Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[juwi]

I have now been on Sandrena (2mg) and 10 day Utrigestan for 5 months in an effort to control cyclical migraines. Although the migraines are getting better I'm finding that I am an emotional mess - very teary and bordering on depressed. Can this be a side effect of HRT?

Any advice welcome!!

[Hurdity]

Hi juwi

It depends where you are in menopause - if you are still peri-menopausal and the gel has not suppressed your cycle then it could be your own cycle kicking in and your experiencing the hormonal fluctuations still.

Also if there is a cyclical pattern to your teary feelings then this could be down to either progesterone intolerance (if it occurs during the utrogestan phase) or progesterone withdrawal (if it occurs for a few days after finishing the utrogestan before and during the beginning of the bleed.)

Some women find sdie effects of utrogestan are worse when taken orally - so in this case a vaginal route is recommended ( off licence in UK - same product) but this may not be practical for some women - depending on your relationship circumstances....

Oestrogen itself is not responsible for teary/depressed feelings - rather - the opposite!

I'm glad your migraines are better (having just recovered from a weekend long one...). They really are debilitating!

Hurdity x

[juwi]

I'm coming back to this thread as I've pretty much figured out that I'm suffering with progesterone withdrawal (acne, anxiety, depression) which is lasting for nearly a week to 10 days following my 10-day (vaginal) course of utrogestan.

I have now been advised to take the utrogestan on alternating days over a course of 12 days (so 6 tablets instead of 10). Has anyone had any experience doing this - does it help with the withdrawal symptoms?

I'm at the point at which I'm very close to coming off the hormones. I was put on them to help with migraines, which they have but I'm miserable otherwise. I think I'd rather be miserable with migraines than miserable without 

Any advice is appreciated!

[Hurdity]

Hi juwi

Sorry to hear about this. There are some women who are taking alternate day progesterone and some twice a week (on a continuous basis) and limited research showed that alternate day utrogestan (but all the time) is sufficient to keep the lining thin for medium dose of oestrogen.

If you search for the Utrogestan/Estrogel support thread I think it is discussed on there? I'll try to find it for you when I've posted this.

You haven't said what dose of Utrogestan you are taking? The licensed dose for cyclical use is 12 days ( or 10 -12) x 200 mg orally but vaginally it could be half this amount. I presume you are already on 100 mg since Utrogestan (for HRT is now only available as 100 mg tablets)? If you doctor has suggsted doing this then that's great! I presume your womb lining will be monitored to check it does not over-thicken on this lower dose. It will definitley reduce the amount getting into your system so the withdrawal should not be so severe.

I have changed how I take mine also to ease inot it and ease off it - which is another way. eg I am on a long cycle so take 12 days vaginally x 200 mg. Now I take the first dose over two days (100 mg per day) as well as  the last two and the withdrawal is not so severe.. If you find your new regime is insufficient to keep the lining thin perhpas you could try this too ie go back to 10-12 days but alternate days initially and at the end and then say days 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12 - and see how you go (that would be 8 tabs!). Just a thought.

I know what you mean - I used to put up with the monthly migraines just to be flush free and functioning the rest of the time. I hardly get them now.

I presume you are post-menopausal? If not it could be your cycle/your own hormones playing a part as I said in my previous post....

Good luck and let us know how you get on and how your lining is too


Hurdity x

[juwi]

Thanks for your reply and detailed explanation Hurdity.

I am actually pre-menopausal and simply on HRT to control hormonal migraines.

I am on two sachets of Sandrena a day and 100 mg of utrogestan (10 days a month). The doctor didn't mention anything about checking the womb lining, if anything, he said that my periods would probably get heavier.

It's all such trial and error isn't it!

[2cats]

Hi Juwi,

Just thought I'd mention that there are other ways of managing migraine if you don't actually need hrt for perimenopausal symptoms.  Look on the Migraine Trust website and it explains about taking Vit B2 at a higher dose, Coenzyme Q10 and magnesium.  Apologies if you already know about or have tried these alternatives.

I borrowed a great book from the library called The Migraine Brain - might be worth a read too.