If you take utrogestan vaginally, can I have tips?

[Castaspella]

Would like to start this tmrw to help with side effects from taking orally. I know this way is off license. 2 main qs:

1. i believe the dose should stay the same (2 capsules) despite online advice floating around saying to halve the dose
2. tips on insertion? I know bedtime is the time.

thank you!

Any advice saying take half is incorrect.

The BMS has a guide on endometrial protection with HRT and it's the same dose as orally.

You can actually insert it at any time. (I asked my consultant this. It's also used for fertility 3 times a day .)

The use at night is for oral use, as it can cause dizziness or sedation, but this doesn't apply to vaginal use.

Obviously if you do use it vaginally during the day, maybe have a trial to see how you react.

The important thing is it stays where it is put as it can take up to an hour to dissolve.

You will get some residue and even some discharge, so panty liners are the way to go!

If you use it at night, just do it lying down, last thing.

You can't really have sex once it's inserted but you could use it afterwards.

Hello, I had awful reflux from taking it orally.

I found taking it vaginally irritated my bladder and I’d be up in the night to pee!

Then I read a lot of people have success taking it rectally and that has been great for me. Zero side effects but all the benefits.

I take the same dose (200mg every evening for 12 days, from day 15 of my cycle) I’m 43

I’ve been prescribed the vaginal pessaries so it’s just 1 larger capsule rather than the 2 you take orally. I was worried about inserting it so I went online and bought some plastic tubes that are specifically for inserting vaginal pessaries. I do it last thing at night then straight into bed. I do notice a cloudy white film in the loo after the I pee the next day.

Amazing, thank you! First go tonight so I might go for the vagina and if I get any issues I’ll try option 2! 💍💍

This might be a dumb question but I’ve started bleeding (period) with another week of utrogestan to go. Can I still stick it up there like normal with a tampon? @JinglingSpringbells

Hmmm..not really. There is a good chance that it won't absorb if there's blood flowing because once it's dissolved the tampon might absorb it. You'll have to resort to oral OR ( a few posters have said they do this) rectally. My consultant mentioned that as another option but I've never tried it.

You're supposed to complete the number of days because otherwise although you're bleeding, the estrogen is still starting to thicken the womb lining ready for the next bleed.

Thank you! I guess I’ll switch to oral while I’m bleeding as it’s all a bit of a faff. Would be so great if it all lined up but hey ho

I used it vaginally but I still got awful mood side effects and had to come off it. It would also leave a big wad of semi dissolved capsule shell in my underwear and made my vagina feel sore.

There's always some residue and it needs a panty liner the next day.
I get some irritation after a few days but swap to oral for a day or so each cycle.
Otherwise, I have fewer side effects.

I really didn’t notice much discharge, it worked really well for me though haven’t done it long enough to know if changing the method of delivery will impact my terrible moods!

It still had a really terrible impact on my mood even used vaginally. In the end I started in a progesterone only pill as part of my HRT. For some reason I can tolerate synthetic progesterone and not bio identical.

I've recently switched to vaginal but did wonder if I was supposed to tell my GP. That's what AI said but I'm not sure why. I don't really have anyone at the practice who knows me (mainly locums in a central London practice) and they don't seem to care.

I'm on the second cycle but it's been much better so far. Thought maybe I'd mention it retrospectively if at some point someone wants to check in.

Interesting to know it doesn't have to be at bedtime.

I suppose it matters why you'd want to tell them. It's not officially licensed in the UK for vaginal use which is why gps don't automatically suggest it.so the risk is you may come up against some opposition and at least have to defend why you prefer it.

I'd not take any notice of AI on this one!