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[Darlingbabs]

I have terrible anxiety and depression from day 14 to day 28 and have been put on estrogel (after 5 months seems to have done nothing - it was supposed to stop me ovulating but have now tried 2, 3, 4 and 5 pumps to no avail). Next step is the coil and I know they will ask me if I want the jaydess or the mirena. Does anyone know which, if either, will make you more crazy (utrogestan made me suicidal in about 24 hours) and which,if either, will help quickest to stop my cycle/flatline my cycle? Finally, if it makes me more crazy (am currently 4 days into the good part of cycle so I have 10 days left until day 14 where I start getting panic attacks and misery) how long do I give it to 'settle in before getting it taken out? Thanks

[Hurdity]

Hi Darlingbabs

The MirEna/Jaydess are not designed to suppress ovulation although i think this happens some of the time, so you may well still get your cycle going on in thre background.

As far as i understand the only way to do this is either through a very high dose of oestrogen - which you have tried, or using the combined contraceptive pill (or POP - not recommended for menopause because it usually depresses oestrogen levels).

There is a more modern CCP called QLAIRA which only has two tablet free days and has one of the later generation progestogens - dienogest which may be better tolerated. The progestogen is taken for 22 days of the month, and the oestrogen dose does vary throuighout the month too. Other than that there are injections which put you into temporary chemical menopause and then you add back hormones at the right level for you, to see if this improves things and also before taking the drastic step of having a hysterectomy with ovary removal.

Do you know if your symptoms are due to progesterone intolerance only, or the oestrogen decrease during the second part of the cycle or both?

However the coil would enable you to take as high a dose of oestrogen as you needed without having to take further progestogens.

One way of seeing whether you tolerate this particualr progestogen is to try the Femseven patch which contains the same type - Levonorgestrel - but the oestrogen dose is only 50 mcg so may not be sufficient for you at this point?

Whereabouts are you in menopause re natural cycle and regularity of periods ( before starting HRT) and how old are you?

Hurdity x

Hurdity x

[Darlingbabs]

@hurdity thanks for your reply. I am 38 and peri-menopausal. I am hoping that my symptoms are due to changing levels of hormones at day 14 rather than an intolerance of progesterone (I was on depo provera for many years and was fine -in fact it's only since I have been off it that I was not fine...)
I went to see the gynaecologist today and she said that it seemed crazy at my age to be on estrogel at 5 pumps and that, if I wasn't feeling any benefit (in fact I've been feeling worse at ovulation because it hasn't been suppressing it and I guess then the changes in hormones make me feel terribly anxious and depressed for 10-14 days until a bleed). As I was only going on the coil to be able to take the estrogel she said that I would be better off either a. Going back on depo provera to shut down my cycle completely or b.going on a combined pill. So I left with 2 months supply (continuous) of loestrim 20.
I am to wean myself off the estrogel she says,over the next couple of weeks whilst also starting this pill. However, I've just had a thought which is that surely I need to have a bleed at some point to shed the womb lining or is that incorrect? Am praying it doesn't send me completely bonkers again....

[dangermouse]

That sounds like a good plan or you could return to your Depo if the BCP doesn't suit you. You may feel a little off the first week of the pill as you're adding in more hormones but after a week it should start to suppress your cycle so give it at least 7 days (I know this well as used to use it before I went on prog cream to suppress my cycle).

It's better to take the BCP without breaks as then your cycle won't keep coming back into play and there's no need for a bleed as the progesterone in the pill will be fully protecting your womb and stopping it from building up, just like with the Depo.

[Darlingbabs]

@dangermouse, thanks so much. that is all great info - I can't believe it works in a week (although I am absolutely thrilled it does,  I cannot wait to have my cycle shut down!).

[Dancinggirl]

Darling - just to answer your question about the need for a bleed, you may find you do get a period at some point but if you don't you may not need one. It might be a good idea to check with your specialist though.  DG x