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[Pleasantlyblew]

Since starting HRT 4 years ago, I’ve had issues with progesterone intolerance. After 18 months of hell (pretty bad adverse reaction to one) and subsequent issues with others, I finally ‘settled’ on Utrogestan taken orally (can’t tolerate vaginal method unfortunately). By the time I managed to tolerate oral Utrogestan I had been without progesterone for several months and was bleeding almost constantly for about 4 months. It’s been 7 months since I’ve been taking Utrogestan regularly and I’ve tried cyclically and continuously and I still bleed for way too long. The last three periods have been 14 days long. It’s not heavy anymore, just prolonged. On the advice of a dr from Newson Clinic I’ve tried taking 200mg daily but that made me feel dreadful. I’ve tried 200mg 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off, 100mg 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off and 100mg continuously and still bleeding either in between randomly or prolonged periods. I’m getting really fed up. Before these problems started, I went 360 days without a period but since then it’s been almost 2 years of unpredictable, prolonged bleeding. Should I persevere or is there anything else I could do? I’m 52 and so over this! 😩

[Fruitcake]

I'm sorry to hear all the issues you have had.  It really is a minefield to find the right regime for some of us.  When you say you couldn't tolerate utrogestan vaginally, what was the reason?

When you have had advice from Newson Clinic, did they just mention changing the dosage of the utrogestan and not the estrogen dosage?  You haven't mentioned which method of estrogen you are taking as well. 

[Pleasantlyblew]

I'm sorry to hear all the issues you have had.  It really is a minefield to find the right regime for some of us.  When you say you couldn't tolerate utrogestan vaginally, what was the reason?

When you have had advice from Newson Clinic, did they just mention changing the dosage of the utrogestan and not the estrogen dosage?  You haven't mentioned which method of estrogen you are taking as well. 

Thank you for your reply. In the early summer of 21 I was prescribed Cyclogest, as Utrogestan made me have bad mood swings (orally and vaginally) so I wasn’t taking it consistently. For the first few weeks on Cyclogest I felt amazing, but as the pesssary is a waxy type of bullet, I was waking up to a greasy mess. I was told I could take it rectally instead, which I did for a few days and then had a massive adverse reaction to it. I was covered in a rash all over my neck, chest and face, the skin on my neck and chest looked like a plucked chicken and 18 months later still hasn’t returned to normal. I was breathless and sweating profusely. Just walking a few metres left me dripping in sweat from head to toe. I felt fluey and had no energy and felt dreadful. I immediately went back to taking them vaginally but the reaction continued. I stopped for a week then tried again. Still the same effect. I then waited a couple of weeks and tried Utrogestan vaginally and had the same reaction to that too. My dr told me to stop all progesterone completely for 3 months and then try again with Lutigest and use antihistamines just in case. By then my hair had started to fall out and continued shedding for 6 months (thankfully I have thick hair). I managed the Lutigest pessaries for 4 weeks but it caused such bad coughing that I became incontinent so had to come off them. I was told to stop again for 3 months. I was reluctantly booked in for a Mirena. Dr from Newson said I had three choices left, come off HRT, go on the Mirena or have a hysterectomy. I didn’t want a Mirena in case I reacted to it and it was inside me, it’s not like stopping a tablet. But it seemed the best choice I had. In the end I got Covid and had to cancel my Mirena. I had it rescheduled but meanwhile out of desperation (and not wanting the Mirena) I decided to try Utrogestan one last time but this time orally and thankfully did not have an adverse reaction to it. I’ve been on it for 7 months. Tbh I don’t feel great on it but the main thing is that I’m on a progesterone and tolerating it. It gives me terrible insomnia. I’ve not slept properly since March. I may try and take it in the mornings instead.

As for oestrogen, I’ve been on Sandrena for about 4 years. I started off on 0.5mg but have gradually increased to 2mg (split am and pm). I’m also on testosterone gel. I have VA so am also on VagiFem every other night and Ovestin cream as needed plus vaginal moisturisers every night. But the dr from Newson hasn’t suggested changing the dose. The past two weeks I’ve been waking up every night drenched in sweat so this morning decided to take an extra 0.5mg of Sandrena and this evening I’ve started bleeding again after only stopping bleeding 2 days ago from a 2 week long period! I don’t know if it’s a coincidence or not. I literally don’t know what to do. My periods were extremely heavy earlier in the year due to the unopposed oestrogen and although they’re lighter now they’re ridiculously long. It’s getting to the stage where I’m bleeding more often than I’m not every month. Feeling really defeated and wondering if im destined for a hysterectomy anyway 😩