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[Greenfields]

Apologies - I feel like I all I do on this board is post questions!  But if anyone has any advice on the following that would be helpful!

1. I've been taking Utrogestan 100mg for 2 days now. I'm finding that when I wake up I have trouble getting up.  I know it has a sedating effect - does this wear off when the body gets used to it?  Today I got up at 8.15am (my alarm went off at 7.15am and I kept resetting it). 

Yesterday I got up at 8am (that was after taking my first dose the night before).  I'd really like to get up at 7.15am or earlier.  In fact I woke early today and yesterday but I couldn't get myself up. 

I don't know how much of this is the effect of the Utrogestan and how much is just how I am at the moment.  But any thoughts appreciated.  I would like to be able to get up earlier because by the time I get up now, a good chunk of the morning has gone before I've had breakfast, showered and dressed - today I left my flat at 10am!

I have wondered whether, if I was to book an appointment where I had to show up early - whether that would get me up or whether I would still struggle?  I have an early morning Dr's appointment on 11th May so I guess that will be a test?

2. I know I can't take Utrogestan until 2 hours after I've eaten.  I have my tea early so at 8pmish I try to have a snack.  Last night I had a piece of cheese at 8.10pm so I knew I couldn't take the Utrogestan until 10.10pm.  Imagine my horror when it got to around 9.30pm and I started to feel hungry! I didn't eat anything and I took the Utrogestan as planned at 10.10pm but I'm wondering what to do if I get very hungry in the future? 

Should I avoid eating, take the Utrogestan and then could I eat later?  The instructions say to take the Utrogestan 1 hour before food or 2 hours after food.  I know from this board that eating affects the bioavailability of Utrogestan but I just want to figure out what to do if I get ravenously hungry late at night?  As it would be difficult for me to sleep if I was like that. 

When I was on the Nuvelle Continuous I had a couple of evenings where I was so hungry.  On one occasion I ate 3 times and even got up at 12.30am starving and having to eat - it was horrid as it was the last thing I wanted to do but I was so hungry I had to eat. Any information appreciated.  I usually like to be in bed by 10pm/10.30pm at the latest so I don't want to eat my main evening meal later and go to bed later because I've never felt good doing that.

Thanks  

[GypsyRoseLee]

Hi Greenfields

I take 200mg of Utrogestan from day 15-26 of my cycle.

I actually really liked its sedating effect as insomnia, anxiety and very early waking (always wake before 6am) are my worst peri symptoms.

I didn't have any problems getting up in the morning though, perhaps because I had slept properly and felt rested?

As for feeling hungry, I know that some women take their Utro vaginally at night so presumably this negates the worry about when to eat/not eat as the Utro is by-passing your stomach and digestive system completely.

[Greenfields]

Thankyou.  I'll see how the hunger thing goes - it caught me by surprise last night.  If it persists perhaps I will ask the GP for a vaginal gel when I see her on May 11th.

[GypsyRoseLee]

I don't think they use a gel Greenfields. I think they just insert the Utro capsules like a pessary?

[Annie0710]

I'm an early waker but a late get out of bedder !
I have to be out the house by 7.20am on work days and manage it but on my days off in still in bed playing games, on here, Facebook etc at 10am

I think when you know you have to get up, you do


Annie

[Night_Owl]

Hi Greenfields

Utrogestan does have a sedative effect - for some, greatly so - that can last well into the next day.  In my experience: no the body does not get used to it - it's not like estrogen.

In the past I tried a vaginal progesterone gel called Crinone, prescribed by the menopause clinic - to take every other night for 7 nights as part of a sequi regime, with estrogen patch.  I was as zonked out on this as I was on Utro - but we're all different, that's just me.  Crinone, I think, would only be prescribed by a clinic though.

As you know, Utrogestan can be used vag route and that cuts out the eating problem, however you may not want to take it that way.

Hope you find a way forward.  It is very much trial and error in this HRT game.

[Greenfields]

Thanks for these responses.  This morning I actually woke up earlier and could have got up earlier (I felt) - I chose not to as I slept a bit fitfully last night (woke up and was worrying about things).  However, I feel more like my normal self at the moment (11.13am) and have for a good chunk of the morning which is really nice.  So perhaps I'll be fine on the Utrogestan - I'll see how the rest of this month goes. As you say, it's so much trial and error.

[Greenfields]

Just to say I had 4 good days and then today I've woken up a bit jittery and had trouble falling asleep last night and was awake early this morning. Am guessing this is due to high progesterone levels today?  I know it's going to take a while for things to even out with my body but I just wondered - does Utrogestan come in anything less than 100mg? (ie a smaller dose?). 

Also I did some exercise yesterday for the first time in a while - 15 minutes resistance exercises in my flat!  But I'm wondering now whether, if I do exercise, would that too impact on my hormone levels? I was planning on doing more exercise next week if I continue to feel 'normal' or near enough to it ... but it's so hard to figure out things with this menopausal stuff. I've always eaten fairly heathily and continue to do so although I eat more protein these days.

Anyway, any thoughts appreciated.

[SusieJ]

Hello there!

This is a question I'm really interested in too. I've been taking utrogestan for 14 days on 100mg (I was supposed to take 200mg for 12 days but felt too sedated on it). I went back to see the specialist today to talk about whether there were any ways I could mitigate the side effects - and the simple answer is no. She was of the view that most women tolerate it better than other forms of progestin and it's worth persisting with. She also said that women vary in how it affects them, and whether they get used to the side effects, or whether the side effects lessen in time. So, her advice was just to keep trying it for a bit.

She said it's not licensed to be used vaginally in the UK, but she had no problem with me trying the vaginal route (you take the same dose, and push it high into the vagina: the capsules dissolve). I was keen to keep taking it cyclically (12 days per month) as i couldn't cope with feeling so exhausted every day. She said I could lengthen my cycle to six weeks (i.e take it for 12 days every six weeks) and if I had a very difficult period of work I could even occasionally lengthen it to eight weeks - for short periods the increased risk is very small. So I'm going to keep going for a bit and just hope that I'm one of the women who get a bit more used to it!

I was also really worreid about the two hour wait after food, but the Dr said that this is the drugs companies being over-cautious: the two hour wait is to make sure you don't get heart burn, and the risk of this really diminishes after about 45 minutes. In fact I completely forgot about the two hour rule till i read your message - I've been taking it less than an hour after I've eaten as I often get in late, and have had no problems at all. So again, I guess the rule is try it and see!

I hope this helps a little. Best of luck - and do let us know how it works out...

[CLKD]

How quickly does the sedative effect take over, if it should be taken on an empty stomach, why not before breakfast?

[GeordieGirl]

I've had a nightmare with my surgery where hormones were concerned and during the delays, I ended up buying natural progesterone cream online to fill the gap. I was tentative with this and tried amounts between 20-50mg and found that around 40mg was optimal for me, and hasn't made me sleepy.  I've since had a prescription for natural hormones from my GP to tide me over until I get my Meno Clinic appointment and the Utrogestan is in pill form (which I don't like but will tolerate for a few weeks) and it's 100mg.  I'm not sure why it can't be a lower amount to be honest though the fact it's a pill probably means only a percentage of that reaches the bits that need it .  I've also been prescribed an incredible amount of oestrogen, which I'm only taking one third of. I can't see the point of overloading my body if a little works well.

Is it worth talking to your GP to see if a lower dose is possible (probably cream form) ?

On the positive side, since taking the progesterone cream my pubes are coming back in force (so I'm anticipating my hair will recover too) and the cysty lumps in my breasts have just about gone (about which I'm absolutely delighted).

GG x

[Greenfields]

Just to say that since I posted originally about Utrogestan 100mg and sedation, I've been fine!  It's like my body has got used to it.  I now wake early and sleep well. I did some vigorous exercise for the first time this week (an aquafit class) and I slept like a log afterwards which was lovely. So I guess this just confirms that everyone is different and everyone responds differently to the different drugs. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I continue well - I'm 10 days into the new treatment and I feel so much better and I would really like to continue to feel this way!

Sending hugs to everyone on this board.

[SusieJ]

Greenfields - that is so lovely to hear and so reassuring and optimistic! I'm hoping I have as good a response as you eventually. Thank you for the encouragement!

[Taz2]

Hi Susie - are you still having a sedative effect even though you are using it vaginally or haven't you started that yet? It seems that this has not been noted with vaginal use and is one of the reasons for suggesting it to women who suffer sleepiness from taking it orally. Also, the advice to avoid food for two hours isn't relevant either as it's not absorbed into the stomach but straight through the vaginal tissues. Hope that it works for you. I couldn't use it due to a soya allergy - was really disappointed when I found that out!

Taz x 

[Hurdity]

Taz - I use it vaginally and definitely get a sedative effect unfortunately - especially in the mornings - but I presume this maybe less than those who take it orally?!

At least I don't get the other side effects that some can experience from oral use eg nausea and dizziness, and taking vaginally means you can use a lower dose as more gets straight to the uterus where it is needed.

GeordieGirl - progesterone cream isn't high enough dose to provide proper protection for the uterus from stimulation by added oestrogen. Also progesterone stimulates some aspects of the breast tissue to grow (different from the oestrogen) - can't remember which now... from what I understand, this is why cyclical HRT is preferred to minimise breast cancer risk (which is very small anyway).

Hurdity x