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[CLKD]

Hi!  it's difficult to find a regime that suits, it's the trial and error that can be tiring.  Did the depression lift?

[sarasbuddy]

Hello, i'm 52 and have been using Oesgrogel 2 pumps nightly and 200mg Utrogestron day 15-27 of cycle.
I originally took HRT for joint pain and sleep problems.
In September i had a nervous breakdown, a mixture of things, some family problems but I had also stopped taking fluoxetine earlier in the year, I had cut it down over a long time to such a tiny dose I thought I didn't need it anymore.
Since September life has been all over the place.  I am back on Fluoxetine but in December my gp upped my Oestrogel to 4 pumps .  My last two bleeds have been terrible and this weekend I was passing huge clots.
I have lost my appetite again and have been wretching in the morning and yesterday i couldn't get out of bed.
GP thinks this could be progesterone intolerance and looking back through my cycles I have felt worse during the progesterone taking.
GP said only way to know would to be to stop HRT . She suggested tapering the oestrogel back down over next couple of months but the progesterone dose would be the same so I didn't see the point in that.
Any thoughts please?
I'm bit terrified of stopping HRT and getting some awful symptoms , but I will put up with my original joint pain and broken sleep over depression any day

Thanks
Sara x

[CLKD]

Don't stop.  It may be that the hike is too much too soon.

Could you get a referral to a dedicated menopause clinic sarasbuddy?  Progestrone upsets many !

[sarasbuddy]

Thank you for your reply CLKD.

I will look for a menopause clinic but there's been no mention of one from my GP and I think the private route is the only option.

Out of interest, what could happen if I suddenly stopped? 

[CLKD]

You'll probably feel absolutely dreadful!

There are NHS menopause clinics but sometimes paying a fee a couple of times for informed advice, is well worth it.  MayB keep a mood/food/symptom diary for a while?  Will give you a base-line.

[sheila99]

If you think you can cope I would ride it out a bit longer. You don't know how much your own hormones are causing havoc. I get fatigue on utro. On an annovulatory cycle it isn'tnnoticeable til day 8 yet there have been times I've barely been able function when I've produced a lot of my own progesteron.
  It's a big jump to go from 2 to 4 pumps so I would cut down to 2.5-3 and see if that mekes things better. Why did she increase it? Did you have meno symptoms that were uncontrolled?
Wretching isn't a normal side effect of utro particularly when you've been on it so long without problems - perhaps you've caught a bug?

[sarasbuddy]

Hi Sheila

The dose was increased as I was having bad anxiety and feeling jittery.  It was an experiment really as we agreed that we don't know how much was life, medication (fluoxetine) or hormones causing the problems.

I think I will reduce the oestrogel dose and book a consultation with a menopause specialist with my birthday money.

Thank you for replying  :)X

[CLKD]

Ask for an NHS referral first?  Although paying might give you a quicker appt. as well as a longer chance to chat. In the mean time make a note of your symptoms etc., something to chat to the Dr about.

[Perinowpost]

Sarasbuddy sorry to hear of your troubles. If it’s progesterone intolerance lots of us take a reduced amount (off license) 7 days x vaginally. The late Professor Studd pioneered the regime for progesterone sensitive women (type it into the search box). You do have to have annual scans if you try this to make sure it’s working. I would also tell your doctor if you decide to trial it. I follow this regime and womb lining has always been fine. It’s the only progesterone I’ve managed to tolerate and in my opinion is the best of a bad bunch re current options available on the nhs. Also like others have suggested I would drop your gel back to an average dose.

Hope you feel better soon xx

[sarasbuddy]

Hi Perinowpost

Thank you for your reply.  I had just copied and pasted this from John Studd website and was going to ask for opinions but you got there already !

'The best method of taking bioidentical hormones would in my view be Oestrogel 2-3 measures daily with the possible addition of transdermal testosterone gel and then Utrogestan 100 mgs daily for the first 7 days of each calendar month. This would bring about a regular scanty bleed on about the 10th day of each calendar month. You will find more details of this treatment for menopausal symptoms, hormone responsive depression and osteoporosis in this web site but please remember that it is not a recent American discovery. That would be too much to bear!'

So next time my progesterone is due should I just do 7 days on the lower dose? 
I will tell my GP I'm doing this also.


Many thanks for everyone's replies , so helpful X

[TallBetty]

Good morning. I am a mental health trainer and also living with depression since a young age. But this felt different. I can’t explain how but I knew it wasn’t my usual  dark cloud descending on me. I changed my progesterone dosage and now only take it every thirteen wks (which is about to change due to new guidance apparently ). However you are feeling today it does pass and it Definately csn get better 💚

[sarasbuddy]

Hi Tallbetty,

Did changing your progesterone dose help? X

[CLKD]

Morning Tallbetty - 'new guidance' - can you tell us more?

 

[Perinowpost]

Sarasbuddy yes I would just do it, it’s your body. I adopted the regime after researching on this forum (I didn’t have to pay) and told my nhs meno specialist afterwards, she said she’d support me in whatever I wanted to trial x

[sheila99]

And the health warning...
If your lining builds up because you use too little progesterone you are at greater risk of cancer. You should go off licence only if you've run out of options and you really can't tolerate it. If you do it is so important you have regular scans. Obviously the higher your oestrogen dose the greater the risk