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[Dancinggirl]

Fab post Dana - it's good to talk with the pharmacist as they are often more clued up that the GP!!!!!
Hurdity also explained things very clearly - many ladies have issues with the more synthetic progesterones in the patches and many of the pills and sadly unless you are seeing a specialist as you, Hurdity, Sunnydays and I are, most women won't be allowed to adjust and experiment till they find the right balance that works for them. This is why this site in so invaluable.
DG xxxxx

[Dana]

Unfortunately a lot of women have issues with progestogens in general. I personally fare a lot better on Provera than I do on Utrogestan. Fortunately my doctor has a very relaxed attitude towards HRT and has always said "do what works for you", and has always allowed me to tinker and chop and change between different types and deliveries.

[Sunnydays]

A couple of things:

I've found out that 'tds' is the doctor talk for three times a day! I contacted the gynae to ask if it was still this dose of Provera  on low progesterone and he said yes ( but made no comment about my question if I only wanted to go 2 months. He quite clearly said '....I would therefore recommend you take the dosage ie 3 times a day for 14 days.....this should be taken at three monthly intervals'. He also said a routine scan would not be necessary as long as I take the medication as advised and report any abnormal bleeding.

My other thing is that this Friday just past, I switched to this new long cycle routine and started the Estrodot 25 mcg patch to replace the evorel conti 50 mcg that I'd been using up till that very changover (albeit just under half a patch at a time). So basically just a small increase in the oestrogen amount. I can't say I'm progesterone intolerant (I don't know what the criteria for that is) but each time I've tried hrt I've felt a surge of feeling v good and then slowly headaches take over and with the evorel I had a constant feeling of irritability, almost anger. I found this outweighed the good feeling hence the switch.

When I started the Estradot within a day I felt my head was clearer, I felt lighter and not so irritable (but hey I'm a bit of a cranky old thing at the best of times!) But last night a headache came on! I'm so disappointed, just the same headache as I had with the conti stuff. So maybe it wasn't  the progesterone causing it and now I'm wondering if I should never have started playing around with it and have set myself up for high dose progesterone which might make me feel terrible! Sorry ladies, off loading here - this all takes so much time aaagh! I feel stuck between a hard rock and a stone.

[Dancinggirl]

Sunnydays - just to clarify - are you now using just a 25mcg oestrogen patch? This is still a very low dose so even if you used half an Evorel patch this may well be equivalent.  The headache may be because your body is adjusting - it should settle down.  The irritability you describe on the other progesterone in Evorol is a typical PMT type symptom (I got this) and I believe many find they feel less of this side effect with Provera.
I'm sure you will feel better in about a week. DG x

[Sunnydays]

Thanks DG
Yes i just have the Estradot 25mcg patch so a low dose. Headache has fortunately gone so I'll see how things go.

[Sunnydays]

I've been taking this estradot for 11 days now. I know it's not long since the switch from Evorel and its only a slight increase in oestrogen but my tummy feels like it's in turmoil and I've started to get period like pains. Although I had some tum discomfort initially on Evorel it disappeared.
Do you think this will go or is it one of the downside to long cycle - I'll always feel like I'm about to have a period?  Feeling glum

[Dancinggirl]

Sunnydays - there will be some strange feelings, cramps etc. when your switch an HRT regime and this is normal for the first 3-6 months as the body adjust and settles with the hormones. My gynae describes it as "the body waking up again". I have to say the longer cycle can throw up slightly more things so it will be trial and error - try to relax an enjoy the benefits. Be patient.  DG x

[Hurdity]

Maybe you will get some spotting or bleeding after changing from the Evorel conti? Hence the period type pains - or maybe just as Dancinggirl says - your body waking up again! The progestogen in the Evorel conti also will have prevented build up of the lining so your oestrogen recpetors are no only being stimulated by oestrogen - even though it is only a slightly increased dose.

Hurdity x

[Sunnydays]

Just thought I'd give an update. I realised that I wasn't prepared to wait 3 months on oestrogen  only (25 mg patch which I have snipped a bit off )  to find that the essential 15 day 'high course' of oral progesterone was going to make me feel terrible. So, rightly or wrongly I decided after 7 weeks to start on 5mg of Provera. I take the one tablet first thing in the morning and am on day 8, planning to take for 15 days in all. Side effect wise I get a bit of a muzzy head across my forehead about 2 hours after taking it which soon wears off. I haven't been sleeping well but that could be because I have pulled a neck muscle and I can't get comfy at night. I feel a bit grumpy and 'cup half empty' ' in the day but this could be to do with the lack of sleep and aching neck!
I feel very strange today  - clumsy, can't think clearly but again, I can't attribute that directly to the Provera, unless of course it continues/worsens.
I'll let you know what happens after 15 days.

[Dancinggirl]

Sunnydays - It sounds to me as though you are expecting problems whilst taking the Provera - what you are describing could simply be coincidental and nothing to do with the progesterone. Many women do very well on Provera and you are taking a very low dose so try to relax and don't worry.
I think we must accept that we can't expect to feel good all the time and the sequential regime will always give some lowish days which often come once we actually finish the progesterone, not when taking it.
DG x

[Sunnydays]

DG you're right that I was concerned about potential side effects of a high dose, particularly given the side effects I had from low dose conti regime (which I realise is a different P).
I'm pleasantly surprised that I haven't felt much at all from Provera so far, apart from slightly lower mood, and realise that the other things are most probably coincidence. One good thing, is that it has had a massive positive on my libido - P seems to do this to me!!

[Hurdity]

Why not take the tablet at night so that the amounts in your bloodstream reach their peak while you are asleep? This should minimise some of the side effects although you sound like me - that you experience a cumulative effects as it builds up - I definitely have the muzzy head and inability to think so well, in addition to a bit of a "can't be bothered" somewhat lethargic negative feeling. For me though, much as I don't like it, it is not debilitating and perhaps like prolonged pms - and the side effects are worth enduring temporarily so that I can enjoy the benefits of a medium oestrogen dose, and rather than have to take progestogens all the time. Hope the rest of the course of prog is uneventful!

Good news about your libido

Hurdity x