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[Greenfields]

I'm on Evorel 50 patches and 100mg Utrogestan.

Because I'm so sensitive to medications, my Dr has had me taking the Utrogestan for Days 1 - 25.  I've then been instructed to stop taking it until I bleed.  If I don't bleed, then start again on Day 29 - which would constitute Day 1 of my new cycle of Utrogestan.

Hope that makes sense?!

The reason I'm posting is that this is the first cycle of Utrogestan for me.  I stopped taking it on Day 26 (Saturday) as instructed.  So far I've had no bleeding (and the Dr did say I might not get a bleed).

If bleeding start by Tuesday then I will start taking the Utrogestan again.

However, this morning (from 5am) I started getting a nasty upset bowel - passing small bits of fecal matter which smelt like vomit - not very nice!  I've had 3 bowel movements so far and they've all been a bit upset.

I also woke feeling a bit insubstantial/shaky.  I'm not anxious but I don't feel like myself.

Just curious as to what symptoms other people have experienced when taking a break from Utrogestan?  I'm wondering whether what I'm experiencing is 'normal'?

The other thing to say, which is why I'm curious, is that I had to deal with an incident with a neighbour on Friday night which involved multiple calls to 111 and then a 999 call.  I handled it fine - wasn't anxious - but it wasn't pleasant and I was tired yesterday which I think reflected that it took a lot out of me.  In the past, dealing with a situation like that, I would have been very anxious - but I wasn't.  However, as I'm also recovering from a breakdown, I'm wondering whether my bowel symptoms today are partly due to what happened on Friday or whether they are arising because of the hormonal changes in my body.  Also, because I was so tired, I didn't do any vigorous exercise yesterday (as my Dr has encouraged) and just did 30 minutes of gentle yoga instead.

Also, I changed the bread I eat from yesterday - from yesterday i started eating German rye bread - so I don't know whether that's upset my stomach either!  I used to eat it a lot in Canada and was fine with it though.

The other question I have, is that if you don't have a bleed, are you likely to get bleeds at subsequent breaks?  Only if I don't bleed when I take breaks from Utrogestan, I'm assuming that it puts me at higher risk of endometrial cancer as, if I understand correctly, the reason why bleeds are recommended is that their is a risk of the lining of the womb increasing due to the extra oestrogen?

If anyone can throw any light on my queries, I'd appreciate it.  Thanks!

[GeordieGirl]

It's easy to make so many links but as you've pointed out, there could be a number of factors. It may be one, some or none of the above. The best thing I'd suspect is to follow your doctor's instructions but keep a log so you can pinpoint timing and effects and see if there's any patterns next time.

I used to always get increased bowel movements with my natural cycle just before my period so there may be a link, but keep a record to see what happens next time around.

You'll only have a period if there's blood in your womb to shed (as I understand it). No blood, no bleed. No blood, no extra pressure on your womb and no increased chances of cancer?

I'm on Utrogestan but because I'm taking a relatively low dose of Estogel, I'm meant to take it daily with no break. I'm feeling good with it but may take a short break just to give my body a little rest in between.

GG x

[jedigirl]

Hi Greenfields
I'm on the same regime with Utrogestan 1-25 days. I've been on it for three months and have found that the (very light) bleeds haven't yet coincided with the three day break. They've been just before or near enough but not the actual break.
As I understood it taking the Utrogestan this way is a virtually bleed free regime so your bleeds will be lighter or not at all.
It does sound as if your stomach may be reacting to the change in hormones but it may be the other things too. I often have an upset stomach/bowels when changing doses which is the reason i went to this regime.
Don't forget the Utrogestan is opposing the build up of lining of the womb , the estrogen isn't building unopposed.
Hopefully others will be along with extra knowledge. JG xx

[GypsyRoseLee]

Hormones definitely can cuase an upset tummy. Both my GP and consultant confirmed this. before I started taking HRT and my hormones were all over the place I had an upset stomach every day for nearly 3 weeks!

I wear an Estradot 50mg patch with separate Utro 200mg on days 15-26. I have only had one full 12 day dose of the Utro so far, and I was okay while taking it and for the 4 days after I stopped taking it. But when my withdrawl bleed arrived 5 days after stopping taking it I also got an upset stomach again, and a return of that horrible jittery/anxiety and poor sleep. It lasted all through my withdrawl bleed which was roughly 4 days. Then thankfully disappeared and felt right as rain again.

[Greenfields]

Oh thanks for this feedback - I so appreciate all the lovely support I get from this board! I don't know what I would do without it.

People's comments about bowel movements and periods reminded me that, in the past, when I had periods, I always had increased bowel movements immediately before my period - so I think that that is something hormonal.  And I recall reading something to that effect in a book by Jane Clarke (I think it might have been her book Body Foods for Women - but it was a long time ago when I read it).

I also think I'm a bit thrown by the change in how I feel as I felt so so well on Friday during the day and was thinking that I should plan a visit to Canada in July and start sorting my life out ... so then to wake up feeling like I did today is so hard to handle psychologically.

I dragged myself off to the gym this morning and did an hour workout.  I didn't push myself too much - just wanted to be there and try and do what I can.  This afternoon I'm going to go out for a drive and do some yoga and trust, that at some point this week, I will feel a bit better!

[Greenfields]

Hi Greenfields
I'm on the same regime with Utrogestan 1-25 days. I've been on it for three months and have found that the (very light) bleeds haven't yet coincided with the three day break. They've been just before or near enough but not the actual break.
As I understood it taking the Utrogestan this way is a virtually bleed free regime so your bleeds will be lighter or not at all.
It does sound as if your stomach may be reacting to the change in hormones but it may be the other things too. I often have an upset stomach/bowels when changing doses which is the reason i went to this regime.
Don't forget the Utrogestan is opposing the build up of lining of the womb , the estrogen isn't building unopposed.
Hopefully others will be along with extra knowledge. JG xx

It's so reassuring to hear of someone else on the same regime as I am!  Have you found that things have gone well for you now that you've been on it for 3 months?  I mean, in terms of emotional stability and a sense of good health? - my Dr said it would take a few months for things to sort themselves out with respect to the HRT so I'm hoping that by the time I get to 3 months on this treatment, I will be more comfortable with how I am in myself on a regular basis.  Any thoughts/feedback on this appreciated.

Having said that, when I move to Canada, the treatment I get there will be personally prescribed for me according to my blood results - they don't do generic treatments like they do in the UK on the NHS (that's probably one reason why it's so damn expensive to have HRT in Canada!).  They use compounding pharmacies and make up the prescriptions individually for each individual.  But I'm hoping that if I do get a personal prescription tailored to me, that it will be an even better fit for me than the current treatment that I'm on.

[jedigirl]

Hi,
I think overall I feel better than before though i still have ups and downs.I did become very unwell with huge hormone fluctuations , really distressing stomach upsets, anxiety, flushes, palpatations, nausea,before i was on HRT so i guess I'm comparatively stacks better. I dread to think how I'd be without it. Hope all settles for you soon x

[jedigirl]

Oh I should also mention I am peri so am fairly sure my own cycle is still doing weird stuff under the HRT. Am currently having slight bleed when its only 12 days since last one. This happened before i was on HRT  and seems my own cycle hasn't given up yet. Are you peri or post? x

[Greenfields]

I think I might be peri - I had 3 very short break through bleeds last year - the last one in June.  They were all very light and barely lasted a day.  Having said that, I've been under a huge amount of stress in the last year and early on in my life (in my twenties) I recall my periods stopped for a few months because I was under a lot of stress then.  So I don't know how much the stress I've had over the last year has impacted my own cycle.  Given the fluctuations I've had, I suspect that my own hormones are still doing stuff under the HRT.

The funny thing is that, despite the stress I was under, I was fine up to and including the end of November - but I exercised a lot which I think kept me healthy.  Getting a viral infection for 2 months (Dec/Jan) stopped me exercising and then going on a meditation retreat for 3 weeks in Feb (where I first noticed I was experiencing daily heavy night sweats) and where I didn't exercise as much was I think my undoing.  If I had kept up the exercise once I got better at the end of Jan, I might not have encountered the problems I did.  And then, the subsequent experiences I had made me very ill and caused the breakdown in March.

So now I'm dealing with 2 things - recovering from the breakdown and the menopausal thing - as well as, at some point, sorting my life out and moving back to Canada!  That's why it's so hard to figure out what's causing what.  I felt fantastic on Friday - the exercise has really made a difference and I'm hoping, once I'm back on the Utrogestan on Tuesday that I'll start to feel a bit better.

Before HRT I was more anxious but I don't know now how much of that was menopausal anxiety and how much of that was anxiety arising from all the stressful stuff I had to deal with over the last year.  In fact, I should say years - I've had a few very stressful years and just got used to the anxiety being present but now I wonder whether my hormones were depleted for quite a while before things happened this year.

The good thing about the HRT is that it's completely stopped my night sweats and hot flushes - so I sleep better than I did although sometimes I have trouble sleeping.  It's also made me calmer.  But I struggle a bit with who I am in terms of what my identity is now - as I'm not used to feeling so calm when difficult situations arise so it's a little unnerving.  I hope at some point, I can get comfortable with who I am now and how I am as well.     

[jedigirl]

Greenfields
You have had a huge amount of upheaval. You should give yourself a clap on the back for having such resolve.I'm not sure you can separate the anxiety and the hormone depletion. I think they probably feed each other.
I'm also struggling with who I am now. Feel much more vulnerable and fearful than I was. I have a good friend who said she felt this way for years during peri and now feels much calmer and more confident. I'm taking huge confidence from this.
JG XX

[Greenfields]

Greenfields
You have had a huge amount of upheaval. You should give yourself a clap on the back for having such resolve.I'm not sure you can separate the anxiety and the hormone depletion. I think they probably feed each other.
I'm also struggling with who I am now. Feel much more vulnerable and fearful than I was. I have a good friend who said she felt this way for years during peri and now feels much calmer and more confident. I'm taking huge confidence from this.
JG XX

Thankyou - and I also take heart from your friend's comment - I am so looking forward to post menopause!

[Greenfields]

Just wanted to update a little bit.  I did feel fantastic on the Friday and was pretty good into Tuesday (when I started taking the Utrogestan again).  I didn't have a bleed either.  However the last few days I've been really jittery - lots of anxiety present.  Am still doing things - I dragged myself off to exercise class this morning - but even after the exercise I was very aware of anxiety physically present in my body - it's disheartening but I'm trying to get comfortable with it and not let it stop me from doing things (although I've delayed doing a couple of things which I know are going to be stressful tasks ... I don't want to stress my body out even more at the moment).

This has all set me wondering about whether I need to ask the Dr for an AD when I see her on June 10th - as my stress levels are likely to go up when I take a trip to Canada (hopefully in July) - I don't want my nervous system to short circuit again and get worse with additional stress.

If I am going to go on an AD I should probably do it in June in order to be over the worst of the side effects by the time I travel in July.  I'm really unsure as to what to do at the moment.

The first Dr I saw (who was horrible) put me on Sertraline 50mg.  I took 2 tablets (1 a day) for 2 days and had all the most severe side effects - so I stopped taking it as I was so scared (a lot of the side effects were the kind where you are supposed to stop taking it when I looked on the leaflet as well).

I have heard that Citalopram is supposed to have less side effects - has anyone tried this?  Got any thoughts on it?  How many side effects does it have and how long do they last and when do they go away?

I've also been thinking about returning to the acupuncturist and having some more acupuncture but I don't know how long the effects of this would hold for a trip to Canada.  I really really don't want to end up in a Canadian psych hospital!

[honeybun]

I don't really think that you can say how you will be on any AD until you have tried it as we are all very different.
I tried Citalopram and it didn't suit at all so I decided that they were not for me. But...many women on the forum have taken it with great success.

Honeybun
X

[Greenfields]

I don't really think that you can say how you will be on any AD until you have tried it as we are all very different.
I tried Citalopram and it didn't suit at all so I decided that they were not for me. But...many women on the forum have taken it with great success.

Honeybun
X

If it's not too intrusive, could you say why it didn't suit you?  I'm very sensitive to medication and I remember you saying in another post that you also are sensitive to meds - so anything you could add would be helpful.  But I get that it is a very individual thing as well and I won't know for sure how it will impact me until if and when I decide to take it - or something else.