Utrogestan has solved my sleep problems but only for 12 nights per month- any advice?

[poolofsun]

I’m mid forties, perimenopausal for a few years and finally saw a very good GP who knows their stuff and was willing to prescribe HRT. My main issues were dreadful sleep and a lot of anxiety/ overwhelm and exhaustion to the point I was close to getting signed off work. I’m only on my second round of continuous oestrogen patches plus utrogestan pills for 12 nights in a 28 day cycle.

I seem to be tolerating the oestrogen patches fine but the Utrogestan has been amazing for sleep plus anxiety/ overwhelm etc. I have felt like myself again while taking it. The issue is that it helps for the 12 nights but the terrible sleep returns literally the next day and then I’m back to finding everything hard to deal with.

I’m not due a review with the GP for a while but has anyone had a similar experience or have any advice? I was still having periods in my natural cycle but erratic at times eg with two month gaps and other times more regularly. Do GPs ever consider more continuous Utrogestan?

Your story sounds just like mine. My Dr said I can take the capsules every day without a break which I have been doing now for over a year with no side effects. Ask your gp and good luck!

Thanks @SouthCoastShell for replying! Do you mind me asking if you were perimenopausal at the time?

Yes this time three years ago I started perimenopause and I've been on HRT for 2 years now. I was considering giving up a full time job I loved due to having 8-10 hot sweats a night and no quality of sleep. Since starting on the gel and capsules I feel like my old self again even the joint aches have gone .

That’s great to hear and I’m glad it worked for you.

I am 42 and have been peri menopausal since 37 and I have oestrogel, the mini pill and utrogestan 100mg every night. Works really well for me. (I don’t need the mini pill for contraception, I take it because it stops my periods / bleeding completely and with lupus my periods were always heavy and awful). The mini
pill provides some of the progesterone needed as part of the HRT and the utrogestan provides the rest.

That’s interesting @Xrays can I ask why the Utrogestan is continuous? Is it because it helps symptoms more that way? I’m on 200mg but only for the 12 blissful nights.

Ooh, watching with great interest as I am just the same...

Myself and my friend have both stared on the same HRT at the same time. She has been taking one tablet each night and I take two for half the month. I struggle with sleep so might ask to move to one a night as well ?

Really interesting thread.
I’m 42 and having a similar experience of perimenopause. I’ve always been a very stable, generally happy, stoic person but the anxiety crept up on me over a few months until it was debilitating. I’ve never suffered from PMT but now have noticeable symptoms a couple of days before my period and then again a couple of days afterwards. No real physical symptoms - hot flushes etc.

I started on HRT in July and was prescribed 2 pumps of oestrogen gel and utrogestan tablet for days 1-25 of my cycle. A couple of months ago, my GP upped the gel to 3 pumps.

In your case, I would go back to the GP. Do you know why you only take it for 12 days? This seems quite unusual.

I am thinking of asking to have the depo injection again (this was my contraception of choice for many years) to up the progesterone levels and stop my periods. It’s a bit scary with that though as once it’s in, it’s in.

Sorry if these are just ramblings - mainly just saying that I hear you!

Really interesting thread.
I’m 42 and having a similar experience of perimenopause. I’ve always been a very stable, generally happy, stoic person but the anxiety crept up on me over a few months until it was debilitating. I’ve never suffered from PMT but now have noticeable symptoms a couple of days before my period and then again a couple of days afterwards. No real physical symptoms - hot flushes etc.

I started on HRT in July and was prescribed 2 pumps of oestrogen gel and utrogestan tablet for days 1-25 of my cycle. A couple of months ago, my GP upped the gel to 3 pumps.

In your case, I would go back to the GP. Do you know why you only take it for 12 days? This seems quite unusual.

I am thinking of asking to have the depo injection again (this was my contraception of choice for many years) to up the progesterone levels and stop my periods. It’s a bit scary with that though as once it’s in, it’s in.

Sorry if these are just ramblings - mainly just saying that I hear you!

Really interesting thread.

I’m 42 and having a similar experience of perimenopause. I’ve always been a very stable, generally happy, stoic person but the anxiety crept up on me over a few months until it was debilitating. I’ve never suffered from PMT but now have noticeable symptoms a couple of days before my period and then again a couple of days afterwards. No real physical symptoms - hot flushes etc.

I started on HRT in July and was prescribed 2 pumps of oestrogen gel and utrogestan tablet for days 1-25 of my cycle. A couple of months ago, my GP upped the gel to 3 pumps.

In your case, I would go back to the GP. Do you know why you only take it for 12 days? This seems quite unusual.

I am thinking of asking to have the depo injection again (this was my contraception of choice for many years) to up the progesterone levels and stop my periods. It’s a bit scary with that though as once it’s in, it’s in.

Sorry if these are just ramblings - mainly just saying that I hear you!

I’m not entirely sure but I think it’s because the mini pill provides some of the required progesterone at a continuous level and so the utrogestan provides the other half…? It’s all very confusing but it works really well for me.

Really interesting thread.

I’m 42 and having a similar experience of perimenopause. I’ve always been a very stable, generally happy, stoic person but the anxiety crept up on me over a few months until it was debilitating. I’ve never suffered from PMT but now have noticeable symptoms a couple of days before my period and then again a couple of days afterwards. No real physical symptoms - hot flushes etc.

I started on HRT in July and was prescribed 2 pumps of oestrogen gel and utrogestan tablet for days 1-25 of my cycle. A couple of months ago, my GP upped the gel to 3 pumps.

In your case, I would go back to the GP. Do you know why you only take it for 12 days? This seems quite unusual.

I am thinking of asking to have the depo injection again (this was my contraception of choice for many years) to up the progesterone levels and stop my periods. It’s a bit scary with that though as once it’s in, it’s in.

Sorry if these are just ramblings - mainly just saying that I hear you!

And me. Feels worse since being off over Christmas so later nights and I'm really struggling to drop off, despite working all day. I resort to nytol which isn't ideal.

And me. Feels worse since being off over Christmas so later nights and I'm really struggling to drop off, despite working all day. I resort to nytol which isn't ideal.

I’m exactly the same even after a days work. So annoying when I just can’t drop off.

Didn’t mean to post that multiple times - sorry! 😳
It said that it could not complete my request.

Do you know why you only take it for 12 days? This seems quite unusual.

12 days isn't unusual at all. It's quite common for peri women to take Utrogestan for 12 days each month.

I'm also in peri (although I suspect its almost over as I haven't had a bleed for quite a few months now) and use gel and take 12 days of Utrogestan each month. That first 12 days, my sleep was amazing!! OMG!!! But day 13 it stopped (when the Utrogestan stopped). So I looked forward to the next month when I'd take my 12 days again but this time it never made any difference to my (bad) sleep. I was gutted!!

I've always had sleep problems though and pretty much need horse tranquillisers to knock me out and my body still fights back. I've tried EVERYTHING! Now I use a supplement which is pretty good and makes a difference to my sleep quality called JP Dream Sleep. Worth a try for Utrogestan free days perhaps?

Thanks everyone. I will speak to the GP about it but I think I need to have done three cycles to get a good sense of it so need to wait a few more weeks. The 12 days is standard in peri because it mimics a natural cycle whereas I think continuous is usually for women who are post menopause. I’m definitely not post menopause so I guess I will have to see what GP suggests. I have no difficulty falling asleep but I can’t stay asleep so can be awake from the early hours. On utrogestan I haven’t woken at all some nights and on nights where I got up to pee I fell straight back asleep. The difference to my functioning has been really noticeable.

@poolofsun what did your gp say? I'm having the same problem. Hope you have got a solution. Lack of sleep is the worst!