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[KaraShannon]

Hi everyone

I've had 2 months of dizziness and postural hypotension, seemed worse during the progesterone phase of the Evorel Sequi patches, so I decided this week to remain on Estradiol and try the continuous HRT.

I was starting to feel a bit better last week anyway, so I don't know if my oestrogen peaking was helping.  Remaining on oestrogen this week and generally feeling ok, some energy, productive, etc, so tonight I decided to try my first Utrogestan.  I did not want to take it orally to start with so have begun with vaginal insertion.

Unfortunately half an hour after this I felt a lot of 'pressure' in my head and lungs, I became asthmatic (it's easing off a bit now but not enough to be happy going forward with this), bloated, as if I'm retaining loads of water.  I dropped something in the street and had to bend down to pick it up and I just felt so much pressure in my body as if blown up like a balloon.  It's now nearly two hours later and the asthma has eased off a bit but I'm not comfortable at all.

Anyone else had this?  What's interesting is I used to have these symptoms in the past, but much milder, so I think now I know it's progesterone that's doing it. 

I know we need the progesterone but I'm missing tomorrow's dose and I might just miss it this week until I'm feeling better, as I'm still getting over the dizziness and postural hypotension issues that I've had (and was just starting to feel better)

Anyone else had these issues?  Wondering whether to go back to my Evorel Sequi patches already.

[KaraShannon]

The next day, feel rubbish, very hot (I never am), no energy, and all this was straight after utrogestan yesterday.

It might be an initial reaction, but had nothing like it on evorel sequi and that is an artificial progesterone.  Maybe it was just the change, but I think I'll be giving utrogestan a miss for a while then give it another try. 

Curious if anyone else had these problems.

[Flossieteacake]

I do not know if this is of any help but I tried northisterone and it caused my chest to be tight. I felt breathless and then it turns out I am asthmatic. I had to stop it and now I use an inhaler. I am sorry you have had such a bad reaction. How awful.

[KaraShannon]

I do not know if this is of any help but I tried northisterone and it caused my chest to be tight. I felt breathless and then it turns out I am asthmatic. I had to stop it and now I use an inhaler. I am sorry you have had such a bad reaction. How awful.

Thanks Flossie, I'm fine on the Evorel Sequi progesterone (I think that's nothisterone, I can't be bothered to go in the other room and look,  ), aside from just recently a bit of postural hypotension and dizziness, but it may not have been that. 

but my chest was tight last night after taking utrogestan!  No way I can put up with that, it was too uncomfortable, I didn't need any medicene, I was out without it anyway (as I never need it, for over a decade), it did ease off after an hour and a half, but way too uncomfortable.  I will try again sometime as it might just be an initial reaction, but not for a while.

[Flossieteacake]

I do not know if this is of any help but I tried northisterone and it caused my chest to be tight. I felt breathless and then it turns out I am asthmatic. I had to stop it and now I use an inhaler. I am sorry you have had such a bad reaction. How awful.

Thanks Flossie, I'm fine on the Evorel Sequi progesterone (I think that's nothisterone, I can't be bothered to go in the other room and look,  ), aside from just recently a bit of postural hypotension and dizziness, but it may not have been that. 

but my chest was tight last night after taking utrogestan!  No way I can put up with that, it was too uncomfortable, I didn't need any medicene, I was out without it anyway (as I never need it, for over a decade), it did ease off after an hour and a half, but way too uncomfortable.  I will try again sometime as it might just be an initial reaction, but not for a while.

I agree. I would not be able to take it after experiencing that. It must have been frightening.

[ATB]

It does sound like really bad GERD. It can result in tightness in the chest, breathlessness etc bloating as well makes me think that’s what it is and it seems to happen to a lot of us in Utrogestan or in that phase when esteogen is lower. Possible you need more estrogen in that phase and I think a chat with a GP or menopause clinic might help you. Do you feel ok when not taking Utrogestan?

[KaraShannon]

It does sound like really bad GERD. It can result in tightness in the chest, breathlessness etc bloating as well makes me think that’s what it is and it seems to happen to a lot of us in Utrogestan or in that phase when esteogen is lower. Possible you need more estrogen in that phase and I think a chat with a GP or menopause clinic might help you. Do you feel ok when not taking Utrogestan?

thanks ATB, I can't seem to have a decent conversation with the GP's at my surgery they don't seem to have the time and to be honest everyone here thinks things through more.

I think pollen levels might have been high recently, so perhaps even though I don't need asthma meds anymore, it might have lowered my threshold and then the utrogestan triggered it. 

I have been a couple of weeks without utrogestan when I should have been taking it and I'm feeling on something of an even keel but still having symptoms, joint pain when walking (and I've always been a walker with no pain), napping in the daytime when I'm home (again, not my thing) etc. 

I will speak to the doctor and let her know I didn't take utrogestan this time around and seek her opinion on whether to go back to the evorel sequi progesterone or try utrogestan again next month.  The thing with evorel sequi is I am taking 100 Estradiol so it's not really licensed to use that way, and the progesterone might not be enough.  I've just had my first really heavy period in 2 years (I've been having regular periods, not sure if they're mine or due to the evorel sequi as my cycle hadn't stopped when I started taking the hrt), I was taking 100 Estradiol for the last 6 months along with the progesterone from Evorel Sequi, maybe it wasn't enough.

[KaraShannon]

UPDATE:

Even though I've not taken my utrogestan or the old evorel sequi progesterone, my body is really behaving like it's in progesterone phase.  My period came on time, I'm having those sleepy episodes where sleep just takes me over during the day sometimes, etc.

Still wondering if it's possible I'm making enough progesterone of my own right now.

[Ju Ju]

It’s difficult to know if progesterone and worsening asthma are related, particularly with all the allergens flying around. Being anxious either about taking progesterone or anxious as a symptom of menopause may aggravate asthma of course. I have asthma, but didn’t have worsening symptoms when taking progesterone, but I really didn’t get on with any form of progesterone at all.

[Taz2]

Utrogestan has asthma listed as one of the conditions which needs to be supervised. You can find details on the EMC site. Not sure what your patient information leaflet says.

[KaraShannon]

Utrogestan has asthma listed as one of the conditions which needs to be supervised. You can find details on the EMC site. Not sure what your patient information leaflet says.

Thanks Taz2

I didn't check any of that stuff because I just assumed a body identical progesterone was going to be kinder to me than the progesterone I was getting from evorel sequi.  Pollen was high those few days, but I haven't has asthma in 15 years, even got through covid a few times without needing asthma meds, so while I technically have it, it's never an issue these days.  So it was interesting how ten mins into the utrogestan it all started and then 90 mins later began to ease off.

But yes, thanks for reminding me I should look at the info, lol.  I will have to make decisions before the next progesterone phase comes around

[KaraShannon]

It’s difficult to know if progesterone and worsening asthma are related, particularly with all the allergens flying around. Being anxious either about taking progesterone or anxious as a symptom of menopause may aggravate asthma of course. I have asthma, but didn’t have worsening symptoms when taking progesterone, but I really didn’t get on with any form of progesterone at all.

thanks Ju Ju

anxiety has never brought on asthma for me, though I know it does for some.  if anything the adrenalin would make asthma less likely in me.  I've also not had it or required meds for around 15 years, and it was always mild before then.  It was quite a coincidence, but yes the pollen levels were apparently very high.  but along with the sudden bloated feeling and generally feeling I was swelling, lol, I think I was having some sort of reaction to it.  Not enough to scare me to never try it again, but enough to want to wait a while, I certainly couldn't take it if it's going to do that, i couldn't function, even bending down to pick something up that I'd dropped on the floor was really uncomfortable due to bloated feeling or water retention or whatever it was. 

Interesting that you didn't get on with any form of progesterone, it's weird isn't it how people seem to react to that more than the oestrogen.  I haven't taken any progesterone this month, I know I have to sort out what I'm going to do before next month but I just needed a break