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Author Topic: Regulating HRT to match own cycle?  (Read 4303 times)

Daffneydaffodil

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Regulating HRT to match own cycle?
« on: July 30, 2024, 12:59:31 PM »

Hi everyone. First post and have learned so much from you all. Hoping someone can help because I'm at a loss as to what to do about regulating my cycle......

Background: I'm 51 years, peri-meno and have always has regular periods on a 25/26 day cycle.

I started taking cyclical HRT 10 months ago. Two pumps of estrogel and 200mg progesterone for the last 14 days of my cycle. Initially it went well, and my period/bleed came about 2 days after I stopped the progesterone.
For last few months, it's all gone out of whack because my own hormones and cycle is kicking in. Two months ago, my period arrived (when it was supposed to according to my period app) day 5 of taking progesterone. Last month my period arrived 2 days after taking my progesterone and this month, my period arrived 1 day before I was due to take 14 days of progesterone. Periods are now heavier and I'm more crampy. Previously, I just continued taking the progesterone as that what I'd read to do but now I'm thinking I need to stop taking it and restart again midway through my cycle. Does that sound ok?
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CLKD

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Re: Regulating HRT to match own cycle?
« Reply #1 on: July 30, 2024, 01:05:34 PM »

 :welcomemm:

R U able to tell us why you opted for HRT - which symptom would you like to ease first?

Hopefully some1 will be along with advice  ::)
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Daffneydaffodil

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Re: Regulating HRT to match own cycle?
« Reply #2 on: July 30, 2024, 01:14:34 PM »

Thank you so much! There's a strong history of osteoporosis and heart disease so after a discussion with my GP, we both felt starting HRT would be beneficial, from a protective point of view, for me. As a side, the progesterone has been very helpful with sleep. I hadn't realized my poor sleep and constant getting up to go to the the toilet was a peri symptom until I started the HRT.
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CLKD

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Re: Regulating HRT to match own cycle?
« Reply #3 on: July 30, 2024, 01:24:08 PM »

Win win thus far.  Also a good diet: we often have to alter our intake, likes and dislikes as we age : keeping hydrated, exercising when we are able to do so.  We have threads about everything on here, even menopause  ;) ;D

Hobbies: pets: cycling: bookworms .......

As for getting up to the loo, do read the 'bladder issues' and vaginal atrophy threads.  4warned is 4armed.
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Daffneydaffodil

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Re: Regulating HRT to match own cycle?
« Reply #4 on: July 30, 2024, 01:35:52 PM »

I've enjoyed learning so much from everyone's posts. Even the scary ones  ;D
Diet and exercise wise I'm good most of the time. I'm a healthy weight and walk 70km a week but I've been trying to add in some weight bearing exercise this year to increase muscle mass. I'm definitely not fit! Hope I can get the HRT and my own periods in sync again.
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bombsh3ll

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Re: Regulating HRT to match own cycle?
« Reply #5 on: July 30, 2024, 01:46:04 PM »

Trying to time cyclical HRT with a chaotic perimenopausal cycle is challenging, you will always be chasing a moving target.

Have you considered bleed free progestogen options instead like the mirena IUS or (off label) 150mcg desogestrel continuously?

This would get rid of the problem and make things a lot easier.
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joziel

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Re: Regulating HRT to match own cycle?
« Reply #6 on: July 30, 2024, 02:09:45 PM »

It's very easy to fit P with your cycle, as long as your cycles are not too short. If they are short, then you need to start taking it earlier in the cycle.

How many days are your cycles?

Usually P is taken day 14-26 inclusive, and so it needs to be taken for 13 days every cycle. The last day of that should fall just before your period usually starts, so if you need to start taking it earlier than day 14 to get all that in, then start earlier.

If you are all out of sync now, stop taking it whilst you bleed. Count the first day of bleeding as Day 1. Count forwards however many days you need to, to get the above 13 days in before your next period is due, and make a note in your diary to start then.
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Daffneydaffodil

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Re: Regulating HRT to match own cycle?
« Reply #7 on: July 30, 2024, 02:43:49 PM »

That makes a whole lot of sense! I won't take it tonight and will hopefully regulate it for next month. Really appreciate all your responses. This place really is awesome!
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K45

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Re: Regulating HRT to match own cycle?
« Reply #8 on: July 30, 2024, 02:56:39 PM »

Hi everyone. First post and have learned so much from you all. Hoping someone can help because I'm at a loss as to what to do about regulating my cycle......

Background: I'm 51 years, peri-meno and have always has regular periods on a 25/26 day cycle.

I started taking cyclical HRT 10 months ago. Two pumps of estrogel and 200mg progesterone for the last 14 days of my cycle. Initially it went well, and my period/bleed came about 2 days after I stopped the progesterone.
For last few months, it's all gone out of whack because my own hormones and cycle is kicking in. Two months ago, my period arrived (when it was supposed to according to my period app) day 5 of taking progesterone. Last month my period arrived 2 days after taking my progesterone and this month, my period arrived 1 day before I was due to take 14 days of progesterone. Periods are now heavier and I'm more crampy. Previously, I just continued taking the progesterone as that what I'd read to do but now I'm thinking I need to stop taking it and restart again midway through my cycle. Does that sound ok?

Hi, welcome to the forum! I am really grateful you have posted this as I've had the same issue this month with hrt and my periods being out of sync. The standard advice seems to be to just carry on progesterone as usual but like yourself I think if it happens repeatedly then it makes sense to try to re-sync. Hope you are able to get things back in sync next month. I've been advised it should get easier once you're further into perimenopause and your own cycle isn't as strong. Fingers crossed!
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Daffneydaffodil

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Re: Regulating HRT to match own cycle?
« Reply #9 on: July 30, 2024, 04:56:16 PM »

We're in the same boat! Everyone (medical professionals) and anything I'd read said to just continue with the progesterone even though it would mean taking it on day 1 or 2 of my period - which makes no sense at all. It just didn't make sense for me and didn't sit well so I'm going to try what @joziel suggested and see how things pan out. As you say, hopefully in time, things will sync better. Best of luck!
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CLKD

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Re: Regulating HRT to match own cycle?
« Reply #10 on: July 30, 2024, 05:03:11 PM »

Let us know how you get on!
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K45

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Re: Regulating HRT to match own cycle?
« Reply #11 on: July 30, 2024, 06:47:26 PM »

We're in the same boat! Everyone (medical professionals) and anything I'd read said to just continue with the progesterone even though it would mean taking it on day 1 or 2 of my period - which makes no sense at all. It just didn't make sense for me and didn't sit well so I'm going to try what @joziel suggested and see how things pan out. As you say, hopefully in time, things will sync better. Best of luck!

It's very reassuring knowing I'm not alone in this! Completely agree that it makes no sense to start the progesterone at this point in your cycle. I'm looking forward to moving to continuous hrt and not having to think about which week I'm
on  ::)  Here's hoping everything falls back in sync soon!
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Daffneydaffodil

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Re: Regulating HRT to match own cycle?
« Reply #12 on: November 28, 2024, 05:31:33 AM »

Hi all. I wanted to jump back on to share an update on how things have been going. Thanks to @joziel suggesting that I tweak the HRT to match my own cycle, things have  completely turned around 🙏🤗🥰 I'm.back to having a 'period' a day or two after stopping the progesterone and everything is synced up again. Really appreciate all the support 😍
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K45

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Re: Regulating HRT to match own cycle?
« Reply #13 on: November 28, 2024, 04:16:22 PM »

Really glad to hear that you have successfully got your period and hrt synced up again! I also followed Joziel's helpful advice & ended up changing to match it up again and the last few months it's come a day or two after stopping too. Definitely one less thing to worry about  :)
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joziel

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Re: Regulating HRT to match own cycle?
« Reply #14 on: November 30, 2024, 09:31:00 PM »

Phew, glad it was useful.  :)
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