Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Personal Experiences => Topic started by: Sunnydays on July 16, 2016, 04:09:02 PM
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Sorry ladies I know I've posted about this before but couldn't find answer. Norethisterone in the Evorel patch - after about 6 days of being on the oestrogen and progesterone part, my tum feels a bit like the insides are being pulled out! Period pain type but not really low down. My thoughts this is simply the Norethisterone doing its job (eating away at any lining build up)
Would any of you ladies agree with me?
Thank you
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I thought that this was given to stop severe bleeding :-\
If you use the 'search' button you will find several threads about Norethisterone - I looked to make sure so you may find answers there.
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CLKD - The Evorel patches have norethisterone in them for two weeks of each month.
Sunnydays - Yes, sometimes one does get cramps on the progesterone phase of HRT, although this is usually when the bleed actually happens after you finish the combined oestrogen/progesterone patches. AS your body adjusts and get used to the hormones these cramps may not happen so much. Unfortunately for some us period type cramps are common when on HRT. DG x
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Interesting topic for me. I am on Estradot 25mcg patch and oral progesterone 100mg continuously with no bleeds since end of last year. I have ongoing periodtype cramping more to the lower back. In the past my scans were fine. Last one was in April. At times it does worry me as it just feels wrong....as though something is being irritated which should not be :o
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I get a lot of cramping when on HRT - a pain in every way. Dg x
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MatildaM - do you not be advised that you need the occasional bleed even if your lining is within certain measurements? Are you generally happy with this apart from the vague sensations? Maybe because we expect to bleed it is in the back of the mind that it ain't 'right'?
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Interesting point CKLD. No as per GP I am suppose to take it continuously with no break and no bleed. I feel OK-ish on this regime...not great...(feel like I will never feel great again :-\) but hesitant to make changes due to past experiences.
Sunnydays is this your first time on HRT? I was just hoping that my pains and aches will settle after a few months on hrt! ..sigh...
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Ive just returned to using Everol conti patches and I get the cramps like period pains everytime I increase the size of the patch but only for a day or two but I dont bleed.
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Clare663 the fact that your pains settle is good and this is what I hoped will happen in my case.
Sunnydays I do not want to hijack your thread but just want to add this comment. I like your description of the progestin "eating away" the lining as I find it a worrying sensation. After a night of very poor sleep due to periodlike cramping and back pain I did not take my oral progestrone last night...no pains and had good sleep! So will be interesting to see if I get a bleed now....
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Don't worry matildamouse, you're not hijacking! All discussion good :))
I've been using hrt since about Jan of last year I'm trying different regimes to find most successful and am getting there (I think!)
Interesting you have to take a tablet with the 25mcg patch. There is a conti patch that contains both oestrogen and progesterone (Norethisterone) so you don't have to faff around with tablets.
I'm into about day 8 of the conti part of the hrt and my tum has settled (I forgot to say I had dreadful wind as well with it, but that's sorted also) I also had the mother of all headaches for 2 days but that's gone too. So I'm just going through my jumping for joy phase!
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Good news re your issues settling down! Hope you are on the road to success now in the muddy world of Hrt!
As the norethisterone is a testosterone based progestin I can not use that as I already have elevated androgen levels which cause increase in facial hair etc. I also struggled with even worse cramping on the Mirena thus opting for the progesterone. After my 2nd night of no progesterone I had a good sleep with no further cramps and also no bleeding yet so will see how I go. Not too sure where to go from here yet...
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Which progesterone do you use Matilda mouse?
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I use the micronised progesterone capsules from a compounding pharmacy as Utrogestan is not available in Australia.
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Matildamouse - of course, I should have realised from the 100mg amount. Let us know how you get on.
Clare663 - are you new to Evorel conti and slowly increasing the patches?
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I sometimes get mild cramping or should I say aching, when on the progesterone part of HRT - especially on a long cycle.
By the way matildamouse/Sunnydays - don't worry about the progestogen "eating away" at your lining! It doesn't really do this as such (although in a way norehtisterone can - see below)! Well it seems to act differently on sequential and continuous HRT. With sequential HRT - when you are on the progestogen part, the progestogen converts the lining from proliferative ( growing) as it does on oestrogen only - to "secretory" (changes in structure ready for nurturing the embryo). The different layers of cells change completely in structure. When you stop the progesterone this signals the lining to be shed and the usual cramping is part of the mechanism whereby the uterus expels the old lining. I'm not sure why we feel cramps during the secretory stage but presumably some women can actually sense the changes going on.
When you are on continuous combined HRT the progestogen prevents the lining from building up at all and so it stays thin. I have read that it interferes with the oestrogen receptors preventing the oestrogen from stimulating the linging to grow. On looking this up (quite hard to find precise info and all gets very detailed and technical) some studies show that the lining can contain proliferative and secretory cells at the same time (on conti HRT). I am not certain as to the mechanism where norethisterone actually thins the lining when given to women who have a thickened lining, but it is a very potent progestogen in terms of its action on the uterus, compared to progesterone.
I got carried away a bit there but hope it helps - sorry I've not got references to hand! You can probably tell I only have a rudimentary knowledge of all of this from memory and don't have time in the summer to research/revise stuff!
Hurdity x
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Thanks for this Hurdity. Yes Norethisterone is quite strong and I guess this is why it's not unusual not to get a bleed on the sequential because the lining has all been sorted!!
And yes 'eating away' sounds awful doesn't it, but in my mind that's what it seems to do! Or so my tum thinks so!