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[Belladonna]

Is it really that much better than other progestogens?

For those of you who have tried both bio identical and synthetic, did you notice a difference? How did you take it?

It is only available on special license here and I don't know if my doc will even have heard about it. Just trying to decide if it's worth begging for utrogestan or if I should just ask for more normal and accepted treatments. Is it worth the hassle?

My treatment would then be 100 mg every day with an estrogen patch of at least 100 mcg.

[dazned]

Your gp might know it as micronised progesterone. Its only the vaginal use that its not licensed for in UK ! I personally didnt get on with it ,others do. As all hrt we all react so different. I used to get it off of gp so it is possible.

[Belladonna]

I have to be on it for another 20 years! So yeah, a long time. 

[Belladonna]

Yes, not an alternative for me unfortunately.

[Mary G]

I don't like any form of progesterone used in HRT preparations and take it with a huge amount of reluctance but for me, Utrogestan is the lesser of several evils.  The upside of Utrogestan is that it is micronised progesterone as opposed to synthetic progesterone (where all the HRT risks lie) and at least you can use it vaginally which means fewer side effects like breast pain for example but I still cannot take very much of it.

Synthetic progesterone often has more side effects, probably because it is taken orally, and once post menopause, my body completely rejected all forms of it including the Mirena coil.   

My verdict: it's about time something better came along and if that doesn't happen within the next few years, I am definitely going to have a hysterectomy to rid myself of this wretched problem once and for all!

[Chi chi]

Made no difference to me, still felt crap on it even when used vaginally  this is what's forced me to come off HRT for a while as I can't continue using oestrogel without some form of prog 

[walking the dog]

Its severely affected my mood and I'm not currently taking it but naughtily still taking estrogen! At menopause specialist Tuesday got a,feeling I'm going to have to stop hrt like chi chi as ran out of options 😐

[Mary G]

Chi chi, I'm sorry to hear that - was it you who said that the effects of Utrogestan hung around in your system for a very long time after taking the last capsule?

The progesterone part of HRT is a real problem for some of us and it is too bad that there are no viable alternatives apart from a hysterectomy.  I did read somewhere (can't remember where but it was from a US website) that sometimes, in very extreme cases, you can stop using oestrogen, get a bleed and then resume again post bleed as long as you have regular scans every few months.  Obviously this would only apply to a minority of women, would have to be done under strict supervision and you would have to seek advice from a gynaecologist but I will try and provide a link on this if I can.  I wonder if this would work better for women who have had an ablation?  It may sound radical but if you can't take progesterone then you can't take it and there should be some alternative. 

[Lizab]

As for personal experience, I can't help you. I've only used the micronized progesterone as part of hrt. I have used contraceptive pills and Mirena iud in the past, and that helped my choice to opt for something more natural for for hrt.

The majority of posts on the forum would lead you to believe Utrogestan is the best, but there has been another thread on here about utro vs other synthetic forms. There are ladies that don't get along well with the utrogestan at all and do better on a synthetic option. I worried very much about this before reading the other thread, as I thought if I didn't get on with the utro, there was no better option and I would be miserable forever. So far, it hasn't been an issue, but it helps to know that some people have more or worse side effects from Utro than from synthetics so if one doesn't work out, don't assume another also won't work.

[Chi chi]

Chi chi, I'm sorry to hear that - was it you who said that the effects of Utrogestan hung around in your system for a very long time after taking the last capsule?

The progesterone part of HRT is a real problem for some of us and it is too bad that there are no viable alternatives apart from a hysterectomy.  I did read somewhere (can't remember where but it was from a US website) that sometimes, in very extreme cases, you can stop using oestrogen, get a bleed and then resume again post bleed as long as you have regular scans every few months.  Obviously this would only apply to a minority of women, would have to be done under strict supervision and you would have to seek advice from a gynaecologist but I will try and provide a link on this if I can.  I wonder if this would work better for women who have had an ablation?  It may sound radical but if you can't take progesterone then you can't take it and there should be some alternative. 

Not sure? But I do seem to feel the effects long after I've stopped taking it 
Funny you should mention about stopping oestrogen to get a bleed then starting it again as I was thinking about this today! It suddenly dawned on me "why isn't this an option" especially for those of us that can't tolerate prog 

[Mary G]

Chi chi, I've been searching around for the website I referred to but can't find it.  I will carry on looking but in the meantime, it's definitely worth running past a gynaecologist/menopause specialist as a 'last chance saloon' option.  If they don't agree to it then you haven't lost anything by trying!

You are a patient of Professor Studd (I think) so you could ring him and get his opinion on it.  Once you get to the stage of not being able to take any form of progesterone, you have to explore every option available.

[GypsyRoseLee]

My reaction to Utro this month has been horrific. I felt suicidal. Though this might be because I took Utro at the same time my own progesterone was rising just prior to when my own period was due.

Then the crash 4 days after stopping it was just dreadful, and it lasted 7 days. I just can't do it again, that was 2 weeks of Hell.

I am so glad my GP suggested just taking Utro every 3 months instead.

[Belladonna]

Some very interesting points here, thank you.

I have found a private gyn who will help get me a license and prescription for utrogestan but I don't really have the money to go privately. I will do it as a last resort but going to talk to my usual gyn first.

I have now gone back on my combi patch which I did ok with last time I think progesterone wise, the problem is it doesn't have enough estrogen. Only 50 mcg and I'm just 34... The progesterone in this is 250 mcg norethiserone acetate. I did get hair loss, breast and butt loss and bad skin after 2 years but I think that's due to low estrogen isn't it?

So I might not be as super sensitive to progesterone as some of you are, maybe because I'm younger and supposed to have high levels of both estrogen and progesterone?

[Belladonna]

The advantage of the norethiserone is of course that it's the only progesterone you can take transdermally!

I might ask first of all if I can add more estrogen on top of the patch, like another 50 mcg estradiol patch or gel.

[Mary G]

Belladonna, why not use Oestrogel for most of the time and then just add the patch when you need the progesterone.  I find the gel works far better than patches and you can easily adjust the dose to suit your needs.  You won't have to wear a patch all the time either.