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[Pixielilac]

I am worried about starting my new HRT, I have had some really good suggestions on here about how to take the new one, Estraderm MX 25 patches and Utrogestan 100mg.
My doc says I am post menopausal as I haven't had a period for over 2 years, and when I stopped taking the Elleste Duet Conti due to a month long bleed my doc said I would get a bleed, well nearly 4 weeks later I haven't had a bleed and am worried about taking the Estraderm and Utrogestan in case I get a month long bleed again when the break starts from Utrogestan.
I used to get terribly heavy periods before menopause  that would leak through a tampon and would run off a pad (sorry but that's how heavy it was).
I now can't use tampons because of a prolapse and atrophic vagina, and when I had the month long bleed I was leaking off the pad wihin an hour
and it was affecting my job.
Plus all the things I read about progesterone puts me off it a bit.
I know I'm getting quite anxious about the bleed and all of it, whereas before I got HRT I was like ‘just give me it I'll try anything' as I had a long battle with my doc before he eventually gave me HRT.

[Pixielilac]

Thankyou for your reply. I was on Elleste Duet Conti from April until about a month ago, my doc took me off the Elleste due to a month long bleed and he said the progesterone doesn’t agree with me.                                                    I have now been given Estraderm patches and Utrogestan that I haven’t started taking yet as I am worried that the bleed that is meant to happen after 25 days of taking Utrogestan will be a long and heavy bleed as I didn’t have a bleed when I stopped the Elleste.

[Dotty]

Hi bleeding can be expected in the first 6 months of taking any new hrt, so the bleeding on Elleste Duet Conti was “normal” and may have stopped if you'd continued it.

Utrogestan is a more natural progesterone and you can take it every day if post menopausal and you shouldn't bleed.

I bled on Elleste Duet Conti after 3 months and it was a heavy, painful bleed. I switched to Oestrogel and Utrogestan and haven't had any bleeding at all. X

[SueLW]

Go for it Pixielilac.

I was thinking about this yesterday.  There are several hundred women here, active or semi-active on the forum.  And probably a few thousand overall.  We are only here for 2 things.  Support and because we have a problem with something.

Yet out there in the UK there are many thousands of women happily taking HRT every day with no issues.  We see the issues here so it can seem like it's all issues and problems.  But it's not.

I was scared to death of Utrogestan.  I did take it orally a couple of years ago.  I was in a pretty bad state back then and I had just increased my patch to 75, which was too high for me but I didn't realise.  I took Utrogestan for 3 days and had some horrible side effects.  I gave up immediately.  I should probably have kept going.  Anyway, I lived in fear of the preparation for the next two years. 

Earlier this summer I needed to try it again.  So I asked my doctor if I could take it vaginally and every other day (I am in menopause and want a continuous treatment).  She was happy with that.  I use 2 pumps of Estrogel with it at the moment.  Anyway, I really like the progesterone administered this way.  No side effects.  I thought I might be getting side effects from it a couple of weeks ago, but it turned out to be oestrogen that was too low.  After 2 months on the regime I am currently getting a bleed.  That's fine, I know it needs to settle down and I had a private scan before I started so I know everything is fine in there.  I actually want to start using the Utrogestan every night now.  I seem to look forward to it and miss it the day I don't have it, so it seems right to move up to daily.  I expect I need to increase my gel to 3 pumps a day though, so I'm checking in with the doctor tomorrow to find out before I increase the progesterone.

In the past I've used the Estraderm patches.  They were nice, but I found them a bit too powerful at the time for me.  You have a good prescription there.  I know what you mean about dithering over whether you should or you shouldn't.  My prediction is that once you have that patch on for 24 hours you will have no problem making decisions.

Good luck. 

[Pixielilac]

Thankyou for all your replies.
I get more help and advice on here than I do from my own doctor,but that's another (long) story.
Thanks again x

[Dotty]

I agree with Sue LW.......I was terrified to start Utrogetsan and Oestrogel after reading so many people having difficulties on here, but we have to remember that there are thousands of women who are happily taking hrt without any complications.  They don't have the need to come one of these forums.  This forum is brilliant, but it is also scary when you read all the bad things and bad times that people are having.  One of the reasons I have stayed on here is to tell ladies that there is light at the end of the tunnel.  My path through menopause has been a very hard one, but I'm now much better. 

Give the hrt a try. If it doesn't work then you can stop it or change it.  Good luck xx