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Original poster

Utrogestan - how bad?

22 replies

itsonlyme44 · 27/07/2023 19:59

I'm 42, diagnosed with PMDD and early perimenopause. Picked up my estrogen gel and Utrogestan this week.

So nervous about day 15 when I need to start the progesterone! What if my PMDD/PMS gets worse?! Been reading horror stories of women being suicidal during the progesterone weeks.

Any experiences would be appreciated 🙏🏽

OP posts:
BooseysMom · 27/07/2023 20:17

Hi, I've just come off it and patches as it did absolutely nothing for my mood swings. I've always suffered with depression and anxiety which really worsens the week before the period. Now I'm in peri and tried HRT for a year and all I gained was weight and very sore painful boobs! The week or even two before the period i'm a total wreck. So I decided enough and I feel better for deciding. Still to see how I feel but it's been 2 weeks and i feel ok. The pain and bloating has gone! I do get achey muscles but am looking at alternative treatments like magnesium. I don't know if this helps, but wish you all the best

cptartapp · 27/07/2023 20:17

I have had no bad side effects on it whatsoever despite what I had read.
In fact, I sleep great the nights I take it.

BooseysMom · 27/07/2023 20:21

Sorry i forgot to say I was taking Utrogesten for 2 weeks of every month and always felt awful for those 2 weeks. You might feel differently but hrt doesn't suit everyone, and I'm someone it doesn't suit (I've tried gel and different patches)

Original poster
itsonlyme44 · 27/07/2023 20:24

BooseysMom · 27/07/2023 20:17

Hi, I've just come off it and patches as it did absolutely nothing for my mood swings. I've always suffered with depression and anxiety which really worsens the week before the period. Now I'm in peri and tried HRT for a year and all I gained was weight and very sore painful boobs! The week or even two before the period i'm a total wreck. So I decided enough and I feel better for deciding. Still to see how I feel but it's been 2 weeks and i feel ok. The pain and bloating has gone! I do get achey muscles but am looking at alternative treatments like magnesium. I don't know if this helps, but wish you all the best

Ugh sorry to hear! Seems like total Russian roulette 🤯

OP posts:
Original poster
itsonlyme44 · 27/07/2023 20:24

cptartapp · 27/07/2023 20:17

I have had no bad side effects on it whatsoever despite what I had read.
In fact, I sleep great the nights I take it.

Fingers crossed. Thank you!

OP posts:
Xrays · 27/07/2023 20:25

I was really surprised to find so much hate for utrogestan on here - I’ve been on it for years alongside oestrogel and I have no side effects at all. I take it just before bed and find it helps
me sleep!

Sewingdufus · 27/07/2023 20:28

12 days a month of utrogestan per month and I love it. No aches and pains and I sleep like a baby! Or I did for the first 2 months, the next 2 haven’t had the positive effects, but no negatives, so I’m still taking it and hoping the good sleep etc returns.

wormshuffled · 27/07/2023 20:29

I switched to taking 1 tablet every day and feel great now. I was very sluggish on the 2 tablets...... slept amazingly though!!

spartanrunnergirl · 27/07/2023 20:29

I've been absolutely fine on it and it aids my sleep considerably.

Whattodowithallthebooks · 27/07/2023 20:30

I was on everyone conti where you have 2 weeks of just oestrogen and 2 weeks combined oestrogen and progesterone. The progesterone in the patches have me awful pmt so switched to utogeston which so far seems to be fine. Just finished my 2 weeks on it and no pmt at all.

CrotchetyQuaver · 27/07/2023 20:34

I am fine in utrogestan, the other ones were awful for me. I never got on with the pill either so think I am intolerant of synthetic progestins

HundredMilesAnHour · 27/07/2023 20:37

I started on Oestrogel with 12 days of Utrogestan monthly. The first month's days with Utrogestan were great. I felt fine and it really helped my sleep. The second month it made zero difference to my sleep and I felt just a little off. The third month it was the same and I realised it was the Utrogestan making me feel a bit rubbish.

Since then my pharmacy haven't been able to get any Utrogestan (it's been 6 months without any now!!) so my doctor switched me to Provera. I have zero side effects with Provera but it does freak me out that I'm now taking something synthetic rather than body identical Utrogestan as I'm high risk for breast cancer (and even Utrogestan increases my risk but Provera is worse for my particular case). But my peri symptoms are so bad without it (I'm literally unable to work without HRT) so I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.

wagnbobble · 27/07/2023 20:43

Apart from sore boobs it’s had no impact ( other than MUCH better sleep !)

BooseysMom · 27/07/2023 21:07

The sore boobs went insane since the nurse upped my patches from 50 to 75 and she said to go back to 50 but they weren't helping my symptoms and the Utrogesten just made me tearful and anxious which I get every 2 weeks of every month anyway so it didn't help.

gjg · 27/07/2023 21:14

Glad so many women have had positive experiences, I'm sadly the exception they warn you about. I was completely suicidal on utrogestan, I loathed myself and ended up on my villages train platform planning the worst. I have a wonderful family/ husband and absolutely nothing to be depressed about but that made no difference to the utter despair I felt.

LightCobalt · 27/07/2023 21:47

PMDD and peri, started HRT at 42 also. Initially took utrogestan orally but struggled with it, from the 3rd month I started taking it vaginally and fine with it that way.
Surprisingly I was OK with oestrogen patches but when I tried the gel my anxiety was awful. Luckily that settled when I went back on the patches but it took a few weeks.
I wish there was a more scientific approach to finding out what works as the trial and error can be really hard. However I'm feeling really even in my moods now, and I barely register any physical symptoms. I'm definitely happier, it just wasn't a quick journey for me.

Original poster
itsonlyme44 · 31/07/2023 12:25

Thank you ladies, starting tomorrow!!

OP posts:
BooseysMom · 31/07/2023 12:55

itsonlyme44 · 31/07/2023 12:25

Thank you ladies, starting tomorrow!!

Good luck 😊

goldcheese · 31/07/2023 13:06

I previously had PMDD and struggled with utrogestan or indeed synthetic progestins.
I can manage about 3 days and then I go downhill.

Moredarkchocolateplease · 31/07/2023 13:27

I always struggled with the pill and had awful PMT for years.

Utrogestan made me fantasise about driving into a wall without a seat belt or slashing my wrists vertically.

Awful and horrendous. I cried day and night.

Am now on the coil and much better apart from a never ending exhaustion. I will be delighted if things stay as they are. I'm a month in and suicidal thoughts have really reduced.

HoliHormonalTigerLillyTheSecond · 31/07/2023 22:40

wormshuffled · 27/07/2023 20:29

I switched to taking 1 tablet every day and feel great now. I was very sluggish on the 2 tablets...... slept amazingly though!!

Can you do this if still peri?

wormshuffled · 01/08/2023 20:43

I am still peri, it's basically like being on the merina coil according to my prescriber.
I spotted for the first 2 months and now haven't had a period for 3 months.

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