Does anyone take just progesterone?

[GinnyBee]

I’ve just had a prescription to try 3 months of HRT due to perimenopause symptoms, but as I’m quite young at 39 and my period is still fairly regular I’m wondering if I need the oestrogen yet. I’ve read that progesterone is first to decline after around 35 and that many women in the early stages of peri can benefit from progesterone before their oestrogen starts declining.

The GP have been pretty unhelpful, I had to get very pushy to even get this far. All they wanted to do was put me on the mini pill but I don’t want any more synthetic progesterone. My symptoms started while I was on the mini pill, I fail to understand why they think it would suddenly help 🙄

But although I’m young, I started my period at 11 which is a risk factor for early menopause so maybe I do need the oestrogen already too?

I've just come on my period today so I’m deciding whether to start the oesrogel today or wait 2 weeks to start taking the progesterone first.

I’ve read that progesterone is first to decline after around 35 and that many women in the early stages of peri can benefit from progesterone before their oestrogen starts declining.

This is not mainstream thinking on peri and HRT.
There are some dubious alternative sites /drs (often in the US) who suggest this but it's not correct.
Progesterone only declines when you don't ovulate.
Post menopause, progesterone is only needed as part of HRT to prevent estrogen making the womb lining too thick and potentially cancerous. It has no other use.

But although I’m young, I started my period at 11 which is a risk factor for early menopause so maybe I do need the oestrogen already too?

A slightly earlier puberty does not always mean an early menopause. It's more genetically linked. The average age of first periods is now around 12 so you weren't that early. Menopause is linked directly to how many eggs you have and when they run out.

https://www.drlouisenewson.co.uk/knowledge/perimenopause-menopause-and-hrt-everything-you-need-to-know

Start full HRT, starting with estrogen and then take the progesterone on the same DATE each month. Long term you can't tie it in with your own periods as they won't be regular each month.

Good luck!

Thank you! It’s such a minefield 🤯 there’s so much contradictory information out there and then GPs don’t seem to know too much about it either, all they can do is follow a script. Everything I’ve learned so far I’ve had to figure out on my own, because hormonal symptoms in someone under 40 gets labelled as “a bit of PMS” and expected to just put up with it.

I am very similar to you but older. I had my bloods done via a private clinic and I was fine with oestrogen. I was prescribed progesterone only - very low dose continuously. I am slightly wary of hormones as I was on dianette pill years ago as a teen and my boobs went huge and I developed a dry vigina. My mum said at the time it’s like the same as her in menopause and told me to stop the pill. The well women clinic doctor told me I needed a new bf as the current one was obviously not making me aroused. This is not a joke. I came off and went back to normal - anyway I did not take the progesterone as my symptoms were manageable however I’m thinking of having the bloods again as I’ve started to get little hot flushes. Excuse my spelling errors- typing quickly. My doctor recommended the progesterone only (he was a fully qualified medical doctor not a quack) running a well regarded clinic. He said my oestrogen was fine and I just needed to top the progesterone back up. I’m now mid 40’s