How many days of Utrogestan do you take?

[LancreWowhawk]

I'm currently taking Utrogestan 15 days per cycle. I'm finding that I start heavy spotting any time after day 10, then I have my 'proper' bleed when I finish the course. It's annoying to be bleeding for so long. I'm wondering if shortening the course of Utrogestan might help with this.

How many days of Utrogestan do you take? Is this the same as you were prescribed? Can anyone direct me to any reading on the dose necessary?

I’m on continuous (every day) so I don’t bleed at all. I am bleeding at the moment but it’s being investigated. Theoretically I shouldn’t be. Lots of women who suffer with PMT are put on the continuous regime as it doesn’t bring the mood swings that come from having a break.

I have 2 weeks uterogestan. The reason you may get spotting is because the uterogestan encourages single cell growth on your cervix that is very delicate as it’s simply one cell layer thick - according to my gynaecologist this is - I am not a medical expert. I often get some spotting as a result, often after sex.

Have you been advised to use it for 15 days?
The patient leaflet says 12 or 14 days.
14 days is for women who find they have heavy bleeding (on 12 days) so it's an option to try to reduce the bleed. I'm not sure how much you know, but using progesterone stops the growth- effect of estrogen on the lining.

Many women now are using it for 12 days per calendar month (not the '2 weeks on 2 weeks off' - which was only suggested to make it easier to remember.)

So that would be 12 days from (eg) 1st Feb, then 1st March, etc.

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/352/pil#about-medicine

You asked for some reading @LancreWowhawk The same info should be in the leaflet in your box of capsules.

Be aware that the 25 days listed for the continuous regime is not used so much now. Most women use it every day as continuous. (I know this doesn't apply to you.)

And likewise, many women work on a calendar a month not 28 days. Many specialists suggest sticking to the same day each month ( the extra 2 days between 28 days and 30 isn't an issue.)

I'm on it continuously and having no bleeding at all. I think I had it continuously as I wasn't having many periods.

I take it continuously as well - every day, no break.

I'm curious about this. I started taking it regularly for the second two weeks of my cycle. I've had my first "period" which was awful as it was awful and really heavy. This was harder to swallow too because my natural periods stopped early last year and were never ever heavy or caused too much pain.
My understanding is that I need to take it and have a bleed as it's the shedding of the womb lining that's helping protect my from cancer. So I can't take I daily and avoid the bleed. Is that correct?
I'll be really annoyed if every month is like the first as I really thought I was done with auntie flow!!!

I do 12 days of 200mg, if my own natural cycle gets out of sync I can spot a bit usually before I start the Utrogestan. I spoke to my GP and I ended up skipping a month, having a natural period and then starting again from there and so far I've been fine, no spotting.

Are GPs not spending 5 minutes explaining this?

It ought to be part of the appointment.

There are two ways to use any progesterone.

1 On a cycle. This is for women who would still be having natural periods.

2 Continuously (both hormones every day.) This is for women who have not had a natural period for at least 12 months (or maybe the odd one in that time scale.)

This is a medical site explaining why there are two types of HRT. https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/postmeno.php

Please note: Patients should consult a health professional to decide on the appropriate treatment option to be prescribed.
POST MENOPAUSAL -
Continuous combined therapies.
"Period free" or continuous combined therapy can be used by women who are 54 + yrs, or more than one year since last period at any age.

The criteria should be fulfilled in order to offer such treatment to women who no longer have a continuing ovarian cycle, so that steady levels of both estrogen and progestogen can be achieved.

When there are steady levels of estrogen and progestogen from daily administration of both, the womb lining stays thin.

Although some bleeding in the first 6 months of therapy is common, there should not be bleeding after that and the lining does not go through the stages of stimulation and then shedding as it does during a normal cycle and with sequential therapy.

Start with low dose preparations and increase as necessary for symptom control. The products marked * are licensed for osteoporosis treatment/prevention.
See below: WHY AND WHEN TO OFFER CONTINUOUS COMBINED THERAPY.

That's interesting, my GP originally told me to take it for fourteen days, I asked if I could do 12 as I have bad skin (and getting worse daily). She agreed.

Then 12m later I had the estrogen increased and she told me I now had to go to 14 days.

I'm 55. It's hard to know if I have a cycle because I have a merina coil, but I do get spotting at random times. The coil is "out of date" according to how it's licenced in the UK (but most countries allow for longer use) so doesn't have progesterone any more, apparently. I was allowed to keep it to age 56, which is this year. Dreading getting it removed, especially as my vagina has been very sore recently (using estrogen cream for this).

I'd rather take the Ultragestan daily, because I keep forgetting when I need to restart it!

@VanGoghsDog The info I posted (from Dr Currie who runs Menopause Matters and is an NHS consultant gynae) says women over 54 can take continuous (daily progesterone.) It's very unlikely you are still having periods.

12 days. Sometimes I start bleeding a few days before I finish them, sometimes a few days after, sometimes eight or nine days after, once I never bled at all that month.
Not sure what this means. I still stick to the same 12 days from the 1st of every month.

I'm 55 and still having periods monthly, I take it for 12 days from 1st of month as it says on the leaflet. I'm in my second year now. Not leaflet, label

@Greensleevevssnotnose you will still be having bleeds as you are taking the utrog in a cycle. You may be best speaking to your GP about going on a continuous regime so taking utrog every day.

I I've just returned to this platform after many years, last time I was on here, my kids were very young. Now they are teenagers. I had many, healthy and happy years where I felt well, energetic and was enjoying life. I didn't realise how lucky I was til I started to feel crap around 1 year ago.. anxiety, bad sleep, palpatations, thought I was losing my mind. Long story short.
I went on HRT in December 2023 and felt MUCH better within a week, the anxiety attacks stopped, no more sleepless nights... I went on a combined plan of oestrogen and Utrogestan 14 days on 14 off.
I noticed my breasts became quite enlarged, felt almost "engorged" when I stopped Utrogestan the first time.
I am otherwise quite slim and have normal sized breasts.
this is my second cycle of stopped Utrogestan and I've been feeling absolutely awful, headaches, bloating, I put on 4 kilos and my boobs feel heavy and tender.
Is this normal while my body adjusts to the hormones, or ....
I hate the feeling of being so bloated, my pants don't close, everything feels uncomfortable, my bra is too tight.
And I'm really cranky....
I guess I should take a trip back to the gynae?

Sorry it's a bit lengthy... I've read your stories and it's great to be on here.

Thank you!

Have a look at this, it can take a few months to settle down

Thank you so much and sorry I only realised after that I'd hijacked someone else's post and should have created a new one. Apologies.

The nurse at my GPs (menopause specialist) recently moved me onto continuous after a couple of years of the cycle. I'm 50. I was still having bleeds and have had a couple of periods but seems to be settling down now. Looking forward to none!

Continuous - I was already on the progesterone only pill so no periods for years.

Not going back to periods after 15 years without them, surely the only good bit of menopause is not having periods?

My consultant told me to take it continuously as my symptoms (mood swings, depression anxiety and rampant night sweats) were so severe. I still have a normal period that lasts about 3 days.

When I've mentioned this on here I've been shouted down but it has really helped with my symptoms. At my next check up I may ask about going down to 15 days on and then off but I don't want to go back to feeling how I did.

I think it's the estrogen that manages those symptoms though, not the progesterone.

I'm going to move to one a day continuous. I'm more likely to remember to take it and there's an outside possibility it might help my skin I suppose.

I’m 50 with regular periods. I did try oestrogen gel and utrogestan for 14 days for one cycle but the oestrogen gel, even in small doses made me feel very tense, jittery and anxious.
I felt better on the Utrogestan and have wondered if my oestrogen levels are ok at the moment and I just need progesterone.
Can I try progesterone for 25 days continuously with a 3 day break (I’d time starting it to coincide with my natural cycle) just to see if the extra progesterone helps?
I have read that progesterone is the first hormone to drop, I wonder if this may help my sleep, anxiety, gut issues and headaches.
If I was to try could I take just 100mg continuously or would I need 200mg each day?
Any harm in trying it for one cycle? With no oestrogen?

12 days per month of 200mg . I seem to have a small bleed about 3 days after I’ve finished, but only bleed every other month.

@VanGoghsDog the only thing is if you move to continuous when still having periods you may get a lot of breakthrough bleeding as your own cycle breaks through. To help you remember to take it cyclical you can take it 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off x

@Soundofthebeat how many pumps were you doing. Peri menopause symptoms are caused by dropping oestrogen. They say to give HRT 3 moths for all side effects to settle down and to feel the benefits x