New to HRT and think progesterone sensitive. What to do?

[Reginaphalangeeeee]

Hi all.
New to HRT aged 46. I still have regular periods and began Oestrogel (2 pumps a day) with local vaginal cream too and cyclical vaginal 200mg progrsteronefron day 12. Well I am 3 days into the prograterone and after feeling euphoric with the estrogen (cured my brain fog and joint pain and generally lifted my low mood), the progesterone hit hard. Pelvic cramp initially& bloat/constipation. Now feeling quiet low mood/sad/can't be bothered and also have sore boobswith return of joint pain. I have put on 2 kg and sure retaining water.

Do I just see it through and hope For the best?
I really don't want the Merina coil but understand that is the solution for some.
I think another option is to take it continuous, but would Injust stay miserable and forget happiness as the norm?

If I hadnt have felt so bloddy great with the estrogen gel for the first 2 weeks, I would be saying right now that the progesterone symptoms are as bad as PMT and maybe it's not worth it?

Will it settle and get better?

@RobinEllacotStrike Do you know that recently ( 2 weeks ago) the NHS agreed to a new drug for flushes to be available on the NHS? It's been available for two years or so privately.

www.nice.org.uk/news/articles/500-000-eligible-to-benefit-from-new-non-hormonal-treatment-for-hot-flushes-caused-by-menopause

Also, there are women who can use long cycle HRT- like you were - on the condition they have a uterine scan every 6 months or so. It's in the BMS menopause guidance.

You'd probably need (private?) specialist input for these if your GP isn't up to speed but it might be worth it.

Hi @JinglingSpringbells I did not know that - thank you.

I will ask my GP about trying this new drug, and I will ask the specialist about the scan option when I see them in October.

💐

@Reginaphalangeeeee everything crossed for you

I am progesterone intolerant, and I take livial tibolone which is a different sort of HRT. I get on well with it.

https://hub.menopause.org.au/Play?pId=cd672260-9748-43f2-81a6-905057c0c2ea

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2671819/

https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/tibolone/about-tibolone/

I am sensitive to progesterone but only when I use it vaginally, orally its just fine. If you haven't tried it orally perhaps try that?

I’m on my second cycle of progesterone and not seeing any benefits from HRT whatsoever - oestrogel doing nothing on one pump and if I have any more gel it makes me feel completely wiped out. Not seeing the point of this, I went on HRT to help manage my extreme irritability and it’s made it worse :( mirena not an option for me (am nearly 46)

@mildlysweaty oestrogen gives you energy, progesterone takes it away in my experience.

Have you tried using more gel on days when you are on the progesterone?

Thank you @Moveyourbleedingarse❤️ can’t remember when I tried two pumps but it was honestly dreadful, I felt so weird on it in a drained way. Since starting HRT I’ve had the worst PMS and cramps in my life and seem to have lost the ability to proofread my work emails - as someone who’s always been a stickler for spelling and grammar this horrifies me!

Oh interesting - I started the patches, stuck it out for three months but found basically two weeks of pms on the progesterone was outweighing the oestrogen boost…didn’t realise it was so common.

Like you, I felt absolutely euphoric when I started oestrogen in Jan. I then had my cycle of progesterone and felt dreadful - fluey, stuffy-headed.
I was so worried when the second cycle came around but I was absolutely fine. No unpleasant side effects at all.
Had my three month check up last night and the doc has switched me to one progesterone tablet each night, to try to get sleep back on track.
All in all (and touching lots of wood here!!) I feel soooo much better.
Definitely worth sticking to it for another month or so, I would say.

Progesterone affected my orgasms, either didn’t happen or took forever!

Get some testosterone. My libido went through the roof.