Help. When should I take my progesterone?

[TheGingerTree]

My GP agreed to prescribe me HRT on Thursday. Estradot 25mg patch and separate Utrogestan 200mg.

He asked me what day I was in my cycle (Day 13) so he told me I would need to start taking the Utrogestan on Day 15 (yesterday) and take it through until Day 26, then I'd have a withdrawl bleed.

I have been wearing my patch since Thursday morning and took the Utrogestan last night, but had a dreadful night of insomnia and didn't sleep at all. Kept getting adrenaline surges and felt very shaky.

But this has been happening a lot lately and is one of the reasons I am on HRT so don't think I can blame the HRT/Utrogestan?

Just been reading elsewhere on the Internet that ideally I should have counted Thursday as 'Day 1' of my cycle and waited for a couple of weeks before starting the Utrogestan on 'Day 15'?

I feel so confused and wondered if anyone had any experience of this?

Have your periods stopped or are you in peri still?

Presumably you are in peri if you are having cycles.

Your GP is right if you are having regular cycles.

The HRT regime will re-set your cycles if you are post meno or having very infrequent periods, though in peri that's always harder because your own hormone levels might break through.

What might have been easier and better was to wait until your next period if it's due in 2 weeks - unless they are very erratic- and then start counting from Day 1, then take the Utro 15 days into the cycle.

You could still do that but if your periods are say every 3 months or more then carry on.

Thank you pinkfrocks I always feel massively reassured when you post

I am still having periods and they were sort of still regular (but much lighter), but getting closer together. Generally I was on a 24-26 day cycle.

But last month I had a standard 28 day cycle again (with a heavier bleed, and it felt like more of a 'proper' period iyswim?).

But then this month my period started on Day 32!

So even though 'technically' yesterday was Day 15 of my cycle I actually don't know if my period will arrive in 10 days, or 15 or possibly 19? I am a bit all over the place with it.

I was very keen to get started on the HRT because I am due to see my consultant in just over 4 weeks time, and I wanted to be able to give her a review of a full month's experience on HRT.

I have been trying to contact her for weeks to get her to fax her preferred HRT script through to my GP, to no avail. So in the end I begged my GP to do one for me and he was quite amenable.

I think your dr was right- hurrah!!!

I used to have cycles anywhere from 30-35 days as a teen / early 20s but always considered that quite regular.

In peri they went down to 26, then 24, then one cycle of 17 days.

When you stop the utrogestan, it ought to have reset your cycle, so expect a period either by the last day of taking it, or maybe 2-3 days later.

So would you just carry on now wearing the patch and taking the Utro until day 26?

Yes OR your only other options are don't take it until you have another period then start counting again.

OR

If your periods are quite regular- which they still are- you'd probably not come to any harm just using the patch alone until after your next period, then adding in the Utro from day 15 of your next cycle. That would mean you had unopposed oestrogen for around 6 weeks rather than 2, which you may want to ask your consultant about, but some women have long cycle HRt anyway which means taking progesterones once every 6-8 weeks.

ps have sent you a PM