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[2cats]

Hi all,

Things have not been to bad lately but yet again the meno rollercoaster has kicked in and I'm feeling a bit dodgy again - waking up in the morning feeling like I want to cry,  though this fades off once I'm at work.  I have to say that the doom and gloom feeling has pretty much been present every morning for the last 2 years but I had learnt to leave it in the background and not worry about it.  Now it's getting stronger and more intense again.

So, I'm wondering whether to try a different HRT as my Femseven sequi patches do not stay on properly for long and so maybe my levels are too up and down??
I keep reading about utrogestan on here so thinking of asking GP for that plus a different brand of Oestrogen patch.....I'd be interested to hear from any of you who have an opinion/tried it themselves.

Thanks in advance, 

[honeybun]

I have just started this regime. Evoril 50 patch and then utrogestan 200 for 12 days in the month.
I am using the utrogestan vaginally and used the first one last night.
Primarily I have changed to see if a different progesterone would help with my anxiety. Can't say I have noticed any difference up to now but the progesterone is much kinder so it certainly is worth a try.
I am going to have a bleed which will be a shock because I have been on continuous HRT for a year now.

It's a wait and see game for me but the progesterone in the patch you are using is notorious for its side effects.

Speak to your GP perhaps.

It's always worth a try in my opinion.

Honeyb
X

[Hurdity]

Hi 2cats

If you are still peri then your levels will be going up and down anyway until you are post-meno or nearly there, but hopefully on balance the HRT should make you feel better.

I am one of the utrogestan gang and more are trying this out all the time. In terms of sticking - this means you would be able to go for Estradot - tiny and stick very well - and should be able to keep your levels fairly consistent, and changed twice a week.

Also it comes in various strengths so if the current dose of 50mcg ( in the Femseven) is not working for you, maybe you could try 75 mcg?

The progesterone (Utrogestan) is of course bio-identical so will be the best type possible for your body. There are side effects as with any progestogen but as loing as they are no worse than when you had a normal menstrual cycle and hopefully not so bad - then that is the best to hope for.

Yes - as honeybun says - worth a try - go for it!

Hurdity x

[meno lesley]

I am on utrogestan for 25 out of 28 days and estrogel 2 pumps. This has been the best for me and I've tried a few. The only thing I am struggling with is joint pain but not sure if this is hrt or me.

Lesley

[Liz]

I've changed this month from FemSeven Sequi patches to Estradot 50 and Utrogestan (taken on days 15-26 only).  I must say I am feeling much better!  The progesterone part of the FemSeven Sequi patch left me in a severe PMT...... this month I feel great (have been taking Utro for 6 nights now).  Been and booked a foreign holiday and bought a new bikini and clothes..... something I haven't felt like doing for ages! I'd definitely give it a go.

[2cats]

Well ladies, I finally went to the doctor yesterday and asked for Utrogestan and Estradot - after some convincing (she told me that if one
sort of patch wouldn't stick, then no other patch would stick! Why do they talk such crap??I politely explained that Evorel Sequi stuck brilliantly but the prog side didn't agree with me.) she prescribed the estradot with Cyclogest.

Does anyone have any experience of the pessaries Cyclogest and if they interfere with your private life!!
Also is it a bio identical prog?

Thanks for any help or advice you can give 

[Hurdity]

Hi 2cats

I am surprised that she prescribed Cyclogest when you asked for Utrogestan since the latter is actually licensed for use in HRT whereas Cyclogest isn't!

Having said that my doc prescribed me Cyclogest (2 x 200mg) when I first went onto HRT and wanted progesterone rather than a synthetic progestogen - so it seems that some do.

Yes it is a bio-identical progesterone but as you will have noticed comes as waxy pessaries.

I used this for 4 years approx from just before age 54 (peri-meno) until I was 58.

It depends how you wanted to take the Utrogestan. If you wanted to try it orally at first then Cyclogest is not suitable - it can be used as a pessary or suppository. How much it interefers with anything else depends on whether you are going to have a cycle or not. I mainly used it cyclically so for 11 days out of 28 and during these times I think I put one at the back and one at the front (!!!!) in the evening - so that would interfere during those days. I couldn't use it in the morning as too slack due to several children - wouldn't stay in!

I think it's available as 400 mg which is quite hefty dose so depends on how prog tolerant you are.

If you use it vaginally theoretically very little is absorbed systemically due to uterine first pass effect - ie goes to uterus where it is needed. Rectally - well it is absorbed and then delivered in bloodstream to uterus. It beats me why the two methods require the same dose since if delivered straight to uterus logically ( and research has shown ) a lower dose can give the same protection to the uterus.

Also I found that I still got systemic absorption even using it vaginally - and this will happen more on an atrophic vagina ie if you have some VA due to oestrogen deficiency.

I found that it gave me migraines sometimes, particularly as it built up in my system, also if I drank alcohol while on the prog, and most often when I stopped the prog - ie prog withdrawal migraine before the bleeding. However I was getting pre-menstrual migraines when peri anyway so I didn't really think anything of it! I was OK on it for the first couple of years I would say but then the migraines got too bad.

You may be absolutely fine though but don't hesitate to go back and ask for Utrogestan if you would prefer this.

It goes without saying that bedroom activities would be curtailed when used vaginally although sometimes if I anticipated right then I would delay putting it in until after the said activities! I worried about it leaking out too quickly on these occasions though and then precipitating an early bleed. I can't remember this ever happening though. If used as suppository then it wouldn't interfere but I didn't much relish the effect on the bowel in the morning. OK anyone who is squeamish needn't read this - but this info is important.

Maybe best in private lives - I don't usually talk this openly in the open section!

I've been using Utrogestan happily (vaginally) for 2 years now and rarely get migraines (if I'm carefull with the alcohol when on prog)

Hope this helps

Hurdity x