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[lottie11]

Hi

IM new to this forum but I have been reading your comments and it is a great resource, thanks to everyone who has contributed!
I am perimenopausal and do a very physical job so I wanted to go on HRT as I was suffering fatigue, headaches and lack of strength in my hands etc. Oh and zero sex drive. I had to go private as my = NHS doctor was unhelpful to say the learo. I went to the John Studd clinic and was proscribed 3 squirts of oestrogen and 10 days of utrogestan 200 and testosterone for the sex drive. The oestrogel is working great for me I feel great on it, i.e. not menopausal, strength back, no headaches, cleared my brain fog, testosterone also great although I don't take it every day as I forget, but the utrogestan made me want to murder someone. I then went on 100 mg tablets, still the same intact worse every month. angry, fighting with everyone and really high blood pressure, whereas my blood pressure is usually very low. I cannot afford to go back to the clinic so after reading this forum I tried it vaginally which made me depressed, angry and unable to operate although slightly less murderous. I then went back to a different NHS doctor who proscribed me Femostan tablets. I have tried the progesterone bit of it but it makes me fatigued to the point of unable to get out of bed, depressed, nauseas.  I was reluctant to cross over to it wholeheartedly because I feel so great on the oestrogel. I'm out of ideas. Im considering the marina coil but worried that if I am intolerant to progesterone it will makes matters worse. Im wondering if I can just stay on the oestrogel. I had regular periods before I started HRT so Im wondering if I maybe lower it to 2 pumps a day or taking it for just 2 weeks out of the month, would myown naturally occurring progesterone be enough to produce a period. Is that crazy or has anyone tried it? Do we need to bleed every month anyway? Would every 3 /4 months do? Would appreciate your thoughts.

[sheila99]

Hi Lottie11, it would be better to try a different progesterone such as provera or mirena. You have a higher rissk of developing cancer if your lining thickens so it's really a bad idea. I get very tired on utro (3rd cycle so only just made the connection) so will ask for provera. I was fine on the prog in Everel but the adhesive gave me a rash. You haven't run out of options, you just need to find the one that suits you.

[paisley]

Just want to say you are not alone. I could not tolerate progesterone at all. It made me crazy.
I never tried the Mirena because I had a hysterectomy

[racjen]

I don't see how it can be true that the Mirena delivers progesterone to the womb only, since depression and nervousness are high up in the list of common side effects. For that to happen the hormone must be reaching the brain. And for me it was a complete disaster - I went from just about coping to suicidal in two days. I can't tolerate Utrogestan either but haven't yet tried Provera, not sure what else is out there but I'm hoping I won't end up having to have a hysterectomy.

[racjen]

Also I meant to say (menopause brain) that Hurdity made a very informative post about the Mirena not long ago - can't find it right now but the gist was that all the stuff they tell you about it being a tiny dose is a bit of a twisting of the facts, as they're talking more in a contraceptive context than an HRT one. So it really isn;t that much better an option if you're progesterone intolerant, because used in HRT you'd be taking a lot less anyway.

[Hurdity]

Here is the recent thread about Mirena and systemic absorption:

https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,41309.msg651970.html#msg651970

Not sure where the original one was? Will try to find it!

Hurdity x

[Hurdity]

Here is the original one (I think!)

https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,34500.msg550449.html#msg550449

Hurdity x

[lottie11]

Thanks for all your replies. Amazingly Ive just had a bleed after only 3 days of progesterone which was all I could tolerate before becoming a danger to the general public. Im not sure what to do but definitely wary of the Mirena coil. I think I will go back to the GP and see if I can get a referral and try a different progesterone. Are there any progesterone gels about or is it all pills and patches?

[Nikkisyard]

Thanks for this post... I had never considered that perhaps my issue (moodiness and mild depression) could be linked to progesterone intolerance.... I'm on Utrogestan 100 continuous along with Estraderm50 patches. I've been grateful that most of my symptoms disappeared but have just been living with the low moods and zero libido... Doc wont give me T which I felt would be the missing piece of the puzzle but perhaps I too should be looking at a different form of progesterone (tried Evorel and didn't get on with that). I am very wary of the Mirena coil... and would like to stick with bioidentical... what are the choices?

[lottie11]

Testosterone really helps with the libido. I had no libido but it is back now, so have hope! I had to go private just to get a prescription but my friend got referred to a proper menopause clinic the nicky panay clinic I think, and they prescribed her with it for libido. She now gives it me, my 'supplier' so you could say, as you only need a drop of it a day a small tube goes a long way.

[Nikkisyard]

I'm so pissed at my Doc for not prescribing T... I was tested and she said I was borderline but as I understand this is a test designed for men... so annoying as she originally said it was an option.... now she won't prescribe until she consults with a specialist... this was over a month ago....
Maybe I should keep pushing. I've had no libido for over 4 years... min.... seriously it's not fair for either my partner or me to just live with this when there is clearly a solution....

As for progesterone and low moods... could upping my oestrogen be an option? So 1.5 patches instead of 1?

[sheila99]

Ask to be referred to a meno clinic for T. If you could go on a sequi regime rather than conti it would be easier to tell if progesterone is the problem. Moodiness & depression can be caused by low oestrogen (amongst other things) so would be worth increasing the dose to see.

[Hurdity]

Thanks for all your replies. Amazingly Ive just had a bleed after only 3 days of progesterone which was all I could tolerate before becoming a danger to the general public. Im not sure what to do but definitely wary of the Mirena coil. I think I will go back to the GP and see if I can get a referral and try a different progesterone. Are there any progesterone gels about or is it all pills and patches?

That's pretty much it apart from Mirena. There are a few for fertility but if you can't tolerate utrogestan vaginally it is unlikely that the others would be any different if you need a reasonable dose to protect your uterus ( depending on how much oestrogen you take?). Also if you are having regular monthly periods then you may produce enough progesterone although warning bells are that you bleed after 3 days of prog implying that your lining was ready to come away ( or that you ovulated early that month?). So difficult to say in early peri-menopause so best to err on the safe side. As Stellajane says the only way to monitor lower doses/duration of prog it is through medical supervision and regular scans. If you went to the Studd clinic I presume you are near London so could you ask to be referred to Chelsea and Westminster Panay clinic as I think that is still partially NHS?

Hurdity x

[lottie11]

Hi

Since my last post I succumbed to the minera coil as I really could not tolerate the Utrogestan, even vaginally on alternate days it sent me utterly loopy. Ive had the minera in for 6 weeks now and I have to say I am feeling depressed, withdrawn and generally overwhelmed by life. A bit tricky when you have toddlers to deal with. I am thinking about having it removed but want to give it a bit longer in case it settles down. Also I wondered if I could up my dose of Oestrogel to compensate the progesterone. Im on 3 pumps already. Is 4 or 5 pumps considered okay? I can't afford to go back to the private clinic to ask advice and the GP hadn't even heard of oestrogel before I made him give me a proscription so I don't think he will be able to advise. Any one here had any advice or experience of increasing their osetrogel usage above 3 pumps?
If I have the minera removed I guess I will have to come off HRT altogether and that would also be a disaster although I don;t think I tried Provera

[Orangefoot]

Utrogestan made me literally lose my everything. My family don't want me to take it ever again.

I need the benefits of the Everol patches I use so I now have a Jaydess IUS and all is well emotionally.

Clinics won't fit the Jaydess unless you need it for contraception so it's easier to get one if you are still having periods. My GP is still outraged that I have the Jaydess as in her limited and unsympathetic understanding of menopause it isn't licensed for meno use and she went as far as contacting Bayer to confirm this.

All despite refusing to believe that utrogestan existed and thinking what I was referring to was the mini-pill!