

8dpo
Woke with very dry mouth
Coffee tastes strong
Slightly off food
Stuffy nose
5/6 bottles water
Pretty sure nips are darker
Our cat going all protective and lying on me (she only goes near me in pregnancy, she much prefers DP)

9dpo
Woke twice with dry mouth and needing a wee
Nails looking strong and long (they're bendy and break easily usually)
5-6 bottles water
Squitty belly

10dpo
Woke in night for wee and dry mouth
Insomnia
Dry mouth when waking
Squitty belly
Cervix fairly high and slanted, spongy soft but tightly closed
Coffee was strong again but might be the coffee as it’s not our usual one
Really sensitive to DP's breath at night
Nips not so dark now. I don’t think. Maybe I imagined it
Possible waves of nausea, not sure. Feel a bit woozy though. DC's omelette has a powerful smell!
Dinner making me feel slightly nauseous
Hot flushes
Mild metal taste which turned into strong metal mouth!
Emotional
Maybe take a test tomorrow with FMU seeing as my symptoms have ramped up

11DPO
BFN with FRER surprised given symptoms, even if early.
Woke in night for wee and very dry mouth
Cervix still soft and closed
Squitty belly
Metal mouth
Watery mouth
Feeling dull period like feeling

12dpo
Still drinking lots
Bit of metal mouth but not so pronounced and unbearable
Emotional
Sore spot on face
Pink wipe - dare I say implantation? 12dpo is early for period...
Cervix still closed
Watery mouth
Evening-
Period has arrived early but fairly light

I'm almost certain Cyclogest caused all these symptoms. Though I have taken it for a previous cycle and didn't get them so who knows. I just wanted to warn others not to get their hopes up like I did. Getting AF last night and getting a BFN at 11DPO really took the wind out of my sails given I was having such strong symptoms.

I don't really need a response, I just hope this helps others.

Good luck on this long and frustrating journey all

Thank you for sharing! This is great to have as sometimes people would search for it and an old post would come up! Hope your next cycle is successful!

Thank you.

I hope it helps others.
I was just amazed at how it mimics early pregnancy and I had no idea it did that so got my hopes up way too much. Even DP thought I was pregnant. We've had three pregnancies and all three babies died, but we both know my classic preg symptoms very well and were pretty excited. I've also had many many cycles where I wasn't pregnant and didn't get any of those symptoms, so we just 'knew' I was. So it was such a fall when we got the BFN and my period arrived last night. I had no idea Cyclogest caused what I can only describe as a 'phantom pregnancy'. Horrible experience

I just hope this stops others from getting their hopes up for nothing.

Thanks @frazzlerock

I wish I had seen your post earlier. Didn’t expect the side effects from cyclogest to be so strong - I definitely thought I was pregnant too. The consultant did not warn me.
Had a BFN at DPO12. No period yet but don’t have my hopes up.

I know this was from a while ago, but I just wanted to say thanks @Frazzlerock for posting this (and others who have commented). I'm sorry to hear about everyone's experiences- I had the same thing happen, and was quite upset about it, so it's good to know I'm not going mad.

I took Cylogest pessaries after a transfer and had strong cramps around implantation time (only ever had this before when pg) and my period was really late, but got a BFN. I've done my fair share of symptom spotting in the past, but I really don't feel this fell into that category.

Having had m/cs, I find having transfers quite triggering (I think I have a PTSD type reaction now) so believing that I was pg and then turning out not to be, was hard.

What is so difficult, is that it was totally avoidable. If the nurse had told me that this medication might mimic pregnancy symptoms/ delay my period, it would have been a very different experience.

On a general note....I wish clinics were a bit more tuned-in to what women go through. I think they understand that IVF is stressful, but they don’t realise how much they sometimes contribute to that stress.

I know they do good things as well (and I am grateful to have access to IVF treatment) I just know quite a few women who have had a difficult process made much worse because clinicians are disconnected from/ don't value our experience.

Hopefully the new NHS plan to integrate maternity and mental health services will be a step in the right direction for all medical services related to pregnancy.