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[Peri2022]

Hello again everyone. I’ve been trucking along quite happily on Estradot 50mcg for nearly a year now and recently upped to 75mcg to deal with worsening symptoms, along with Vagirux for dryness. Until now, the utrogestan part of my HRT has done a good job of keeping my lining thin and relieving my previously very very heavy periods .

I’m now on day 3 of my period and it’s back to the old awful flooding and clots. Really bad cramps too. Just soaked thru a maxi tampon and period pants. Could it be because of the combined extra Estradot and Vagirux? Too much of a jump up in oestrogen? Or just unlucky?

I’m so annoyed, I thought these awful debilitating periods had been sorted…

Any advice welcome!

[CLKD]

U upped to 75 which is probably the reason.  May I ask why you made the change so suddenly, it a huge rise in replacement.

It is unlikely to be connected to vaginal atrophy treatment.  What R U taking for cramps?

[Peri2022]

Hi CLKD. I upped the dose as I’d started to have worsening tinnitus, palpitations, night sweats and tearfulness again, especially in the latter half of my cycle. I’ve come back down to 50 again though.

I’m taking ibuprofen and paracetamol. Have had many many years of trial and error on both prescription and OTC meds and this is what works for me. Tranexamic and mefenamic acids never seem to do much for me in terms of clots or pain.

I have an appointment with my GP next Weds but I always like to check in here too!

[CLKD]

OH! I well remember the clots  and excruating pains.  And nausea.  10 days on, 10 days off ......... I had to lay on the towel with two pairs of pads and knickers at night.

I found 'feminax' good for pain relief. 

[HaRuHaRu]

Hello again everyone. I’ve been trucking along quite happily on Estradot 50mcg for nearly a year now and recently upped to 75mcg to deal with worsening symptoms, along with Vagirux for dryness. Until now, the utrogestan part of my HRT has done a good job of keeping my lining thin and relieving my previously very very heavy periods .

I’m now on day 3 of my period and it’s back to the old awful flooding and clots. Really bad cramps too. Just soaked thru a maxi tampon and period pants. Could it be because of the combined extra Estradot and Vagirux? Too much of a jump up in oestrogen? Or just unlucky?

I’m so annoyed, I thought these awful debilitating periods had been sorted…

Any advice welcome!

I imagine it’s the rise in estrogen but it could just take a while to settle. And you’ve gone higher for good reason. Could you cut the extra 25 patch in half to enable you to go higher more gently? Or could you add a bit more progesterone to balance the higher estrogen?

[sheila99]

Utrogeston isn't the best at sorting out problem bleeding. It's probably the increased dose that's caused it but you may find you have to increase utro too. A mirena is usually the best option to stop bleeding.

[RebJT]

Hi

I've had this issue and sometimes for me a dose change triggers a stinker and it settles.  I have used quite regularly those baby scan places to check my endo lining, they are cheap and really friendly and this puts my mind at rest.

I'd wait and see if it settles provided you are on a safe dose of P.  Also I take tranexamic acid - this can be combined with ibuprofen for max effect (or mefanamic acid if you want to wheel out the big guns) for the first three days of your period, it really does help.

Also, in addition to the above, I also take medicinal herbs, I drink Yarrow Tea all month, and then I take yarrow, shepherd's purse and lady's mantle tincture through my period, also really does help.  Discussed with my gynae who was a) fascinated and b) approving, so all with a doctor's blessing.

I find being on a routine really helps, I've also started adding the odd dose of P in week two (as E starts to sharply rise) as according to the BMS Menopause guidelines some women try a long cycle P, 21 days from Day 7 controls bleeding (you can google this).  I'm quite sensitive to P so I found that much P made me feel bad, so I'm sneaking up on my hormones by having say two dose of P in week two, then 14 doses continuously from day 12, so I'm getting 16 - 17 doses P per cycle.  This has helped enormously.

I am utterly intolerant to synthetic P so for me IUD or pills is last resort and so far I've managed to find a fuel mixture that works for me.  I take my utro vaginally too, seems to work better that way for bleeding.

GS
x

[RebJT]

PS to add, heavy periods = iron loss.  Low iron = heavy periods, and the lower it goes, the heavier they get.  It is possible to get stuck in this loop, so in your shoes I'd also be getting a blood test that includes a full blood count and at the very least your ferritin (which should always be north of 100) and ideally a full iron panel inc B12 and folate.  I've struggled over the years with iron, B12 and folate deficiency and it's a horrible treadmill with bleeding, add that to peri woes and it really, really can be grim. 

The good news is supplementing a deficiency (I use Three Arrows Nutra Simply Heme iron dosed at 2.2mg of iron per 1kg of body weight daily and methylfolate - or thre arrows do a combined formula with the vits in) can make a massive difference to mood, wellbeing and crucially, bleeding.

Thing to note about low iron, no amount of HRT will make this better, it's important to address it in and of itself.

[Peri2022]

Thank you all for your replies. I’m actually in healthcare - and have also endured 30 years of trying to find solutions for heavy/painful periods - so I’m pretty up to speed with things like medications and anaemia but HRT is such a wild ride that it’s great to hear from others who have navigated similar issues.

I am prog intolerant and have also had a horrible failed IUD insertion, unfortunately…I do take my Utro vaginally but i still have some issues even with that.

I think perhaps I have upped my dose too quickly or too much. I’m going to stick at 50 for now and see what my GP says. Thank you all!