Hi,
I'm 52, recently decided to try hrt due to sleep disruption/night sweats. I have been taking oestrogel 2 pumps and utrogestan (200 for 12 nights). The first month on the utrogestan phase I woke up every morning with a thumping headache. The second month slight headache, but awful sedated feeling, worse than extreme tiredness, like I'd just woken up from a general anaesthetic. After 9 nights, I decided to take 100 for the last 3 nights and it's only now four days after finishing the utrogestan that I feel normal. I've just been to my GP and she hadn't heard of women feeling sedated on utrogestan and offered me a coil instead, a referral to a gynae to see if I could reduce the utrogestan dose or said I could try it vaginally. I said I had read it can cause bladder irritation if taken vaginally. I forgot to ask her what dose I would need to take vaginally, as lovely as she is she doesn't seem to know an awful lot about utrogestan. Anyhow, I decided to continue taking utrogestan for another month (on the same dose of 200 for 12 nights).
I'm in two minds about HRT. I've recently discovered Dr Louise Newsons website and keep reading about how wonderful it is and how important estrogen is and I almost feel like I need to persevere or otherwise it might mean I end up with osteoporosis etc. Although the estrogen is definitely helping me sleep and reducing night sweats, the utrogestan made me feel awful.
Is sedative effect common? If you take it vaginally, what dose and does it irritate your bladder? Thanks so much for any replies!