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[Seasidegirl]

I wanted to post about my experience of using micronised progesterone/  Utrogestan in case it helps anyone else.  I really struggled with it for months but I (fingers crossed) have got to a place where it works for me. 

I will caveat this with I added Testosterone part way through the process and I've also finally got a diagnoses of my overactive thyroid which I'm now taking a med for so there have been other changes that might have affected the way I tolerate progesterone.

*clearly this isn't medical advice, it's what has worked for me and I understand the risk of not taking enough P.

I started HRT at the end of May last year, I chose to introduce progesterone quite slowly as I was concerned that I'd have issues with it.   I took probably half the dose in the first month and it wasn't too bad.

As I tried to increase the dose I started reacting badly to it,  it seemed to be about the level in my body rather than a straight issue with the tablets themselves.   I became very agitated and grumpy so a range of physical and physiological symptoms and it started to really negatively impact my sleep. 

I tried a continuous regime but it just meant I felt rubbish for longer!

Since then I've moved to taking P vaginally which helped and I've slowly increased the dose so that I was on 2 tablets a night, I was having fewer symptoms but felt much better off it than on and my sleep during the 2 weeks was an issue. 

I then saw a post from I think Hurdity, suggesting that splitting the dose can be helpful.   It was a bit of a light bulb moment!   It doesn't make me sleepy vaginally so I tried 1 in the morning,  1 at night time,  this helped,   I got no symptoms in the day,  however I was still roaming the house at 1am unable to sleep (it's almost like a cortisol reaction)

I'm gradually moving the time I take the second one earlier in the day,  I take the first one when I get up and now the second one c. 4pm.   AND I'm sleeping and I'm not obviously having the symptoms I had previously. 

It may be that I can take both together in the morning but I'm going to move them closer together gradually as this does seem to be about the level for me.

I just wanted to share my experience as I really struggled in the beginning and felt dreadful on it,  with time and fiddling with the way I take it,  I now seem to feel OK on it to give some suggestions and hope to others. 

(Sorry this is long!)

[CLKD]

Tnx.  Out of interest, why not stick to 1 in the morning, 1 at night?

[Seasidegirl]

Tnx.  Out of interest, why not stick to 1 in the morning, 1 at night?

One at night is still affecting my sleep so I'm roaming around the house at 1am trying to calm down!

[CLKD]

Do U do the ironing ?   

[Seasidegirl]

Do U do the ironing ?   

🤣  I don't iron at the best of times 🤣  I usually do yoga when I can't sleep

[bombsh3ll]

It's really good of you to share this - a lot more people struggle with progesterone than the body identical lobby would like to believe.

Any little tricks or modifications that can help someone tolerate it are so worth knowing about, as too many women end up losing the benefits of estrogen because they can't find a form of endometrial protection that suits them.

Anecdotally testosterone is also credited with helping make progesterone more tolerable.

[Hurdity]

Interesting to read your post Seasidegirl! I find unfortunately that I get head fog and general fatigue even with vaginal use, but I can't split my dose because I have the 200 mg vaginal capsules. When I'm on the cyclical part I keep trying to remember to insert it earlier in the evening so I'm not quite so wiped out in the morning. I can't insert mine in the morning because having had a few children I am a bit err...loose and it would find its way out - great for those who can if it doesn't make you fatigued! It always gives me vivid dreams and affects my bladder so disrupts my sleep in that way. I'm intrigued as to how I might react if I took it in the morning!

Testosterone (which I have taken for 10 years, HRT for 17 years) has had no effect on my progesterone tolerance.

Hurdity x

[Seasidegirl]

@Bombsh3ll  I do wonder if Testosterone helped for me,  unfortunately I started it at the same time I moved to taking P vaginally so two changes at once.   Definitely worth ladies being aware of if it might help.   

I persevered with micronised as I've already got an increased breast cancer history and I wanted to feel I'd given it a good go. 

@Hurdity I'm sorry it doesn't work for you but thank you for your original  suggestion about splitting the dose.    It really demonstrates how different we all are in terms of symptoms and reactions doesn't it?

[bombsh3ll]

Hurdity, have you tried cyclogest pessaries?

I used them for one of my IVF cycles and from what I recall their solid waxy bullet like form would probably be amenable to being cut with a sharp knife.

I bet you could at least half them, possibly even get a third or a quarter if you wanted to try a split dose.

There is also crinone vaginal progesterone gel which I never used myself but was popular on the IVF circuits - this too would probably permit dose customisation.