Hi Tinkerbell
I am on this combo (Estradot 50 and Utrogestan) - although I use utrogestan 200 mg vaginally every two months so a long cycle, and I'm in my early 60's
When you say the 100 mg every day - what did your doc actually prescribe? As Dancinggirl says many women on a conti regime take this every day and don't bother with the 3 days break, and is there to allow a bleed just in case the lining has built up a little? Some women who are still peri-menopausal are also prescribed it like this ( or even 200 mg for eg 21 days) to control their bleeds a bit better.
You are not yet at menopause because you haven't been 12 months without a bleed. The one in March may have been your last, but may not have been. If you start HRT you won't know if you were going to have another one (as with me too and many women who start HRT). The three day break is a good compromise if you may be still peri-menopausal?
I started HRT at a similar stage to you - a bit older - I was almost 54, but because I had had a period 5 months previouslsy and the one before that was probably quite a few months earlier, it was recommended that I start on cyclical HRT.
This is a good thing in that you can discover whether or not the progesterone suits you. In my case it didn't (I started with Evorel sequi) so I changed to the progesterone which was then available - Cyclogest - and remained on a cycle until age 57-8 when my doc suggested I change to continuous combined. This didn't suit me either so I am still on a cycle even though in early 60's.
If you are worried about the side effects why not take it in the cyclical way at first ie 200 mg for 12 days and see how you get on with it. Remembering of course that 100 mg is half the dose of 200 mg so as Dancinggirl finds, this dose does not give her side effects. I do wonder what would happen if I took it like this but all in all as I am sleepy anyway in the mornings, I would not want to risk being even more tired if taking prog on a continuous basis!
Going onto HRT was the best thing I ever did - my flushes and sweats disappeared and I regained my energy, able to cope with life and do so much more than otherwise - no anxiety (although I do have worries - but don't we all!). I have only ever been on the 50 mcg dose which has suited me fine - starting at the same stage as you, and after the turmoil of peri-menopausal hormones had mostly subsided.
Go for it girl
Hurdity x