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[Mary G]

Keep on Swimming, I would definitely ditch the Utrogestan without any hesitation.   With a womb lining measurement like that and the POP,  I think extra progesterone is way over the top.

Too many medics take the lazy option of dosing women up to the eyeballs with progesterone (which often results in their HRT regime failing and the woman giving up on HRT altogether) because they can't be bothered and/or the health system can't afford to scan them.  You have a gynaecologist and access to regular uterine scans so you don't need to worry.

[Keep On Swimming]

Hi Mary G,

Thank you for your very frank reply. I've slowly been coming to the same conclusion here myself...

My gyne is very well respected and the pharmacist told me there's quite a few of us peri women here on Cerazette + gel only. I don't think my gyne would put us all at risk.

And honestly, I just don't think my body can take the extra progesterone hit 

xxx
 

[Mary G]

Good, I've really glad you have reached that conclusion and I agree that your gynaecologist would not put women at risk.

In the past, I used Angeliq, an oral form of HRT containing 1mg of oestrogen and 2mg of synthetic progesterone and I topped it up with a 50mcg oestrogen patch and it had no impact on my womb lining at all.   

So good luck, make sure you have another uterine scan at some point and please let us know how you get on.   As you progress through the menopause, you might have to increase both doses but hopefully not for a while.

[Keep On Swimming]

Hello Mary G and everyone else!

Just an update from France in case my experience helps anyone else living here...

I stopped Estréva (oestrogen gel) beginning January because I was really unwell and my thyroid specialist thought that it wasn't right for me. Turns out the doctors suspect long Covid or CFS but that's a whole other story!

So, I went back on Estréva 2.5 months ago (just 0.5 pump) and it has completely knocked the horrible anxiety and low mood on the head. Sleeping so much better too with less night sweats. If my boobs get sore I put a little less gel on until that passes.

My gyne gave me the all-clear yesterday (womb lining 2.7mm), despite frequent spotting and slight cramps, to stay on cerazette and Estréva until my next check up in a year.

So if my story helps anyone else out there in France, well that's great because the HRT care over here isn't geared for peri women!

[joziel]

I think there has been 1-2 trials with desogestrel/Cerazette as the progestin in HRT but they used double the POP dose. It was only a small trial so not enough women to conclude anything from.

The info is here, if you search the document for desogestrel: https://thebms.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/14-BMS-TfC-Progestogens-and-endometrial-protection-01H.pdf

"– Earlier studies have reported that desogestrel 150 micrograms is effective as the progestogen component
of HRT with no increase in the risk of endometrial hyperplasia.33-34 There is lack of evidence on the use of desogestrel 75 micrograms as the progestogen component of HRT. If desogestrel 75 micrograms is used as contraception in women receiving HRT, it would be recommended to add further progestogen (e.g. Utrogestan 100 mg daily or 200 mg for 12 days a month) to provide adequate endometrial protection."

Here's the research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8429799/

[Keep On Swimming]

Hi joziel,

Thanks, I saw that article but obviously my gyne over here hasn't! If she is fine to give me regular ultrasounds and not add in any extra progesterone then that's ok with me.

But, then I was wondering, how do you know when you need more progesterone? Because surely my POP won't cover my progesterone needs as I inch closer to post meno?

It's such a juggling act...!

[joziel]

If you're not getting any breakthrough bleeding you are probably fine. But I think if you're doing something non-kosher then it would be best to get an ultrasound scan done after a year, just to check the effect on your uterus lining and make sure it is thin enough.