Hi pepperminty
The quote in red was from me a few years ago!
Someone else also asked about Cyclogest a couple of days ago and I replied on this thread:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,28100.msg439771.html#msg439771To repeat the relevant section:
"I used this for 4 years and I think when I first started utrogestan was not yet available - Cyclogest was the only progesterone. For those who want to know this has been around for years as a natural progesterone for fertility - it comes as waxy pessaries which can also be used as suppositories. It isn't licensed for HRT although some gynaes ( and my gynae specialist GP) prescribed it for this purpose. The usual dose is twice as much as for Utrogestan so for a cycle you chould have been given twice the number of 200 mg capsules. I was prescribed 400 mg for 11 days per 28 day cycle. Mine came in 200 mg capsules so I used to put one up the front and one up the back (interesting effect the next morning!). I did feel that this was too much progesterone but it seemed to produce a withdrawal bleed OK."
It can't be listed as available for HRT because it isn't licensed so if your GP hasn't heard of it then it is unlikely you would be able to persuade them to give it to you. My gynae GP had studied under Prof Studd who has used natural progesterone for years, so she has always prescribed it through NHS off license.
There is no danger in using it, it's just that the correct dose for protecting the uterus from hyperplasia, as Night_Owl points out, has not been determined through trials. It is perfectly safe to use as it is given in very high doses as part of fertility treatment.
I used to get migraines on it sometimes and also on withdrawal which I felt was due to the high dose. Using it vaginally would enables more to be delivered directly to the uterus. Using it anally means it works through systemic absoprtion (through the gut wall and into blood stream - but not through the liver - then to the uterus).
Personally I prefer Utrogestan - but which I have never taken orally.
I totally agree about choce - there just isn't enough!
Hurdity x