Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Bluebirdie]

Hi,

New here, so hello! I'm in the beginnings of the perimenopause I think and have been prescribed 1mg Sandrena by Dr Evans to use half the month. Still have my uterus etc and still having relatively regular (but v heavy) periods but lots of night sweats, mental health issues, jaw spots, aches, sleeplessness and so on.

The periods are beginning to change a little - some shortening of cycle, some erratic cycles, some lighter periods etc..

I'm just interested to know if others have used JUST oestrogen in my position. Presumably at some point I will need to introduce progesterone?

And is it, er, OK, given all the scare stories, in your opinion? I do need to email her for more info I think, I was so dazzled by the woman being just lovely, I didn't ask half the questions I needed to!

Thanks x

[Taz2]

I'm not sure on this but just wanted to welcome you to the forum.

It may be something to do with the fact that you are only using the Sandrena for half of the month? Normally you would have to have a progesterone added in as you say as this is needed to protect the womb. Someone will be along soon with more knowledge I'm sure.

Taz x 

[clare663]

Wow! Im suprised that you have just been given oestrogen given that you still have a womb and that your periods have been very heavy! Did the Doctor not say anything about progesterone? The oestrogen will just build up the lining of the womb even more! Maybe she thinks you have enough of your own progesterone. Did you have blood tests? I was in a similar position during my peri but the conti HRT was too strong for me to tolerate at that time so I left it for a couple of years (5 years post now) and have started on the conti patches. Hopefully soe one with experience of Sandrena will be a ble to explain.

[Hurdity]

Hi Bluebirdie

  from me too!

Yes that is surprising I agree. I presume you have been asked to take it during the last week of your cycle and the first week ie Day 22 to day 7 or something approximately like that - ie when it is at its lowest?

I have read on here that some gynaes seem to be happy to prescribe oestrogen with no or very little progesterone in women who are having regular periods - presumably on the basis that you are preducing your own after ovulation. Also I'm not sure what happens to the uterus lining when oestrogen is given at the same time as progesterone in a normal cycle - ie whether it continues to grow underneath (proliferative). Progesterone changes the existing uterus lining, so maybe if you take it after ovulation for those two weeks (ie Day 16 for two weeks) the extra oestrogen does not stimulate the lining to grow?

However re the heavy bleeding as clare663 says - it would be surprising not to give you extra progesterone to treat this - since heavy bleeding is common in peri - so possibly you could end up with heavier bleeds or at least no less heavy?

Could you contact her and ask for a bit more information? I know she is retiring soon but not sure when - I thought it was the end of May!

Hurdity x

[Bluebirdie]

Dear all,

Thanks for your replies. Hurdity, yes I think that was what she said (note to self: send follow up email!). I'm to apply it from day 15 of cycle through to about day 4 of the next.  The logic is indeed that if periods are regular, then I guess my body is still producing enough progesterone.

She didn't request bloods, instead took a detailed history.

So I reported heavy periods but it may be she thought they weren't heavy enough to warrant it! I know pretty much exactly how much I bleed because I use a Mooncup, so a typical period is between 100-150 mls, almost all - like a waterfall - on the first two days followed by many days of lesser bleeding, then brown. There's also often a gap between the heavy bit at the start and then ongoing light/brown stuff. This may not be heavy enough I guess!?

I will email, if only to get some advice for my own GP about how to deal with ongoing changes. I'm waiting for her to copy a letter which she's going to send to my GP, just to check what she recommended there: I guess that may clear it up! I'm waiting until next cycle - and I am sure this is OK - before starting the Sandrena.

[Bluebirdie]

Also, what counts as 'not regular' periods, actually?

I average out now at about 21-22 days, but the detail (cos I record it in my app ) looks like this:

27
13
22
23
26

I also occasionally get a 'blip' for a few months (like the one last month) with weird long/short cycles - like 18, 46, 20, 31, then back again to anywhere between 22-29 days.

I guess that is 'mostly' regular, right?

[Hurdity]

I saw the same gynae about testosterone and yes she sent a letter to my GP me copied to me - but I haven't needed to use it yet ( the letter) as I get my HRT from GP anyway except for the Testosterone and managed to get some more by e-mailing the secretary and haven't been sent a bill for it yet!

Your cycles make me even more surprised that you weren't given progesterone as well to take say for 10 days  per month on top of the oestrogen - only in that it might help to regulate them? She doesn't do blood tests or scans I don't think - so you don't know if the erratic bleeding is due to no ovulation (so lining builds up and gets shed without prog because it's too thick), or increased ovulation due to peri and ovaries going haywire....

Well as she is the expert go with her recommendation, but afterwards presumably report to GP if anything untoward, as she is retiring?

Hurdity x