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[Chi chi]

I was recently changed from Utrogestan to Provera, I haven't started it yet but wondered if anyone else is on it or has tried it and how they got on? I was taking the utro for 5/7 days per month/every other month and it made me miserable

[Galadriel]

Me!

I take 10mg for the last 12 days of my cycle. So far I've had two cycles on it and not had anything to complain about.

I take it around 7pm as it does make me feel sleepy and I figured that if there were any side-effects I didn't like, I'd sleep through them 

The withdrawal bleed comes along about 2-3 days after the last dose for me.

I hope it works well for you.

Galadriel x

[Chi chi]

Thanks Galadriel, I plan to take mine in the evening also  I think my prescription says 5mg. Have you ever been on utrogestan?
I'm not sure why I've been put on this now? I suspect because the Utro wasn't causing me to have a consistent bleed?? I do hope I'm ok on it 

[lancashirelass]

I did use.provera made.me.feel yuck now.on.utrogestan its.ok for me

[Ju Ju]

Yes, I take Provera 5mg for the 1st 12 days of every 1/3 month. I don't get on with any progesterone forms. I don't get on with Provera really, but it's contained to 4 times a year and I can change when I take it if I have an important event, holiday etc.. It's like a full blown period, complete with pmt, but I know what to expect. I am now 61 and see a private gynaecologist.

[Chi chi]

Thanks Juju, hope I'm lucky with it 

[Dana]

Thanks Galadriel, I plan to take mine in the evening also  I think my prescription says 5mg. Have you ever been on utrogestan?
I'm not sure why I've been put on this now? I suspect because the Utro wasn't causing me to have a consistent bleed?? I do hope I'm ok on it 

I have been using Provera for almost a year now and I like it. I chose to stop using Utrogestan because I don't believe it is as effective as a lot of people think it is.  That's just my personal opinion based on my own personal experiences.

I take a 5mg Provera tablet for 10 days a month and that gives me a reasonable period for a few days, but the periods I got when using Utrogestan were extremely light, leading me to believe it was never completely clearing the lining properly, so I personally wouldn't risk using Utro continuously without taking a progestin every so often to be sure you're getting a good “cleanout”.

Also, for the first 2 months that I used Provera (after using Utrogestan for maybe a year or more) I had quite heavy periods and cramping, and I think that was another indication that the Utro just wasn't doing a very good job, and the Provera needed a couple of months to remove the built up lining. So just be pre-warned that this might happen to you if you have been using Utro for a while, and your lining has built up. However, it is just temporary and once the Provera has done its job, you should be fine. I rarely get any cramping now, and I have about 2 "heavy" days and then a few more days of light to spotting.

I used to be a big advocate for Utrogestan because it's "natural", but natural doesn't always equal "better". I could never understand why here in Australia our TGA refuses to approve its use for menopause treatment (it can be prescribed by certain specialists for fertility issues), but I now realise that Australia has always been extremely cautious about approving meds it's not confident about. We had our fingers burned years ago when we were one of the first countries to use Thalidomide, and considering the issues I had with Utro, I'm not sure that it will be approved here any time soon.

I am currently experimenting with Norethisterone, because I just wanted to have another option, and have just finished my 10 days of 5mg a day. Things were a little odd for a couple of days midway through, but were good for the last few days, so those issues could have been related to something else. I will give it another try next month.

My next experiment will be to try either Provera or Norethisterone on a continuous basis, but I would prefer to do that as a patch, and currently I'm not that confident that patches work for me, but that's yet another experiment..lol..

[Chi chi]

Thanks for all the replies  I'm due to start the provera on May 1st so will update after then 

[Grumpymum]

Hi Estelle, I'm interested in your HRT regime. How have you been getting on with provera? I'm using Utrogestan and wonder if I need to change to get a bleed. Thanks.

[Chi chi]

Hi, I took it for the first month and didn't feel as bad in that I didn't get the horrible headache and low low mood but for the last 2 months I've been having a bleed without taking it? Since having the bloody implants everything's gone haywire! I'm now having to top up my estrogen with 3 pumps of gel and he's also got me back on the testim gel. This month is particularly bad as I've been spotting for nearly 2 weeks and have been actually bleeding for the last week or so  I suspect it's all breakthrough  but I don't see the point in taking it when I'm already bleeding??
Sorry I can't be any more help

[Grumpymum]

Thanks for replying anyway Estelle. This HRT is tricky to get right,isn't it?! Minefield!

[Sunnydays]

Hi,
Just wondered how Provera was going for those ladies using it on either long cycle or ordinary cycle (whatever ordinary is!).

[Dana]

Hi,
Just wondered how Provera was going for those ladies using it on either long cycle or ordinary cycle (whatever ordinary is!).

In response to your question, and as an update to my previous post, I haven't used Provera for a little while, because firstly I wanted to experiment with Norethisterone (just so I had an alternative to Provera). I didn't have any problems with it to speak of, but I felt I didn't get as good a bleed on it as I did on Provera, which seems odd because I've read that it is a stronger progestin than Provera (or maybe I'm just making that up..lol..).

With Provera, I would take it for 10-12 days with no problems, and then 2-3 days later I would get a decent bleed lasting maybe 3 days with a few extra days of spotting. With Norethisterone I would follow the same routine, but the bleed I was getting would take longer to start and it wasn't really much more than a bit of heavy spotting. I was still using the same amount of estrogen, so I don't know why I wouldn't get the same kind of bleed.

Secondly, I have just completed an experiment with a continuous patch of estradiol and Norethisterone, and it was an epic fail, but I'm not really surprised. Continuous progesterone/progestin is just something I don't seem to be able to tolerate. The conti patches were good for the first month, but at 7 weeks I had to go back on to straight estradiol patches, because the side effect of insomnia had gotten so bad. Now about 5 weeks later I'm still getting the side effects of progestin build up. I hope it comes to an end soon because I'm getting fed up with the insomnia.

So I will now go back on to my Provera monthly cycle, which seems to have been the most successful routine for me. It's annoying because at 56 I'm thoroughly fed up with having periods - but what can I do if I can't tolerate continuous prog? My doctor probably wouldn't be happy, but I might sneakily try to do a 6-8 week cycle, and just use the Provera for a little longer (maybe 14 days). As long as I'm getting a decent bleed it should be okay.

I am going to try to very slowly reduce my dose of estrogen to see if I can cope with a low dose or do without it totally, but my last resort may have to be a hysterectomy, but I certainly won't be doing that while I'm still in my 50s, and there is a possibility I can either reduce or eliminate taking estrogen totally one day.

[Sunnydays]

Thanks for explaining that Dana. I have been taking conti patches at the moment, albeit just under half a patch, and I'm just not sure if the effects of the progesterone are outweighing the benefit of the oestrogen. A private consultant appointment  resulted in it being suggested I try the long cycle using Provera every 3 months! (see my post - just had private gynae apt) so I was keen to see how others have got on with it. Could I ask what oestrogen you use and the dose of Provera? As an alternative to this type of routine, and actually his first suggestion was the Mirena coil which means no bleed; have you tried this at all? By the way, the consultant  is a gynae who specialises in cancers of the the womb area etc.
Thank you

[Dana]

Normally I use a 50mcg estradiol patch, but in the last couple of weeks I have switched to the 2mg estradiol tablets, because I wasn't certain if all my insomnia problems might have been related to using the patches, but I'm now certain that it's all because of the conti prog, so I'm going back to the 50mcg patches on the weekend. That's what I've been using for quite some time, although in the past I have used Premarin which I don't have any issues with, but as I get older I would like to try to stick with the patches if I can, especially if I'm looking at taking HRT long term.

The dose of Provera I take on a monthly cycle is 5mg per day, and my Doctor said 10 days should be enough, considering my issues with progesterone/progestin. I have taken it for up to 12 days though with no problems. I would be tempted by the 3 monthy cycle, but I think I will probably end up sticking to the 2 monthly cycle and taking the Provera for 14 days, which hopefully I won't have any problems with.

I may consider the sequi patches at some point, but I think I would feel more in control of what and when I take the prog if I use separate est patches and prog tablets. The sequi patches tie you into too much of a definite routine for my liking.

I wouldn't be tempted by the Mirena at all though. Knowing my issues with prog, I just wouldn't want to have something "permanent" done that would be a lot harder to reverse if I had issues with it. The only permanent thing I may consider at some point is a hyster, so I can eliminate this progesterone crap altogether.