Utrogestan worries

[floodbez1878]

In my first month of hrt and starting utrogestan tonight..I've read lots of reviews where people have had awful side effects and am so worried about this. Particularly mood as I suffer from pmt really badly but only for a day or two of my cycle around my period. I've read some people have awful mood swings and I'm dreading this.
My peri symptoms aren't awful asides night sweats periodically and the day or two of awful pmt so I'm wondering if hrt is for me. I feel marginally better on the oestrogel but not enough to risk it

Not everyone has side effects. I have none whatsoever and the utrogestan helps me to sleep! Fabulous. Remember that a lot of the time you’ll see negative posts online because people like to moan / post about negative things more than the positive stuff. Just give it a try and see how you get on. I think you need to give it at least 3/6 months to see if you feel the benefit of it all.

If you scroll down the page in the menopause section you’ll see a whole thread about utrogestan shortages and how upset people were when they couldn’t get hold of it so it can’t be that bad for most people!

Im in my first month too and was worried about this but I’m 10 days in with no adverse affects at all. In fact I was surprised when my Fitbit told me I’m due a period in 4 days because usually by now I’m feeling dreadful - exhausted, hungry and depressed. I just feel normal and well rested.

If you are on the lookout for problems you will find them! Psychosomatic. Just try it and persevere through. It will take a few weeks for your body to get used to any new medicine.
Think of the benefits of HRT.

Another who hasn’t experienced any side effects from Utrogestan. Huge benefits but no side effects.

Thanks all. I have found I'm waking a lot at night on the hrt, up 3-4 times and weeing a lot 🤷‍♀️

To be fair that’s more likely to be symptoms of the menopause itself rather than the HRT, you haven’t been on it very long yet and you said you haven’t even started the utrogestan yet? That’s the part that helps with sleep.

I've been on HRT for 7 months and have had no side effects whatsoever from any of it.

I agree with @Xrays and suggest you think about adding vaginal estrogen to your HRT as well, as this helps with bladder symptoms. Ask your GP for it?

I've also had exactly zero side effects.

Waking up all night for a wee was one of my peri symptoms. Gone when I was on enough oestrogen.

@Xrays
I took it last night, no difference in sleep but I did feel great this morning and no side effects🙌🏼
I've had bad sleep for about 15 years way before peri, did CBTi and slept ok for quite a while, the day I started hrt it went bad to constant waking but I'm wondering if that's a psychological thing as anything different upsets my sleep 🙄

I have no trouble whatsoever with utrogestan.
To put that in context, I found the pill made me depressed (various makes) and the first lot of HRT I was given I felt suicidal on the progestin phases. At which point I concluded I could well be intolerant to synthetic progestins.

What I particularly like about it is I sleep like a log on it.

@Findyourneutralspace I'm hoping it cures my pmt, my in laws down on the day im usually a monster this month 🫣

@JinglingSpringbells I had bad damage to my bladder when I had my daughter 3 years ago..they cut it during my emergency c section and so it's now 'tricky' and worse with stress. I think I have been worried about taking hrt and that's prob more likely it. Someone at work in her fifties (I'm 40) told me she's managed 15 years without hrt so didn't see why I needed it.
But then she didn't have mattress soaking night sweats for years

HRT doesn’t really work straight away, it really does take a while to build up in your system. I think you’d have to give it at least 3 months to see if it really works for you.

Agree with @JinglingSpringbells that you should also ask for vaginal oestrogen- Ovestin is really good as you can use it externally and internally- if you’re waking up for a wee as it sounds like you could do with some down there as well - we have oestrogen receptors in our bladder (as well as everywhere else)! It really helps.

(I also have bladder issues - I’ve been diagnosed with chronic inflammation in my bladder following a cystoscopy) and Ovestin has been amazing for me).

@Xrays ah thanks for that, I'll speak to gp at my review. I've also been told my wee issues are in my head

@CrotchetyQuaver I'm interested to know a little bit more about your experience on the first lot of HRT, where you said this made you feel suicidal. What have you changed to now that still includes the progesterone but isn't making you have the suicidal thoughts any longer?

I know some people take 100mg of progesterone for 25 days of their cycle instead of the 200mg dose for the 12 days at the end of the cycle. Is this what you're doing?

In a nutshell, I've been peri-menopausal for 2 years (I didn't realise until recently) and have tried dealing with the symptoms naturally. Most of my symptoms were tolerable until recently.

The last two cycles during the ovulating stage I felt suicidal. After some research I discovered the natural progesterone that was being created, was causing these feelings. And just like the feelings turned on, within 5 days, they turned off. Other than feeling emotionally battered and bruised, I no longer felt suicidal.

I've now been prescribed with the oestrogen gel and utrogestan (prog) for 12 days at the end of the cycle, but I'm terrified of taking the utrogestan because of the reaction I have to progesterone. I'm clearly hyper-sensitive as I've never been able to take any form of contraception that includes progesterone in it.

There were two conclusions that I came to with my doctor. Firstly that my oestrogen levels were so low that it outweighed the progesterone levels being produced, hence the suicidal feelings and therefore continue with starting the medication.

Or secondly, stop the HRT medication and take anti-depressants for two weeks of my cycle, at which point I'm guessing I'd be able to continue with the natural remedies I was taking for the other symptoms.

I only know one person who is peri-menopausal, so am hoping someone here can help me navigate my way through some of this. I know everyone reacts differently to meds, but perhaps someone else's tried and tested methods, may also work for me 😁

@FindingSolutions I too become suicidal on artificial progesterone but find utrogestan fine in that regard. I am a transformed woman since I’ve been on it.

@Thethingswedoforlove you've given me some hope! Thank you.

I've started the oestrogen mid cycle which means I should start taking the utrogestan now. I think ill build up the oestrogen for the rest of this cycle and then wait for the next one to start it. 😬

I'll come back to this thread to confirm how it's gone as I'm sure there are other women who have the same issue

All the best with it @FindingSolutions

I use my utrogestan vaginally 100mg and only use patches as I don't want anything going through the liver and I don't get any side effects .

@FindingSolutions
GP started me on Elleste Duet, I was absolutely fine on the oestrogen only days, it was only when taking the Norithisterine (synthetic progesterone) part of the cycle that I felt myself going down, worse and worse each month. Until the penny dropped. I stopped HRT for a year or two because of it.
I did my research and now use Oestrogel and Utrogestan without any problems. I have done for several years now. I've lost weight whilst on it too, I put on 1/2 stone when I started Elleste, which I couldn't shift afterwards. Now 2 stone lost.

I started HRT for the first time age 47, I'm 57 now.

Oh and now because I'm past it (menstruation) I take 100 utrogestan 28 days per month, but originally was on 200 days 1-14 of the cycle

@CrotchetyQuaver that's really helpful, thank you!

I've just read in another post that the latest NICE guidance also says that women who are intolerant to progesterone, can also drop to taking it every 12 weeks for 14 days instead.

My GP only prescribed me with oestrogen, which another GP then rectified (thank god I read the leaflet so was able to question it). I then told the second GP that I'm sensitive to progesterone and she tried to write HRT off altogether. I insisted I try. So let's see what happens.

I'm not sure if you were happy to lose weight, but if that is the case, I'm happy for you 😊

@Wiccan that's another option for me to consider. Covid temporarily damaged my liver and its still not back to normal.