Pleasantly surprised by utrogestan

[BigButtons]

. I’m 52, was having regular periods but had terrible night sweats and anxiety.
This is my first round of taking it. For years now the second half of my natural cycle has been hell. 2 weeks of pain and bloating and tears. I tried the mirena and that was worse. femostan was awful too.
I realised the pains I felt were Progesterone related. However using the gel and the utrogestan I have had NO side effects bar the odd spot. No cramping, bloating or bad temper. I’m so surprised.
Perhaps the oestrogen is balancing things out a bit? I think I must have been oestrogen deficient for quite a while.
Finally feel I’m getting my life back after years of suffering

Great news! Hope it continues :)

😊 thank you !

I like utrogestan as it makes me sleep!

I haven’t noticed any change to my crap sleep but I’m beyond relieved not to have 2 weeks of stabby cramping that no painkillers get rid of! First time in years I haven’t suffered. Bit pimple faces though. Small price to pay🙂

I thought utrogestan was progesterone?

It is a type of progesterone yes.

Although today I started to spot. Don’t know if this is common or not? I thought I was supposed to bleed once I’d stopped it?
When I have used norithisterine I could guarantee a bleed 3 days after stopping.
I have seen on menopause matters that people like me who are progesterone intolerant do well on just 100mg for 12 days rather than 200mg.

Spotting before you finish the Utrogestan is common - it's because it's not absorbed that well sometimes and when the level in your blood stream falls, the lining breaks down.

PLEASE do not start fiddling with the dose.
The licensed dose for endometrium protection is 200mgs.
The women you have read about may be doing this (lower dose) under the guidance of a specialist (I use it on a different length cycle but under guidance from a meno specialist).

100mgs is not enough for most women and very few women are actually intolerant to it.Yes, a lot of us feel a bit grotty on the days when we use it, but it's a case of just accepting that. If you find you feel dreadful on it (and you say you don't), the medical advice (again, under supervision) would be to lengthen the estrogen only phase each month not reduce the utrogestan.

If you don't want to bleed early, you might find using Utrogestan vaginally will stop that because it's absorbed better that way- you just shove 2 tabs right up, at bedtime.

@JinglingHellsBells thanks
. The spotting seems to have stopped. I’ve done 12 days of 200g. Mostly vaginally.
Will be interesting to see when I start to bleed properly.

I am pleasantly surprised too.I had to stop from everol and was concerned about side effects.
I took your advice Jingling and I'm sure the GP said to take 1 pill at night.(normally they print the dose on the sticker mine says refer to leaflet)says
I have fe t more chilled and slept better than before the kids were born!
Onwards and upwards I hope.Thanks for the advice Jingling.😊

I have 100mg daily with no break. Is this unusual?

There seem to be so many ways of taking it, days/ regimes/ methods. I think how you take it depends on your own stage in life, medical needs etc.

@Abraid2 There is little difference between the 25 day regime and taking it daily. The 25 day regime is there to give a bleed if there is any lining to come away. It's really your choice. Taking it for 25 days is pretty much the same as daily. Who advised you to take it daily (out of interest as the leaflet in the pack does say either 25 days or 12.)?

I go to the Newson Health practice in Stratford, Jingling. I see one of Louise Newson's colleagues there.

They ought to have explained that taking it daily is fine- that's the same as conti pills and patches- but that the leaflet says 25 days out of every 28. Utrogestan can be poorly absorbed, so it is possibly slightly safer to have a few days break now and then (in my opinion) to give yourself the chance to bleed if the lining has built up. Maybe discuss with them and ask why they have said every day? You're paying for it all, so no harm in asking for an explanation.

They did explain that at length! It’s so I don’t have to have a bleed. I was just wondering why it wasn’t more common an approach because surely not having bleeds is good, if you can tolerate utragestan like jt his. 🙂

... and if there aren’t concerns about uterine lining.

I think the reason @Abraid2 is because you are seeing an expert privately and they understand the whole hrt thing better, whereas most women are getting it from a GP who knows next to nothing often and they follow the prescribing info on the product.

Yes, I’m sure they can be more flexible. I keep getting my prescriptions through them and paying the dispensing fee as I can’t face a possible struggle with my GP practice! Utragestan isn’t their first formulary option in any case. Hopefully that will change in time.