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[Loki42]

Hello! Hope you all dont mind but first post and have some questions as not really getting on with HRT and not received follow up gyn app yet.

I'm about 3 years into early peri (I'm 43) and I'm on 1 pump of estrogel and 2 weeks of vaginal utrogestan 200 and halfway into second cycle. I've had most of the peri symptoms over the last 3 years (apart from hot flushes) but main issues were crazy periods and no sex drive. I didn't really want to take HRT but gyn adamant I should try cause of risk of osteoporosis etc. I also have an existing issue of GERD / gastritis with some mild non barretts scarring on esophagus and a hiatus hernia that got a lot worse during peri and meant existing PPI was increased to try and manage but even this was only partially helpful so I use monthly acupuncture to try improve it which it did help until HRT....

So side effects are daily headaches and heartburn and feeling extremely depressed. Initially I thought I was doing okay until i started the utrogestan and then by end of that felt awful with the heartburn starting and never stopping and feeling so fed up and bleak. The first withdrawal bleed was also pretty hard as very painful and heavy. I'm also anemic which I think the bleeding made worse and I'm trying to treat with iron supplement as cant take tablets and then need to drink juice to get vitamin C after taking the supplement in the morning which increases heartburn more. Sorry I sound very moany but feel like after spending loads of money on acupuncture to get control of gerd that the hrt has undone all this and now have constant heartburn that could increase esophageal scarring which is probably as much of a long term risk as osteoporosis. And no improvement to sex drive yet.

My question is - is it likely these side effects will stop? Has anyone else with existing acid problems had this? Is it normal for depression to hit out of nowhere after first utrogestan? The consultant I was referred too was adamant I must try and take HRT and that the health risks were to high not too. Is this fair / right?

Thank-you in advance for any advice x

[MicheleMaBelle]

Hi Loki. Not sure how long you've been taking the Utrogestan but I'm guessing not that long. If you're sensitive to progesterone even Utrogestan taken vaginally can cause side effects such as digestive issues and feeling low. However, I'd stick with it to see if they settle ( they did for me, I still don't think it's brilliant but better than it was in early days )
Once you have your follow up you can maybe ask if you can take the Utrogestan for less than 12 nights but this would need to be done under medical supervision and you'd need to have annual scans to check on your womb lining.
Re your tummy issues, mine certainly aren't great with the HRT and I also need to take iron which I take in a mouth spray. Have you tried this?

Anyway, good luck. I'd try and give the HRT some time to settle before I would consider doing something else.
X

[Ladybt28]

You are only on your second cycle Loki42 and it all takes a while to settle down.  I can only write how I found things for me.  I take 4 pumps of gel and 200mg Utrogestan 12 days on a cycle but I string my cycle out so 28 days gel and then the 12 days.  For me took 7 months for absolutely everything to settle and I had a list of symptoms as long as you're arm.  In terms of Utrogestan, yes I had withdrawal "down days" but as it went on they got less and less and now they are just a couple of days when I feel slightly tearful (I have been on the regime 19 months now!) but then I was a depressive before hrt!  its stopped now though.  I got cramps for the first 2 months with the Utro which I took paracetamol for and that went too.  progesterone generally can have a depressive effect but some people are more susceptible to certain types of progesterone than others.  You need one that suits you and as this is the first type of hrt regime for you (I think I've read you right) well there can be a bit of pfaffing about to find the right kind that suits you body.  I had to try 6 before I found the right one!

The other side effect you talk about I found were due to lack of oestrogen, so I had acid reflux and nausea and headaches.  Yes the first few withdrawal bleeds can be hard but they settle into a pattern after a while...its like your body getting used to something unusual...hard to explain...and then it kinds says "oh this is what we're doing" Ok! 
Thing is the length of time it takes varies so very much person to person but a minimum of 3 months is supposed to be a rule of thumb but really that is only 3 cycles of 12 days which really if you think about it isn't that long if you body was confused in the first place.

You are early days yet really...stick with it...by cycle 3 or 4 a pattern should emerge and by 5 /6 you will really have picture, that's if you can stick it that long, some can't.  You may find that at cycle 4 it's not suiting you all and like MicheleMaBelle says, you may need to try a different type of HRT regime. To get really comfortable with the gel & Utro all has taken 15 months for me but then I'm not surprised by that, I was a flaming mess and I didn't have a choice to give up or try anything else as I had tried loads of stuff that didn't work at all.

[sheila99]

If things don't improve with utro it might be worth trying a different progesterone, it could be utro that disagrees with you rather than progesterone. You may need testosterone for libido. If you don't use it vaginally I would try that too.

[Loki42]

Thank-you so much for your replies. To show the state of my brain I actually forgot I'd wrote the post until this afternoon 

I was actually going to give up on hrt today until i read your advice so you have all given me a second wind so to speak!

This is only the 2nd month of using it. I first tried a few months ago but only lasted 3 days. The gyn did say i could go up to 2 pumps so thinking i should try upping the estrogen as maybe the balance is a bit out. I start the utrogestan again on Friday night (1 day over but dont want to start it on a work day) so will see how it goes. Going to look up the iron mouth spray as not heard of that and hard to tell where hrt side effects meet perimenopause symptoms meet anemia meet normal digestive problems. Although never had headaches like I get since starting hrt but they do come and go now. Anyway fingers crossed and keen to hear from anyone else 43 and on hrt if they are out there?! x

[Sammiejane]

hi ladies

i?m applying the gel to my arms and last couple days i've noticed they feel ache and heavy like skin is tight is this normal it does wear off cone evening but then i apply next dose x

used to use on inner thighs but noticed swelling not major and didn't like the feel on my thighs x

thank u