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[pricey]

Hi again ladies,

I posted on another thread re. Oestrogel and Utrogestan.  I've been looking for advice about switching from sequential to a continuous regime. I'm 55 and my natural cycle still kicks in occasionally, I also get the withdrawal bleed. My flushes are very well controlled, along with various other symptoms. But after 2 good months on the Oestrogel and Utrogestan I decided to try extending the cycle to 6 weeks. This worked perfectly for 2 months but then last month I had some spotting. This cycle I have now been spotting for 14 days. I'm wondering if 2 pumps of Oestrogel is too much for me? I've started on 100mg Utrogestan vaginally, trialling a conti regime, but as I'm spotting this may not be effective. I'm now wondering if I should reduce the Oestrogel? (Out of interest how do ladies administer one and a half pumps?)
I'm getting fed up with the bleeding (and I have had a scan etc, with no concerns) but as I work full time in a stressful job I'm worried about the return of flushes and headaches etc. I'm considering coming off HRT to see where I am in the menopause but because of my job, that is a scary prospect. Would a slow reduction in Oestrogel be advised to see how I go and if so what would anyone recommend in terms of utrogestan dose? Also, if I was to trial a reduction with a view to stopping, would you advocate a sequential or a continuous regime? And given I'm bleeding now, where to start? Or maybe I should just go back to the standard cycle as the first two months were ok. But then again, I don't know where to start to get back on track! 

Sorry for all the questions. I really am fed up..

[Hurdity]

Hi there - if your flushes are well controlled I would be loath to reduce oestrogen esecially with a stressful job. Why not try going back to a standard cycle and see how you go - especially trialling vaginal use for the whole cycle? You could then stretch the cycle slowly eg to a calendar month and then 5 weeks to see if it stabilises. By that time you might be post-meno? Have you been checked out just to ensure no abnormal reason for bleeding eg thickened lining, fibroids, polyps etc? otherwise , to keep symptoms controlled you need to find the dose of prog that limits the bleeding so increasing the dose or shortening the cycle if it's longer. Good luck.

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

Some find that keeping a mood/symptom/food diary helpful. 

[pricey]

Thanks Hurdity,

I'm a bit confused. I agree I should probably keep to the 2 pumps of the Oestrogel, but are you recommending a continuous regime for a while before trying sequential again?

I haven't had a scan recently but previously have been checked for endometrial thickness and fibroids. All ok.

Thanks, ladies, for your help.

X

[Hurdity]

Hi pricey - sorry my post wasn't clear. Today is another day - I think I meant using it vaginally for the whole time you are taking it cyclically but on a 28 days cycle with utro for the standard 12 days rather than all the time? Soz - have had a busy day! I'm confusing myself now!

Hurdity x

[Nairn]

Hi pricey

I can sympathise as I am in a similar situation, with also a demanding job, and similar age etc.  I came off HRT for 4 months and after seeing a meno consultant I was placed on the gel and 100mg Utrogestan daily, having recently switched to inserting rather than oral.  Everyone is different, but for me I just could not live with the hot sweats at work or the night sweats which meant I got no sleep so made work even worse! The rest of the symptoms actually improved, but the lack of sleep was a killer.

However, and this won't help you so apologies, i?m finding the continuous progesterone very hard to take due to its side effects, but limited options due to patches.  Previously I was very happy on Femonston 2/10, so thinking of trying Femonston conti as a sub as there seems to be little hope for supply of patches at the moment for a ?new starter?  and I must be better suited to the Femonston Progesterone.  The other thing I would asd with inserting is that it's a pain as the little tablets are very fiddly, and you can't use vagifem at the same time. - swings and roundabouts.

Best of luck