First month on gel/utrogestan. Can I use it to change the timing of my withdrawal bleed

[itsgoingtoofast]

2 weeks ago today I changed from evorel sequi on to gel and utrogestan. I think that I am due to start utrogestan today (day 14) for 14 days. And my understanding is that I could then expect a withdrawal bleed a few days after my last dose of utrogestan. I've been searching through threads on this and see that some posters have been advised to take utro for 12 days rather than 14. Or on longer cycles (E.g for 12 or 14 days every 3 months).

When taking the combi pill I would run packs together to delay my period for holidays etc. My question is, is it possible to do the same with HRT or would this cause issues?

I am due to go on holiday on 16th so if I begin 14 days of utro today I would expect to bleed in the middle of the holiday which id rather avoid. Has anyone successfully done this?

Obviously I realise I may have breakthrough bleeding or some variation anyway as it is my first month so this may all be irrelevant, but interested to know people's experience.

I am 41 and have been having peri menopausal symptoms for a couple of years, starting on the patches last September-ish.

I've never been able to, and have been on the gel and Utrogestan for a few years now. I just bleed anyway! So I don't try and fiddle around with it anymore.

Might be too late for this advice but you could delay taking Utrogestan till you come back from your holidays.
The dose is actually 12 days ( this in on the patient leaflet in the box.)

The 14 days came about in recent GP training, by a menopause GP, to tell women that it's easier to remember 14 days (2 weeks)- as if we can't count to 12.

If you have already taken Utrogestan this week now you could just stop and start again after your holiday.

Thanks very much for your responses. I did take it last night for the first time but good to know I could stop now and wait and take it after I come back my holiday. But I suppose I could just bleed anyway!

When I went to take it last night I see that I've been prescribed 1 tablet of 100mg for 2 weeks of the month. The leaflet says I should take 200mg a day (as does everything else I've read when you are taking it only for part of the month). I just took the 200mg, but might just let my GP know. Am I missing something here?

I just took the 200mg, but might just let my GP know. Am I missing something here?

Sounds more like your GP is missing something! The dose for 12 days is 200mgs.

Honestly, I've read two posts only here today and both show GPs are woefully inept when it comes to HRT.

Mandatory training is a MUST!

Just start the utrogestan a few days later as Jingling suggests. Usually I start bleeding around two days after my last dose, but it’ll be different for everyone. And yes, should be 200mg, not 100mg!

Sometimes I’ll start them a couple of days early, sometimes a couple of days late, if I want to avoid a withdrawal bleed at an event. The important thing is that you do have regular withdrawal bleeds (though these don’t have to be every month - discuss options with your clinician). I do it every second month as I’m very progesterone sensitive - this has been approved by my menopause consultant.

@WolfFoxHare wish I could do that! I would just start bleeding a few days early.

Thank you.

It is really concerning isn't it, I feel like I have to keep so on top of this and double check everything. Very glad I have in this case.

I am away for 10 days, so shifting it by that long is likely to work ok? Feel like it's quite a significant length of time. I'd definitely do it if it's just a couple of days. Don't want to be worrying about it when I'm away as not sure how it will be given it's the first month of taking this.

I'm waiting to change over to patches and Utrogestran, my GP told me to take the 2 tablets, 200mg at night. I agree with the lack of information though, I've had to search on here and the Internet to work out when to start a new HRT after using Femoston. At my old GP practice, the nurse practitioner just issued Femoston over the phone. No explanations or much chat, I felt lucky I was even getting it after reading some women's struggles so was grateful. My new GP said these patches are better for me as I have a history of endometriosis. Again, I feel grateful my records have been read. We deserve so much better than a 10 minute rushed appointment.
Apologies, long reply without any help to your question OP 😂 have an amazing holiday. 🏖

@BatshitCrazyWoman were you still having a fairly regular cycle before you went on HRT? I wonder if you’re still having periods sometimes that coincide with the withdrawal bleed. @JinglingSpringbells is this likely?

I was having only very sporadic periods when I started HRT, and I suspect I wouldn’t be having them at all now if not for the withdrawals.

@itsgoingtoofast 10 days is a long time to put it off - if you’re still having regular-ish periods anyway, I suppose you might start a bleed anyway. It won’t harm you to postpone though. Tbh though if it were me I’d still try it. I’d just use the next few months to gradually get back on track (ie next month I’d postpone by 6 days, the month after by 3, then the next month I’d be back to taking them on the ‘correct’ days of the month - so essentially I’d have three months of slightly shorter cycles). Or I’d just miss a month (so one withdrawal bleed in 8 weeks).

Thanks all for you advice on this and for the holiday wishes! It may be that my natural cycle will override I suppose but good to know that there will be no harm in changing timings around anyway.

The mix in quality of advice on this from GPs is incredible. I feel lucky though that I was listened to and started on HRT when I first approached them. It look me so long to realise that peri menopause was the cause of my awful debilitating symptoms, but once I did and started on the patches I feel that I've turned a corner. I hope the gel and tablet combo improve things further!

Your own period might come anyway so you can't predict that.

My periods had almost stopped when I started HRT (in fact they almost certainly had).

It's not an issue to delay the bleed. I was on a 12 week cycle for years (consultant monitoring it) and only reduced it as the bleed after 3 months was too much. I still do a longer cycle though- not the usual 4 weeks- and like the PP - shift the days around to fit around any events.

@WolfFoxHare I was 56 when I started HRT, and hadn't had a period for 9 months. 59 now, I suppose it's possible I have a cycle still 🤷‍♀️ The doctor who originally prescribed HRT for me said she didn't think the hormone levels in HRT (although I suppose it depends on your dose) were high enough to always over ride any of your own hormone fluctuations. My experience is that taking Utrogestan earlier/later makes no difference, the bleed will come when it was going to originally. Obviously, other people might not have this issue!