You don't mention what regimen you're on specifically....but when I was in peri (I may still be!) and periods were irregular, I had my hormones tested and they indicated meno or close to it. I used a progesterone cream nightly (Pro-Gest) and loved it! It was all I needed. I slept well, and I felt good. Even though my estrogen levels were extremely low, I did not feel the need to add estrogen at that time - this was 2-3 years ago.
Then I did full HRT (estradiol patch, utrogesan). I honestly wish I had never started HRT as I do not know if I'm in meno or not.
I wish I had just stuck with my progesterone cream. I started it when I was in peri as I read scare stories about what would happen with decreased hormones and didn't put the trust in my body. Because I had not yet completed 12 months without a period, I still have no idea whether I'm fully menopausal (and won't know until I'm off the patch completely and go the full 12 months with no bleed).
To answer your question, depending on how high a level of estradiol you are using, many women use continuous HRT where they take the progesterone daily, all month. 100mg/night. It is a very common regimen. As we approach menopause, progesterone is the first of the hormones to plummet, well before estrogen. This is why some people start getting anovulatory periods, missed periods, get heavy periods (estrogen not being opposed by progesterone), intermittent spotting, etc. When I first had my levels tested, this bore out. Non-existent progesterone but normal estradiol levels. Eventually the estradiol dropped too. Hope this helps!
