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Original poster

Sandrena Gel

32 replies

BlitzenandMikey · 06/07/2019 08:38

Hi all,
Well I have finally picked up a private prescription of sandrena gel and progesterone. The progesterone needs to be taken every night continuously. I haven’t had a period since last August. Will I get a bleed once I start taking it?

Any positive experiences with the gel? It’s taken me a LONG time to get it!

OP posts:
JinglinghellsBells · 06/07/2019 08:55

That's good news! Was this your GP in the end or a consultant?

Any reason why you got Sandrena and not Oestrogel? (Sandrena supposedly takes longer to dry.)

No you ought not to bleed but some women who use continuous HRT do get some spotting for a few months because it takes a while for the progesterone to 'control' the build up of the lining (caused by the estrogen.)

Just wait and see!

JinglinghellsBells · 06/07/2019 08:56

If you find you don't get on with progesterone daily, you can take 200mgs x 10 days each month or so and this will give a bleed but will give you a lot of estrogen-only days.

Original poster
BlitzenandMikey · 06/07/2019 21:34

Hi jingling
The private GP prescribed.
Not sure why sandrena, I just hope it works.
The progesterone is to be taken nightly, just wondering when to apply the gel? At night also?

OP posts:
JinglinghellsBells · 06/07/2019 22:24

Apply it any time- makes no difference.

Original poster
BlitzenandMikey · 09/07/2019 15:19

@JinglinghellsBells the dose is 0.5mg. Now I’m worrying it won’t be strong enough. Is that the usual dose for sandrena? I’m guessing she’s put me on the lowest dose to begin with and review after 3 months.

OP posts:
JinglinghellsBells · 09/07/2019 16:48

Never used Sandrena but if you google it I think it comes in .5mg and 1mgs.
You might find it's too low. (I use 1.5 mgs of Oestrogel.)

I think you may have to double up.

I don't think from what I've been told that there is any higher risk with a little more estrogen than less.

Original poster
BlitzenandMikey · 09/07/2019 18:58

Thats what i was thinking, that the dose may be too low. I will try 2 sachets of 0 5 to see. I Wouldn't mind trying oestrogel either.

OP posts:
dontknowwhatimdoing04 · 09/07/2019 20:58

I take 1mg sandrema that was starting dose plus progesterone day 15-26 might be worth increasing - good luck

Original poster
BlitzenandMikey · 10/07/2019 07:41

@dontknowwhatimdoing04 does the 1 mg work for you? How long have you been on it?

OP posts:
JinglinghellsBells · 10/07/2019 09:56

The beauty of gel is that you can 'self titrate'! You use whatever it takes to relieve symptoms, without the fuss of having to go back to the dr to ask for new prescriptions (pills or patches.)

For instance when I used gel I started on half a pumpful which was about 0.5gms. I saw some decease in flushes. I then went up to 1 pump 0.75mgs and was flush free except at bedtimes. So I then went up to 1.5 pumps (roughly 1.25mgs estrogen.)
This is my baseline at the moment.

I did ask my consultant if there was any virtue in trying to reduce the dose to 1 pump and he said no= not worth it.

So- this is a rather rambling reply to say don't worry about what other people do- it's what works for you and it may need a few weeks to experiment.

Original poster
BlitzenandMikey · 10/07/2019 16:06

Thanks @JinglinghellsBells I shall just keep with it abd see what happens. I’m so impatient that’s the problem! Just want some relief from it all.

OP posts:
LucyLeak · 08/11/2019 18:08

Blitzenandmikey can I ask how you're getting on? I've been prescribed daily progesterone and estrogen gel this week after I finally got my appointment with the Meno specialist. Wondering if I will still get periods, they have been rather erratic over the last two years.

Original poster
BlitzenandMikey · 09/11/2019 10:03

Hi Lucy
I use 2mg of sandrena and daily utrogestan.Flushes have greatly reduced, no periods ( yet). Last proper one was August 2018. Stilll have too much anxiety, so I’ve got an appointment at the Chelsea clinic next month to discuss my HRT.

OP posts:
Micha1972 · 14/03/2021 12:54

Was the 2mg not enough or too much? I have just started 1.5mg sanderena which I believe is same as 4 pumps of estrogel. Been on it 6 days and still daily headaches and back/neck pain and hot flushes etc....I'm worrying I have something wrong with me although all of this pain and mood swings hit me like a ton of bricks 3 months before my last period. That was 8 months ago. I really hope 1.5 sanderena and 10 days prog capsules start working soon!@

JinglingHellsBells · 14/03/2021 13:31

Was the 2mg not enough or too much? I have just started 1.5mg sanderena which I believe is same as 4 pumps of estrogel.
@Micha1972 No, it's not.

2 pumps of gel is 1.50mgs.
(0.75mgs each pump.)

Give it longer! It takes months/ years for peri to kick in and hormones fall. HRT is similar- it can take days/ weeks/ months to full benefit.
It's not like taking an aspirin and getting relief.
It's got to get into your system and gradually build up.

Micha1972 · 15/03/2021 08:28

@Jinglinghellsbells thank you. Should I expect to see any slight improvements after a few weeks? Or, again, can slight improvements also take months?

JinglingHellsBells · 15/03/2021 08:45

I think it depends on how low your own estrogen is. I found improvements in a week but I was 53 and my periods had stopped. You should certainly start to see some benefit in 3-4 weeks. :)

Micha1972 · 15/03/2021 11:01

@Jinglinghellsbells thanks so much for your help. I'm just desperate for some relief. I am 50 and no periods for about 7 months. I will just be patient (harder said than done).

Also, I've just found some info online by Chelsea NHS menopause and PMS (regarding shortages of estrogel and substituting with sanderena - it's from 2018) that says 2 pumps of estrogel is the equivalent of 1mg sanderena gel.

Micha1972 · 15/03/2021 11:03

My estrogen is 200, prog 0.6 and testosterone 0.7. Is 200 low? @Jinglinghellsbells

JinglingHellsBells · 15/03/2021 11:15

@Micha1972

My estrogen is 200, prog 0.6 and testosterone 0.7. Is 200 low? *@Jinglinghellsbells*
No idea! They tend not to use blood tests now (only had mine done once, 15 years ago for something that was not connected to HRT.)

You just need to stick with the regime and see how you feel in a few weeks. be patient :)

Micha1972 · 16/03/2021 07:46

Thank you @Jinglinghellsbells. I will update in a month.

Micha1972 · 29/03/2021 17:55

I'm 3 weeks in. For the last 4 or 5 nights my sleep has improved and my hot flushes are less. So this has given me hope that I'm on the right track with 1.5mg gel. Hopefully the feelings of tension, overwhelm and anxiety etc will start improving soon too. I've now done quite a bit of research and did not realise the significance of estrogen on mental and physical health.

Im not normally anxious or low and although i feel overwhelmed with the pandemic i feel my low estrogen may have exacerbated this.

Kimlolly · 10/06/2021 14:52

Hi I have just been given sandrena gel in 0.5G satchels and utovlan 5mg by my dr as been going through menopause for 4 years now and fine till last 2 years when no sleep anxiety mood swings depression and then last year problems with my teeth so decided to try hrt worried how it will affect me and weight gain as I’m quite slim and watch what I eat so the thought of gaining weight would just make me depressed again it’s a vicious circle so just need advice please from anyone else who has taken this

AintPageantMaterial · 11/06/2021 13:01

@Kimlolly I switched to Sandrena recently. I am 50 and have been on HRT for about 2 and a half years now. I thought I was putting on weight in the first couple of months but I now think it was just a little bloating and water retention which can happen to some people initially. It settled down pretty quickly and I have now have actually managed to lose weight since starting HRT. I am also very vigilant about my weight, especially since perimenopause seems to make it so much easier to gain and harder to lose. My sleep has improved on HRT and my general mood and wellbeing have improved so that I feel better able to eat healthily consistently and take regular exercise. I had a healthy BMI when I started the HRT but was nearer the top of the healthy weight for my height. I’ve only lost 5lbs but they have stayed off and I feel better for it.

Give it a couple of months so you can really settle in to it and feel the benefits. If you really don’t like it, it leaves your system very quickly after you discontinue it. I bet you find your mood improves and the rest of your wellbeing with it.

Kimlolly · 11/06/2021 14:35

Thank you for your comments will try see how I go only picked it up Monday but going to start it Monday as got my granddaughter this weekend and don’t want any side effects looking after a toddler lol just hope it helps my teeth issues as it’s really getting me down never seem to feel happy or stress free for more than a few days just lately