What on earth happened last night when I took my progesterone?

[MissAdvantage]

I’m 54 and I’ve been taking HRT for a year - I was still having periods then and perimenopausal. I had a few symptoms but nothing too bad so have settled on one pump of gel a day and 200mg of utrogestan for 12 days of the month. This works fine for me

usually when I take the utrogestan it makes me feel sleepy and I have a decent night sleep. Other times it has little effect on my sleep but normally - I sleep well on it.

but lately I’ve been reacting to it weirdly and last night is a case in point

I was doing my skincare before bed and I’d taken it an hour earlier. I could ‘feel’ the sedation effect coming on so I hurried up and hopped into bed.

well, I then started slurring my words, laughing a lot, telling my husband I wanted to try and pronounce the word ‘butterfly’ (wtf?) and then a long ramble of words that made no sense .this went on for ten minutes and then I fell fast asleep. It was so hilarious my husband recorded me and we were crying with laughter this morning over it

But it’s got me thinking:.. I was fully aware of doing it but couldn’t stop it. I don’t drink any alcohol so it wasn’t a combination of the progesterone and booze. I don’t eat past 6pm. It’s happened a few times in recent months and it can’t pinpoint why.

Am I just very sensitive to it? Is this quite normal? I’m almost nervous to take it tonight !!!

I think that is very odd. I can take mine and still stay up and read for an hour or more. When I eventually turn my light off I do drop off quickly and I don’t wake in the night, but I didn’t think it had that much of a sedative effect.

I'd be quite concerned by this. Definitely speak with your GP. And I wouldnt be happy with DH laughing/videoing. What if it was a stroke?

@Playstoppaws. Oh gosh - he’s a wonderful husband and it was really funny! It’s happened before maybe 3 or 4 times but not as weird as last night

@Chickenhorse. yep 9 times out of. 10. I read or mess about in my phone for an hour or two with no issue. And half the time I don’t feel the effects of it at all

it’s just that last night so was weird. And was rushing about saying to my husband ‘ I gotta get into bed asap - it’s making me feel a bit mental!’

The laughing is a known side effect, as is the sleepiness. I would still talk to your doctor though.

I definitely had similar (the wave of sleepiness and slurring) when I was on that same regime. No idea what causes it but wanted to say it’s not just you! I’m on continuous now and 100mg hasn’t had that same effect at all.

I had a strong reaction to mine the first time I took it. I didn’t say anything unusual, but I was suddenly hit with crushing fatigue and lightheadedness and had to immediately get into bed. It reminded me a bit of having a ‘whitey’ (just in case that isn’t a familiar term- a common reaction to smoking cannabis for those that aren’t used to it! Makes you feel a bit out of control and out-of-body). It hasn’t happened since but I now take the tablets ‘internally’ and I’m not sure if that makes a difference.

I would definitely talk it over with a GP or Practice nurse.

I appreciate it was possibly scary but that can happen. Years ago, I once took it an hour before bed and became very dizzy - a known side effect.

Try taking it just before bed- like 10 mins before. The instructions say take at bedtime and that's because it can cause these odd side effects like balance/ drop in BP perhaps.

Maybe talk to your GP but it's unlikely they can do or say much apart from stressing you take it last thing at night.

Did you eat close to taking it? Fatty food can double the effects.

Any food doubles the effects. This can be a bonus sometimes if anyone has spotting etc as it makes it more effective.

@JinglingSpringbells I think that’s probably it you know. I’m taking it at 9pm and I probably could take it a good hour and a half later. I don’t tend to eat much after 6pm if at all but sometimes what I eat at 9pm could be classed as ‘fatty’ like a piece of cheese or something

I was absolutely fine last night - just fell asleep at 10.30 which is early for me really

That sounds like a pretty classic progesterone sensitivity reaction, some women metabolise it much faster or are just more sensitive to its sedative effects, and it can actually hit harder over time rather than staying consistent, which is worth flagging to your GP or whoever manages your HRT.