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[annedenmark]

Hi all, my first post, but I have been reading, and reading, and reading all of the very helpful and informative threads on this site: and it is a wealth of practical and supportive advice. So, as per the title and to cut to the chase, we are talking about the UK prescribed 100 in the blue packaged box by Besins that says 'for oral use only' on it for vaginal use?

After working my way though a range of HRTs I am now on 4 pumps estrogel and 200 x 12 days of Utrogestan, which is controlling bleeding as it should until after the prog. phase ends, and I feel fine on 4 pumps most of the month. (You know where this is going....); however, by about day 9 of the Utrogestan phase I have all the symptoms of progesterone intolerance (weepy, anxious, low mood etc.) I've always had them: certain BCP were out of the question.
I tied femoston conti 1/5, but after 3 months felt as though I was on the verge of coming on all the time. Horrendous, so would rather go back to sequi HRT. Before I look at Mirena, which I really don't want, as I suspect it will not agree with me, or a private consultation or paying for annual scans myself I think it's worth trying the Utro vaginally, which is why I'm double checking with you all that I've got the correct Utrogestan.

I'm 49 btw, and have been on HRT for a 2 years; looking back I think my menopause started at least four years ago, if not more-I wish I'd started HRT sooner.

Thank you in advance!

[Hurdity]

Hi annedenmark

 

Yes they are exactly the same. They are manufactured for vaginal or oral use but in UK the HRT 100 mg ones are only licensed for oral use, with the 200 mg capsules being licensed (and packaged) for vaginal fertility treatment. Crazy isn't it?! I think I did a separate thread on this so will try to find and bump if so!

Sorry to hear about the prog symptoms - many of us experience this.

Yes do try it vaginally and hopefully your side effects will diminish. When taken orally it goes through the liver and produced large quantities of breakdown products which produce some of the unpleasant sdie effects. Vaginally very few are produced.

Let us know how you get on and here's hoping you feel better soon

Hurdity x

[annedenmark]

Hi Hurdity, thank you for both welcoming me to to the forum and for getting back to me so quickly. I thought they must be - Besins aren't going to go to the effort of manufacturing an oral use tablet just for  the UK market - but I wanted to be certain before I tried a new approach.
I agree it's crazy: a ridiculous situation; if they can allow the 200mg for fertility treatment, then why on earth can't we access these? Do they think that the menopause brings on some inability to follow instructions, or that we're squeamish? After our years of experiences (I'm looking at some of the comically dreadful smear tests I've had over the years for starters) it's really not likely, is it? 
I've read the other threads about methods of insertion and timings... so I'll give it a go; hopefully it is the breakdown products of ingestion that are causing the symptoms.
After the conti femoston 1/5 experience, I tried 2mg of progynova/ zumenon  and 12x 200mg Utrogestan sequi, and was an emotional puddle for  10 days out of the 12, and then for a further 4 days or so after the Utro ended. I deducted from what I'd read here that I was not getting enough estrogen. So, armed with the advice from this site, I made an urgent appointment with my GP and pushed for the maximum amount of gel, which she agreed to, with a view to reducing once the prog. symptoms were balanced.
So thank you, ladies, once again! Nearly there....

I will get back to you all soon!

[Hurdity]

Great - you sound well-clued up and reading all the similar threads on the forum.

Fingers crossed....

Hurdity x

[annedenmark]

Thanks. This forum is invaluable for both understanding the biological changes of the menopause and the range of treatment options. I'd have been going round in circles trying round after round of HRTs if I hadn't have been empowered by the shared knowledge here.