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[Sunnydays]

Just an update on my change from a Conti Regine to long cycle. After seven weeks of 25 mg oestrogen patch, I have just completed 12 days of Provera 5mg per day. During the day of day 12, I felt all the symptoms of what it used to be like when a period is coming: headache, low aching in my tummy and although it sounds bizarre I also had a kind of ache i would get during the ovulation part of the cycle. I also had slightly loose bowels which I'm sure I recall getting before a period. I had decided not to take 13 and 14 of the Provera as I just haven't been sleeping well the past few nights and couldn't manage another day at work without any/little sleep.
Today I didn't take the day 13 tablet in the morning and I started to get some bleeding late morning which felt strange not having had a period for more than two years. In fact it feels really alien to see blood.
 So basically I have started a bleed the day after stopping the Provera and I wonder if this sounds right and how long should this last and how will I know if it's enough for the Provera to have done its job?

[Hurdity]

Sunnydays - your oestrogen dose is not very high, although you have gone 10 weeks without progestogen so impossilbe to say. It's fine to get a bleed just after stopping or even towards the end of the progestogen phase. If you get a good bleed you will know that the lining is coming away. If it isn't doing its job properly (or if your cycle kicks in) then you would get bleeding before the 10 weeks was up - and this would either be due to your own cycle (if you are still peri-menopausal) or oestrogen breakthrough bleeding due to build up of lining.

No-one can say how long it will last and graudally you will get used to how it works for you.

I can imagine it is very strange after such a long time - for me it was about 6-9 months I think - but you will soon get used to it and especially if only every 3 months!

Hopefully you are feeling generally better overall, despite the pms and period symptoms?

Hurdity x 

[Dana]

I finished 12 days of Provera 5mg just over a week ago. I took the last tablet on the Friday morning, and my period started overnight on the Sunday/Monday morning. It's lasted for a good 4 days of bleeding and yesterday and today have been more like spotting. I had also only gone about a month since my last round of Provera, while you've gone longer, so that might be why your period started sooner. We're all different of course, but what you're experiencing all sounds pretty normal to me.

[Sunnydays]

Hurdity and Dana, many thanks for your comments - much appreciated, it's good to know that everything seems normal. I guess the real confirmation will be no spotting during the 7/8 weeks on oestrogen only as, with this being my first 'bleed' I can't tell if it's good bleed, and certainly my low dose of oestrogen might mean there's not too much to shed.

I had hoped that once the Provera finished I would immediately leap into the oestrogen only great feeling. Three days on I'm feeling quite nauseous and my tender breasts (came on with the progesterone) still feel the same. I have low ache in my tummy and lower back, I guess like period pains. Today I simply can't get warm - jumpers, hot water bottle and I still feel cold. Maybe I've got a bug and it's hiding the return to feeling 'oestrogen only' good!
I hope this will get easier!

[Hurdity]

It would not be normal to feel good immediately after stopping the progestogen because for the first few days you are still in effect in the pre-menstrual phase - ie where in the normal cycle progesterone is dropping just before the bleed, and the classic pmt feelings are generally experienced, even with women who are not progesterone intolerant. Once the progesterone has cleared from your system and the associated physiological changes have reversed (this takes a little while), you should feel the benefits of oestrogen only - hopefully!! It may not work exactly as in the menstrual cycle but should be broadly similar. Hope you feel better soon!

Hurdity x

[Sunnydays]

Thanks for this Hurdity. I relate I'm new to this so it will take a bit of getting used to! I've just been reading one of the other threads about feeling low etc after a drop in Utrogestan. I must say I still  feel pretty crap - not ill  - just like a blob! A bit of a miserable blob at that! Lets hope it soon clears. The bleeding seems to go on a bit as well - I suppose the progesterone taken in this way (rather than a conti regime) can't get rid of more than just the lining can it 
I'm very glad I didn't wait 3 months and then have a high dose of Provera! Not sure if I would have survived it!