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[Annies]

Second question in 2 days ladies, sorry! 
Whilst still awaiting period to turn up a week after finishing my 12 days of 100mg utro and suffering grim mood/insomnia,  I'm wondering whether to ask my gp about taking the utro on a more continuous basis, eg days 1-25. I feel the utro helps me sleep a bit better and improves my mood,  plus my own cycle is v inconsistent in length. Or is this a plain no no while still having periods?
Am sure I read here somewhere that it is though not clear as to why that shld be??
Also, if it is an approved regime wld taking it daily at the 100mg dose (with a few days break each cycle,) override my own natural cycle do you think?
Any answers really appreciated....doing my head in at present!

[Hurdity]

Hi Annies

As far as I understand it provided you do have a 3 day break then taking 100 mg for 25 days out of 28 is still cyclical HRT. In fact I think the instructions do say this?

Ah yes there you go:

"4.2 Posology and method of administration

Posology

In women receiving estrogen replacement therapy there is an increased risk of endometrial cancer which can be countered by progesterone administration.

The recommended dose is 200 mg daily at bedtime, for twelve days in the last half of each therapeutic cycle (beginning on Day 15 of the cycle and ending on Day 26). Withdrawal bleeding may occur in the following week.

Alternatively 100 mg can be given at bedtime from Day 1 to Day 25 of each therapeutic cycle, withdrawal bleeding being less with this treatment schedule."

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/352/smpc

It won't override your natural cycle no, but may make bleeding less.  Either very high doses of oestrogen or the combined contracptive pill and some of the mini-pills suppress the cycle ( Mirena coil can do so but not guaranteed).

Hurdity x

[Annies]

Thanks so much for pointing that out Hurdury - I obviously missed that in the bumpf! So in fact I may be better off moving to the 1-25 days regime from my current 13-25 one, and then at least I'm taking it in line with the official recommendation. I also hope that by doing that my cycle may self regulate it's annoyingly inconsistent length a little? 
Thnks again...this site is such a fantastic resource.

[Polpringle]

I've been looking at this as been feeling better when on Utro but read somewhere that 1-25 should only be after LMP (I'm late Peri) then somewhere else said use vaginally every other day. I'm hoping my GP will be ok with days 1-25 and then want to see how it goes for a month or so

[sheila99]

I also hope that by doing that my cycle may self regulate it's annoyingly inconsistent length a little? 

Hah! Good luck with that one. In my experience my body does what likes regardless of the hrt cycle. I hope it'll be better for you.

[Annies]

Hi again ladies.

I'm struggling again 😒. Have decided to continue with taking estrogel ( half to one pump - I'm v sensitive) and the utro on a sequential basis, just second half of cycle.
My natural cycle however does not play ball. It tends to be short one month, long the next. My question then is, to ensure I'm getting adequate progesterone overall, if the utro phase is cut short by my period one month, ( eg after only 7 days) and the following month my period doesn't arrive until after the 12 days of utro, eg for another 7 days, should I keep taking it beyond the 12 days until that period?? That way, I compensate for the short cycle shortfall and over a couple of cycles I end up taking an average of 12 days utro per cycle?
Or do I stick rigidly to taking it days 15-26 regardless of my cycle but end up probably feeling worse as not remotely in synch with it?
Just wish this was more straightforward 😱. Causing me too much anxiety, v tempted to jack it all in!

Thanks all.

[sheila99]

Can you tell when you ovulate? I have a variable cycle too so I start utro a couple of days after ovulation so it fits into my own cycle.

[Annies]

Hi sheila99,

I used to ( from presence of cervical fluids!) but the HRT seems to have made it less obvious. Pretty sure I ovulated every other month hence the long/short swings.
So if you start your utro on day 15 say, but period arrives early eg day 22 after only 8 days do you stop the utro or see it out? And conversely if no period until say cycle day 30, would you have still stopped the utro after 12 days or continued on it for longer?? Or do you play it by ear each time and figure if you're having a period then it isnt v important whether you've had 8 days or 12 days of progesterone as lining is still being shed??
Thanks....

[sheila99]

I can't advise as I don't know if what I do is right or wrong but this is what I did when I started. If I bled early I stopped utro, I reckoned my body has produced enough prog to have a proper bleed so this was OK. If I don't ovulate I give it a couple of weeks in case it's a long cycle then take 12 days of utro. I don't bleed til a couple of days after I've finished utro so at 12 days I don't know if I will bleed or not. Everything goes according to plan now for the cycles when I ovulate. I'm late peri now so there are increasing gaps between periods and I find the utro induces a bleed only about 50% of the time. I'm on 3 pumps so I do worry that my lining might be building up. If things don't get better in the next few months I'll have a scan or try a mirena. You're on a very low dose so as long as you have proper bleeds there's less to worry about.

[Annies]

Ok thanks sheila99 I see... I think that's where I was leaning, otherwise sticking to taking the utro 12 days out of 28 willy nilly will result in an HRT pattern way out of wack with my natural cycle which would make me feel gross ( and has done I'm sure!).  So I'll stop the utro if cycle is short and resume the following mid- cycle - if it's a long one and period doesn't arrive until day 35-40, so be it. As you say, my low dose hopefully makes it less of an issue but I'll just be mindful of how light bleeds are just in case.
Thanks...def helps to talk it through with someone that's been there. Hubby not much help on these matters!