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[bonehouse]

Hello. I'm 45. I started taking a progesterone only pill one year ago. I had some light occasional night sweats after starting the pill, nothing troubling.

Since about December I started to experience night sweats every night and they got worse and worse. It's disgusting, waking up absolutely drenched every night. And the smell.

I mentioned this at my last GP medication review (I've been on some other medicine for many years), assuming it to be a side effect of the pill. After some questions about other symptoms - like a prolonged and uncharacteristic bout of extreme anxiety earlier in the year, a couple of day time hot flushes, and memory problems, she seemed to think that it was more likely perimenopause. I am unconvinced as it really did seem to start after taking the pill.

I don't get proper periods anymore on the pill but since October I've had two very light bleeds, hardly anything. On both occasions, the night sweats have stopped for the duration.

My understanding is that low oestrogen causes night sweats, and as ostrogen rises at the start of the menstrual cycle it would make sense that this would stop the night sweats.

But does this confirm the perimenopause theory? I'm still not convinced. Is there any way I could know for sure without stopping the pill?

[CrispyChick]

Hey, I don't have a lot of advice, but the mini pill cerazette, if that is the one you are on, keeps your estrogen at low follicular levels and prevents ovulation.

It may be this artificially low estrogen causing your symptoms.

[bonehouse]

Hey, I don't have a lot of advice, but the mini pill cerazette, if that is the one you are on, keeps your estrogen at low follicular levels and prevents ovulation.

It may be this artificially low estrogen causing your symptoms.

Thanks - it is Cerelle, which I think is identical to Cerazette. This is my thinking too, but then again there are the other symptoms - though they may also be caused by the pill.

[Scampidoodle]

Would you consider coming off it just to see? I’m wondering the same about my Mirena coil. It’s hard to know whether it’s the artificial hormones coming in or our own hormones underneath though.

[bonehouse]

Would you consider coming off it just to see? I’m wondering the same about my Mirena coil. It’s hard to know whether it’s the artificial hormones coming in or our own hormones underneath though.

I'm loathe to try this because my periods were getting horrendous before I started it, days of pain and left utterly drained. It took about 6 months for some of the initial pill side effects (sore boobs, oily skin, moodiness, erratic bleeding) to settle down. So I don't want to face restarting it and having to go through that again - my first period after starting it was a decidual cast and the pain was awful. But I'm starting to think it might be the only solution.

I initally wanted the IUS coil but the GP couldn't fit it due to my tiny os so she referred me to the special tiny os clinic and gave me the mini pill in the meantime. But then I found the pill wasn't so bad so thought I'd be better off staying on it rather than risk the coil.

[Scampidoodle]

I get that. It helped one side of things. Wondering if there’s anything else you would consider like the Mirena coil? Not an ideal choice for many but really helps with the bleeding and less hormones.

[Flossieteacake]

Hello bonehouse and welcome to the forum.

After being on the mini pill for 11 years I started spotting and getting peri symptoms. I stopped the pill to see if things would improve and I felt a lot worse and had a very heavy period. I can understand why you feel reluctant to stop taking the pill.

It sounds like you could be in peri and may benefit from HRT. You can take 2 mini pill a day as the progesterone part and perhaps a low dose oestrogen patch may be an idea to help with the night sweats etc.

[Elle 77]

Hi there, just reading through the comments and i too am 45 and perimeno. Have a lot of the symptoms. I was suffering from very heavy flooding and prolonged periods aswell as night sweats,sore joints, brain fog etc.  Ive been on cerelle for nearly 4 months after nurse advised ,ive had a  few night sweats but really bad non stop bleeding. After first 2 months the bleeding got lighter , and less night sweats but im 4 months on and have no break from bleeding at all. I read that you can take a break for 4 days on the pill and restart day 5  to see if it will help the symptoms . After speaking to my dr i have come off it 2 days ago but i too am worried about heavy periods returning.  He is reluctant to give me hrt . I did feal great on cerelle and im taking a magnesium supplement , but it just wasnt stopping the light constant bleed. You begin to wonder whatyour body is doing and if it is the pill causing these things like you say ?  . Or should i be taking 2 mini pill a day ? This was not suggested as an option . Its all very confusing. Ill keep you posted on the break im taking to see if anything improves 🤞

[bonehouse]

Ive been on cerelle for nearly 4 months after nurse advised ,ive had a  few night sweats but really bad non stop bleeding. After first 2 months the bleeding got lighter , and less night sweats but im 4 months on and have no break from bleeding at all.

It's so confusing knowing what to do, you're right. The clinical pharmacist I spoke to who thought it was perimenopause suggested HRT right away, which surprised me. Maybe I should have tried it but I really didn't want to without being sure it was necessary.

My first period after starting Cerelle was a decidual cast, horrendous pain, then had a few light periods but they went on for 10-12 days. The last bleed in October lasted 21 days! Then they just stopped except for a bit of spotting. I think on balance I'd rather have long, light bleeds than the nightmare heavy painful periods I had before. But it's still no fun!

Hope the break is beneficial without the heavy periods returning. Keep us posted.

[Elle 77]

Thank you so much for your reply. After you mentioned the Decidual Cast you experienced that rang a bell with me, thats exactly what i experienced after 2 months on cerelle. The pain was awful 2 days before it but the relief was instant when it happened. I then got lighter and had a break of 7 days but then the bleeding started again but lighter and has continued, but ive taken the 4 day break and will retry cerrelle from tmrrw and keep you posted. Keep smiling ladies hopefully we will get there 👍