Print

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

[HaRuHaRu]

Hello, I’m wondering if anyone knows reasons why my doctor would have said to take my Utrogestan WITH my evening meal? Everything I read clearly says to take on an empty stomach and away from food.

So I’m wondering if theres a reason why you would want to take it with your evening meal?

I’m not speaking to my doctor again until after my first 12 days of taking it so thought I’d ask here as I start taking it in a couple of days. Thanks

[Zoe]

Hi, I could see 3 possible reasons for this though the recommendation is to take it on an empty stomach.

1. Your GP doesn't know how to take utrogestan.

2. Your GP thinks you should take it with a meal because he knows you have a sensitive stomach (though you have not said you do on here!).

3. Your GP thinks it will increase absorption, which it will.

My guess is that 1. is maybe true since you have been given no explanation for deviating from the usual guidance.

If you take it with food it will increase absorption by up to 50%, research has shown. I am assuming you are taking 200mg since you mention 12 days. My own experience of once having taken 200mg of the stuff with food (by mistake) was that it knocked me out.

I would stick with what the PIL says and take it an hour after food. You can always check with the GP later.

All the best!

[HaRuHaRu]

Thank you Zoe, and sorry I should have given more info…

I have multiple health issues and have a history of rare side effects and intolerances to meds that have hospitalised me, so I’m very careful when I start anything new. But not specific gut issues and I’ve not taken utrogestan before so don’t know how I am with that.

Yes it’s 2 x 100mg tablets to be taken from days 17-28. On the front of my packet it clearly says to take on an empty stomach one hour before food or 2 hours after. It also says to take days 15-26 in the leaflet.

I think I will wait an hour after my meal and see how that works first. And i’ll get in touch with my doctor to see if there’s a good reason to do things differently. I’m not sure if more absorption is a good thing or not!

Thanks again xx

[Zoe]

Sounds like a plan!

[HaRuHaRu]

Just to update you, below is what my doctor said:

“the closer you take utrogestan to food the more it can help with sleep. Some people find it makes them too sleepy so they prefer to take it on an empty stomach. It’s really up to you. Try it with your evening meal and see how you feel. If you feel too sleepy early on then you can take it later. It works whatever time you take it.”

[sheila99]

Well that's true as you effectively get a higher dose but I think most people take it on an empty stomach because that's what the PIL says. I tend to assume the manufacturer usually  knows more about than a doctor. Not sure you'd want a stronger dose though?

[Petra]

I was TRYING to take it on an empty stomach at around 6 p.m., but that meant no snacking for two hours before and after 6 p.m. and I kept snacking. So a couple of nights ago, I started taking it around 9:30 p.m., 2 hours after evening meal and it has really improved my sleep. Hope that lasts...

[Zoe]

The doctor is right in that it will increase bioavailability and therefore have a more sedating effect. I guess the only way to find out how it affects you is to try it. I know that I could cope with 100mg with food, but not 200mg.

You could always try 100mg the first night and see how you are. Then increase if you think you will be OK.

It also means you are getting a larger dose of progesterone than the manufacturer intended. This won't be harmful in and of itself but many women can't cope with high doses. Trial and error!

[Dandelion]

I find I have my tea between 5 and 6 and I can still taste it, sometimes at 11pm, if yea was spicy.
Also I don’t like going to bed on a totally empty stomach.
I wait an hour after dosing and then I take it.

[HaRuHaRu]

Thanks so much for your replies everyone. Here’s my update from my first cycle using Utrogestan:

Day 1, 2, 3, 4: 100mg 2 x with dinner
I ended up dong what my Dr suggested and taking it with my evening meal and it was HORRIBLE. Heart palpitation/ alert/ wide awake - struggled to get to sleep and stay asleep. The next day was really horrific: so unwell, migraine-like headaches, extreme fatigue/ needing the loo a lot/ chills/ tinnitus/ the colour drained from me/ unable to be upright for long - physically really unwell. But emotionally ok-ish.

I read that it can take time to settle into HRT so I did this for 4 nights before couldn’t tolerate it anymore. It had the opposite effect of being sedated while taking it, then the next days very very unwell.

Day 5, 6, 7: 100mg 2 x before bed on empty tummy
On the 5th night I took the tablets before bed on an empty tummy - I went to sleep ok, but woke up with very bad head and neck aches at about 6am. Went back to sleep till 9am. Then during the day I still felt very fatigued/ swollen tongue/ muddled head/ groggy. Not as ill as when taking it with food but not great and negative thoughts were creeping in.

This would be day 21 of my period cycle and I’d often feel very bad around this time pre HRT. So I kept with taking it for a few more nights. But the effects the next day continued to be bad… not just physically but really bad mentally/ emotionally: anxiety/ low/ tearful/ feeling unable to cope/ overwhelmed/ suicidal thoughts/ not wanting to be here. Food cravings and binges.

Days 8, 9: split 100mg nighttime and 100mg morning on empty tummy
I was worried about another day with these symptoms so on night 8 I took just 1 x 100mg pill. I went to sleep ok and I woke up a little brighter and less groggy/ exhausted than the past week. So I decided to take the 2nd pill at 10am on day 9 (today) to see how it affects me during the day. I feel tired/ slight headache/ swollen tongue etc but the mental/ emotional symptoms not as intense.

Days 9-12 plan
My plan is to continue with 1 x 100mg at around 10pm and 1 x 100mg @ around 10am and see how I feel - but I may drop down to just taking 1 x 100mg before bed and not take the 2nd dose in the morning, I’ll update once I’ve got there - 4 more days feel like a lot to endure but today hasn’t been as bad as the past week or so.

I’m speaking my Dr on Friday so will see what she says. But I’m feeling pretty gutted atm.

[Gill67]

I must be quite lucky re side effects. I started utrogestan 100 mcg tablets every night about 4 months ago, haven't noticed any effects at all. Also I sometimes take it just after food, sometimes on empty stomach and again, I notice no difference at all.

[HaRuHaRu]

Gill67 I really wish I could say the same. I’m nearly at the end of my 1st cycle of 12 days of taking them and it’s really been bad. I call them the poison pills now.

I can tolerate 1 tablet at night but apparently I need to be taking two. Splitting them up has given less harsh side effects but makes me a zombie all day - that shows how bad the side effects are for me if thinking being a zombie all day is good in comparison!

I’m confused with what to do now. I wonder if the side effects go away after a while of being on this regime.  But I can’t go through 12 days of this each cycle.