Should I stop utrogestan?

[SameKeyThough]

So I started another thread about progesterone sensitivity and got lots of helpful replies. Now however, having seen an increase in anxiety over the last couple of days I'm wondering whether I am indeed sensitive to progesterone. I am using the utrogestan vaginally already. I want to just stop taking it, I feel like I can't bear it all anymore.

If you still have a womb you need progesterone if you are taking estrogen. This helps the womb lining shed and not turn cancerous. Please do not just stop without taking advice from your GP.

I’ve had the same issues and been advised to try a mirena coil

Thanks for replying. I know I need to have both, I meant stop the hrt completely. I'm trying to get hold of the meno specialist I saw previously but haven't had any luck yet.

Really don't want to have the coil.

I feel desperate. Almost back to when I was feeling suicidal 8 months ago.

I thought that an increase in anxiety can be due to too much oestrogen. Could you adjust the dose and see if this helps?

I don't know if you HAVE to see a medical professional to change the dose, as I should think all they will say is 'give it a go and see if things improve'. I increased my oestrogen (gel) without consultation as I was still getting menopause symptoms and things have been much better.

I think that when you start on HRT your natural hormonal fluctuations can still have quite an effect and the HRT won't necessarily relieve all the symptoms. NB.this is just my opinion, i am in no way a medical professional of any sort!

I was definitely sensitive to progesterone, but honestly I felt absolutely fine on the Mirena coil. I felt awful on any other kind of progesterone though. The pills made me feel CRAP.

I thought anxiety was caused by too little oestrogen?

I could increase my patch, not sure how I'd do that? I've emailed my gp too but not holding out much hope for an appointment today.

I had bad dreams my first couple of months but they went away. Horrific nightmares which I never normally have. How many days a month do you take it?

I'm meant to take it for 12 days. This is the first month, I'm on day 5. I don't think I can carry on like this. I have been unwell now for nearly a year but I've been slightly better for the past few months. Can't go back to where I was.

There are other types of progesterone you can try before you give up. There are synthetic ones.

I would join a the Menopause Support Netork group on Facebook where they give brilliant advice.

It does sound like you also need to increase your oestrogen.

You can just increase the oestrogen uourself. I did this when I felt anxiety start creeping back. I then asked my GP to increase my prescription. I went from Evorel 50 to Evorel 75. I just cut a 50 patch in half and added it to the 50 patch.

I'm 'glad' to read this as I was going to post asking about it! Even more glad to see that it went away. I started HRT last month and one of my worse symptoms is insomnia. I am now sleeping better but having the most vivid dreams (and sometimes nightmares) which I never used to have. Hopefully this will pass.
OP I have no advice but I hope you feel better soon. I didn't want the coil so I take the mini pill (Azalia) and an utrogestan pill every night and it seems ok.

Just wondering whether your own cycle or something else might be ramping up the anxiety for some reason? As progesterone is 'supposed' to be the calming hormone.

If you were worried about taking it in the first place might that be letting you focus on it a lot IYSWIM (I know this happens to me).

Hopefully you can speak to your GP and see what they suggest. Are you tracking your moods through your cycle/HRT?

@SameKeyThough I replied to your other post a few days ago.
It's very unusual to get emotional symptoms if you are using Utrogestan vaginally. It's absorbed purely in the womb/ vagina and doesn't enter your bloodstream or nervous system, or only very little and it's then more like a sedative rather than creating anxiety or depression.

I'm meaning this kindly, but is it possible that your previous anxiety issues are making you assume it's the Utrogestan causing some issues? You seemed to be sure that you would have side effects and that's a pretty sure way for them to occur.

You started a thread asking 'how long before side effects would show up' almost expecting them to. The mind is very powerful and it's possible to convince yourself of something and experience those symptoms if you believe they will occur.

Now that you are on HRT you should to try to continue for a few more days, then stop if you want to, for good.

If you still have periods of your own, it's not too much a problem stopping Utrogestan early as you will have a natural period to clear the lining. If you are post menopause, then you need to try to have a final bleed, and stop all the HRT at the end of that cycle.

The other option as some PPs have said is to increase your estrogen dose as this sometimes 'cancels out' any side effects of progesterone.

Looking at it from another perspective, are you having anything like counselling or CBT to help your mental health? Your GP is supposed to offer this as first line treatment rather than meds.

I do completely understand what you are saying about the power of the mind, I know all too well how much I can influence my anxiety. I'm not sure that's what I've done though, although I accept it's a possibility. I was feeling pretty optimistic about the hrt being a success, especially after reading all the replies on my other thread. But last night and today have been awful. I've managed to get a phone appt with the gp later so will ask about coming off the hrt I think, or at least postponing it until I can see the meno specialist.

You don't need your GP to okay stopping HRT. BUT you ought to try to complete a few more days of progesterone if you are post menopause, just so you have a final bleed after using estrogen for 2 weeks.

How old are you and how far into peri or post menopause?

If this is the first type of HRT you have tried, maybe other types would suit you better?

Femoston is similar in terms of being almost body identical/ safety.

There are also of course all the patches, but they all contain Norethisterone as the progestogen and some woman find it can cause low mood.

A specialist is unlikely to offer anything else, other than a reduced dose of Utrogestan, (off licence) or another type, as I've just mentioned.

I'm 50, still having regular periods about every 25 days, although last 2 cycles were only 19 days. This is the first type I've tried. Thanks for all your helpful info, on both this and the other thread.

I know I'm probably being stupid wanting to stop again. But I haven't been this anxious for a long time and if it's there's any chance the utrogestan is causing it I really need to stop it.

Side effects often improve within the first few months. That's why you would probably be advised to try to do at least 2 months to see how you feel.

It's really hard for you to be sure if it's your HRT or your overall anxiety that existed before HRT. Being anxious about side effects will give you anxiety.

I've started a new regimen - I have Evorel Sequi patches (the 2nd half of the pack has combined oestrogen and progesterone). I've added a pump of oestrogel recently and it does seem to help. X

How are you doing today @SameKeyThough ?

I’m not menopausal yet but in the last 2 years I’ve done 3 frozen embryo transfers and taken estradiol plus progesterone pessaries each time. It was high dose (so 600mg/day for the 2 cycles using utrogestan, and 800mg/day for the one using cyclogest), but I definitely experienced mood disturbances from the progesterone. Not telling you to feed the anxiety OP, but to reassure you that it may well not be ‘all in your head’, as I’ve found the fear that you’re going mad/making it up is just as anxiety-triggering as worrying about side effects!

hope you get sorted anyway. I’ve used the minipill which is similar hormones to the merina with no mood problems so that could be worth exploring.

Thanks for asking @Closterfack I stopped it last night, I definitely had a slightly better night last night, still a bit of anxiety but not constant through the night like it was the previous night. I'm hoping today will be better too.
@Verbena87 thank you for your reply, I have been blaming myself a bit for creating the anxiety.

Utrogestan made me feel absolutely terrible. I was the most depressed I've ever been. Then I was advised to have a Mirena coil and 2 days after it was put in, I was a new woman.

That was 3 years ago and I have not had a menopausal symptom since. I will be 53 in a few weeks.