Print

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

[pricey]

Hello all,

Ok, so after the on off bleeding of the past couple of months (my own bleed plus a withdrawal bleed, combined with reducing from one pump of Oestrogel to half a pump), I am now on my 5th day of no HRT. I started a bleed again (no surprise there!) after a hormonal headache but otherwise feel fine so far. I didn't do the 12 days utrogestan seeing as I'd so recently had a natural bleed (all the pmt symptoms) and the fact I started to bleed two days after stopping Oestrogel suggests I'm having a withdrawal bleed anyway. My questions are, should I have done the 12 days anyway? And how long will it take for the HRT to leave my system?

I have chopped and changed so much in the last year, I'd just like to see where I'm at.  And if I continue to bleed erratically will be getting checked out, although the only HRT that kept my own cycle in check was Elleste Duet - but I couldn't stand the headaches and low mood! I'm 55 and some months I have only had the withdrawal bleed so think I would be skipping the odd month now if not on HRT.  We shall see!

I feel so debilitated.  I have a stressful fulltime job and I just want some respite.

Thanks, ladies. X

[Hurdity]

Hi pricey

Stopping oestrogen should not lead to a withdrawal bleed - it is the progesterone that causes this. If you are bleeding it is either your natural cycle, or the withdrawal of progesterone or possibly if the lining has become too thick it can spontaneously come away sometimes. Other reasons too.

Yes you should always do the full course of progesterone to make sure your lining stays thin.

Sorry to hear about your ongoing symptoms but hopefully your natural cycle is declining now? Have you thought of trying a patch - if these are available?

Hope you manage to resolve your symptoms - so that you can cope with your job and life!

Hurdity x

[pricey]

Hi Hurdity,

I tried patches and they didn't seem to suit.  Nothing but the progesterone in Elleste seemed to control my cycle. Do you think I should wait and see what happens with this bleed or take a 12 day course of utrogestan? I looked back over my diary. I had a faulty pump in March that seemed to send me haywire again. I had already reduced to one and a half pumps in February. Since then I have gone down to one pump,  then half, then nothing, so I've effectively been weaning off for 4-5 months, probably without giving each change time to take effect. I have just been so fed up! I used 12 days of vaginal utrogestan each month apart from this final one. I last used it around 10th July and I came off Oestrogel 4 days ago having not started the utrogestan around the 10th of this month. I couldn't bear the thought of another bleed as have done so off and on for four weeks, but maybe I should have? Looking back over the last few months, I have consistently had a cyclical blip, pmt symptoms, headache,  or light bleed at this time of the month which made me feel that was my cycle kicking in, out of synch with the withdrawal bleed. I felt this erratic pattern all began when the practice nurse started me on Oestrogel. She told me to continue with my current regime and start Oestrogel on the first day of my withdrawal bleed after patches even though I told her I had just started a hormonal bleed (migraine and low mood preceding it). I felt had I followed my instinct I may have synched my own cycle and the withdrawal bleed.  Some months I only have a day of minimal spotting when my bleed would be due, others nothing, and some a full bleed. I always get the withdrawal bleed. I've figured I just want to see where I am now.

Thanks for listening.
X

[Baby]

Hi pricey. When I had an appointment with menopause doctor she told me if you are on the gel it only stays in your system for 24 hours

[Taz2]

Both times I've had to (reluctantly) come off HRT it has been about a month before symptoms began to return and by three months they were all back again so I would say that it might be around three months before you can tell where you are at. Not sure if that is what you meant though 

Taz x

[pricey]

Thank you, Taz and Baby. That's really interesting. We shall see! I feel ok apart from the spotting still. Practically nothing all day, then some accumulation overnight with some clots (that's how I tend to be if a period drags on).

I wonder if anyone could answer this part of my query:

Do you think I should wait and see what happens with this bleed or take a 12 day course of utrogestan? I looked back over my diary. I had a faulty pump in March that seemed to send me haywire again. I had already reduced to one and a half pumps in February. Since then I have gone down to one pump,  then half, then nothing, so I've effectively been weaning off for 4-5 months, probably without giving each change time to take effect. I have just been so fed up! I used 12 days of vaginal utrogestan each month apart from this final one. I last used it around 10th July and I came off Oestrogel 4 days ago having not started the utrogestan around the 10th of this month. I couldn't bear the thought of another bleed as have done so off and on for four weeks, but maybe I should have?

Thanks all.

X

[pricey]

I wonder if anyone could answer this part of my query:

Do you think I should wait and see what happens with this bleed or take a 12 day course of utrogestan? I looked back over my diary. I had a faulty pump in March that seemed to send me haywire again. I had already reduced to one and a half pumps in February. Since then I have gone down to one pump,  then half, then nothing, so I've effectively been weaning off for 4-5 months, probably without giving each change time to take effect. I have just been so fed up! I used 12 days of vaginal utrogestan each month apart from this final one. I last used it around 10th July and I came off Oestrogel 4 days ago having not started the utrogestan around the 10th of this month. I couldn't bear the thought of another bleed as have done so off and on for four weeks, but maybe I should have? Now that I'm off Ostrogel, could I still take a 12 day course of utrogestan,  as a reset, if you like.  Or will my system hopefully sort itself out?


Thanks all.

X

[pricey]

I wonder if anyone could answer this part of my query:

Do you think I should wait and see what happens with this bleed or take a 12 day course of utrogestan? I looked back over my diary. I had a faulty pump in March that seemed to send me haywire again. I had already reduced to one and a half pumps in February. Since then I have gone down to one pump,  then half, then nothing, so I've effectively been weaning off for 4-5 months, probably without giving each change time to take effect. I have just been so fed up! I used 12 days of vaginal utrogestan each month apart from this final one. I last used it around 10th July and I came off Oestrogel 4 days ago having not started the utrogestan around the 10th of this month. I couldn't bear the thought of another bleed as have done so off and on for four weeks, but maybe I should have? Now that I'm off Ostrogel, could I still take a 12 day course of utrogestan,  as a reset, if you like.  Or will my system hopefully sort itself out?


Thanks all.

X

[Taz2]

I think Hurdity says in her post that you should always complete a full course of the progesterone.

Taz x 

[pricey]

Thanks Taz. Do you think I could even though I'm now not taking Oestrogen? I stopped about a week ago. Just had enough.

X