Menopause Matters Forum

Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: SueLW on April 21, 2018, 01:20:02 PM

Title: Anyone successfully using 100 Utrogestan for 25 days a month with Estrogel?
Post by: SueLW on April 21, 2018, 01:20:02 PM
I see so much negative about Utrogestan. 

But has/does anyone use it successfully in the 25 day cycle or even completely continuously?


Title: Re: Anyone successfully using 100 Utrogestan for 25 days a month with Estrogel?
Post by: Dotty on April 21, 2018, 01:28:53 PM
Yes....I use it for 25 days with Oestrogel.
Title: Re: Anyone successfully using 100 Utrogestan for 25 days a month with Estrogel?
Post by: SueLW on April 21, 2018, 01:36:14 PM
Sorry Dotty.  I've just seen your answer to my previous exact same question.  Thank you.  I'm afraid to try.  I tried it once before but for just 3 days before the symptoms were awful.  However, I don't know if it was the utrogestan or the fact that I whacked my patch up to a higher dose at the same time.  It's scared me off trying again.  But I think I need to try.  I could do with using Estrogel now I think. 
Title: Re: Anyone successfully using 100 Utrogestan for 25 days a month with Estrogel?
Post by: Dotty on April 21, 2018, 01:55:39 PM
I use 4 pumps of Oestrogel and 100mg of Utrogestan . I use the Utrogestan at night orally for 25 nights. So far so good. I was on Elleste Duet Conti for 3 months before this and it had no effect on me at all.
Title: Re: Anyone successfully using 100 Utrogestan for 25 days a month with Estrogel?
Post by: racjen on April 21, 2018, 09:36:39 PM
This really confuses me - seems like an awful lot of utrogestan. When you consider that Prof Studd advocates 7 days of 100mg utrogestan vaginally every month (unlicensed I know, but still seems to suit a lot of women anecdotally at least), and my own specialist has said a minimum of 10 days of 200mg every 3 months (which works out at the same total amount as the Prof Studd one) why are others being told they need as much as 25 days a month? I certainly couldn't tolerate that without becoming suicidal within days....
Title: Re: Anyone successfully using 100 Utrogestan for 25 days a month with Estrogel?
Post by: matildamouse on April 22, 2018, 12:38:09 AM
I use 100mg vaginal progrsterone on alternative days with 50mcg Estradot patch.
Title: Re: Anyone successfully using 100 Utrogestan for 25 days a month with Estrogel?
Post by: Cassie on April 22, 2018, 07:40:02 AM
I am with you on that one Racjen, I shudder through 12 days of 100mg every 5 weeks and thats bad enough. ::)
Title: Re: Anyone successfully using 100 Utrogestan for 25 days a month with Estrogel?
Post by: SueLW on April 22, 2018, 11:12:59 PM
I guess it all depends on if the Utrogestan suits a person.  Taking it 25 days a month presumably means no bleed, although I'm not sure.  And progesterone is supposed to be the relaxing happy hormone that acts as a diuretic (God knows I could do with that function).

It's very confusing.  I don't know what to do.  I think I need more oestrogen now, but I'm not sure my compounded 3 in 1 cream will be able to provide enough progesterone to counter it if I add some Estrogel into the mix.

Better book a consultation I suppose.
Title: Re: Anyone successfully using 100 Utrogestan for 25 days a month with Estrogel?
Post by: SueLW on April 22, 2018, 11:14:37 PM
I use 100mg vaginal progrsterone on alternative days with 50mcg Estradot patch.

I've wondered about an every other day regime.
Title: Re: Anyone successfully using 100 Utrogestan for 25 days a month with Estrogel?
Post by: Cassie on April 23, 2018, 08:54:26 AM
Progesterone does not make me relax it has the opposite effect, makes me feel very wired up and jittery. Sue LW if you are going to add Estrogel to the mix, pls do  not use a progesterone cream, it will not be strong enough to oppose the oestrogen.
Title: Re: Anyone successfully using 100 Utrogestan for 25 days a month with Estrogel?
Post by: SueLW on April 23, 2018, 01:20:17 PM
if you are going to add Estrogel to the mix, pls do  not use a progesterone cream, it will not be strong enough to oppose the oestrogen.

Which is why I'm asking questions and looking at options.

I've been using a compounded 3 in 1 cream for several years and its done me very well.  Scan last year showed a perfect lining.  But I think I need more oestrogen now my menopause is further along and I can't get a stronger cream made up according to the pharmacy (the mix will become too thick).  I'd love to use Utrogestan and be done with it.  But I'm scared because I had a bad reaction to something a couple of years ago when I tried it for just 3 nights.  But that could have been my patch at the time was too high.  I had pushed it up because I felt so bad, when in fact I really needed to drop it lower.
Title: Re: Anyone successfully using 100 Utrogestan for 25 days a month with Estrogel?
Post by: Cassie on April 23, 2018, 03:23:34 PM
I understand but I am just repeating what my gynaecologist told me about compounded progesterone creams and the estrogel, have you considered using the Utrogestan vaginally for 10 to 12 days per month, this would mean you getting a bleed each month but you would not have to use it continuously.
Title: Re: Anyone successfully using 100 Utrogestan for 25 days a month with Estrogel?
Post by: SueLW on April 23, 2018, 04:54:04 PM
have you considered using the Utrogestan vaginally for 10 to 12 days per month, this would mean you getting a bleed each month but you would not have to use it continuously.

Yes, I've considered that option.  But I wanted to see how many people are happy on the 25 day routine, which is what my HRT specialist suggested to me a couple of years ago.  I would like not to have to bleed again if possible.  I had a Mirena coil for around 7 years before I started HRT so I've not bled monthly for a long time.  I quite like that state of affairs.
Title: Re: Anyone successfully using 100 Utrogestan for 25 days a month with Estrogel?
Post by: Dotty on April 23, 2018, 05:12:56 PM
Think you've got to remember that there are lots of women who take utrogestan for 25 days but they don't come onto these sort of forums. You tend to only hear horror stories on forums.

I am happily taking Utrogestan for 25 days and I'm getting my life back after a horrendous 6 months.
Title: Re: Anyone successfully using 100 Utrogestan for 25 days a month with Estrogel?
Post by: Mary G on April 23, 2018, 07:42:19 PM
In many respects, you either get on with the progesterone part of HRT or you don't.  If you do then yes, you can take shed loads of Utrogestan or other types of progesterone and not have any side effects.  If you don't get on with it then you have to seriously limit the amount of progesterone you take otherwise it throws out the oestrogen to such an extent it makes it virtually useless - that is what happens to me.  I also get silent migraines if I take too much progesterone but that's another issue. 

If you had a Mirena coil for 7 years without any side effects then why not try another one?  I was OK with the Mirena until my oestrogen levels tanked and I then made the mistake of using patches with it which were completely useless and didn't provide enough oestrogen to combat the side effects from the progesterone.  I didn't try Oestrogel with the coil but I think it might have worked if I had used a very high dose. 
Title: Re: Anyone successfully using 100 Utrogestan for 25 days a month with Estrogel?
Post by: SueLW on April 24, 2018, 01:23:55 PM
Think you've got to remember that there are lots of women who take utrogestan for 25 days but they don't come onto these sort of forums. You tend to only hear horror stories on forums.

I am happily taking Utrogestan for 25 days and I'm getting my life back after a horrendous 6 months.

You are so right Dotty!  I'm glad you are here to put your story forth.  I'm very happy to hear that you are getting your life back.  It's been 6 years of crap for me.  I really would like to get mine back too.  But I'm way better now than I was.  I just feel I need a change, stronger treatment I think.  Thank you for your story.
Title: Re: Anyone successfully using 100 Utrogestan for 25 days a month with Estrogel?
Post by: SueLW on April 24, 2018, 01:27:26 PM
In many respects, you either get on with the progesterone part of HRT or you don't.  If you do then yes, you can take shed loads of Utrogestan or other types of progesterone and not have any side effects.  If you don't get on with it then you have to seriously limit the amount of progesterone you take otherwise it throws out the oestrogen to such an extent it makes it virtually useless - that is what happens to me.  I also get silent migraines if I take too much progesterone but that's another issue. 

If you had a Mirena coil for 7 years without any side effects then why not try another one?  I was OK with the Mirena until my oestrogen levels tanked and I then made the mistake of using patches with it which were completely useless and didn't provide enough oestrogen to combat the side effects from the progesterone.  I didn't try Oestrogel with the coil but I think it might have worked if I had used a very high dose.

It's certainly one of the options on the table for me right now.  I was fine with the Mirena after the first 4 months.  I've also used the Wellsprings progesterone cream on my own before seeing a specialist and I was OK with that too.  Perhaps I should just drop my fear of the Utrogestan, mainly caused by reading too much on the Internet!