Cyclogest pessaries - anyone else feel this is the worst bit of the treatment?

[westergille]

I've been using Cyclogest pessaries since Saturday in preparation for (hopefully) my FET this week and, my god, I hate them so much!

This is my 4th time of using them (well, progesterone pessaries, the first 2 times it was another brand) and I'm no more used to them. A faff to put in and leave me feeling slimy.

Anyone else who can sympathise or are you all pessaries pros?

Starting my first IVF cycle in a few weeks so watching with interest. Could you switch to progesterone injections instead of pessaries?

I’ve read panty liners help and also someone in Instagram said putting them up the back passage was better

The panty liners do help. I normally wear them but find I need to change them during the day. Maybe if I change them several times (like a pad during my period) it might feel better.

I'm not sure I can bring myself to try using them rectally. Bit of a scaredy cat!

My 2nd treatment cycle really was the worst as the clinic put me on ones that I had to take 3 times a day so I was faffing about in the toilets at work. At least I don't have that this time.

I've not been offered injections. Maybe they only do it for people who complain about the pessaries.

The panty liners do help. I normally wear them but find I need to change them during the day. Maybe if I change them several times (like a pad during my period) it might feel better.

I'm not sure I can bring myself to try using them rectally. Bit of a scaredy cat!

My 2nd treatment cycle really was the worst as the clinic put me on ones that I had to take 3 times a day so I was faffing about in the toilets at work. At least I don't have that this time.

I've not been offered injections. Maybe they only do it for people who complain about the pessaries.

Sorry for double post!

Using them rectally is super easy and means there's no mess, so you might want to give it a go!

Yep, definitely up the bum. They're so greasy that they just seep through most pantyliners - ruined a lot of clothes before I gave up! - and that way there's no mess at all.

I used utrogestan pessaries three times a day for 3 months solid! Just finished them and actually miss my lying down sessions as it was a great excuse to relax and let DH do everything! 😁 I've heard cyclogest are messier than utrogestan. I changed liner every time I went to toilet and wore liner at night too. Good luck x

For two cycles I've used cyclogest up the back passage. First time I was a bit scared about sticking something up my bum but after that it was fine - easier than a tampon as it kind of gets sucked up into the right place and my clinic said no need to lie down afterwards. No leakage, no pantyliner issues.
I'm trying lubion injections on top of pessaries hopefully this cycle (early bleeder) but they're £50 a day so big investment.

I’m on Cyclogest. The clinic told me to use them up the bum only on the morning of FET... Is it less messy then? I do get annoyed by having to faff with panty liners and have stopped feeling sexy because of them.

Were your doctors particular about where you stick them? Or happy with either vaginally or rectally?

I’m using them with Clomid for lining and early spotting issues.

Definitely try rectally, no mess or ruined underwear!! I tried the other way and it was awful!! I do them twice a day and it’s so much easier up the bum!

My clinic told me do them up the bum. I knew you could do vaginally but they recommended rectally. Not sure why!

I had cyclogest pessaries and I thought they were specifically supposed to be up the bum?! The shape and substance of them is the same as other rectal pessaries. I had no idea you were supposed to use any other way!
I also had crinone vaginal pessaries at the same time plus prognova pill as a pessary (and a heap of progesterone injections and oral tablets too). Crinone is def vaginal and I dislike them a lot. Equal to the sc injections twice a day after a couple of months (but worse than the IM injections imo). Didn't bother with panty liners though as crinone doesn't leak that much. And cyclogest doesn't really leak much from your bum!

@RubyBoots7 do you mind me asking you a question? I'm interested in a) why you had the progesterone 3 ways (pessaries crinone and injections) and b) what dosage you were on. After two cycles where I bled at 5dp5dt (despite a BFP on the second one) my clinic has agreed my progesterone dose should increase from 1 x 400mg cyclogest twice a day (I did say that from the beginning!) but only suggested hoping to three times a day. I've asked to add Lubion twice a day which I think they're going to agree to (at £50 a day - ouch!) but I want to check that dosage sounds right for an early bleeder! Thanks!

Upping to three times a day I meant!

a) Genuinely I dk. It was our second NHS funded cycle. The first one didn't work but our blastocysts were a bit ropey. I still had lentogest (IM injections 3x weeks), crinone pessaries and tablets on cycle 1. Cycle 1 was fresh whereas cycle 2 was FET because I got OHSS from the stim period.
In the second cycle I started on several types of progesterone and when they measured my levels they were low so they added lubion and cyclogest. So all I can guess is my levels were pretty low?? Dk why I didn't get a higher dose of one form rather than add in a different med.

b) couldn't tell you exactly as have tailed off most of it now but always one vial with the injections. I think the pessaries and tablets are a standard dose??

Lubion sc twice a day
Lentogest IM three times per week
Cyclogest pessary twice a day
Crinone pessary twice a day
Prognova tab (as a pessary) twice a day
Prognova tabs oral 3x per day
Utrogestan 2 tabs oral 3x per day
Pluses clexane injections to avoid DVT!

Took everything for up to 10 weeks post transfer. Then stopped injections and utrogestan.
At 12 weeks stoped prognova pessary, prognova oral went down to once a day and the crinone and cyclogest went down to once a day.
At 14 weeks, all meds stopped.

I do think I had a lot compared to anyone I've spoken to irl or online. As I said I dk why. Maybe a quirk of the clinic or Dr?
Because we were fortunate to not be self funded, I didn't question it or ask about efficacy of one form versus other, I just took what they gave me. I certainly would research it further if I was paying (which will obvs be the case if we ever want to/can have another child)

Hope that's useful in some way!!

a) Genuinely I dk. It was our second NHS funded cycle. The first one didn't work but our blastocysts were a bit ropey. I still had lentogest (IM injections 3x weeks), crinone pessaries and tablets on cycle 1. Cycle 1 was fresh whereas cycle 2 was FET because I got OHSS from the stim period.
In the second cycle I started on several types of progesterone and when they measured my levels they were low so they added lubion and cyclogest. So all I can guess is my levels were pretty low?? Dk why I didn't get a higher dose of one form rather than add in a different med.

b) couldn't tell you exactly as have tailed off most of it now but always one vial with the injections. I think the pessaries and tablets are a standard dose??

Lubion sc twice a day
Lentogest IM three times per week
Cyclogest pessary twice a day
Crinone pessary twice a day
Prognova tab (as a pessary) twice a day
Prognova tabs oral 3x per day
Utrogestan 2 tabs oral 3x per day
Pluses clexane injections to avoid DVT!

Took everything for up to 10 weeks post transfer. Then stopped injections and utrogestan.
At 12 weeks stoped prognova pessary, prognova oral went down to once a day and the crinone and cyclogest went down to once a day.
At 14 weeks, all meds stopped.

I do think I had a lot compared to anyone I've spoken to irl or online. As I said I dk why. Maybe a quirk of the clinic or Dr?
Because we were fortunate to not be self funded, I didn't question it or ask about efficacy of one form versus other, I just took what they gave me. I certainly would research it further if I was paying (which will obvs be the case if we ever want to/can have another child)

Hope that's useful in some way!!

a) Genuinely I dk. It was our second NHS funded cycle. The first one didn't work but our blastocysts were a bit ropey. I still had lentogest (IM injections 3x weeks), crinone pessaries and tablets on cycle 1. Cycle 1 was fresh whereas cycle 2 was FET because I got OHSS from the stim period.
In the second cycle I started on several types of progesterone and when they measured my levels they were low so they added lubion and cyclogest. So all I can guess is my levels were pretty low?? Dk why I didn't get a higher dose of one form rather than add in a different med.

b) couldn't tell you exactly as have tailed off most of it now but always one vial with the injections. I think the pessaries and tablets are a standard dose??

Lubion sc twice a day
Lentogest IM three times per week
Cyclogest pessary twice a day
Crinone pessary twice a day
Prognova tab (as a pessary) twice a day
Prognova tabs oral 3x per day
Utrogestan 2 tabs oral 3x per day
Pluses clexane injections to avoid DVT!

Took everything for up to 10 weeks post transfer. Then stopped injections and utrogestan.
At 12 weeks stoped prognova pessary, prognova oral went down to once a day and the crinone and cyclogest went down to once a day.
At 14 weeks, all meds stopped.

I do think I had a lot compared to anyone I've spoken to irl or online. As I said I dk why. Maybe a quirk of the clinic or Dr?
Because we were fortunate to not be self funded, I didn't question it or ask about efficacy of one form versus other, I just took what they gave me. I certainly would research it further if I was paying (which will obvs be the case if we ever want to/can have another child)

Hope that's useful in some way!!

Thanks for the suggestions. Sounds like I need to be brave and try the bum method.

The instructions say you can do it either way and then give a list of medical reasons why each method might not be suitable.

My clinic definitely implies they're vaginal. And they've never suggested that lying down afterwards us needed.

Sorry I dk where my paragraphs have gone! Watch your eyes ;)

We had two blastocysts transferred and one didn't survive. So if that had been our only embryo, we would have had a MC. Instead it was a vanishing twin. No idea why. They guessed some genetic issue even though it was a top quality blast. Even with all that progesterone, it doesn't always mean it's the answer. Just so it doesn't become too much of an anxious issue for you :)

scottishgirl I used utrogestan during my second cycle. They are much less messy but I found putting them in at work stressful, especially as one site I work has one toilet for everyone so I was always conscious of being in there ages.

Geeup, not sure if you’ve had a look at Fertility Friends but I seem to recall one lady on there who struggled with progesterone absorption despite. I think she might have been on pessaries and injections etc to try and get it up. Apparently though, it all improved when she was put on Metformin (or so I remember reading).

Go for it up the bum, it's really not that bad at all, really easy to do, let discharge and stays in better!

Westergille,

I have been using Ustrogen pessaries vaginally for last 5 IVFs. However this time I have obtained long vaginal applicators with prescription. They make inserting pessaries a doddle as well as getting them probably twice as high as I would normally manage to poke them in. This has greatly reduced pessaries stuck to legs/pants etc!

Rectally is definitely the way to go- used them from ET to week 8 that way and although I had some interesting toilet visits (sorry TMI!) it was easier than the stories I heard from my friends about seeping and having to lie down after.
I think the cyclogest were the worse thing with ivf in my option- had massive bloating and upset stomach which all settled once I stopped using them. I looked more pregnant at week 8 when using them than I do now at 12 weeks!! They did their job though at getting the bean to stick!!!