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? 😂🤦🏻‍♀️

I've managed to get the GP to get me a half and half Utrogestan and Gepretix dose. It's not perfect but does feel generally better than just one or the other.

I was lucky to have an open minded doctor!

I ended up speaking to the newson clinic but all the medications they have put me on (oestrogen gel instead of patches), testosterone gel and the progesterone suppositories are all available on the nhs.

I haven’t tried them yet as she told me to let my body get used to the oestrogen gel as I wasn’t absorbing the oestrogen well with the patches and wait for my period to come, then start it two weeks later. I’ve not had a bleed yet so haven’t started it, so can’t say how I feel with it, but she said not to worry about it and just wait even if it’s a few months.
I can say I feel far far better than I did using the gel instead of the patches!!

You can buy them from Boots online doctors

But you would need a prescription or go through their questionnaire, surely?

I have mine on a private prescription.

If anyone wants to buy them privately, check out the cost first.

You go through a online consultation and yes you pay, can't remember how much

Out of curiosity I looked at Boots.
They don't appear to sell Utrogestan on its own, although it may just not be listed on the website.

3 months of Oestrogel and 90 Utrogestan (3 packets) is £83.

Utrogestan is anywhere from 40p- 50p per tablet (pharmacies charge different rates.)

Which suppositories are you on? Do you know if they’re covered by the pre-payment cert as I’m struggling to understand if mine are!

@FusionChefGeoffcyclogest isn’t and neither is testosterone gel, but even if I have to pay extra nhs prescription charges, it’s still worth it! Having just paid over £300 for them privately, the nhs charge is a bargain!!!
there is an alphabetical list on NHSBSA where you can check?

This is really interesting. I was on utrogestan and just couldn't tolerate it - made me feel awful. So much so that I came off HRT altogether. I went back on it recently and had a mirena fitted. I was really scared about the progesterone and its effects but actually I've had none at all with the mirena.

@Blueuggboots I get testosterone on the NHS - not the androfeme that you get privately, but my GP tells me there's no difference.

I used cyclogest many years ago when I was trying to get pregnant. I've never heard of it being used for menopause - in any case I still had the horrible reaction to it.

Get your prescription printed out and go to different pharmacies until you find one who has the one you want. You dont have to use the same pharmacy all the time

I’ve had a mirena before and it sent me over the edge, I made them take it out after 6 weeks.

I am concerned about the Cyclogest, but hoping I can tolerate it. Might see if I can do it every 3 months instead of every month.

I think the poster was saying her GP prescribed Gepretix - which is NHS policy now because it's cheaper than Utrogestan.

OP can't 'demand' Utrogestan if that's not what is on her prescription.

I thought she went back and got a generic prescription but the pharmacy doesn't have the other sort.

This is getting complicated for a Sunday morning :)

I thought if this is @LemonBossy she said this I never get the old Utrogestan any more so I never have a chance to compare the two.

Meaning, I thought, she was prescribed the cheaper version Gepretix.

She said "Update from me - the clinician at my GP surgery would only prescribe generic progesterone". Went on to say pharmacy didn't have other sort. So she has a generic prescription and can go to other pharmacy to get what she wants.

This is a real problem for a lot of women OP. I'm a member of a Facebook menopause group and they have discussed it a lot. Some people are trying to get the Spanish meds investigated but mostly come up against a brick wall being told they're identical. I was told the same when I spoke to my pharmacist. But you're not imagining it, sorry there's no easy answer though.

Pharmacist here, you are spot on - this is the most likely explanation. The packaging and its contents are unrelated - you can change the box size, cardboard composition and artwork/graphics on it but the content has to remain the same (unless the manufacturer has done studies to change the composition of the medicine).

It’s logical to wonder if when the box changes, perhaps the contents have changed too but your progesterone will still be made the same way, very precisely. As another poster said, it’s the progesterone content - usually 100 mg progesterone - which has been through a special process to ‘micronise’ it. All capsules must contain 100mg and there are tests done on every batch to make sure they contain enough progesterone.

Pop into your pharmacy or go back to your menopause practitioner to have a chat about what’s changing for you. They’ll definitely be able to help you.

@Whyherewego There is no generic version of micronised progesterone.
It's either Utrogestan or Gepretix.

If GP has written 'Micronised Progesterone' the pharmacy can offer either brand- Utrogestan or Gepretix.

Gepretix is supposed to be identical to Utrogestan but made by another company.

It's a cheaper version- about 4p a tablet cheaper- and the NHS decided to substitute it for cost but also it was an option when Utrogestan was in very short supply a few years back.

As @SirHectorDoolittle says, the actual product stays the same regardless of the brand name.

Not sure this is correct, I've had generic (unbranded) progesterone the last twice instead of Utrogestan as it's all the pharmacy had, it's just labelled 'progesterone' and is made by Zentiva Pharma UK. I'm actually finding it much better than the Utrogestan, no headaches or tiredness so I actually asked for the generic ones this time.

The two products have the same ingredients.

Utrogestan
6.1 List of excipients

Sunflower oil, refined
Soybean lecithin (E322)
Gelatin (E441)
Glycerol (E422)
Titanium dioxide (E171)
Purified water

Micronised progesterone by Zentiva
6.1 List of excipients

Sunflower oil, refined
Soyabean lecithin
Capsule shell
Gelatin
Glycerol
Titanium dioxide
Purified water

Pls can I ask what your prescription says and/or what the packet looks like? Interested in trying this. Despite what's been said on this thread, i definitely notice a difference with different brands even when I haven't realised I've been given a different brand.

One thing to bear in mind is that micronised progesterone (whatever its brand name) is quite unstable compared to other synthetic progestins.

Depending on if you've eaten, not eaten, and your own hormones if you're in peri, it can have different side effects..

I've used it for around 12 years. It's always been Utrogestan .

I have noticed differences each cycle even though it's the same product, used in the same way.

Sometimes I will have a headache taking it orally, just for one day.
Sometimes I will feel bloated.
Sometimes I have really vivid dreams and get very hot at night.
Sometimes I get a withdrawal migraine at the end of the 12 days.
Sometimes the bleed starts 2 -3 days early. Sometimes it's 4 days after stopping the tablets.

Sometimes none of these ^ happen!

Just saying as it's not necessarily the brand. As a PP ( a pharmacist) said earlier today, the tablets have to be the same and undergo very thorough quality control regardless of the name on the box.

That's a very interesting point.

Will try a bit of an experiment and track eating in particular. I always allow 2 hours before taking but I guess sometimes I have heavier meals and other times it might just be a small beans on toast!

It would better explain my issues given the med ingredients are basically the same.

Prescription is for Utrogestan but have attached photos of the box if that's any use?