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[janeyg73]

I’m so confused!
Started HRT 2 years ago: 1mg Sandrena & cyclical Utrogestan .
My own cycle always seemed stronger on cyclical and I was still getting peri symptoms (headaches, electric shocks, dizzy, palpitations).
GP switched me to continuous Utrogestan last year (every day, not even a short break) and I’ve been having a very regular 4 day period every month.
I’m now getting the same peri symptoms again (headaches, electric shocks, dizzy, palpitations, tinnitus, eye issues) and so gp wants me to go to 2mg Sandrena and 200 Utrogestan continuously.  Is this ok even though I’m still very obviously having regular periods ? I’ve never had any blood tests so no idea what my hormone levels are.  Super confused and worried about doubling my HRT dose while I’m definitely still peri and having periods.  I’m 50.

[bombsh3ll]

It's absolutely fine to take it continuously - it actually provides superior endometrial protection that way.

The ONLY reason it is prescribed cyclically to women still having periods is in theory this leads to more regular (and less irregular) bleeding.

It is not due to any safety concern with taking it continuously if this suits you better.

[sheila99]

 Presumably she's trying to stop the bleeding but if you're peri imo it's far better to stay on sequi hrt then the problem goes away. It's prescribed cyclically to women in peri because it works with your body rather than overriding it in the way bcp does. They always give you sequi when you first start on hrt in peri then a year later forget their own advice and assume you're meno - which you won't be because your own cycle doesn't stop the day you start hrt. There's a slightly higher risk of endometrial cancer if you stay on sequi in meno but I'm not aware of any evidence that it's better when you're peri. If you feel better on conti there's no reason you can't use it but you don't have to if you prefer sequi. I'm still on sequi at 63 with their agreement but that's because I have side effects from utro.

[Ebonybones]

What side effects did it give you Sheila99

[sheila99]

Interrupted sleep and fatigue. Not too bad till day 8 then I'm like a zombie.

[joziel]

sheila, when you stop taking the utro, how long does it take for the effects to go away and for you to be okay again? If you don't take it one night, are you okay again the next night?

[sheila99]

Around 3 days to be back to normal but improving on day 2.

[joziel]

Thanks. I don't think my insomnia is related to utrogestan as when I was sequential it wasn't any better when I wasn't on it, but sometimes I think I should experiment again and check. I've been off it for 3 days now in an attempt to inspire a bleed but there isn't one happening. Hasn't happened the last 2 times I've stopped it either, for the last few months.

[sheila99]

I don't always bleed either and it worries me when I don't! My insomnia was from low oestrogen, it was worse than the interrupted sleep on utro (awake every morning at 2-3am and couldn't go back to sleep till the alarm went off).

[joziel]

Yes, the fact that I'm not bleeding (and don't have sore boobs or any other high estrogen symptoms) and I'm on 12 pumps of gel makes me feel like I'm just not getting my estrogen up there.... The bloods I have in 2 weeks will be interesting.

I don't think this can just be 'low' estrogen though, because I've been on the desogestrel POP for about 10 years before starting HRT (due to endometriosis) and that suppresses your estrogen to be relatively low. So my body is used to having low-ish estrogen. I think it has to be the fluctuations which are happening without the usual cycle and rhythm they used to have earlier in life.

The symptoms are very weird: Heart beating hard and loud at night. Inner tremors, worst at night and during sleep (sometimes wake me up). Hands going numb in my sleep just when they are lying on my chest (like when you sleep in a weird position and they go totally numb and dead, except I'm not sleeping in a weird position). Feet are freezing cold, it can take about 2 hours with an electric blanket on my feet before they warm up enough for me to go to sleep. Something very weird with circulation going on... Hypnic jerks every time I begin to fall asleep, startling me awake again. Startling with anxiety to normal household noises as I'm trying to drift off. It's been going on for 2 years now. I've investigated sooo much.

It all began 3 weeks AFTER I started HRT and stopped the desogestrel POP I'd been on for 10 years. My ovaries woke up and really really ached for months and started firing sharp stabby pains - all that stopped after a few months. (Stupid doctor I was seeing said 'but how do you know it's your ovaries? can you feel them?'. ERRR... YES!) But all this wasn't part of my low estrogen symptoms before starting HRT. Those were all the classic symptoms. And I've tried stopping HRT for 6 months but it wouldn't go away. It's really depressing and I just have to take it one night at a time.    My one hope is that these bloods show my estrogen is still too low and there's a chance that if I get it up, it will get better....