Can progesterone phase make you feel worse?

[Ihatehealthanxiety]

Started hrt nearly 2 weeks ago and posted to say I felt better almost straightaway (particularly brain fog, anxiety & sleep). I'm due to start the progesterone phase which I must take for 2 weeks and I'm nervous this will spoil things as I've heard it can affect your mood. Any experience? I do realise it can be an individual thing though.
Thanks x

Hello

my personal experience is that progesterone made me feel extremely tired, verging on sedated, the first month or two I took it! I hated it at first.

i stuck with it though, and by month 3 or 4 the progesterone phase of the month is my favourite, I feel fantastic on it!

taking it orally gave me terrible acid reflux, so I now take it rectally, it’s working great for me

Thank you. I took the combined pill for years with no issue which I believe contains higher levels of progesterone than hrt? I've also taken norethisterone a few times, again all fine, so keeping my fingers crossed. Don't like the sound of reflux though. It says to take at night on empty stomach. I don't tend to eat that early due to work and other factors so assume ok to eat around 8ish and take at bedtime around 11ish?

I take continuous progesterone but was originally just on oestrogen. It made me feel amazing almost as soon as I started it. It’s been great for me

Did you take it before bed? I loved it, it really relaxed me! I’m chronically uptight though.

op if you think it will be bad then you’ll convince yourself it is , the brain isn’t always truthful. But to answer your question I had no issues but I wasn’t thinking I would have so that’s part of the battle.

The reason for taking it on an empty stomach is that food increases its effects. This can be a good thing if you find it isn't controlling your own periods, for example.

But for some women it can make you a bit more drowsy or whatever.

The reason for taking it at bedtime is it can cause dizziness and that's obviously dangerous at times. This is because in some women it lowers blood pressure = dizziness.

As others have said it had a sedative effect on me so I take it at night - am peri so take it for the 14 days with the patch for estrogen. I have to take it at night because it virtually knocks me out within 20 minutes!

Fine for me too, better sleep and reduced anxiety but as others said take care taking it with food especially fatty food as it can strengthen effects so you feel a bit drunk.

I'm peri so take it for 14 days of the month and I look forward to those 14 days. I feel calmer overall on it and I sleep better too.

Thanks for your replies, good to hear mostly positive experiences. I took my first dose last night and slept like a baby! Sleep has been greatly improved since starting oestrogel 2 weeks ago but this was even better. 🤞 the good effects of HRT continue.....

I too have just started and was dreading the progesterone stage. Anyway, it’s been totally fine. Amazing!

Can I ask a question on here, I did start a thread but didn’t get any replies. I’m on the cyclical 14 day progesterone and know you are supposed to have a breakout period after it stops, but I have been having a period after a week on progesterone and then another one a week later after the last pill for the last 2 months. So 2 periods a month, a week apart. This is my 3rd month on HRT is this normal?
I do have an appointment to discuss switching to a coil but not until March.

I usually have my period near the start of the 14 days taking it, then have a normal cycle. Prior to that my cycle had shrunk to 23-25 days so I was having 2 periods a month and anaemic... I would ask to see someone sooner than March if you are worried about anything.

That’s the earliest appointment I can get, apparently there’s only 1 doctor in the practice who deals with that 🙄

I started my HRT journey 4 weeks ago. Started with two weeks of gel and then introduced 200mg of oral progesterone and have felt rubbish ever since. I am so exhausted I just want to sleep continuously. I have also been struggling with tension headaches and weird pressure in my face, teeth and temples. I am so disheartened as was really hoping HRT would be the answer to how awful I have felt for the past year but right now, I just feel worse! Anyone experienced these kind of symptoms??

After 3 months on HRT tablets (I didn’t absorb them), and 3 months on patches (they kept falling off), I’m on my second month of gel and progesterone tablets, although 100mg prescribed rather than 200mg which I need to follow up with the Dr as from what I’ve read that’s not right.

Not spotted any patterns yet to work out what is better as some things definitely are on some days but I’m also struggling with tiredness yet difficulty sleeping, and that weird face pressure, which is what’s prompted me to respond. I have it on my list to ask at my review. Did have a couple of really bad days and realised the gel was running low so dispensing much less and I hadn’t noticed. I’m also taking beta blockers twice a day as I’m not getting anywhere fast with calming the hormonal anxiety despite counselling and acupuncture.

Can I ask, I'm also about start with the Estrogen gel and progesterone tablets cyclically. It says to take the prog tablets on day 15 of my cycle, but my periods have become irregular and I haven't had one for a while. I don't want to start the tablets at the wrong time ( I'm worried it will affect my mood), but I'm also wondering what if it's ages until my next period? I'm struggling having hot flushes and brain fog and am desperate to start to see if I feel better on hrt.

My HP said just to take them on the 1st of the month alongside patches for 14 days as is far easier to remember! It does take a couple of months for everything to settle down. Completely stopped my hot flushes and I think the brain fog (although I might not know what I don't know!). Some people need to up one or the other so if after a month or two on it you don't feel better go back again for another chat.

Thanks so much, I guess I just need to get started! The hot flushes are debilitating, especially at work, I feel so self conscious. Same with the brain fog, I feel as though I'm not functioning. It's wild how it has all just hit me at the same time like a sledgehammer.