Ultrogestan

[Workinghardeveryday]

My first month of taking.

I am doing 14 days off, 14 days on.

On day 3 of taking.

Omg. Extremely tired, I mean seriously tired like wishing the day away to go to sleep.

Took tonight about an hour ago, don’t feel myself at all, feel drugged up. Tired but wired, giddy. Not right.

Normal or not? Will it settle? Help!

I’m in peri and suffered really badly when taking progestogen and my dr has put me on a routine of taking it every 3 months instead. This is my first full month back on hrt as I stopped it all due to the side effects. I’ve no idea what will happen with my periods this month although I’m feeling quite stressed and down.

Yes, and continued having bleeds right up until I went continuous with the utrogestan.

Please would you mind sharing in which way you suffered?

I feel like it has impacted my whole life! Mentally and physically

I hated this form of progesterone, it caused severe PMT type symptoms, absolutely horrendous. I did take it at night due to drowsiness. Considering they bang on about this being body identical, I found it turned me into a crying suicidal mess.

I’m twinning with you @Queenie24 currently feeling ok with just oestrogen as I have a few weeks yet before trying the progesterone again.
OP, I described it as feeling out of my own head, slow and drugged, every time I was on the progesterone days. I hope it does get better for you, but if you still feel drugged up, you should try to change it with your GP/private clinic as soon as possible, because it can really make you plunge into dark feelings, from my own experience anyway.

Hi ladies,
i started the gel and Utrogestan, 1 of each two weeks ago. i'm 57, post menopausal but was advised by somebody that it would help my bones, body etc and also my anxiety, which wasn't huge but overall decided to try.

i cannot tell you how anxious i am now, i feel as if my head isn't working with my body and have had 2 panic attacks since Friday.

i want to continue and try and ride the next couple of months but i honestly cannot cope with this heady, anxious, panicky feeling.

Shall i continue, will this pass ?

So sorry to hear this, I wouldn't suffer in silence as it can be debilitating. Some women respond better if it's taken vaginally (halve or change the dose, under GP guidance, for less side effects) or with different versions of progesterone. Some are progesterone intolerant, you can do a bit of research online but I would then speak to your GP asap.

Hi all,

I thought I would share an update on where I am with my hrt rollercoaster.

I have continued on my lezzento one spray daily. Took my last ultrogestan of 200mg last night and will now have a 14 day break from ultrogestan.

The last 2 weeks have been pretty shit to put it lightly.

The main reason I started hrt was for peri, very bad anxiety on and off, moods very up and down, very very down at times.

When I had just the spray days I did feel a bit more level headed, brain fog slightly better and more myself.

One the tablets days I feel drugged and sooo tired all day. Everything is a struggle. Don’t want to get out of bed, anxiety is terrible. Don’t feel confident to drive, worrying about everything, at times very low mood. Vivid dreams every night and night sweats. I also started a light bleed on day 10 of the tablets which is still there.

please can anyone advise, do you think I need 2 sprays not one? Change ultrogestan or do I need to persevere?

I am at my wits end with it and so is my poor dp.

Any advise greatly received, thank you.

I'm wondering if maybe you've got too much progesterone relative to your oestrogen during the days you're taking both? You could try upping your oestrogen, if the GP agrees? It's trial and error to get the balance right - it's so individual.

Thank you, I was wondering if this was a thing I could try or if the tablets just don’t suit me.

I might try and get an appointment to discuss it

Sorry for the late reply. So I didn't read anywhere about 'them now advisng continuous for women still having periods'. I initially got HRT at 49 during covid via a telephone appt (!) and that GP prescribed me 25mg Evorel patches and told me to take 2 x 100mg utrogestan for half my cycle so 2 weeks on 2 weeks off. I filled that the prescription but didnt take it as I found it all so confusing over a 5 min phonecall. 5 or so months ago when I felt like I now really needed it literally as I turned 51 I phoned up for another prescription (the patches had expired). That GP told me to go on continuous as "we are now recommending that to women starting who are over 50". I ignored her as I felt I had only just got my head round how to do sequential and I just couldn't handle more over-the-phone confusion. So I started a 28 day cycle, taking 2 x 100mg Utrogestan for 12 days on day 15-26. Got on pretty fine with that except the Utrogestan wipes me out and I find it hard to get going the next day (plus terrible, vivid dreams) so a few days I would take it vaginally if I had an early meeting the next day.

Anyway, at coming up for 6 months, I had to go and see a third GP for more supplies and this time it was face to face as I said look your colleagues have put me on HRT and no one has ever seen me in person, checked my blood pressure, weight etc. This third GP was shocked that GP number 2 had told me to do continuous (and tried to prescribe this) and said I should carry on with my sequential regime for at least a year and/or until over 52. All three were senior GPs and women.

Anyway, think I'm starting to get used to the Utrogestan a bit 6 months in but I am still tempted to take it vaginally (as I am a night bird and dont really like the sedative effect) but am unsure of dosage. I have no intention of considering switching to continuous until I've done a year as symptoms are well under control apart from the effects of the Utrogestan.

Hi brand new to here so hope I'm posting I'm the right place you seem to most knowledgeable about menopause subjects.
OK I'm 53 severed with severe endometriosis for 30yrs not had a hysterectomy.
I am pretty hormone reactive so have to be very careful.
I was started on low HRT 6yrs ago Evorel sequi patches with everol 50.
I was OK on it but still suffered with endometriosis and heavy bleeding, this did ease abit on the patches.
I suddenly 6mnths ago started extremely heavy bleeding and pain ongoing for sometimes up to 4wks!!
Which left me highly anemic and felt lousy.
My GP suggested at 53 I could go to continuous HRT so moved me to 100ml utrogestan daily and 100ml everol patch changed twice a week.
Only been on this regime 4days but I feel horrendous the bleeding has got worse, and I feel exhausted dizzy headache/migraines and sickness.
Can anyone advise if I should try to preserve or go back to my original hrt patches?
Does utrogestan get better and I guess I wasn't expecting another heavy bleeding as it was prescribed to stop this.
Any help would be so grateful 🙏
Thanks

Hi Smarthome, Ever since Davina McCall made her program re menopause most Drs choose Utrogestan, which is made from Yams. This is great if you get on with it. I wasn’t so much affected by the sedative affect, but turned into a dithering crying wreck, PMT like symptoms. There are other forms of progesterone out there. I’m now on medroxyprogesterone as it’s one of the lesser androgenic types, so far so good. I have the 50 patch of estrogen, I change them twice a week, and 10mg of medroxyprogesterone continuously every day via a tablet. I even tried utrogestan vaginally, disgusting, what goes up must dribble down, not good for your sex life 😝. I also take testosterone which for me is life changing. I was so so knackered, it was unbelievable, I also had no libido. Upon having blood tests it turned out I was down on testosterone by 90%!!. It’s a very important hormone and some of it it aromatised into estrogen. My life is so much better with this regime, I’ll be taking HRT until the day I die 🤪. It’s good for your bones, staves off dementia and for me helps to dampen inflammation which is wonderful for my M.S. We shouldn’t have to suffer, it’s a pain in the bum getting the regime to suit, mine has been 3 years, but I’m determined to have a happy fulfilling life and a good relationship with my husband. Having a sex life is important to me and with the help of testosterone my hubby can’t keep up 🤣. I’m sometimes banished to the spare bed to give him a rest, my G.P finds this hilarious. I’ve cut my dosage down to calm me down 😋. Taking Utrogestan vaginally is actually an off prescription procedure in the UK, our G.Ps don’t know much about it, I was directed by a specialist and it was the sequential regime having a bleed, which I may add was worse than my normal periods, so bloody painful I needed Naproxen on prescription. The regime was 2 Utrogestan I believe for 14 days, a really messy option, I dreaded it. I’m now on a continuous regime and it’s great, no downtime for a bleed. Try to find an NHS menopause clinic, mine was closed down due to lack of funding. I paid to see a specialist who had so much knowledge and as with Utrogestan they can prescribe it vaginally. I wish you all the best, it’s a nightmare getting it all sorted. Don’t forget there’s more than one progesterone option, if you got on with the pill (I didn’t) you’ll probably be fine with the other man made options unlike myself. Whatever you do don’t have PREMARIN progesterone, it’s disgusting and utterly cruel. It’s American made and it’s from pregnant mares urine. If you read how they do it, it’ll reduce you to tears, utterly appalling. All the best, I hope you get everything sorted, it’s really worth persevering, life is so much better when you’ve cracked it, 🤗

Thank you for your post.

given my problems with ultrogestan, what would you suggest? I am ringing docs on Monday.

Feel crap today more though than I have been. Pmt not good. Woke up early with flooding. Took last tablet to of 14 on, 14 off on Monday night.

i really thought hrt was the answer to my anxiety and depression. I was so wrong! Just makes everything worse 😢

I started on Evorel sequi patches and felt great on those but they kept falling off so swapped to estrogel and urtogestan and it was awful- felt shocking on the UG, horrendous headaches all night, sleep back to where it was before starting HRT and a very delayed very heavy withdrawal bleed after finishing the 12 days. After 2 months I swapped back to evorel sequi and it’s brilliant for me. (I’ve managed to find a bit of me they don’t fall off after lots of trial and error)

I thought utrogestan was the ‘best’ option but it definitely wasn’t for me!

@ItBeFivePotatoesHigh I haven't seen any advice but the leaflet that comes with the utrogestan tablets says it's one of the ways it can be taken.

Under the section how to take utrogestan it says - alternatively, 100mg can be given at bedtime from day 1 to day 25 of each therapeutic cycle

@JinglingSpringbells you have made me the happiest girl ever. When you said -

'The other option (now in the NICE guidance) is to use long cycles in late peri or with women intolerant to progesterone. These are 3-month cycles, with progesterone for 14 days every 12 weeks'.

I've only just started taking HRT but am intolerant to progesterone.

My GP prescribed me with oestrogen for 3 months and no progesterone. Its only when I read the leaflet, that I realised that in my case i need both!

It's not to say it will work for me, but at least I can go back to the GP with the NICE guidance, if taking progesterone every cycle is too much for me.

😁

I have an estrogen patch which I change twice a week, the strength is 50mg, it’s called Evorel 50. I take medroxyprogesterone 10mg every day, I also have testosterone (Tostran)) which I take 3 times a week. Medroxyprogesterone is one of the least androgenic progesterones Dydrogesterone is also a lesser androgenic progesterone to consider. It’s taken me 3 years to sort it all out. I admitted to my husband that I didn’t want to live anymore whilst on Utrogestan, I was suicidal which isn’t like me. All the best with your call with your Dr. All of these have given me my life back especially the testosterone. I had no energy or libido and it’s been a godsend. I’ve never had a problem with estrogen, it’s my happy drug. Unfortunately I still have a uterus so have to use progesterone, that’s what’s taken 3 years to get right 🤦‍♀️. I considered paying for a hysterectomy just so I didn’t have to take progesterone, but the price tag of £9000 put me off. I hope you get it sorted out with your Dr, all the best 🤗

morning ladies, i posted a couple of weeks ago about my awful experience with the gel and utrogesten.
i tried to persevere but my panic attacks became frequent, anxiety through the roof and the most awful 'dragging' sensation down below, almost the worst period ever pain !!
I think the worst feeling was the fog. I felt that i couldn't make a decision, could not concentrate, basically it was as if my head didn't really belong to my body.

I wanted to try for longer, but after 2 weeks exactly, i stopped both the tablet and the gel.

One week later, and gradually all the symptoms have disappeared, my anxiety has gone and i finally feel back to my old self.

my main reason for going onto HRT was the anxiety that i felt, though in comparison was actually very manageable and also for my bones.

i wish you all good luck ladies, it wasn't for me, but would welcome recommendations re vitamins, supplements etc for menopause to help bones, hair etc.

I completely get what you’re describing. I’m on day 4 of oestrogel & utrogestan & feel hideous. I’m so groggy & dizzy. Yesterday I was really tearful all day. I think I’m going to just stop taking it as I feel so much worse then before, so what’s the point. I had high hopes, but can’t carry on like this.

@kayakingonthethames I was taking health and her peri-menopause + mind, 5htp, magnesium glycinate, magnesium citrate and biotin until Sunday just gone. I started by checking what the ideal daily dosage should be for a woman and then found a product to match.

All of the above helped me with symptoms such as getting to sleep, staying asleep, not waking up with anxiety which lasted all day, a little bit of my energy levels cane back, brain fog, muscle aches and joint pains. I don't get any hot flushes.

However it didn't help with the really low moods at ovulation stage, which is why I've just started HRT.

I still take biotin and have done for the last 2.5 months and can see a difference in my hair.

Happy ro break down why I chose each of those supplements if it helps.

I am exactly like this. Fine on the 14 days on, then a few days after I stop it I feel horrendous, could cry and rage all day. I’ve moved myself onto 100mg a day and will do 25 days this month just to see if that’s better. I don’t know if that means I’ll bleed or not am going to try it for one month. Honestly I feel suicidal in the break too no idea why.

Sorry my comment was in response to Mumskisail

Just to flag up @FindingSolutions or anyone that you must stop taking biotin for a few days to a week prior to a thyroid test. It's been known to affect the results.

Meno is prime thyroid malfunction time (if it's going to happen. Mine went a few years after I started my periods / tried the OCP. Pregnancy is another time it can happen.)

Dear workinghardeveryday, I’ve just double checked my dose of medroxyprogesterone and it’s 5mg every day, 🤦‍♀️. I took the 10mg when I tried it sequential, wasn’t keen on having a bleed after years of no periods. Good luck.