Stuck in the Middle East and I don’t use my progesterone - any need to do anything?

[MissAdvantage]

i brought my HRT gel with me and have been using that but didn’t bring my utrogestan with me as I expected to be home by 1st March

I’m now 7 days late taking it an wondering if I need to try and get some from a pharmacy here?

I’ve also been experiencing feeling a bit headachy and dizzy ish on and off for a few days - Monday connected?

any thoughts appreciated. If I can skip it then I will but o suddenly wondered if o should make an effort to get some

Sorry - title should read I don’t HAVE my progesterone

I was in Dubai two weeks ago and realised I had forgot my progesterone (Utrogestan). I take it continuously so I was gutted as it would have meant i would get a period which I really didn’t want! I phoned our hotel pharmacy (Atlantis the Palm) at 9pm and they delivered a box to my room by 9.30pm. No prescription needed and it only cost £6. I was so happy! So I think you’ll get it in a pharmacy no problem,

You shouldn't use oestrogen alone as you need the progesterone to maintain the lining of the uterus. Prob best to stop both. Hope you get home soon

Unopposed estrogen becomes a concern after several months to years, not days or weeks.

In the 1960s and 1970s many, many women received estrogen alone for years and the vast majority did not get endometrial cancer.

I would buy some sanitary products before the panic buying sets in as you are likely to bleed, but otherwise you have nothing to worry about other than the potential for your estrogen to run out as well.

@Charliede1182 you mean they were given just that for HRT?

I must admit, I thought it was the progesterone that made you bleed, not the other way round. (It's something I might have to look at soon so I'm not fully informed yet).

@Huckleberries Yes, @Charliede1182 is correct. Decades ago women were given only estrogen but long term use can cause cancerous changes in the womb.

Nowadays, there are some women on long-cycle HRT which is 3 months with estrogen only then progesterone for 14 days. Usually off-licence and with the back-up of a scan every year.

There was a tablet form of this called Tridestra.
It's more suitable for women who are in late peri.

I must admit, I thought it was the progesterone that made you bleed, not the other way round. (It's something I might have to look at soon so I'm not fully informed yet).

It's the withdrawal of progesterone that causes a bleed.
It changes the womb lining and stops it growing. Once you stop taking progesterone, the lining shed. This is the same as our own cycles- estrogen then progesterone for 2 weeks, then a period.

It takes months and months for anything dangerous to happen.
The stats are (approx) that for 100 women using estrogen only for a year, around 20 will get hyperplasia and a small number will develop cancerous changes.

This is not to say don't use progesterone but being a few days or a week or two late isn't an issue.

You aren't likely to bleed @MissAdvantage
Not when you're using cyclical HRT.

I was on a long cycle for 6 years with an excellent menopause specialist.
10 weeks of estrogen only, 2 weeks of progestogen.
I only reduced the cycles because the withdrawal bleed after 3 months was heavy.