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[Tribbins]

Is anyone using Cyclogest? Does it get any better? I started last night, on a small amount just to try it out. I felt really anxious after the Utrogestan experience. I used about an eighth of a 200 mcg pessary. Struggled to sleep, woke about 3am with a weird vibrating feeling, unsettled. Went back to sleep and woke again at 9am! Now can't shake the fuzzy, woozy head off. Thankfully I don't have to drive anywhere today, as I wouldn't be able to do so safely.

I hope this is just 'start-up' side-effects - I had to stop Utrogestan after a few days as it absolutely floored me. I think half a Cyclogest will leave me unconscious! Like a lot of others on here, I feel like throwing in the HRT towel.

[discogirl]

Hi Tribbins

I use cyclogest, I used to use utrogestan vaginally however at night vaginally it left me wired and unable to sleep and during the day it gave me horrific feelings of dread.

I switched to cyclogest and I use it rectally in the mornings, I use about 170mg as I cut a bit off the end and I actually feel fine on it. However we all react differently to micronised progesterone.

Have you considered other progesterone alternatives?

[Tribbins]

Hi discogirl - thanks for sharing your experience, and I'm glad Cyclogest is working for you. Did you find it ok from day 1 or did you have any troublesome side-effects? Interesting that you use it in the morning - do you still get the wired feeling? I sort of felt like that for about half the night before the sedation set in. Used such a tiny amount also. Does using it rectally take away any of the side-effects?
This is only the second type of progesterone I've tried so far, it's hard work being able to speak to a GP. I think the next attempt (if I can't tolerate Cyclogest at all) will be a conti patch, but I'm not feeling great on oestrogen only just yet.

[discogirl]

Hi Tribbins

I'm not an expert in any of this so hopefully some more ladies who are on cyclogest or who have used it will be along to help out but from my own experience, I feel using it rectally is better for me, I certainly don't get feelings of dread from it like the utrogestan. I don't know why as they are both just micronised progesterone. I don't get a wired feeling from it as I'm using it in the mornings, and as I use it rectally I know once it's up, it's up if you get my meaning (sorry tmi!!)

I feel for me, getting the amount correct is vital. I was taking the full 200mg and I felt that was too much so I cut a bit off the end and I'm getting about 170mg.

I hope you get sorted though and I know where you're coming from regarding throwing the towel in I've felt like that on many occasions

I've never used a conti patch but there's a lot of ladies who seem to use it successfully on here x

[Mary G]

Tribbins, that is a very severe reaction to a very low dose (25mg ish?) of progesterone.  When did you last take Utrogestan?  If it was in the last few days it could be a hangover from that - I used to have side effects for a week after the final Utro dose.

What type/dose of oestrogen are you taking?

I have got a box of Cyclogest but I have yet to try it.  I would definitely persevere with it for a little longer because it is better tolerated than Utrogestan and I would imagine that is why the Newson clinic often prescribe it.

Products can have the same ingredients but people will react differently to each product.  Take Oestrogel for example.  A lot of women on here find their symptoms return even though it is supposed to be identical.
 

[WishIdknownsooner]

I’ve never been able to tolerate progesterone, so was relieved when I got on well with cyclogest.  Like discogirl, I take it rectally, but I take it early evening.  I find around 8pm is better, as any later than that, and I’m wired around 3am.  If I take it at 8pm, I’m drowsy at 10pm and then sleep through without feeling groggy in the morning. If I take it at 10pm, I don’t sleep well and am drowsy the next day - which makes me tearful and anxious.

That said, by day 13 of it, I’m done - tearful, out of sorts, feelings of dread.  I sometimes can’t do the full 14 days.

I’m kind of dreading being prescribed utrogestan next time as I’m liking cyclogest better than anything else I’ve tried.

[Tribbins]

Well, aside from the dizzy woozy head, which eased off during the day, I managed to get a lot done out in the garden - felt really good, energised and so happy :-) so hoping I can get on with Cyclogest in the long-term.

discogirl - I have taken your lead and used the same amount as I did last night but rectally. It was a bit difficult as it was melting onto my finger and didn't want to let go - so I don't think it went as far as maybe it should, sorry totally TMI, maybe some sort of lube would be in order.

Mary G - I only tried utrogestan for 3 days in May - I've only been on evorel 25 since then, it was not a good experience. It has taken me all this time to work up to a 25 patch and a half, so 37mcg. However, this seems to be having some effect on migraines, they're much less frequent and when I do have one it only lasts a day and isn't disabling. I'm annoyingly sensitive to medications and hormones, struggled with severe PMS and can remember looking forward to the menopause so much. If only I'd known..!    I'm going to keep going with the Cyclogest, if I can manage a small amount it's better than nothing, and maybe I can have scans.

WishIdknownsooner - your routine sounds like a good one, which I'm going to copy - I woke up at about 3am feeling really odd and unsettled but really struggled to get up at 9am. Really pleased you are able to get on with Cyclogest. I found Utrogestan horrendous. Why do you think you might get prescribed it next? I was prescribed Lutigest first by my GP but it wasn't stocked anywhere so they swapped the prescription to Cyclogest.

[discogirl]

Well, aside from the dizzy woozy head, which eased off during the day, I managed to get a lot done out in the garden - felt really good, energised and so happy :-) so hoping I can get on with Cyclogest in the long-term.

discogirl - I have taken your lead and used the same amount as I did last night but rectally. It was a bit difficult as it was melting onto my finger and didn't want to let go - so I don't think it went as far as maybe it should, sorry totally TMI, maybe some sort of lube would be in order.

Mary G - I only tried utrogestan for 3 days in May - I've only been on evorel 25 since then, it was not a good experience. It has taken me all this time to work up to a 25 patch and a half, so 37mcg. However, this seems to be having some effect on migraines, they're much less frequent and when I do have one it only lasts a day and isn't disabling. I'm annoyingly sensitive to medications and hormones, struggled with severe PMS and can remember looking forward to the menopause so much. If only I'd known..!    I'm going to keep going with the Cyclogest, if I can manage a small amount it's better than nothing, and maybe I can have scans.

WishIdknownsooner - your routine sounds like a good one, which I'm going to copy - I woke up at about 3am feeling really odd and unsettled but really struggled to get up at 9am. Really pleased you are able to get on with Cyclogest. I found Utrogestan horrendous. Why do you think you might get prescribed it next? I was prescribed Lutigest first by my GP but it wasn't stocked anywhere so they swapped the prescription to Cyclogest.

Hi Tribbins

Another lady on here put me onto a water based lubricant which I use called 'Yes' you can buy it online from amazon. I sort of use it to lubricate the area if you catch my drift. Some women may not like this method, however if it works I can put up with a minute of discomfort whilst I'm inserting it.

Once the pessary is inserted it dissolves and then obviously enters the blood stream.

Please let me know how you get on with it xxx

[Tribbins]

Hi discogirl

Thank you for this info. I don't think using it rectally worked out too well for me last night - I'm not sure what happened as woke about 1.15am feeling panicky, went back to sleep and then woke about 6.30, so feeling very tired, ears ringing and like I have severe PMS today - maybe I just didn't manage to insert enough, maybe it just doesn't suit me. It's disheartening as felt positive yesterday. xx

[discogirl]

Hi Tribbins

I'm sorry the cyclogest didn't seem to work for you.

I think the hard thing is, there are a number of factors at play, whereabouts in menopause you are and also with hormones it's a very individual thing isn't it. What maybe right for me may not be right for another.

I'm not very experienced with menopause or hrt but I know there are other progesterones you could try that might suit you better xxx

[Tribbins]

Thank you discogirl, I really appreciate your support. I had a better experience last night - used a quarter of the Cyclogest vaginally at about 8.30pm, went to bed a couple of hours later having spent the evening laying down on the sofa and got an ok night's sleep. Woke up and felt a bit nauseous and woozy but less woozy than the previous two days, although I had to drive to the vets which was a bit daunting as I didn't feel like I was fully present...! However, definitely in a better frame of mind - my husband said that my behaviour yesterday reminded him of how I used to be (used to get pretty extreme PMS). As you said previously, dosage is so important. I'm supposed to take half a 200mcg every other day, so taking 50mcg last night may be ok, if the morning 'hangover' improves.  xx

[discogirl]

Hi Tribbins

I agree getting the dosage right is half the battle.

I think the ratio of estrogen to progesterone is important as well.

I hope you continue to improve xx

[Hurdity]

Hi Tribbins

So sorry to hear about your experiences with progesterone and I sympathise - if that is the cause at such a low dose.

However this amount, especially if you try to insert a small fragment rectally, is really not going to be sufficient to protect your uterus unfortunately - the pessaries have been designed to be inserted as whole though I gather some women are cutting the in half. When inserted rectally I think far less will get to the uterus than when used vaginally though I haven't seen data on this ( maybe there were studies years ago?) but especially as it is not licensed for HRT.

Are you being monitored medically re the approx 50 mg alternate days to ensure your womb lining is OK?

Although I am a big fan of bioidentical HRT and pretty much have only ever used estradiol and progesterone, in your position, if you are ultra sensitive to progesterone, maybe a synthetic progestogen like Provera may be prefereble - because much lower doses need to be taken to protect the womb. As discogirl says the balance is important - this is because of the need to protect the womb. The more oestrogen that is used, the more progestogen is needed.

Wishing you all the best in your journey to find the right solution.

Hurdity x

[Tribbins]

Thanks for your response Hurdity - I've used 50mcg Cyclogest vaginally for the past two days. I was advised to use half a 200mcg every other night, but opted to use a quarter every night as I don't want to trigger migraines. I'm currently using 37mcg Evorel patches so not exactly a high oestrogen dose, but it seems to have had an effect on the very frequent headaches/migraines that I was having. Although not as bad as Utrogestan, I'm not feeling great with Cyclogest, just dopey and a bit irritable all day which I hope will ease off.

[Mary G]

Tribbins, I've been using 50mg progesterone every day with one pump of Oestrogel since 2018 and it's worked very well.  I was unable to tolerate Utrogestan (100mg in one hit is too high for me) but I don't even notice 50mg progesterone so for me it's the right dose and it keeps the womb lining thin too.

If you suffer with migraines you need to keep your hormone levels as stable as possible, avoid cycles/bleeds and you may need to add testosterone too. 

What type of migraines do you have?  With or without aura?