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[Kathleen]

Hello again ladies.

I realise that using products off licence is very tempting, I have done it myself and may well do so again in the future, but it is a concern.

When I was using Utrogestan vaginally Newson Health assured me that it was sufficient but the spotting and then bleeding worried me so much that I asked for an alternative.  I felt more confident using Cyclogest mainly because it as a pessary designed for use in the vagina.

I would be very helpful if NH could publish any information they have on the safety of their off licence prescribing.

Wishing you well ladies.

K.

[Tabitha73]

Thanks again everyone for the input!

I have a pelvic ultrasound scan appointment this Thursday (22 August).

Some interesting points made about the use of Utrogestan oral capsule vaginally. I too had wondered about how the absorption of a preparation designed for oral use may differ relative to a pessary. There will be a lot more pharmacological data on the pessary. In theory, given that my Mirena was fitted only 3 years ago it should still be protecting my endometrium. But if I were to continue on HRT beyond the next 2 years I would prefer Cyclogest to Utrogestan.

Thanks also for the suggestion of a local anaesthetic in the cervix for another possible Mirena insertion.

Hoping my scan will not show anything untoward.

Thanks again! 

[sheila99]

The use of utrogestan vaginally is licensed for hrt in the rest of Europe just not in the UK so I assume the manufacturer has had to prove it's effective this way and it's just a bureaucracy issue in the UK. They say the dose is the same by either use though. And it's licensed for vaginal use for ivf in the UK.
 Good luck with your scan.

[bombsh3ll]

There is nothing dangerous about using any medication off licence as long as it is prescribed by a suitably qualified clinician for an appropriate indication.

Off licence is not the same as unlicensed.

The effects of cyclogest on the uterine lining are well known and personally having used both utrogestan and cyclogest vaginally during IVF where the stakes are so much higher than menopause I personally would be happy to take either for endometrial protection if I were still able to get them up there.