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[Penguin]

Or, in other words, if I stop it all now, am I likely to have a rubbish Christmas???

Am 49, in peri, been taking estrogel (1-2 pumps) and utrogestan (200mg x 12 days) since January. The utrogestan phase has been getting worse and worse since the summer, and I simply cannot tolerate another month of it.

At least 3 months wait to get a coil put in on NHS. I am planning to see a private specialist early in the NY instead to see if I can persuade them to let me do lower dose utrogestan with scans. I'm too scared to risk it without supervision, so if they say no, then I'm going to try one of the coils and get that put in privately at the same appointment.

But I need to do something NOW. I took 100mg utrogestan rather than 200mg last night and today was better, not perfect but better. I am due to take the last one for this month on Thursday - there is no way I am taking 200mg for next three nights, i just can't.

I don't know what to do in the short term, thinking of stopping hrt entirely for a month or two and then starting afresh with the private guy in January. Or slowly reducing over a few weeks,  but would welcome ideas on how to do that? Estrogel alternate days maybe 🤷‍♂️

So back to original question,  any idea how long before symptoms come back and any idea which will come back first please? My main ones were hot flushes at night which would wake me up with a start at 4am, constipation and increased health anxiety. I can handle the physical but not the anxiety- the estrogel has helped that but then it is all undone the minute I have to put utrogestan into my body 😥

Please help 🙏🙏🙏

[CLKD]

C how U feel on the 100mg?  R U able to take it on alternative nights .........

[Penguin]

C how U feel on the 100mg?  R U able to take it on alternative nights .........

I'm supposed to take 200mg for 12 nights. I could miss tonight do tomorrow, miss Thursday  do Friday and then stop...

Do you think it is okay to suddenly stop the estrogel?

[CLKD]

U may not need to stop if a little less eases symptoms.  Remind me, who over sees your prescriptions? 

MayB put the name of the product into the search box to C if other threads pop up?

[Penguin]

U may not need to stop if a little less eases symptoms.  Remind me, who over sees your prescriptions? 

MayB put the name of the product into the search box to C if other threads pop up?

The GP does and has already said I can't reduce. I wouldn't want to risk it without supervision / scans. Seeing this private guy in London is my last hope really of being able to use it for a shorter duration and dose,  but with supervision.

From what I've read, if you stop the estrogen suddenly then you run risk of rebound symptoms, but I can't find any advice on how to taper.

[CLKD]

Could U take a cancellaton/short appt with the private consultant?

[Penguin]

Could U take a cancellaton/short appt with the private consultant?

Yes that's a good idea, I'll suggest that.

I wonder if they have to put coil in at a certain time on my cycle,  will have to Google that!

[Dotty]

Hi you can take 100mg of Utrogestan continuously but you may get breakthrough bleeding if you’re not post menopause .

If you want to stop hrt then you can stop “cold Turkey” or you can reduce the dose gradually. It’s not advisable to use Oestrogel on alternate days as this will cause fluctuations.

[Penguin]

Hi you can take 100mg of Utrogestan continuously but you may get breakthrough bleeding if you’re not post menopause .

If you want to stop hrt then you can stop “cold Turkey” or you can reduce the dose gradually. It’s not advisable to use Oestrogel on alternate days as this will cause fluctuations.

Okay thanks, thats good to know. I stop the utrogestan on Thursday so may just use half a pump for a few more days to get me over that big crash when I get the withdrawal bleed, then stop when my own estrogen starts rising.

[CrispyChick]

I think I might join u penguin. 

[Penguin]

I think I might join u penguin. 

Do it!!!

I actually feel a sense of relief now I've made the decision. Each month I've said it has to get better, but the progrsterone bit has just got worse and is doing god only knows what damage to my digestive system. Sat here with a banging headache and trying to psyche myself up to do the 100mg tonight 😥

[Petra]

So back to original question,  any idea how long before symptoms come back and any idea which will come back first please? My main ones were hot flushes at night which would wake me up with a start at 4am, constipation and increased health anxiety. I can handle the physical but not the anxiety- the estrogel has helped that but then it is all undone the minute I have to put utrogestan into my body 😥

Last year, I stopped entirely (was on 25 mcg estradot patches and 5mg provera at that time)...mainly because I was having a hysteroscopy/ablation so it seemed a good time to try doing without — my GP always nagging at me to stop. So, I stopped HRT on 15 August and in early December my symptoms were back — primarily night sweats which destroyed sleep — and I was back on HRT by 19 Dec. So roughly 3 months give or take. (I had vowed to stick it out for 6, but caved after a couple of weeks of not getting much sleep.)

Since then, I found a meno specialist (I'm in New Zealand) and haven't seen my GP all year.

[Penguin]

So back to original question,  any idea how long before symptoms come back and any idea which will come back first please? My main ones were hot flushes at night which would wake me up with a start at 4am, constipation and increased health anxiety. I can handle the physical but not the anxiety- the estrogel has helped that but then it is all undone the minute I have to put utrogestan into my body 😥

Last year, I stopped entirely (was on 25 mcg estradot patches and 5mg provera at that time)...mainly because I was having a hysteroscopy/ablation so it seemed a good time to try doing without — my GP always nagging at me to stop. So, I stopped HRT on 15 August and in early December my symptoms were back — primarily night sweats which destroyed sleep — and I was back on HRT by 19 Dec. So roughly 3 months give or take. (I had vowed to stick it out for 6, but caved after a couple of weeks of not getting much sleep.)

Since then, I found a meno specialist (I'm in New Zealand) and haven't seen my GP all year.

Thanks, that is good to know! Three months would do me fine, tide me over until I see specialist in January. Was anxiety one of your reasons for going on hrt and did that come back?

[SarahT]

Penguin, I wish you well and hope this plane works well for you. 3 months kind of makes sense as the general advice is to wait three months for full effects to work when commencing hrt, or a new regime.
If you do go down the mirena coil route at some point, I know so have no regrets for doing so, utrogestan was just so wrong for me. Fingers crossed your body will accept the 3 months hiatus until you have the appt. X

[Penguin]

Penguin, I wish you well and hope this plane works well for you. 3 months kind of makes sense as the general advice is to wait three months for full effects to work when commencing hrt, or a new regime.
If you do go down the mirena coil route at some point, I know so have no regrets for doing so, utrogestan was just so wrong for me. Fingers crossed your body will accept the 3 months hiatus until you have the appt. X

Thank you SarahT, I'm really hopeful hearing positive stories of mirena and, at least getting it done privately, they've already told me I can have it out whenever I like and without any delays, so it is not irreversible. My health anxiety is such that it takes me soooo long to make decisions about anything medical related, so I'm glad I have finally reached a tipping point. Even two months would be good, I just hated the thought of going into December knowing that I'd be on the utrogestan when I have a lovely weekend taking my little girl away, and then also on Christmas day too 🙈.