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[true_soul]

Hello Ladies,

So I have been lurking around for a while now, but now I am at a point I really need your valuable advice. I dont have a doctor where I live who can really help me with my condition, so I am kinda self treating myself and hoping you ladies can advice me and arm me with knowledge before I see a gyno.

So a long story short, I gave birth to my child at the age of 26, I started having irregular periods at the age of 29 and by the age of 32 my periods stopped and a year later I was diagnosed with premature menopause.  I am so thankful to God for the one child that I have. 

My doctors at that time told me to just take care of my health and take supplement, but I had very strong menopause symptoms, I wasnt myself at all, I started to loose focus, sever anxiety and sever hot flashes, sleepless nights and what not. When I complained to a doctor all she said just take care of my food and manage my health,  so I said to myself, its so easy to manage.

Or thats what I thought so! my hot flashes didn't decrease A BIT!! I am talking about sweat dripping all over my face and body, in the most wrong times, while I am giving a talk or in a meeting, it was getting so uncomfortable. I knew I wanted HRT! the more research I did the more I was convinced of my decision, I also found that many studies say that for my age HRT is a MUST for at least 10 years.


So finally, at the age of 35, I started taking HRT, I began taking almost 2.5 months ago. and boy O boy MY LIFE CHANGED!! 
- Hot flashed instantly stopped.
- I started to sleep better.
- I noticed I am more focused.
- I am less conscious of myself and less anxious.
- I am more positive and more joyful.

A doctor agreed to monitor me. I will see her next week. But i really dont trust any doctor here coz they are not familiar with HRT.

So this is what I am taking:
1- Oestrogel (17B Estradiol) Pump: I started to one pump then build it up to two pumps every night.
 
2- Utrogestan 100 (progesteron): I took it every night with Oestrogel.

So here are my questions, what is the best way for these to be taken? continuously??

What about progestrone, should I be taking it for a certain number of days in a month?

I actually started bleeding 2 weeks ago and it didnt stop, so out of worry I stopped taking progestrone for the last 3 days. are they related?

I appreciate all your suggestions.

Warm Regards,
Noora

[CLKD]

 

Browse round, make notes!  Because a GP doesn't appear to have knowledge about a condition, then turn it around?  Work together so that you learn - in the meantime your GP may well have read up on what is required.  Recent Guidelines from NICE - on here somewhere, if you use the 'search' button - can be printed off if your GP appears not to have received a copy.

Where did you get your prescription changed up?  A UK Pharmacist will be knowledgeable even if your GP doesn't appear to be! hopefully you didn't buy it over the 'net  …….. and a Pharmacist will be able to source advice if necessary.  I often visit my local Chemist for advice, because getting an appt. at the Surgery isn't then necessary!  They have private rooms now for discussion.

Let us know how you get on!

[Kathleen]

Hello true_soul and welcome to the forum.

I am sure one of our knowledgeable ladies will be along to advise you but I wanted to say well done for insisting on HRT. Our hormones are vital for our heart and bone health before we reach the average age of the menopause which is 51. Your doctor really should have known how important this is and I am not surprised that you have lost confidence in the way you are being treated.
 Luckily you did your own research and I hope you get the help and guidance you need.

Take care and keep posting.

K.

[true_soul]

Thank you CLMD and Kathleen.

To reply your questions CLMD, I dont live in the UK, I live in saudi Arabia and how I got the HRT? the pharmacist imported it for us from another country..If u ask me why, because no doctor here could get it for me, they are not available in SA!
I am an indian, HRT are available in india however they require me to stay in India for atleast 3 months before prescribing it for me, and thats not an option from me.

Hence I restored to getting it by myself through a family friend. and I swear I didnt take anything for 3 years, but man my condition was getting worse day by day, I was suffering and suffering and no doctor could help me, thats when I finally decided to take things into my own hands.

[Mary G]

Hello true_soul and welcome to MM!

It is unusual to have the menopause at your age but not as unusual as you might think.  I knew someone years ago who had it a 21.

First of all, I don't blame you for doing your own thing, needs must.  There is no doubt that at your age, you must take oestrogen, you cannot suffer with oestrogen deprivation for years on end at your age because it could lead to health problems in later life.

It sounds like you are taking the right amount of Oestrogel but I wonder if you need to take the Utrogestan for several days per month instead of every day.  I tried to take the Utrogestan every day in an attempt to achieve a continuous combined HRT regime but I failed miserably and ended up with a horrendously long and heavy period. 

My advice would be to stop taking the Utrogestan as you have and then restart it again in a few weeks' time - you should have stopped bleeding by then.  I would suggest you could take it vaginally (at night) for 12 days each month and see how that works.  Hopefully you will get into a pattern and be able to control the bleeding.  Normally you start bleeding a few days after the taking the last capsule but I found when I took it every day, the bleeding broke through as it has with you.

You are definitely on the right track by you just need to tweak it a bit!

Hope that helps.

[CLKD]

Oh well done YOU!  Are there any European/UK Hospitals in your area for English ex-pats?  At least your Pharmacist is able to help by importing what you require. I am now intrigued as to where he/she did their Training  - not that I'm nosey or anything  .  I worked as a medical secretary in a multi-cultural hospital and have been nosey about the various nationalities that came here ……….

 A learning curve all round!  Let us know how you get on and do keep posting, reading, asking …..

[true_soul]

Thanks so much Mary, just reading your post made me feel at ease. I can see that my body reacted the same way as your, taking Utrogestan vaginally for 12 days a month sounds like a plan to me, my bleeding has decreased but once it stops I will get into this regime.

My question is though, how do I know this is the enough dose for me? in particular to Utrogestan.

Also, I am feeling irritable from last week, How can I know whether this is related to Oestrogel or Utrogestan?BTW, Only a month ago I increased my dose of Oestrogel from 1 pump to 2 pumps.

Appreciate your help!

Warm Regards,
Noora

[dazned]

Hi, 12 days utrogeston is the recommended dose to use a month to cause shedding of the lining . 2 pumps seems to be the usual too but some use 3, some less,the beauty with the gel is you can experiment what suits you best. Some use one in mornings and one pump in evenings to spread the dose out evenly. Some use less utrogeston,say for 7 days but this should be done with regular scans to keep check of the linning.

[Hurdity]

Hi true_soul

  from me too!

I agree with the others - it's much better at your age to have progesterone cyclically because this is what would have happened naturally ie have a monthly withdrawal bleed. This also avoids any side effects from taking progesterone all the time which can build up and affect some women.

Ideally you should take as high a dose of oestrogen as you can - which is designed to give approximately the amount averaged out over the menstrual cycle. Is it possible to have a few blood tests to see what your oestrogen levels are because at your age this is important although a single blood tests will not tell you very much.

Re the dose of utrogestan - as dazned says 200 mg for 12 days is recommended licensed dose - but this seems to be standard for all dose of oestrogen, so can be tweaked if necessary - ie sometimes a higher dose is needed for those on higher oestrogen doses and less on lower etc.

The bleeding could be due to not enough of the progesterone getting through into your system when taken orally (it has to be digested and then be metabolised by the liver), to keep the lining thin, and also fluctuations - causing some shedding. This does suggest that you could be getting a reasonable dose of oestrogen from two pumps - but you do need to shed the lining!

Hurdity x