Utrogestan differences?

[LemonBossy]

Has anyone noticed a difference between taking the usual Utrogestan made by Besins in France, and the slightly different in appearance (box) ones made for Besins in Spain.

I take Utrogestan and Estrogel everyday and no longer have a bleed, or any mood fluctuations, PMT etc. about 2 years since my last period.

I've just finished a run of two boxes of the newer type of Utrogestan and went to collect my new prescription and had a lightbulb moment.

I've been feeling really shitty for the last few months - that spiky, red hot bad mood that I associate with PMT - and when it's not that, I'm low and miserable, paranoid as hell and just feeling bad.

I know there is some thought about the Estrogel in a similar way and I've experienced that too - is the same happening with Utrogestan? Or am I going mad? Will anyone believe me if I ask about it? 😂🤦🏻‍♀️

@HundredMilesAnHour thank you for this, I appreciate it. I found the MN threads on this really helpful.

LB, I'm completely with you. I've experienced the exact same issue re lower mood etc and also the recurrence of night sweats and it dawned on me yesterday that my symptoms correlate with starting the newer/different packaging 6 weeks ago. Popped into pharmacy today and the really helpful pharmacist checked out some data (?), came back and said that this may be due to different 'excipients' (drug carrying substances), between the 2 boxes. He has a few boxes of the older packaging left and is thankfully keeping them aside for me - he also swapped out my existing supply. Before this I was in the process of contacting my GP to consider upping my Evorel dose (75) which I really don't want to do. I'll see how I get on with the 'older' utrogestan supply in the meantime. If it is an excipient or quality control issue it's very concerning.....

@MyWildMoose Thank you so much for your reply!!
You are so lucky to have such an understanding pharmacist 😭
i hope he can keep you supplied in the old packets. i haven't been so lucky - I'm stuck with the shonky new ones.

Excipients, very interesting!

Interesting read I’ve just picked up my prescription and received the new boxes of Utrogestan manufactured in Spain. I still have plenty of the older ones I always check on here previous posts when this sort of thing happens . I’ve noticed that the manufacturer label is sticker stuck on the box underneath it is a blank outlined square.

Thank you so much for posting this OP! It has literally just dawned on me, after a couple of months of feeling terrible that this could be the reason. Many symptoms coming back and a dull tummy pain. I have had blood tests and ultrasounds to investigate as I have been so awful. I will speak to the pharmacist asap.

I really hope you find a solution @TantrumsTiaras! Please keep us updated.

I didn’t raise this as my periods have never ever been regular, they were anything from 15-90 days per cycle. But starting on hrt patches (sequi?) a few years ago showed me to see that oestrogen is my best friend and then I peak and slowly slider into an almost suicidal hole of misery until the day I start the oestrogen again. BUT. On sandrena and utrogedtan, the withdrawal bleed has actually caught me by surprise add I haven’t had anywhere near the normal misery. Really surprised me!

@LemonBossy
I popped to the pharmacist today expecting to be fobbed off and he said that there is a small chance that there could be due to a difference in excipients between the two manufacturers. I have my original Utrogestan ( blue box) so will try this and let you know.

This is really useful to know! When I've spoken to pharamcists they were adamant they were the same.

@TantrumsTiarasThanks for letting us know! I’m going to try the generic one and see if that makes any difference. I don’t think my pharmacist would entertain the idea of getting me the older boxes.

Had you had bleed while on Oestrogel and Usyrogen?

Update from me - the clinician at my GP surgery would only prescribe generic progesterone and the pharmacist agreed that they couldn’t get hold of Gepretix yet, so I have some other generic brand. I have to say, been taking it about 3/4 nights and I swear I’m sleeping better and the nasty irritable edge seems to have gone - for now! Early days but I hope it carries on like this 🙏🙏🙏

Good to hear! Sleep makes such a difference generally too. What is the generic one called? Is there a name I can ask for?

Did you find a solution to this? I’ve had 15 days of the different pills manufactured in Spain & I’ve got cramps, spotting & back to insomnia. I can tell that they aren’t working.

Thank god I found this thread! I switched two weeks ago from my usual Utrogestan caps to the one made in Spain - with the blue horizontal line across the top of the box.
I have felt dreadful since I switched brands and am only just noticing the timeline and making the connection now.
I have had dreadful joint pains and the biggest giveaway is that I usually have to take colon cleanse tablets with the original utrogestan brand as I find it very constipating but since switching to this Spanish brand, my stools have been very loose and I have had to stop the colon cleanse tablets. This leads me to believe that I’m not absorbing the Spanish brand as well as the original progesterone usually helps joint pain and causes constipation.
my chemist has agreed to switch me any unopened boxes back to the original brand - I’m going tomorrow as I can’t deal with this Spanish brand.
Does what I say make sense or am I going loopy? I had been on the original utrogestan for at least 2 years with no problems.

Yes they are absolutely different, I get suicidal on anything other than Utrogestan and a few days on the new box those feelings rise again. I don't care what the pharmacy or the supplier says, these are not Utrogestan.

Ive def noticed a difference in my sleep since the change, I had gepetrix which is a harder pill & immeduately felt worse, dr prescribed branded utrogestan but it def feels different since packaging changed, waking at 3 ebery morning & geeling mirw anxious

What's the new packaging like?
I've used it for years- around 11 - and am not aware of a change in the packaging.

The only slight thing I've noticed with the pack I'm using now is the blister packaging seems slightly firmer ( the plastic bubbles) and it's harder to push the pills out.

I’ve been moved to cyclist suppositories because of bad reactions to tablet ugesteron.

missing a few days isn’t a big deal.

CYCLOGEST.

I was the same when I took Gepretrix. I felt awful despite doctors and pharmacy telling me it was the same. I have recently been moved onto the combined patch and feel so much better than I have in a long time. I do bleed for longer but I would rather that than the anxiety and low mood

Thanks for the recent posts. I’ve given up trying to figure this out so I’m just feeling semi miserable all the time - I must be used to it now 🤦🏻‍♀️
I never get the old Utrogestan any more so I never have a chance to compare the two.

Hadn’t heard of that - interesting, thanks

Sorry, just reading my older posts - I think the generic utrogestan had a placebo effect because within a couple of days I felt exactly the same as before 🤦🏻‍♀️