Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Chi chi on September 14, 2015, 09:30:09 AM
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As I need to take some sort of progesterone I'm considering all options. When I was on the combined pill Ovranette this contained levonorgestrel which from what I've read is a testosterone derived progestin, I didn't have any issues while on this pill but it was a long time ago. I'm wondering if because of the testosterone/androgenic effect this is why I had no problems with mood?
Ive tried the Mirena which is also Levonorgestrel and while I had a lot of spotting/bleeding I don't recall any mood problems on it.
It's been suggested that I try the Mirena again but I'm unsure because of the bleeding. I noticed that you can get Levonorgestrel in pill form. How would I have to take this? Every day or for so many days a month to have a bleed? I would continue with the oestrogel and if need be the testim gel also.
I was on Cerazette (Desogestrel ) for a couple of years previous to my breakdown and still not sure if this was a contributing factor?? I've also found I'm bad on Utrogestan.
Is there anyone else who has found they're ok on certain progestins and not others?
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Estelle
From what you are telling us, it sounds as though having a Mirena might be your best option - particularly at your age. I think you are still young and peri in meno?
It should control the bleeds with minimum side effects and give you the consistency you are looking for. You may well find that after a few weeks of spotting the bleeds stop completely - this happens for the majority of women depending on how strong their own hormones are. There are FemSeven patches that have Levonorgestrel in them but I don't think there pills with just Levonorgestrel - you could try the patches - probably the sequi ones first as the conti ones are for women over 54 or post meno.
Each women is different so it is trial and error to find what suits you. DG x
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Thanks DG,
Ah I didn't realise there were patches, so I suppose IF I couldn't tolerate them they can be easily removed! So how do the sequi ones work? Would that be certain days through each month?
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There is the POP Norgeston which contains levenorgestrel, but not in sufficient quantity for hrt use. I tried it when I was trying to decide whether to try a Mirena or not, to see if I was happy with the type of progestogen.
Mirena puts the progestogen where it is needed and there is a lot less circulating than would be with a POP (and probably a lot less than hrt)
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How did u get on with it?
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Progestogen always adds about 3 days to my gut transit time - I have constipation permanently anyway and a rectocele repair - so I ditched it after a week. Otherwise, it was fine ;D
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Estelle - The sequi HRT patches with Levonorgestrel will have some patches with just oestrogen only and then some with Levonorgestrel together with oestrogen that will then produce a withdrawal bleed after you finish the combined patch phase - so this will mimic a natural cycle. These could be worth trying.
If I remember rightly, you haven't actually been diagnosed as peri menopausal so I think a bit of time without any hormones may be advantageous to let your body settle and see how you feel. If after 4-6 weeks without HRT you have a blood test done, this might show what is going on and then further treatment can move forward.
Is it low mood and anxiety that you are mainly suffering from? Sadly hormone treatment is not always successful in treating this and if you are not actually hormone deficient then HRT might not be the best way forward. If flushes and night sweats are causing a problem then HRT will definitely help. DG x
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Thank you, I've been re reading through my emails from prof stud and he has actually said I am peri, my hormones must have been off as I had hardly any testosterone at all with my first test with him ???
I see where your coming from about HRT being of no use unless it's actually needed and especially for just anxiety and depression, I don't suffer with night sweats but I've experienced flushing (mildly) and have so many of the symptoms that aren't automatically thought of as being due to the menopause, my mum also started with symptoms at my age, I also have to question why AD's haven't worked either? ???
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Have you tried them all Estelle ? I found hrt did not do much for my anxiety sadly which is why I've decided to come off it to see what if any symptoms I'm left with .
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My first point of call would always be natural products, in this case bio identical hormones. In fact Cancer Research UK just in the last few months have pointed out some of the benefits of natural progesterone as opposed to progestins (synthetic variants). Have you considered Utrogestan at all? It was my first point of call for prescribed HRT and it's been great for me, though I understand some find progesterone difficult to tolerate.
GG x
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Hi Estelle
I am interested to read that you took Cezarette a couple of years before your breakdown. I presume this stopped your periods so you had no idea whether you were in peri-menopause or not? What happened when you stopped the Cezarette ie to your periods and mood? Did you start to take something else? At what point in all of this did you go and see Prof Studd and have hormones tested?
The reason I ask is that we discussed this on another thread recently - that Cezarette depresses oestrogen levels so in view of your history (I think you mentioned PND in the past?) - low oestrogen (from the Cezarette) could easily have been a contributing factor. I'm not sure what happens to your cycle with Cezarette when you become peri-menopausal though - bit hazy about this!
Hurdity x
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Hi Hurdity, yes while I was on cerazette it stopped my periods completely. I came off it 6 weeks prior to seeing prof studd, I actually started my bleed the morning of the appointment and then I was prescribed the HRT