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[Dancinggirl]

Tangerinedreams - I can't remember your details - are you in late peri meno or post meno? If this was your first cycle on this regime, then your womb lining may not have built up enough so there probably wasn't enough lining to shed - this happened to me on my first cycle of gel and Utro.  You may find you get a bleed next time.

With subsequent cycles I ended up getting very heavy and prolonged bleeds and also spotting when on the oestrogen only phase!!! You may do better using it vaginally but this can give other issues e.g. irritation of the bladder but many women get on with this very well.  I also got quite bad cramps - I think the withdrawal bleed on HRT is different to our natural bleeds and is more likely to give cramps.
As you are using a relatively low dose of oestrogen, I would stick with the 100mg over 12 days but maybe try it vaginally - I think you may get a bleed next time.  Some women don't get a bleed on a sequential regime with any HRT - I would't worry about the lack of bleed yet.  DG x

[Tangerinedreams]

Thankyou for your reply DG, it was very reassuring to read. I would say I am in mid peri stage.  I started on HRT about a year ago after getting the early symptoms and my periods started becomming erratic and changed in length and then I went 6 weeks without one a couple of times.  I was on Femoston 1/10 before the Utro/Estrogel so had been getting regular bleeds.

I am going to try vaginally next month!

[Peterspots]

I am perimenopausal and my consultant has changed me from evorel conti (3 week bleed at the moment) to oestrogel 2/3 pumps and urogestan for 7 days

[Trufflecat]

That's what I have just started on Englishrose. Fingers crossed!

[Trufflecat]

Why were you on a continual regeime when you are only in peri is baffling.

[Peterspots]

It was the override my cycle but I have been bleeding for 3 weeks. I'm hoping this will be more successful

[catlike]

So.... now I've switched to estrogel and utro I can join this thread  . Wanted to post my experience so far.

Was previously on estrogen cream and microgest( same as utro). Was feeling dreadful on that but now convinced my e dose was just too low. I did email Dr Curry who suggested that the cream may not be best way to get my estrogen, amoungst other things. This prompted me to go to GP and find a sympathetic doc who was happy to prescribe the estrogel and utro. Aannywayyyy.... I have been so much better. Not done a whole month on this new regime but already can feel the difference. Must thank Menopause Matters here and Dr Curry!!! Thank you!!!!!

Am taking estrogel 2 pumps per day and on exhaustion days a tiny bit more. Added in the utro vaginally at 100mg on day 19... bit low from that but then more or less ok after. Stopped on day 27. Felt fine  for a bit then extreme energy crash plus very low/black mood. Withdrawal bleed slow to come but it came on 2nd day of stopping the utro. Bleed pretty light and relatively pain free! Next month i can try to preempt that and not plan much for the stopping utro stage.

I am amazed that it took me so long to try this higher dose of estrogen and my body seems to prefer the gel to the cream. Although I think I may have a bit of chloestasis ( my liver gets bit blocked and sore under upper right rib). this  comes and goes depending on the dose of estrogen.I manage it with liver herbs. But gonna talk to my GP lady about this next time.

I've also noticed that if i just leave the gel to dry I don't seem to absorb that well. If i rub it in it works for me, which seems to be contrary to the instructions? I also don't put it on all in one dose- but spread application throughout the day and evening. I pump first dose into a small container and then again later in the day.

So Hurdity, if you're reading this... you wondered why I wasn't getting a bleed.. was it low estrogen or not enough prog? It would seem that my e dose was too low previously for a bleed to happen. All I needed was a bit more.

So.. all in all my experience so far is positive. I've felt some of those 'sweet spot' days i have read about on here. Some days feel so good! And the odd not so good is bearable compared to my big swings i was getting previously.

So my conclusion is that the estrogen dose must be high enough to counteract the peri swings as much as possible. Gone from 8 or 9 really horrendous days per month to 3 or 4 tricky ones. That's a win  ! Hoorah!

[Cassie]

I have always massaged my gel in well into alternate legs, in my humble opinion, it is the only way, it is 100% effective....

[catlike]

Thanks for that Cassie. Yes- i recall reading on another forum that someone also found rubbing it in was best.

[Goosieloosie]

Well I'm on oestrogen only part atm (Estradot 50 patch) and last 2 days I've felt so down, low mood & weepy. I'm so disappointed as last month (my first month on Estradot) I felt absolutely great, really euphoric in fact and I wasn't too bad on the 12 days of Utrogestan either (taken vaginally), I did have a really bad day with progesterone withdrawal 3 days after I finished the course of Utro but it only lasted a couple of days & then I was fine again but I noticed all of last week my mood going downhill even tho I'm on the estradot only. I'm due to start the Utrogestan again this Friday aswell. Is it possible that my body just gets used to the Oestrogen & that it has settled down after the sudden rush at the beginning that made me feel good maybe??  Or do I need a higher dose? I'm 54 & post meno. Or can I just expect days like this? It's just atm I feel like I did before any HRT at all as I didn't have hot flushes, it was more my mood, irritability & lack of sleeping that prompted me onto HRT. So fed up 
Also I'm not sure whether to take the 200mg 12 days of utro vaginally again or go down to 100mg? I was fine on it apart from being a bit itchy & had a decent bleed after (heavy for 2 days then light) but did have really bad withdrawal for 2 days after finishing the course? Should I stick to 200 for this month or try 100?? I must add I've done 20 days of Estradot only instead of 16 just to work it into an upcoming holiday. So confused 

[Clovie]

I can't offer any advice as I'm new to estrogel/utrogestan combo, just wanted to send support and say you sound a bit like me Goosie, like I was. I felt down and couldn't understand why.
I was constantly analysing how I was feeling and trying to make sense of it, regarding my hormone levels I mean. It wears you out, you have my sympathies you really do. It is all very confusing, I agree.
Luckily I've had my oestrogen upped (I'm using 3 pumps of estrogel) and since then I've felt like 'me' again.  I just hope it remains that way!
BTW, I too am tinkering with the length of time I'm using oestrogen this cycle as we are going on a big holiday to LA, Vegas and San Francisco so the last thing I need is using utro at that time!  I'm putting it back by 3 weeks   
 

[Dancinggirl]

Goosieloosie - to be absolutely honest, I don't think we can expect HRT to totally help with low mood as there are so many factors involved.  Clovie makes a good point - often we over think things and also expect too much too soon.
You really haven't given things a proper go yet - you really need to give any HRT at least 3months before deciding to change - chopping and changing won't solve problems but may actually create more problems. Utrogestan can have a calming effect for SOME women so if after 3months on this regime and the up and downs are severe, then you could try using it continuously - so 25 out of 28 days per month and that would be 100mg Utro daily.
Generally it's the oestrogen that will bring the energy and lift we all want but it takes time to build up and settle.
Be patient and give things more time.   DG x

[Kate50]

Professor Studd told me to rub my gel in well!

[Goosieloosie]

I can't offer any advice as I'm new to estrogel/utrogestan combo, just wanted to send support and say you sound a bit like me Goosie, like I was. I felt down and couldn't understand why.
I was constantly analysing how I was feeling and trying to make sense of it, regarding my hormone levels I mean. It wears you out, you have my sympathies you really do. It is all very confusing, I agree.
Luckily I've had my oestrogen upped (I'm using 3 pumps of estrogel) and since then I've felt like 'me' again.  I just hope it remains that way!
BTW, I too am tinkering with the length of time I'm using oestrogen this cycle as we are going on a big holiday to LA, Vegas and San Francisco so the last thing I need is using utro at that time!  I'm putting it back by 3 weeks   

Thank you Clovie,yes it does wear you out,I was feeling so good and now I feel so low again and yes Dancinggirl you are absolutely right we expect HRT to cure all!! If only! Altogether I have been on HRT for 5 months now & I am still trying to get it right & it does get you down. My moods have been all over the place & faffing on with patches and inserting Utro & having a bleed gets to be a nuisance....doesn't seem 5 mins since I stopped using it and it's almost back around...well it would be already if I was taking it on time but I've put it off until Friday due to the holiday.
Clovie that is exactly where we are going on holiday !!!  (well not the San Fran part!) but we are doing LA (beach) and Vegas for 3 weeks in May and even though I should be super happy and excited I'm not  & I hate myself for feeling this way, I have alot going on at home though with family atm which doesn't help, I don't do too well with stress & anxiety these days either  . When are you off on your hols? I hope you too get yourself sorted, have a fab holiday and that our HRT works wonders for us when we're in that lovely hot sunshine take care 

[Clovie]

Clovie that is exactly where we are going on holiday !!!  (well not the San Fran part!) but we are doing LA (beach) and Vegas for 3 weeks in May


Goosie - Wow!  No way!  How spooky!! 

We go on our holiday this Friday!!! 

Never ventured over that side of the US before, it has been a nightmare to plan, but should be fun - and I'm sure it will be a darned sight better now that I have my hormones sorted and I actually feel like going now! 

Don't worry Goosie, 2 months back I felt like you do, I wasn't bothered about going on my holiday either. You've got a bit of time to get your hormones tweaked so that you'll hopefully be sorted and looking forward to your holiday too!      )

Take care x