When to start HRT

[Twizzletoe]

I am 56 and still having erratic periods. Have been using Overton for three years or so for discomfort and urinary symptoms. Spoke to GP this week as hot flushes and night sweats have become more and more distrust I’ve.
Have got topical oestrogen gel and tablets of urogestan.
Looking at boxes tonight note it says to take progesterone from day 15-28 of my cycle. Does that mean from my last (very scanty) period two weeks ago or 14 days after starting to take the oestrogen??

Hi @Twizzletoe it is your cycle. You can take it as 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off. Or when you start it make a note of the date and start it the same date each month.

Well tonight’s the night. Will rub in my first sachet of oestrogen tonight and start the urogestan in 14 days!

Also you can take the utrogestran vaginally as less side effects as it was awful when I took it orally and felt just horrendous.

I think you maybe misunderstood @Twizzletoe ?

If it's going to align withy our own cycle and you were on Day 14 (ish) yesterday, that's the day to start Utrogestan - but you use gel every day so crack on with that as well.

In your own cycle, you'd be producing progesterone from roughly half way through the month.

If you've not started Utrogestan already,you can do it today.

@JinglingSpringbells yes I think I am confused. My own periods are very erratic looking back at diary last period 1st April but before that 22nd Jan. So I think GP meant to just start so that I wasn’t potentially waiting a couple of months to do so. If counting from 1st April I have just missed the window to use utrogestan this cycle.
i did not now I could use the utrogestan PV do I just pop the two tablets in?!

It's not a big deal whichever way you choose (dates) so don't worry:)

Ideally, if you were having regular periods, you'd time the utrogestan to start mid cycle.

But if you're not, you can start it any time.

You can either choose a date on the calendar and stick to that every month (eg the 1st) or when you started them last night, just stick to the same date in May.
The 2 weeks off and on is a bit confusing IMO and my consultant has always said choose the same date.

If you choose to use then PV then yes, insert as you say, but bear in mind all women react differently. Some find the PV route causes irritation, others find it better than orally which can result in low mood or sleepiness the next day.

It's trial and error but give it 3 months or so to see what suits you.

Thanks for the reply/advice think I will just start the utrogestan in 24 days then not too much changing at once

Have now completed one week at 0.5mg estradiol gel and two days at 1.0mg due to add in utrogestan this weekend. I do think I’ve had less in the way of disturbed nights due to sweats/heat since starting. This could of course be due to placebo effect should have kept a record!

Are you using Sandrena? Just wondering why you have 2 different doses in the prescription. Is this to introduce it slowly?

The other gel is Oestrodose and it comes as a pump bottle.

One pump is 0.75mgs and 2 pumps is 1.50mgs

Yes Sandrena as 0.5mg sachets so plan was to increase after one week to the 1mg dose.