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[Hurdity]

Yes many of us take local oestrogen as well as systemic HRT - and the NICE Guidelines recognise that this is sometimes necessary. Also says on this site at the link I gave:

VAGINAL TREATMENTS

Local estrogen can be used for vaginal and bladder symptoms, when systemic treatment is not desired or appropriate. For some women, vaginal estrogen may be required along with systemic HRT.


Hurdity x

[KayJay]

It's good to know I can take both.

I'm going to get some of the liquid iron to take on holiday, I think just having it with me will give the reassurance I need.

I'm due to stop taking the 12 days of Utrogestran on Friday so I'm going to wait till after the 3 day break and see if the bleeding stops after the first week of the continuous utrogestran & see my GP again to ask for the local cream as well if not.

Thanks for the suggestions I really appreciate it

Xx

[amaliebell]

Yes many of us take local oestrogen as well as systemic HRT - and the NICE Guidelines recognise that this is sometimes necessary. Also says on this site at the link I gave:

VAGINAL TREATMENTS

Local estrogen can be used for vaginal and bladder symptoms, when systemic treatment is not desired or appropriate. For some women, vaginal estrogen may be required along with systemic HRT.


Hurdity x

Hello Hurdity

I hope you don't mind me reaching out directly but your knowledge on this regime encouraged me to persist with my doctor about utrogestan estrogel. I am 53, peri for 5 years and started 100mg utorgestan tablets for 25 days and 2 pumps of estrogel on 26th February this year. My GP was not familiar with it and it took 3 doctors and 2 visits to persuade them to let me have this. They originally recommended a patch and then estrogel with mirena. They didn't tell me how to use it so I take 2 pumps and the tablet at night other than to follow the instructions on the packet. I have had a break through bleed today and not sure if this is because I am taking it incorrectly. I have not had any negative symptoms and the day-time and night-time flushes stopped almost immediately.

Amaliebell

[Hurdity]

Hi amaliebell

 

When you say peri for 5 years - how far along the road to menopause are you in terms of periods and cycle length? The thing is if you are still very much peri-menopausal and having periods fairly often ( rather than going 6 months without) then your own cycle will break through. HRT is not usually strong enough to suppress the natural cycle except at very high doses of oestrogen. Your doc has given you the dose for post-menopause ie 25 days pout of 28 - which is more or less continuous but allows the occasional small bleed if necessary.

Also even in post-menopause - because women are so variable in the amount of oestrogen they absorb from a given quantity of gel, some women find that 100 mg daily is insufficient to protect the womb lining and they get irregular spotting and bleeding even with continuous Utrogestan. Dancinggirl was one of these but she's having computer problems at the moment so isn't posting much.

Depending on what you say and where you  are in menopause - using Utrogestan cyclically may be a better option - ie from days 15-26 using 200 mg utrogestan and then you would get a withdrawal bleed that hopefully coincided with your period. You would count Day 1 as the first day of your bleed. Perhaps have another word with your doc? It gives the dose here: https://menopausematters.co.uk/to_progestogens.php

Pleased to hear your flushes have stopped and you have no side effects from the utrogestan - this is a good sign!

Hope this helps

Hurdity x
 

[amaliebell]

Hi Hurdity

I had about 5 periods in 2016 but these were very, very light and lasted no more than a couple of days. My last was December and again this was very light so it could be a another of these very light ones. My GP practice have never prescribed this combination before and in the end just gave me what I asked for. My night flushes had been regular but not particularly annoying until January 2017 at which point they started happening a number of times in one night. My daytime flushes only started in January and I would have 3 or 4 at work. Do you think I should change to the peri-menopause regime?

Best Amaliebell

[Hurdity]

Hi amaliebell

As you are not yet post-menopausal then your own hormones are likely to breakthrough if you have a cycle - the dose of HRT is not strong enough to prevent this and the progesterone not strong enough to completely stop bleeding - unlike some of the synthetic progestogens.

Yes I would suggest you go with the sequential regime (200 mg prog days 15-26) - as outlined in the link - which is the recommended regime for peri-menopause.

Let us know how you get on

Hurdity x

[Butterfly22]

Hi ladies,
Just going to join the thread as started gel yesterday.
I started the menopause at 25 after having endometriosis.
ME and depression came with it.
I was on one HRT for ten years but it was discontinued so spent four years trying to find a suitable one, but of a nightmare as with ME your sensitive to chemicals.
Then I've been on premique the last year and a bit and then this has been discontinued.
So on the gel.
Last time the gel was not helping my night sweats and felt wiped but I'm on a different antidepressant
So I'm hoping it may react different this time.
Anyway just wanted to say where I'm at.
Look forward to reading people's experiences xxx

[amaliebell]

Hi amaliebell

As you are not yet post-menopausal then your own hormones are likely to breakthrough if you have a cycle - the dose of HRT is not strong enough to prevent this and the progesterone not strong enough to completely stop bleeding - unlike some of the synthetic progestogens.

Yes I would suggest you go with the sequential regime (200 mg prog days 15-26) - as outlined in the link - which is the recommended regime for peri-menopause.

Let us know how you get on

Hurdity x

Many thanks Hurdity. I am going to stop 100mg at day 25 and then resume with 200mg at day 15. Do I treat day 1 of new 15-26 regime at what would be day 30 on old regime?

Amaliebell x

[Hurdity]

Day 29 of old regime ( Utrogestan days 1-25) becomes day 1 of new. Oestrogen only for days 1-14. Add the utro from days 15-26 at 200 mg and bleed should follow either day 28 or day 1, if it's going to come - but maybe it will get a bit out of sync - sometimes it does depending on where you are in meno. Think I've got that approx right! Don't worry for the moment. Just get started and hopefully all will be well

Hurdity x

[Snowbear]

I've just joined Menopause matters and this is my first post so I hope I'm getting it right!

I'm a 52 year old post menopausal woman. I've been having severe frequent hot flashes, dryness, severe fatigue, agitation, all over pain, insomnia and a host of other lovely symptoms.

I've just started Estrogel, 2 pumps a day, one pump on each thigh. I just wondered if there was an average time for this to start working? I'm on day 11 now and waiting for some relief. Does it take a while for it to kick in?

When my estradiol was last tested in September, it was <37 pmol/L. I'm not sure what it's supposed to be in order to start feeling better.

Also, the estrogel has ethanol in it which smells very alcoholic! Ethanol is made from either corn or wheat, both of which I'm intolerant too. Does anyone know if any of it gets absorbed through the skin?

Thank you.

[Snowbear]

Thank you stellajane. I appreciate your reply. I may see if I can find a different topical oestrogen.

[Misty22]

Hi ladies,sorry if this seems a stupid question but I'm a little confused!After much begging and armed with printed articles my GP prescribed evorel 75 and utrogestan 200 vaginally (even though she has never heard of it!)
My question is when I begin to take the utrogestan do I stop taking the evorel (I'll be taking it from 15 to 26)or do I carry on with no breaks?

[Liz]

Hi, you use Oestrogen all the time, every day and then add in your Progesterone on the specified days, so yes, keep your patch on.

[Misty22]

Thanks Liz

[foreign body]

I have been on estrogel/utrogestan for a couple of years. But something changed. For the past four months i haven't had a bleed, while before i had some light bleeding for a couple of days. I am on one pump of Estrogel a day and take Utrogestan 100 mg. vaginally for 7 days every month. I noticed that Utrogestan is now causing insomnia, which is also strange as it had a different effect before. Estrogel is enough to keep menopausal symptoms at bay, except for the occasional hot flush which doesn't bother me. This month i feel very premenstrual, but still no bleeding. What could be the cause?