Anyone else on progesterone?

[rach971]

I've just been prescribed progesterone by EPU (I'm 7 weeks pregnant).

Just wondering if anyone can answer a couple of questions? Is it better to insert vaginally or rectally? EPU said vaginally, but packet says either.

How far do you need to push it in? 😬

And it says twice a day. I couldn't do it this morning because prescription didn't come in until afternoon. Should I put one in this evening? Or wait and start tomorrow so I can start the full two a day dose?

Also - is it 12 weeks pregnant you stop at? EPU didn't tell me and I've been given enough to last me til about 15 weeks...

I don't know if it makes any difference but took them vaginally both times, as far as they go. You may want to wear liners they do leave a greasy residue.

I would take until the pack ends, I took to 24 weeks with my first, 20 with my second.

I put mine in rectally before I go to bed as there's less mess that way :) I only have enough to last til my next scan at week eight and I might ask for more then.

I was on them, consultant said only vaginally, up as far as you can get it comfortably and you have to stay lying down for half an hour or it just comes out. It’s a faff and messy but you’ll get used to it. I’d start tonight.

@oneuponedown Thank you ☺️ So literally just as far as you can fit your finger in then basically?

@TheBirdintheCave Thank you. I think I'm just a bit apprehensive about using them rectally as when I had a MMC, they gave me a pain relief pessary to use that way and I had diarrhea within like 5 minutes of putting it in 😫😂

@AnneLovesGilbert Oh god 😫 Sounds like I'll have to start getting up earlier then! Night time will be fine, but in the morning it's literally school run and then I go off to work most mornings. Will have to get up half an hour earlier to give me time to lie there 😂

Yes I take them morning and night I haven't been lying down after I don't have time for that lol

I took morning and night, didn't lie down for half an hour but just put a panteliner in for 20 mins or so after ☺️ it was just residue that came out

I am on them until 34 weeks. You push them up until they kind of feel they turn a corner if that makes sense! And my consultant said to take them vaginally and not rectally.

It's pretty common to have really terrible soreness with progesterone pessaries, and I've suffered from that more or less the whole time I've been taking them. I was actually crying with the thrush they caused. So just in case you get that, I now tend to insert one, sit or lie down for around 20-45 minutes, and then either shower or have a good wash (no soap) down there. It's made a great deal of difference to me and I wish someone had told me that!

@Diamondbabe Thank you. Hopefully will be ok then ☺️

@Daffodil21 Thank you. Will see how I go then. Hopefully will be okay 😂

@Bronnau Oh gosh 😂 Yes that makes sense. I'm both worried about pushing it too far up, and not enough 🙈 do you lie down to put yours in? And thanks for the info about thrush! I wouldn't even have thought. I'll see how I go. Don't have time to wash after every single one but I can give it a wipe with a flannel 😂

They can make you bleed so be aware of that. In that case you may want to try it rectally or alternate.

I took them vaginally but they gave me such a horrendous thrush infection that I could barely pass urine and I kept bleeding.

I use them rectally and my recurrent miscarriage consultant said the progesterone is actually better absorbed through the rectum due to the number of blood vessels in the back passage. Less messy and no bleeding since switching to rectally.

I push them in until I can feel they're past my sphincter. Slightly uncomfortable but not painful

@serenaisaknobhead Thank you. I did read that. Typical that I'm taking them because of spotting and a previous MC and they might make me bleed more 🙈🙈

@PoinsettiaPosturing Thank you. I think I might give them a try vaginally first and see how I get on, then switch if it's getting painful. Just had a rectal painkiller for my MC the other month and it gave me bad diarrhea 🙈 I know it's a totally different medication type thing, but it still makes me nervous 😂

I am in a similar boat - was told to insert vaginally, as far as it would go, and take until 16 weeks ( back to GP for repeat prescription if required)

Little bit of residue with the first one, but the second i put in just before i went to bed and it looked like half of it came out of me in the loo this morning.

Does anyone know what the deal is with having sex while using them? I'm assumimg we'll need to try to time it to DTD just before i need to put one in? To avoid dislodging /presumably progesterone on the penis isn't ideal?

Use rectally or vaginally. Rectal can cause diarrhea, vaginal can cause spotting or irritation. pop them up as far as can go with a finger and lie flat for 20 min. How long to take depends on reason for prescribing

Please ask your consultant before you change to using them rectally- I asked mine and he told me not to, that it wasn't suitable for what I'm being treated for. I'd check to be on the safe side.

whataretheodds Yes I'd DTD before you need to put one in. Word of warning though- DP got quite sore after DTD once I was on them, even though I left many hours between inserting them and having sex.

I’m currently on progesterone and 10+ weeks, I used them in my first pregnancy to. I insert them vaginally and just push as far as they will go, definitely recommend panty liners as they are messy. I didn’t lie down as somebody else suggested, and they rarely fall out for me. My consultant said if they cause irritation vaginally to use them in the rectum. I did ask if I would be stopping at 12 weeks, but the consultant wasn’t clear and said it may be 15+ weeks, I’m literally counting down the weeks and days as I hate taking it! I’m still wondering if they make nausea worse as well!

Please ask your consultant before you change to using them rectally- I asked mine and he told me not to, that it wasn't suitable for what I'm being treated for. I'd check to be on the safe side.

Absolutely. Likewise the lying down afterwards.

The lying down I think is so the medication dose is absorbed properly, not just for mess reasons! Which is why it's important to check if you aren't going to do that

Following 3 previous MCs, I was on Utrogest from 5.5 weeks to 16 weeks.
I’m 21 weeks now.

They came with an applicator, which made it easier to get them plenty high up.

I used them vaginally, as I was told to. I didn’t have thrush or spotting/bleeding but was perhaps a little bit sore at times. I do think they made my nausea worse though, as that stopped a day after finishing the Utrogest at 16 weeks!

The progesterone apparently takes 20-30 mins to absorb so that’s why it says to lie down for a little while afterwards, to make sure it has chance to absorb where it’s supposed to.
The rest of the mess that comes out after that point (and there is so much mess!!), is just the bulk of the pessary, not the progesterone.

I found that any toilet that I used, would have a layer of greasy film type stuff so I’d have to flush twice after I’d been for a wee!! There was a lot of mess but it did wash out of underwear etc.

We tended to DTD in the evening, before I put the pessary in. We didn’t have any problems.

I read that it should be fine to shower or DTD an hour after inserting the pessary, as the progesterone should have all been absorbed by then.