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[SarahLou]

hello there! new girl here!

can i ask questions here? i've had a look around but can't find any discussions pertaining to my (pretty basic) enquiries

i have not had a period for over a year, but my GP has put me on 3 months of sequential HRT - not continuous, despite being technically post-menopausal. i am 51

i have just applied the estragel this morning for the first time (this is Day 1 of the cycle, yes?)

my GP discussed this in brief whilst i was with her, but she has only left instructions on the utrogestan, and not the estrogel, which i presume i take continually, non-stop?

she gave me no other info about when the cycle starts and ends, nor did she say if i should apply the gel every day, non-stop?

i was sat in her surgery trying to take it all in with terrible brain fog :/

already i am confused about when the (28 day?) cycle starts (today, with the first dose of estrogel?)

confused about when i should take the utrogestan, how long for? it says on days 15-26. so is that 15 days from today?

then take it every evening up to day 26. so 11 days in total, then stop? which takes me to day 26 - i think

i am trying to work out when the 28 day cycle starts and ends. something's not adding up for me (doh!) i appear to be 2 days astray somehow

i've even tried using the useless phone app calendar, and tried several other apps to no avail


so

start estrogel on day 1 (19 october)

begin utrogestan tablets on day 15 (2 november)

end taking utrogestan on day 26 (13 november)

that's 26 days, not 28. right?

so theres 2 more days til the start of my new 28 day cycle


have i gone completely doolally?

i was going to call the doctors reception and ask them to relay a message to the GP, but that could get convoluted, so i thought i would ask here first

if anyone has an easy way to maintain the schedule and keep track, i would love to hear about it

help me out please ladies! mucho gracias!

[Justjules]

Hi Sarahlou, welcome to the forum!

You can ask as many questions as you like!  This place is full of really good and up to date info and I doubt you would get such good advice anywhere else about all things meno and just general life stuff! 

Someone will be along shortly to answer all your queries.  I'm post meno and didn't take HRT but all these lovely ladies on here who are on that journey will advise.

x

[Lu2]

Hi.

Am sorry, I  can't help with your HRT questions but I just wanted to say hello, too. And good luck with your journey. I am overwhelmed by how lovely people are on here, and I haven't even got off the introduction board yet.

[Hurdity]

Hi SarahLou

 

Yes it does seem confusing when you don't have a cycle doesn't it?! Sequential HRT is designed for those who still have a cycle and you then start on Day which is the start of your bleed.

Although you are post-menopausal - it's always good to start with sequential HRT anyway because that way you can see how you feel both on the oestrogen only part, and then again when you add the progesterone.

Yes that's absolutely right - you take oestrogen all the time and progesterone (Utrogestan) Days 15 - 26. In practice, once your cycle has got going - you can then say count the first day of taking the utrogestan as the first day (although it's not Day 1 of the cycle as it is counted if you see what I mean!), take it for 12 days or however long you have to, and then start taking it again 4 weeks later (counting from the first day you started taking it) ie every 4 weeks. You will get a withdrawal bleed.

What doses are you using for each? I presume 2 pumps of gel (if oestrogel) - or maybe it's a sachet, and 200 mg utrogestan?

Do let us know how you get on and hope you see an improvement really soon! If you find it all suits you really well then later on you can then try continuous utrogestan which is a lower dose. Many of us also use it vaginally because we don't want to take it orally but do try the standard way to start with and see how you get on.

Good luck

Hurdity x

[SarahLou]

hey girls!

thanks for the replies, and i will sure stick around for all the friendly people and their experiences and info

i am only taking 1 pump/dose of estrogen gel at the moment rubbed in to the outer upper arms and shoulders, and will be taking 2 x 100mg progesterone tablets per day when i start

i chose the gel version from reading all the bumph the doctor gave me, and gel seems to be the 'best' option for me for various reasons, one being it doesnt require the liver to process it, and i have always been squeamish about IUDs, haha

presumably this is the minimum and we shall see from there

i dont have major issues really. a few hot flushes each day, REALLY sweaty head and face, but no night sweats. but i am not the girl i was a year or so ago. i was going to 'stick it out' and 'go natural', but then i got talking to someone who had decided to 'jump straight' in from the get-go, and that go me thinking 'why should i suffer?'

i think i will count day 26 (the last day on the progesterone tablets), and then count 2 more days to make it up to 28, then start again at day 1

may be i should confirm this with the doctor, but i cant see how else i am supposed to use a 28 day cycle


again, thank you all so much for taking the time to reply

i hope to see you around the place!