Severe progesterone intolerance

[Touty]

Anyone else out there with this? How do you manage to ease symptoms of menopause?

im on a very low dose combined tablet for hrt, still struggling to cope with mental distress, flatness and terrible feelings of doom. Even at the low dose of hrt I’m struggling with progesterone intolerance.

*Everol patches, not Every, obviously!

My GP prescribed Femoston 1/10 as said progestin 'kinder' than in other tablets. His exact words.
So, that was the first hrt he suggested and I am still on it. Taken about 18 months now.

I've been on. Femoston for 10 years, I asked to be prescribed that specific HRT by the GP as I have a very long history of hormone exacaberated depression (pre menopause) and I had read that this one was kinder and less liable to trigger depression.

I've had no problem on it at all, I don't feel any different on the progesterone tablets than I do on the oestrogen ones.

Utrogestan definitely irritates my bladder like uti pressure & pain & frequent need for loo stops immediately when I don't take it! I hate having to take it as stops me sleeping also

Hi,
I came across this post and so much of it has resonated. Hope you dont mind me opening it back up ( if that is such a thing- Im very new to this!)
I think that I may have an intolerance to progesterone, although my GP has not said this to me. I started on the combined patch where I would take the one with progesterone in for the two weeks. This made me feel sick, bloated, heartburn, all things Ive not had before. AND my skin- it was awful, acne on my chin, dry everywhere else.
I changed to Utrogestan which did help with the bloating and nausea but not the skin. I came off it in the end as although the oestrogen was making me feel so much better ( less anxiety, better mood, no sweeping feelings of impending doom or restless legs) I just cant manage having such awful skin. I know it may seem vain but they were really getting me down and every painful cyst/whitehead leaves an awful scar.
Im now taking Dianette pill as I used to take this in my thirties and it cleared my skin up, however Im back to feeling so anxious and low again. I am prone to acne but felt I had got past that stage in my life, as hadnt suffered for years. Now it feels that if I want to feel better in peri menopause then Im going to have just get on with the spots! Im 47, so I have the wrinkles also, which feels like a double whammy!!
My GP has suggested the coil but Im worried this would make the acne worse. Does anyone have nay suggestions or experiences they are able to share. Feeling quite desperate!

Hi there,

this thread is a bit old, but I’m really hoping that you are still around @JinglingSpringbells
i’m very interested to hear more about your scan experience of “acceptable” endometrial thickness for post menopausal women on 3 monthly cycle.
i was following the 3 month cycle with cyclogest, and really struggled with the 2nd week so foolishly “missed” 2 cycles.
realising that this was probably not wise, I arranged a private ultrasound which showed a lining of 6.8mm. I was advised to have a hysteroscopy/biopsy to check nothing untoward. Whilst waiting for procedure I did a short course of cyclogest, had a withdrawal bleed and lining was down to 5.1mm.
biopsy was clear, but I decided to try mirena as the whole thing just scared me and I was told it was the safest way to reduce the endometrial thickening.
i have persevered with the coil for 7 months. A whole range of symptoms - in some ways manageable (better than cancer I thought), but now after months of lethargy that isn’t shifting and weight gain of 1 and half stone (ravenous constantly), I want it out.
i am prepared to put up with a difficult week every 3 months if I return to 3 monthly cyclogest regime.
HOWEVER I am worried about hyperplasia /cancer. Hence your post about thicker endometrium being acceptable for post menopausal women is potentially reassuring.
my Newson doctor said I don’t need an ultrasound before having the coil out and she is happy for me to wait 13 weeks post coil removal before doing a round of cyclogest, just to wait a year.

I was also interested to read your post that NICE guidelines have been updated to approve the 3 monthly cycle for post meno women. That was news to my, as I though I was returning to a “risky” protocol.

I hope the above makes sense!

I’m interested in your views on my post.

I’m like yourself, VERY progesterone intolerant, Utrogestan being the worst. I have tried every form of progesterone and the only one I can tolerate in short dosage is Medroxyprogesterone. There is a HRT called Tridestra, it’s a tablet of estrogen for 3 months followed by the introduction of medroxyprogesterone for two weeks followed by a withdrawal bleed. The two weeks of medroxyprogesterone was quite bearable. I’m 56 and haven’t had a period for 6 years but I can’t take progesterone every day, unless I want to join a mental institution, it’s seriously bad.

I’m currently on a regime under guidance as the Tridestra has lactose in the tablet and I’m lactose intolerant 😢, it was so good apart from the intolerance 🤷‍♀️

The regime I’m currently doing is estrogen patch for 8 weeks followed by medroxyprogesterone then a bleed. Similar to Tridestra, but because it hasn’t been officially trialled I have yearly trans vaginal ultrasounds to check my uterus.

I can highly recommend Tridestra, if I could tolerate lactose I’d still be on it, it’s bloody marvellous 🤩

Medroxyprogesterone is also known as Provera.

@Touty hi there, I'm having similar issues and wanted to ask how you're doing? Are you on any hrt and how is it? On or off?

How is everyone now? I am going through a tough time.
I had been on Evorel Conti and felt really flat. It did helped the anxiety but I felt tired and drugged. Also developed episodes of slow heart rates on it. I know it is this, as I was switched back to sequential and was given separate oestrogen patch and provera tablets to take.
I had been perfectly fine on the 2 weeks Evorel 50 then I took 2.5mg Provera last night (should have been 10mg but I wanted to test I would be ok).
Today I feel drugged and flat and my heart rate is dropping again. Earlier on it was 46 at rest and I felt horrific.
I have tried other things and I have a feeling they are going to wash their hands of me now.
I did have a Mirena in my late 30s and felt crap on that too. I had panic attacks on it as well.

I had to give up with hrt sadly, so need the estrogen but could not tolerate any forms of progesterone at all.
So unfortunately im left not sleeping regular fractures pain hot sweats low mood fatigued it really is miserable.
Lost my career & husband but I was unable to find any progesterone & with a womb still cant take hrt without it.
Hopefully someone else on here may have a solution for you - wishing you better luck

Hi, I came off hrt by mid December. I withdrew slowly and tapered down over about ten weeks. I have been mostly fine so far and am so glad that I'm no longer on progesterone. It ruined two years of my life. I'd take this life without it any day. Progesterone is like a poison to me. There are things you can do that might help, magnesium, ashgawhanda, exercise, relaxation, cultivating relationships etc. Good luck.