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[anon2021]

Hello,

Looking for some advice please.

I have been taking continuous HRT Estrogel/Utrogestan solidly for two years. I have continued to have a period monthly but this has now dwindled down to just a very light bleed for 1 to days per month.

I was put into surgical menopause after colon cancer in 2021. I was previously peri meno from 2018 (when I was 48) and was put on continuous HRT then but still had a regular but increasingly heavy monthly bleed (hence HRT doctor suggesting continuous regime) although this did help to control the bleed which previously had been particularly heavy. I did try changing to sequential but continuous seemed to work better for me in helping to lessen the flow. I was told this was ok. I admit I found HRT to be a bit too much at first so I did stop it for a year or so  then started again late 2020 just before my cancer diagnosis. I was told that the radiation therapy would put me into full menopause and that my periods would stop but they didn’t!

I’m now just about to turn 53 so assume my periods are naturally coming to an end hence down to mostly 1-2 days at most and a very very light bleed.

I take 2-3 pumps of Estrogel and 1 x Utrogestan each night.

Should I be more concerned that I still bleed on continuous HRT? Even though it is down to such a small amount now?

I’m afraid that with cancer and recovery much of my life has taken a back seat whilst I have recovered and I’ve somewhat neglected this aspect of my life, it only just occurred to me that I should check this out.

Many thanks 🙏🏻

[VanillaLover]

Hi, I’m no expert as I take sequential but personally my bleeds carry on regardless of what stage I am at on the utrogestan! I did speak to a consultant who wasn’t bothered about this. As I say though my case is different to you in that I take sequential so still “supposed” to have bleeds one way or the other.

As your bleeds are clearly still monthly/cyclical and not random or occurring after a long period of no bleeding then I don’t think there is a reason to worry. Your own cycle is obviously breaking through.

You may want to check with your GP although be prepared that they may not know the answer! Sometimes GPs are not great with this type of thing. Ask to be referred to a menopause clinic if they are not sure. Or suggest they ring the menopause clinic and ask the question for you instead of referring as it’s a fairly straightforward question! Much quicker ….mine did this for me with a question about whether OK to increase patch dose if you have migraines.

Good luck with your recovery…sounds like you’ve had a tough time! Do you think the HRT is helping you? Did you have any troublesome symptoms before your surgical menopause? Just wondering, given your age, whether a trial without HRT might be an option?

HTH.  Vanilla

[Clovie]

Hi there anon

Thought I'd touch base and say hello because there are some similarities in our queries - I too still have periods, or at least I THOUGHT they were! (regular, 5/6 days with no spotting in between, PMT symptoms beforehand)  and have agreed to trial a change from sequential to continuous HRT today because I'm anaemic from my own bleeds and the withdrawal ones.

Also, like you, I am using Estrogel/utrogestan and I don't want to stop for hot flush symptoms etc plus other health benefits of HRT. 
My periods aren't dwindling but have been heavy for about a year, which COULD be realted to approaching ceasing of periods, so not dwindling like yours.

My GP is sending me for all sorts of investigations as she doesn't think I'm having 'periods' ay my age. I'm 58. Puts the fear of god in me

Anyway, just wanted to say hi

[anon2021]

Thank you Vanilla & Clovie,

Yes I had spoken to a doctor about it who wasn’t concerned prior to my cancer but that was when I was still having regular ordinary periods for around 3-4 days every month (always been shortish for me) the last few months it’s dwindled to even just 1 day sometimes. It just suddenly occurred to me that maybe I needed to have my uterine lining checked (which I recall seeing somewhere that thickening can happen if you don’t produce/use enough progesterone). Or is it just a case of my period is finally giving up (hooray  ) could be natural, age and full menopause or could be the radiation therapy.

I’ll ping a note to my GP and see if maybe I should have an ultrasound to double check. I have just paid for some private blood tests that include all my hormones so that should give me the levels of my progesterone and oestrogen.

I most definitely won’t be giving up the HRT as my hormone levels both times I have had to stop have gone awry and the rage I feel is quite awful, second time around I also had the hot flushes (goodness they are awful too and although I had had a few of them first time Sri I’d they def weren’t nearly as bad as faster my cancer) I don’t want to go through that again. These blood tests should tell me what my levels are and if any tweaks are required.

I will keep you posted!

@Clovie - fyi my periods were very heavy when I first started HRT (like I hadn’t experienced before!) it took a while for them to calm a bit but the hormones should kick in with the continuous which is why my private hormone doctor suggested I do the continuous regime. It took me a few tries to get the orstrogen levels correct as I got the tingly sore boobs etc so I just tapered it down and found a happy level - she said that the continuous regime should encourage my periods to stop but actually they just continued on and then cancer happened so I had to stop my HRT whilst on chemo. I hope the new regime works for you and you find your happy medium!

@Vanilla - as you’ll see above I have had two breaks from HRT the first one was about 3 months after I first started HRT - I couldn’t quite find the right levels and was constantly awake at night, the Utrogestan gave me palpitations I recall and the Estrogel made my boobs so sore and I felt it all a bit much (I was 48 then). So I binned it for a while in a huff. But then I started feeling that dreadful red mist again (was more the rage and out of control feelings for me rather than hot flushes)  so after talking again with my hormone doctor I tried again and actually found a level that worked and for a year or so was fine but then when cancer turned up I had to stop all medications for chemo. I was too I’ll to notice but after my cancer treatment stopped about 2 months later I crashed into meno symptoms again with a bang! Luckily I had all my meds so quickly got back on to it after checking with my cancer team. They said I’d have no periods  because of the radiation to my entire pelvic area. But nope, not me! I had my periods all the way through my cancer treatment and they’re still going! Albeit the recent change to just 1 day. So could be that is just things coming to a close for me. Frankly I’ll be happy to see the back of my period but was just concerned to check it wasn’t a thickened lining and low progesterone.

I’ll keep you posted once I have my blood tests back and also see heat GP suggests. I had my hormone treatment at a private practice in Harley St and my GP took over the prescriptions so I’m not under any supervision really anymore for it.