Peri menopause + Duphaston (not in UK)

[Peaceonearthplease]

I'm peri menopausal, 50 years, with irregular periods but recent tests showed there are still some eggs to hatch. I missed two periods earlier this year and experienced hot flushes & anxiety. It was grim. My gynae prescribed Duphaston (synthetic progesteron not available in the UK) and the past four months have been largely symptom free. However, I've now missed a period & been getting hot flushes day & night + dreadful anxiety. Is it HRT time? Polly Perky, are you out there?

Hi! The active ingredient is dydrogesterone (thank you google!)
This is the progestogen that is in Femoston ( HRT tablets, sequi) along with estrogen and many women say it's good and works for them.

I've heard of some women using a progestogen to regulate cycles in late peri and prevent spotting caused by their own low progesterone. But once you start getting symptoms due to loss of estrogen, it's not going to help much.

Maybe ask to swap to Femoston?

Thanks Pollyperky! Funnily enough the gynae prescribed a short course of Femeston which brought on my period after just 3 days. I had skipped it for two months. I was then told to start on the Duphaston for 12th-25th days of cycle. Things ticked over well for four months but now back to ghastly flushes. Am I correct in thinking that the Estrogens levels are now dipping & fluctuating? Will Femoston treat my symptoms through peri and into menopause? What happens to the clutch of eggs if my estrogen is disappearing? Do women have to change medications throughout the process? Oh the questions that I have with no chance of taking to my doctor. Thanks PP & MN

Aw, I'm really not looking forward to this happening. Sorry to hear about your problems, I personally had hoped to somehow magically not be affected by this type of problem myself, in the very near future too, but the more I read and hear about it, the more I realise almost everybody is in for a ghastly few years with these awful symptoms.

Hi Alpha I had hoped for exactly the same, your comment is v familiar to me! But here I am, sweating away I find the flushes so strange, quite unlike a fever when ill. It's like a mini nuclear reactor goes off & burns intensely for a few minutes. I've been on an even keel emotionally for years but over the past six months have experienced dreadful anxiety. It's HRT time for me .

Am I correct in thinking that the Estrogens levels are now dipping & fluctuating? YES!

Will Femoston treat my symptoms through peri and into menopause?
YES! But you might need to increase it to a higher dose once you are post menopause and your estrogen falls off

What happens to the clutch of eggs if my estrogen is disappearing?
Menopause= no more eggs. It's eggs that determine menopause.When you have no more eggs you will be post menopause and no more periods. Until then they will be popped out now and then- maybe monthly but more often not.

Do women have to change medications throughout the process?
Sometimes. You can try a no-bleed sort (continuous once you have had no periods for at least 12 months.)it's not mandatory.

Thanks Polly! A recent ultrasound showed a fair clutch of eggs so looks like I've got erratic periods into the near future... May I ask how you became the font of Menopausal wisdom? It's very helpful!

Wisdom? LOL.
I've been on HRT for almost 10 years. I don't like taking anything without knowing all about it, so I've spent a lot of time researching- it's all out there online. I've also got a great gynae who is a meno expert so pick their brains.

Good for you PP & thanks for sharing your findings. Spoken to a friend who has great relief from flushes by taking Clonidine. Thoughts?

I think it all depends on your own history. ALL meds have side effects so a med that is primarily for high BP will have side effects especially if used by someone who does not have high BP! Quick google shows which!
I don't know why someone would be prescribed this in favour of HRT unless they had a medical history which contraindicated HRT.

You have to look at all the risks and benefits of HRT. Something like Clonidine may help vasomotor symptoms, but that will be all.

More and more research shows it may prevent heart disease, it def prevents bone thinning and possibly diabetes type 2, possibly dementia, certainly lowers the risk of bowel cancer, pelvic atrophy, and joint problems.

The risks that come with it are associated with the synthetic progestogens used in some types. Blood clots etc are not a risk with transdermal types.

It depends on each person's medical /health profile. I had low bone density, there is a history of CVD on my mum's side (grandparent), I've already had a major pelvic repair, so for me personally the risks seem worth taking.

Everyone needs to do their own pros&cons assessment!

I was on HRT for ten years, what I wasn't told was that when I wanted to come off, all the symptoms would return, nightmare. I would still take HRT in retrospect because it did make me feel good. The other thing was, when I asked my Doctor how to come off it, he said "just stop taking it" w.....ker. It two goes, the first time I thought I was going mad so went back on it. The second time I did it really slowly over a period of about 8 months. After that I was fine but still had the flushes etc for about a year.

Forgot to add, initially I had the patches which irritated my skin. I had to try two other types untill I found the one that suited me. It will definately help with anxiety.

Hopefully Pension the new NICE report and the guidelines of the BMS ought to stop that kind of thing by GPs!!!

A) There is no time limit on HRT
B) There is no age limit for HRT (but best started within 10 yrs of last period.)

Not everyone has a return of symptoms. About 50% do and 50% don't.

If you want to go back on it, ask your GP and find one who works WITH your wishes, not one who wants to play God.

Menopause is for life. The flushes etc may eventually go (my Mum's went on till her 80s) but thinning bones, heart disease and loss of collagen affecting backs ( collagen is between the discs) happens longer term.

It's worth remembering two things:

1.More women die from complications of osteoporosis annually than die from breast cancer. Osteo affects 1:2 women over 50. Elderly women with broken hips often die from complications. Or, their quality of life from broken bones is very poor.

1. More women die from heart disease than any other cause.

HRT along with a healthy lifestyle reduces risks of both of these.