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[jmj]

Hello from new member.

I've been a lurker for some time, now decided to join the conversation.

I just turned 55, and I'm definitely in menopause. My last period was about 4 years ago.
I tried to go thru it without any hormonal help, but gave in. I was always a light sleeper, but after my hormones got diminished, so my sleep suffered even more, coupled with hot flashes and waking from adrenaline rushes and not being able to get back to sleep... Went to naturopath and she prescribed progesterone cream about a year ago, to be used continuously, and that helped in the beginning, a little. My sleep got worse and worse, and in the meantime my mother passed away... About a month ago my doctor prescribed Estrogel and changed the progesterone cream to Prometrium tablets (Utrogestan in UK).

What I am confused is the dosage, or schedule. Reading this forum (went halway thru utrogestan/estrogel support group), as well as medicine leaflets and posts on other sites confused me even more. What my doctor advised is to take Estrogel 1-21 days and no gel for 7 days, and take progesterone continuously. Everything I read here says differently. Currently I'm on 2 pumps of gel and 2x100 mg progesterone orally. So far I had one 21 day gel, one week off and now I'm in the middle of second "on" phase. I feel like night and day from before - I'm sleeping much better and now I have one or two nightly flushes which don't bother me as much. I have no progesterone side effects.

How do you post-menopausal ladies who take both gel and progesterone pills take them? Shoud I change the schedule? I definitely don't wan't any bleed.

My blood results before starting Estrogel:

FSH 79.3 IU/L (Postmeno 16.0-110.0)
Estradiol <40 pmol/l (Postmeno <113)
Progesterone 1.7 mnol/l (Postmeno <1.8 )
DHEA Sulphate 3.8 (<6.7)
Testosterone 0.8 (<1.5)
SHBG 119.0 (20.0-180.0)

Thank you all beautiful ladies

JmJ

[Hurdity]

Hi jmj

OK your doc is wrong! The most usual method of HRT is to take oestrogen all the time - and especially once you are post-menopausal!! No need to have a week off.  Taking it for 21 days only won't do any harm but you may well experience some pms type symptoms in your week off! The dose of progesterone for continuous combined use ( ie no bleed) is 100 mg but this is a "one-size-fits-all" dose and doesn't take into account different doses of progesterone - I think the assumption is this will work for medium dose oestrogen. What can happen with this dose ( 100 mg) taken orally) is that if the oestrogen dose is too high there can be random spotting or bleeding - although this may well settle after 6 months as spotting and a bit of bleeding is normal during the first few months of conti HRT. Brilliant that you've had no prog side effects especially on that high a dose taken all the time.

I am post-menopausal but have chosen to remain with a cycle into my 60's because I don't like the effects of prog and I use it vaginally anyway.

Hopefully your oestrogen levels will increase now that you are using the gel - and your sweats and flushes will disappear completely. Some women find the prog interferes a little with the beneficial effects of the oestrogen - and if this occurs you might need to increase the oestrogen dose - or reduce the prog - though this would be difficult.

Hurdity x

[jmj]

Thank you so much Hurdity!

Yes after reading so many posts here, I figured something is not completely right. So, I decided to take both continuously (2 pumps/100mg) and see how I feel. I'll keep you posted.
I'm feeling more comfortable this is the right choice for me, and that I'm not messing up with my body.

Progesterone actually helps me sleeping, so it's a bonus for me!

Again, I very much appreciate your reply!

JmJ