Menopause Matters Forum

Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: karin on October 07, 2014, 04:41:11 PM

Title: Help please!!! Re coming off patches
Post by: karin on October 07, 2014, 04:41:11 PM
Hello ladies
Ive done 3 months on evorel sequi patches and in that time have suddenly lost lots and lots of hair and i want to stop and regather. My GP had mentioned i could stop at whatever point but obviously to expect menopausal symptoms to come back.
On saturday i am supposed to start my 2weeks of the combined patch, can i stop now or do i have to do the 2 weeks with progesterone before i stop?
Or just wait till my period comes??
 I don't want to mess my body any more than it already is so when is the earliest i can safely stop please?? Ty xx
Title: Re: Help please!!! Re coming off patches
Post by: honeybun on October 07, 2014, 05:58:44 PM
You might find it easier to taper off although I appreciate why you want to come off sooner.
I would just stop to be honest. You may well have a bleed but maybe not. You will just have to wait and see. It really depends on where abouts you are in meno.

Good luck, hope you manage ok.

Honeyb
x
Title: Re: Help please!!! Re coming off patches
Post by: Limpy on October 07, 2014, 07:33:00 PM
Well, your GP says you can stop at any point.
Good luck, whatever you decide.
Remember, you could always start again should you so decide.
Title: Re: Help please!!! Re coming off patches
Post by: karin on October 07, 2014, 07:40:29 PM
Thank you very much- sorry to sound silly but what about womb lining build up if I don't  have the progesterone part
Title: Re: Help please!!! Re coming off patches
Post by: Limpy on October 07, 2014, 07:42:53 PM
I'me not sure, but perhaps it's not as much of an issue when it's just a couple of weeks build up?
Title: Re: Help please!!! Re coming off patches
Post by: karin on October 08, 2014, 10:22:31 AM
thank you very much for that.
Title: Re: Help please!!! Re coming off patches
Post by: Hurdity on October 08, 2014, 01:55:21 PM
Yes I agree with Stellajane - no harm in stopping now (do you have some oestrogen only patches you can swap to rather than stop completely?) but get along to your GP asap and change to a different type.
As Stellajane says - you can use oestrogen patch with separate progesterone as I do. I use Estradot 50. There is also Evorel 50 which is the same brand as you have been using so if you were happy on that part of the HRT then may be best to swap to this for the time being?

Utrogestan 200 mg has been discontinued so if you manage to get this prescribed they will need to prescribe double the number of tabs so you would take 2 x 100 mg for 12 days per 28 day cycle.

Hurdity x
Title: Re: Help please!!! Re coming off patches
Post by: karin on October 08, 2014, 03:39:21 PM
thank you very much hurdity - does anyone have a view on Levonorgesterol  progesterone patches as an alternative in  terms of side effects?  and while I'm asking are Ultrogestan easy to swallow ( im a wuss with tablets!)  xx
Title: Re: Help please!!! Re coming off patches
Post by: Hurdity on October 08, 2014, 07:51:02 PM
Hi
This is what it says in the section on peri-menopause about the different progestogens:

Progestogens which can be used cyclically are of 3 main types:

 1   Testosterone derived - Norgestrel, Norethisterone acetate and Levonorgestrel.
 2   Less testosterone related - Medroxyprogesterone acetate(MPA).
 3   Least testosterone related - Dydrogesterone and Micronised progesterone (Utrogestan).

You will see that Levonorgestrel is in the Testosterone derived cateogry so is also androgneic and may well cause you to have  the same problems with hair loss.

I have never swalloed utrogestan but since the 200 mg have been discontinued the 100 mg ones are very small. They are not tablets as such so should not cause that same feeling. They are small oval soft capsules and will be very easy to swallow I'm sure.

Hurdity x