I would hate to be still having a bleed at 59 
At 55 I would not even contimplate any regime that meant that.
Women by nature are not supposed to be having a cycle at that age. Our fertile years are past so bleeds should be a thing of the past.
I know that a lot of women....and rightly so ...try to use HRT in the most natural form possible....ie Utrogestan.
I don't know that I agree that triggering a bleed at this age is the best thing or the most natural but of course if we want to use oestrogen then progesterone has to play its part.
What the answer is I really don't know.
I use a half Evorel conti patch.
I have no bleeds but have the advantage of both oestrogen and progesterone.
If Mother Nature had intended us to be fertile into our 60s then menopause would never be an issue......but she didn't so therefore a no bleed regime must be the most natural scenario.
Honeybun
X
Can I ask what your long term plans are regarding bleeds. Surely you can't go into your mid 60s to 70 and still have a period.
Very difficult but it just doesn't seem right somehow.
I would hate to take a synthetic progestogen such as norethisterone - found in Evorel conti on a continuous basis...
There are several of us on here in our 60's still on HRT and having bleeds - as you know I am one of them so surely I can (go into my mid 60's and have a bleed)? It may not seem right to you but actually, it does to me - well the least of evils at the moment - and it is no less natural than taking a synthetic progestogen continuously. We are all trying to work out how to stay healthy when we are likely to have one third of our lives or more in our "natural" hypo-oestrogenic state that characterises post-menopause - say from age 50 to 80.
There are several choices available once we are post-menopausal:
1 Stop taking oestrogen/HRT and accept the consequences - whatever they may be
2 Take HRT on a continuous combined (no bleed) basis - and thereby take continuous progestogen - either synthetic, or progesterone
3 Take HRT on a cyclical basis - which gives a withdrawal bleed.
None of these are more "right" than others, but we have to make this decision based on our own personal biology of our bodies, general health, and weighing up the objective scientific evidence of risk factors.
Many women experience unpleasant and debilitating side effects, and/or erratic bleeding from continuous progestogens and therefore either a regular/predictable bleed, or as long as possible on oestrogen only (ie long cycle) - are preferable.
Don't get me wrong - I most certainly don't enjoy having a bleed and would prefer not to have them, but I would rather do this than have to take progesterone all the time - although I am tempted sometimes (when the bleed happens) but I also usually want to throw in the towel and give up when I'm on the progesterone phase too - and wonder how much longer I can put up with it! It's a question as always of what makes us feel better for most of the time and has the least harmful effect on our health - short and long term (the latter we cannot know!). At the moment I feel so much better when on oestrogen only for 5-6 weeks it's worth it.
Dancinggirl - it is a difficult one. I do sometimes wonder about taking utrogestan 100 mg all the time but I know how I feel when I'm on it, especially after about 5 days in and until I stop, so the prospect is not attractive. In your position though - I wouldn't want to have those cramps. At the moment I only get them during the bleed as expected. It's great though that you are feeling generally better - but you are struggling with what all of us older women with wombs are having to do!
Briony - what you experience for the few days after you stop progesterone is a normal part of PMT. Progesterone is at its highest about a week following ovulation and the following week it declines rapdily (along with oestrogen) and that is when women often experience bad pms - from the oestrogen dip, and the progesterone withdrawal. With HRT this is prolonged in a 4 week cycle because there is often 14 days on progesterone and the few days after withdrawal possilby giving 2 1/2 to 3 weeks of pms instead of two!
Hurdity x
