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[KarineT]

Hi Everyone,

I've read somewhere that Utrogestan can affect the mood in 1 in 10 women.  Are any of you experiencing mood problems?  If so,  what are you doing about it?  I'm contemplating HRT because of low mood and anxiety and low mood is obviously one of the very symptom I am trying to avoid.  I'm after something that will lift the mood and minimise anxiety.  I believe Progesterone (Utrogestan) would minimise anxiety but why would it make someone low? Could it be because Utrogestan, a plant derivative, is not completely natural and could affect some of us?

Karine

[Perinowpost]

KarineT

Yes it can and it's very common. I don't know exactly why it does but it definitely does. For me I can tolerate it for 4/5 days (vaginally) and then I tip into something quite unbearable. It resolves as soon as I stop taking it. I think personally the sedative effect builds up and becomes low mood/depression. I don't have mental health issues and am fine in fact really good with the oestrogen part of hrt. I have however struggled with every type of progesterone I've tried (and I've tried them all), so I think a sensitivity is the key. My meno specialist told me my receptors are particularly sensitive. I could never tolerate the contraceptive pill either. Some ladies do well with it though, let's hope you?re one of them. Good luck and let us know how you get on  x

[KarineT]

Hi,

Thanks for the info.

I, too, haven't got depression but since 2018 things seem to have changed a bit mentally and physically.  I haven't had period since January this year and I'm not sure if I'm still peri or if I've already entered menopause.

From what you're telling me, the sedative effect of progesterone must alter the serotonin level in the brain for some women.  Do you take anything else to counteract the low mood?

Thanks

Karine

[Perinowpost]

KarineT

You put it really well. Your experience seems similar to my own and many others entering peri/meno. Oestrogen is the feel good hormone and it's very common for  falling levels to result in the symptoms you have described. I limit prog in a controlled and safe way. I will PM you x

[Mary G]

I'm surprised it's only 1 in 10 women that have problems with Utrogestan because without a doubt, it's the most frequently discussed problem on here.   

I suffered Utrogestan for several years and on reflection, I think the side effects were worse than the Mirena coil in my case.  I used it vaginally but it hardly made any difference to the side effects.  I took it cyclically at a very, very low dose but it was always the same pattern, feeling OK for the first 3 days then I gradually felt myself slipping away which was very scary indeed.   Next came the dreaded bleed (which made me feel ill) and very often I would have a silent migraine at this point.  It took me about two weeks to get over the Utrogestan phase post bleed and it completely destabilised my hormones.  This is very strange because I have no history of PMS or progesterone intolerance.

I finally hit the buffers with Utrogestan nearly two years ago and realised I could never take it again.  Long story short. I now use 50mg bespoke progesterone lozenges and they are absolutely brilliant with no side effects and no bleeding!  Take a look at my thread in the Alternative therapies section on here.

No everyone has problems with Utrogestan, some women love it but my view is the 100mg dose is too high. 

Perhaps you could try a Mirena coil or better still, the Jaydess coil.

[Debra66]

I have been taking it for 18 months & looking back I feel it hasn't helped any anxiety which I have had. I thought the anxiety & worry I felt was life but definitely the Utrogestan made it worse. I take it orally & use Estrogen gel alongside it.

[Herbies Mummy]

Hello everyone.
I thought for a long time I was super sensitive to utrogestan and could never take the synthetic version in the pill in my twenties. I started taking it orally in November last year and felt weird...then vaginally every other day ..as I have a history of bad PMS - I then changed to half the month and had a free time off it. I am also taking 2 to 3 pumps of oestrogen gel in the mornings which is great and gives me more energy. BUT - unless I really am going round the bend I am slowly realising as time has gone on and I have changed back to taking 100mg every other night - that my body seems to like it now...the largest problem I had always with all this is/was cramps/tightness and irritability around the ovary area. It drives me mad at night with restless legs etc. Recently I think my body has adjusted to the utrogestan and I am realising if I take it in the middle of the night when I wake up it eases these symptoms and helps me sleep - I really think that it has taken me this long to work our the right balance for my body with the gel  and the utrogestan too...and to adjust to it.

Don't underestimate how long this experimenting with the two doses of prog and oestrogen takes - It think this is the one thing I wish my doctor had warned - and I wish people like the brill Dr Newsom would spend more time making this clearer for women -  after the initial feelings of wellness with the oestrogen boost it then takes a long time of experimenting to get it right for your body - and we are all SO different.

I hope this helps - I have found this forum so helpful when I felt lost and as if nothing was working for me..

Does anyone know if taking 100mg of utrogestan vaginally every night is a very bad idea? Not just every other night?

By the way. - thank you very much especially to Hurdity - your posts are so helpful.

Cath x

[Sammiejane]

hi herbies mummy

have you had any issues with hair shedding in the gel and utro every other night ?

thank you

[Perinowpost]

Cath

If your body can tolerate it it's fine x

[Herbies Mummy]

Hi Sammiejane and Perinowpost

No I haven't Sammiejane - I have been fine - the gel is brilliant and the utrogestan I think takes a bit more experiment with dosage against when and how you take the gel.

Thank you so much fro your reply Perinowpost,

Cath xx Herbie's Mummy

[Moonshine54]

Hi Karine ,
I am struggling with utrogestan.  I was initially taking it orally and it was sending me crazy. The last two months vaginally has been an improvement but still difficult symptoms to manage . This month a very low mood. So maybe it's true there is a build up  effect. I haven't yet found the balance but I feel good on oestrogen. It's an ongoing process. Moon xx

quote author=KarineT link=topic=47934.msg774653#msg774653 date=1589275251]
Hi Everyone,

I've read somewhere that Utrogestan can affect the mood in 1 in 10 women.  Are any of you experiencing mood problems?  If so,  what are you doing about it?  I'm contemplating HRT because of low mood and anxiety and low mood is obviously one of the very symptom I am trying to avoid.  I'm after something that will lift the mood and minimise anxiety.  I believe Progesterone (Utrogestan) would minimise anxiety but why would it make someone low? Could it be because Utrogestan, a plant derivative, is not completely natural and could affect some of us?

Karine
[/quote]

[Hurdity]

Hello everyone.
I thought for a long time I was super sensitive to utrogestan and could never take the synthetic version in the pill in my twenties. I started taking it orally in November last year and felt weird...then vaginally every other day ..as I have a history of bad PMS - I then changed to half the month and had a free time off it. I am also taking 2 to 3 pumps of oestrogen gel in the mornings which is great and gives me more energy. BUT - unless I really am going round the bend I am slowly realising as time has gone on and I have changed back to taking 100mg every other night - that my body seems to like it now...the largest problem I had always with all this is/was cramps/tightness and irritability around the ovary area. It drives me mad at night with restless legs etc. Recently I think my body has adjusted to the utrogestan and I am realising if I take it in the middle of the night when I wake up it eases these symptoms and helps me sleep - I really think that it has taken me this long to work our the right balance for my body with the gel  and the utrogestan too...and to adjust to it.

Don't underestimate how long this experimenting with the two doses of prog and oestrogen takes - It think this is the one thing I wish my doctor had warned - and I wish people like the brill Dr Newsom would spend more time making this clearer for women -  after the initial feelings of wellness with the oestrogen boost it then takes a long time of experimenting to get it right for your body - and we are all SO different.

I hope this helps - I have found this forum so helpful when I felt lost and as if nothing was working for me..

Does anyone know if taking 100mg of utrogestan vaginally every night is a very bad idea? Not just every other night?

By the way. - thank you very much especially to Hurdity - your posts are so helpful.

Cath x

I regularly bump the thread about vaginal use of utrogestan ie that it is manufactured for both oral and vaginal use but only in UK the HRT packaged version is not licensed to be used vaginally although the 200 mg fertility capsules which used to be also packaged for HRT, is for vaginal use. In the prescribing details the vaginal route is recommended for women who expereince sdie effects from oral use, and at the same dose, so 100 mg daily taken orally is the licensed amount for continuous combined HRT, so the same can be used vaginally (in terms of the manufacturer). Alternate day vaginal use is also not licensed but can be prescribed by some specialists.

In fact every other day vaginally may well be insufficient to protect the uterus from higher doses of oestrogen in some women. The research (into vaginal use) was not carried out with high doses of oestrogen. Obviously most of us want to take as little as possible but in terms of endometrial protection using more progesterone is unlikely to be a problem (except potentially with very low oestrogen doses as overthinning of the lining can occur too!).

Hurdity x

[Perinowpost]

Alternate days (vaginally) was offered to me by my meno specialist as an option. Unfortunately for me I couldn't cope with the withdrawal symptoms on the day I didn't take it x

[Hillbilly]

I've just started on Utro and only took it for 10 days instead of the prescribed 12 as my mood dropped so low I started having suicidal thoughts. I have a history of depression and anxiety due to childhood abuse (not on meds) and have always suffered with PMS so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. The couple of weeks after the prog are great though.

I'm on my 4th type of HRT as all have given me this reaction with the prog. I'm considering coming off HRT completely as it's clear I just can't handle the prog at all.

[KarineT]

Hulahoop, I think it's terrible! These hormones are supposed to help alleviate menopausal symptoms but they can make things worse.  I think I will steer clear from Utrogestan.