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[Kathleen]

Hello ladies.

I'm sure I've seen mention on the forum that it takes 72 hours before any progesterone is fully out of our bodies, is that right ladies?  I was wondering therefore if anyone uses Utrogestan vaginally every other day, or every third day and how that regime affects symptoms? If anyone has given the above a try I would be interested in how things went.

The reason I ask is because I met my friend the retired GP today and she mentioned that progesterone is definitely the cause of many problems including mood swings and  that women need more options for treating the menopause. Well Amen to that!

Any thoughts ladies would be gratefully received.

Wishing you all well and take care.

K.

[Kathleen]

Hello Stellajane

Thank you for your response.  Am I right in thinking that you are on a low dose oestrogen? If so spotting when using very little oestrogen must have been very frustrating.

Thanks again for your post and take care.

K.

[racjen]

Yes I also tried every other day of Utrogestan (vaginally) and I bled constantly - I'm on a relatively high dose estrogen though (Evorel 100) so that was part of the problem I imagine. I find 100mg a day a real struggle, even just for 10 days a month  .

[Hurdity]

Hi there - according to the SPC (product info) the half-life from trials in healthy volunteers from oral intake of 200 mg was vetween 14 and 19 hours. The hlaf-life is the time taken for either half the product to be elininated or for levels to reduce by a half ( not sure which). OK just found a definition here:

"The elimination half-life of a drug is a pharmacokinetic parameter that is defined as the time it takes for the concentration of the drug in the plasma or the total amount in the body to be reduced by 50%. In other words, after one half-life, the concentration of the drug in the body will be half of the starting dose."

This gives some idea of how long it actually hangs about in the serum. What it doesn't say is how long the  EFFECTS of the progesterone take to leave the system. This is because the effects are at two levels as with oestrogen - there is some effect through cell membrane receptors (I think this is responsible for the more or less instant effects we experience) and some through receptors in the cell nucleus and cause effects through metabolic changes in the cell itself?

When I was on a low dose oestrogen patch - back in 2011 after a disastrous trial of coming off HRT for 3 months when doc then suggested trying out 25 mcg patch - I also trialled ( along with another member on here at the time called Val I recall) taking progesterone I think every third day - but that was before I started in Utrogestan. It was Cyclogest pessaries I was using - and this was very effective. I don't remember experiencing side effects on this low dose and it worked to keep the lining thin because when I stopped, and subesequently started on my current long cycle regime, I had no bleed.

In your case it will depend on how much oestrogen you are on and how well you are absorbing it - ie how effective a reduced dose of progesterone would be. There is research (small trial) to show it is effective in protecting the endometrium when used vaginally alternate days with a medium dose of oestrogen ( from what I dimly recall this was a 50 mcg patch).

It has given me an idea to try again - but at the moment I am trialling a shorter cycle with lower dose prog to see if I can reduce the bleed, although I still got side effects even on 100 mg utro vaginally for 11/12 days....

Hurdity x

[Kathleen]

Hello racjen, Hurdity and Stellajane.

Thank you so much for your comments, much appreciated.

I'm considering giving the alternative day Utrogestan a try along with a lowish dose of Oestrogel, perhaps one or two pumps. I'm due a six month update with my consultant so I can plan to mention it at my next appointment.

Thanks again ladies and take care.

K.