Utrogestan

[SaintVal]

Just a rant really but I wish we didn't have to take progesterone in HRT! I feel amazing on the 75 Evorel oestrogen patch: motivated to exercise, eat less and mood is lifted, then... BAM!! Progesterone begins and by the second week I feel bloated and moody, my boobs feel like painful rocks and it just cancels out all the positive stuff.

I feel like giving up on HRT altogether tbh. Does anyone else feel the same?

I just decided to stop taking HRT, cos the 2 weeks I was on utrogeston really made me go mad, total pmt craziness symptoms, self doubt, inability to think clearly. I never really had PMT throughout my life having periods. Doctor is aware that I am stopping, so I just hope that after a year of being on it, I'll come off HRT and feel better. I had anxiety which made me go on it, but really no other symptoms and I think the anxiety was really due I Covid and not working. Anyway, that's what I'm hoping! My oestrogen levels were a bit low, but I'm 51 so I guess that's normal. Hope things work out for you op.

Thank you @Tabasco007 - we're the same age. My main symptoms were dryness so I think I might just do the topical oestrogen (vagirux) and stop the other HRT as like you, I never had PMT with periods so what I'm experiencing now is just not easy to live with tbh.

SaintVal
I had exactly the same, felt I was going insane, anxious, constipated, bloated, awful

People said, keep going for three months- just couldn't and then was unable to speak to gp

You can take it vaginally but I only found out after

Felt fab on oestrogel and really helped stomach issues I had been having

Symptoms back with a vengeance now 😞

Have you tried taking the utrogestan for 25 days at half the dose? That's what I'm on and I don't have the highs/lows you describe.

AgathaX are you post meno?

I have stopped taking hrt but have not heard this option.

I am still have periods erratically

Is there a possibility of having a mirena coil? This would cover your progesterone requirements so then you just need the topical oestrogen

MrsDee nervous about this as felt so awful on it and it would be harder to stop

Could try vaginal utrogestan

Don't want to hijack SaintVal's thread

I could try halving the Utrogestan dose, good idea, assuming that's enough to protect the uterus?

I really don't fancy having the coil as things being inserted into my cervix make me feel sick and faint (mildly traumatised by a HyCosy when I had IVF!)

i have just changed from taking Utrogestan orally to vaginally because of side effects. For those of you who experienced side effects and made a change, how long was it until the side effects cleared up?

Oh, @cantheydothisreally, that’s interesting. I didn’t realise perimenopause is associated with stomach issues. Does it affect it things like reflux? Mine is terrible but hadn’t realised there might be a link!

There are options with Utrogestan, take it vaginally, ask about switching to continual regieme ie half the dose every night (orally or vaginally) or some women add a pump of gel on the cyclical progesterone days (to prevent it mopping up too much of the oestrogen I think is the reasoning?)

Utrogestan can be taken vaginally which many women find means side effects are avoided. Some get on better with it though! It's all individual