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[Petra]

Slightly embarrassing question, but I've been taking estradiol valerate (estrogen) 1 mg (once a day) and provera (progesterone) 2.5 mg for two weeks every three months. My question: after being on this regimen for a few years (cue embarrassment), I wonder if I've understood the instruction correctly. I've interpreted 2 weeks every 3 months to mean that the two weeks is within the three months, soooo after 10 weeks of just taking the estrogen I'll take 2 weeks of provera, so the whole sequence is a total of 3 months. But maybe I SHOULD have read it as, after 3 months of estrogen only, then tack on 2 weeks of progesterone, making the whole sequence 3 months and 2 weeks.

Does anyone know (a) which is correct and (b) if it matters? I'd ask my doc, but ... don't want to for lots of reasons, including she's always trying to get me off it and actually, I was the one who relayed this protocol to her from a specialist I saw (after a D&C for thickened lining) back in the day, and maybe I got it wrong back then. Ooops!! (I ask y'all now because I'm about to change from pill to Estradot...at my request, as I want to try it out, and it made me wonder...) Thanks for any advice / insight!

[sheila99]

The normal sequi regime is 12-14 days progesterone in a 28 day period so you would bleed every month just like you did in you younger years. In late peri/meno when you don't have a strong cycle of your own you can use a long cycle but that would usually be 6 weeks not 3 months. Or you take progesterone continuously and don't have a bleed. Bleeding every 3 months is likely to lead to a build up of your womb lining which puts you at greater risk of cancer so it's really important to keep it thin. The higher the oestrogen dose the more your lining will build up. IIWY I'd get a scan (private if necessary) to see what's happening. How long have you been on this regime?

[Petra]

It's been about four years since the D&C... I'm on a pretty low dose of estrogen. But, yeah, maybe I should check with my GP next time I re-up. Not getting any of the symptoms I got back when the lining got a bit thick, tho. This regimen came from the gynae specialist I saw back then...
Appreciate the advice...