Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Evie606 on February 15, 2022, 04:16:21 PM
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Hi All,
After meeting with consultant today, she wants me to try Crinone gel every other day for 10 days per month. I doubt my gp will prescribe this, I’m interested to know if anyone uses this (how are you getting on with it?) and knows the private prescription cost? I know it’s around £30 for 3 months nhs cost but I know that’ll be marked up.
Thanks :)
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Don’t know anything about it Evie606 but following with interest x
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Don’t know anything about it Evie606 but following with interest x
Hi Peri,
As suspected GP can’t prescribe so will have to be private. Local pharmacy charges £46 for a 3 month supply, cheaper than anything online I could find.
Currently in progesterone withdrawal after stopping Utrogestan, yuk!
Will start Crinone 8% alternate days for 10 days in around 3 weeks.
E x
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Please keep us posted how you go on. I’m trialling cyclogest 100mg (vaginally) alternate days next month. It’s 18.99€ a box here in Spain x
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I have been taking Crinone for just over 3 months on private prescription from specialist. Hoping g.p. may prescribe but not holding my breath.
I took it as could not tolerate utrogestan and no similar side effects from Crinone. Do get occasional bleed (maybe once a month? Not really logged it.) but that is far better than awful feeling of utogestan and may yet go away.
I am post menopausal so take every 3 days. Started off in morning but advised to take at night so swapped (better as less tired afternoon.)
Hope that helps
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Please keep us posted how you go on. I’m trialling cyclogest 100mg (vaginally) alternate days next month. It’s 18.99€ a box here in Spain x
Will do and likewise as Cyclogest is the last one left if Crinone doesn’t suit. Good luck. X
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I have been taking Crinone for just over 3 months on private prescription from specialist. Hoping g.p. may prescribe but not holding my breath.
I took it as could not tolerate utrogestan and no similar side effects from Crinone. Do get occasional bleed (maybe once a month? Not really logged it.) but that is far better than awful feeling of utogestan and may yet go away.
I am post menopausal so take every 3 days. Started off in morning but advised to take at night so swapped (better as less tired afternoon.)
Hope that helps
Hi AKatieD,
GP wanted to prescribe but not on NHS list for HRT.
I’m similar to you as Utrogestan just did not suit, tried it on a sequi regime and then Conti as my consultant said it’s better for Prog intolerance. However, 4 months later and no difference.
Consultant wants to try sequi again with Crinone as I was still getting monthly bleeds anyway.
Thanks for the tip to take at night, makes sense. Fingers crossed you keep doing well on it. :)
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Hi there
Crinone gel doesn't seem to be recommended by the British Menopause Society in their recent "Progestogens and endometrial protection" - see Tools for Clinicians here: https://thebms.org.uk/publications/tools-for-clinicians/
This is based on a limited study using 4 % (lower dose) Crinone gel which is not available any more I don't think. The conclusion from the "ELITE" study ( which I haven't looked at) was "The authors concluded that 10 days of vaginal progesterone 45 mg/day is insufficient to completely oppose the effect of oral estradiol 1 mg/day on the endometrium". So this was 4 % crinone gel used with a lower oestrogen dose and followed up over 80 months. It may well be that the higher concentration of Crinone gel would do so - though the trial only used a low oral dose of oestrogen.
AKatieD - if you are getting ongoing bleeding on this continuous regime after the 6 months settling in period of time, and you are post-menopausal then you should report this and your womb lining should be checked out, especially if you are on higher doses of oestrgoen. Maybe this is happening already and your private specialist is monitoring your endometrium? Every 3 days sounds like a low dose...Great to be free of side effects though :)
Hurdity x
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Hi again
Yes it may not be on the BMA list but it is still body identical progesterone like Utrogestan (not a completely different progestogen that might have other effects), just a different gel preparation, and so I am not at all concerned if is not on a list.
Especially as it is used in supporting pregnancy so it is not unknown, just not for menopause. Makes it more annoying that it is not on NHS prescription lists for menopause, when it is for other uses.
I have only looked at continuous usage for the post menopausal and there are studies to support Crinone in protecting endometrium in that case. The studied usage was twice a week, hence the every 3 days.
It does make you think that perhaps the Progesterone dose is just too high for some people with Utrogestan, if lower works for others using Crinone without the side effects.
Yes, will end up scanned shortly for initial check and then routinely after that. But would imagine if Ok initially, then will be able to ease that over time.
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Hi AKatie
It’s been awhile since you posted but came across this thread and wondering how you're
getting on with the Crinone.
I’ve been reading the study by De Ziegler regarding the Crinone 4% twice weekly which is very interesting regarding endometrium protection and reduction of side effects, so any further update would be useful to hear
X
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Hi there
Stil taking the Crinone every 3 days without side effects. No knee pain but I am careful with rest and distance of runs to try not to disprove this.
As noted above, having to pay for it, groan, (also have to for thyroid meds too as t4 doesn't work for me). Altho I support the NHS, this is now ridiculous!
Had check up following the bleeding and turned out to be polyps that were then removed (not likely to be due to HRT as had some removed before ever started HRT too).
I can't get too worked up about dosage of progesterone being too low. Crinone is 90mg/ 3 days or 30mg/ day compared to Mirena of 20mcg/ day. The route is slightly different and so absorption might not be so good with Crinone but if a Mirena provides enough it is not obviously the case that Crinone gives too little.
Happier to go on with bearable solution and some ongoing monitoring, rather than the nuclear option of hysterectomy
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Hi AKatie
Thank you for the update and pleased to hear that the bleeding turned out to be polyps.
A few more questions if you don’t mind-
Is it the 4% or 8% that you use?
Are you more or less symptom free now?
Thank you once again x
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It's not so much the dosage as the method of administration. Research shows that progesterone creams applied to the skin don't absorb well enough to offer uterine protection. If you're adding them in alongside an approved progesterone then they're probably not an issue but to use them instead of the approved progesterone risks not protecting the uterine lining adequately...
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Hello there, I know that when doing Ivf with egg donor in some country like Tcheq Republic they propose crinone gel but we have to apply it vaginally.
And in France is it used vaginaly as well
https://www.vidal.fr/medicaments/crinone-80-mg-g-gel-vagin-159979.html
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Joziel - Crinone is a capsule that you use vaginally like Utrogestan, it’s not a transdermal cream. X
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Oh phew, that's okay then! Are you sure tho? Hurdity above calls it 'Crinone gel'...
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Yeah, pretty sure, don’t know why it says gel!! X
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Crinone is a vaginal gel, rather than a capsule like Utrogestan, or an external gel like Oestrogel.
As for dosage, I think only 8% is available in the UK now. I understand here was a choice of 4% previously (and maybe still in States) and that the studies were done with that.
You also asked about side effects. Nothing that I notice particularly apart from a few spots sometimes just before the next crinone. But as that does not make me feel bad, it is just a minor irritation compared to Utrogestan which was unbearable.
I originally started taking it in the morning and it left me feeling tired and fed up but switched to taking at night and that disappeared.
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Hello are you still taking crinone? I’ve just started and wanted to know if you take in the morning how long to leave it till you move? Also do you take twice a week continuously? Thank you
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Hi again. No I use the Crinone at night on way to sleep. Changed to every other day and yes continuously. Still no side effects so all good.:)
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Thank you for replying and good to know still no side effects. Does every other night stop bleed, is this why you changed fomrom twice weekly? Do you get it prescribed on nhs or pay privately? I guess you use one box a month, 15 in a box? Downside is it’s quite expensive:(
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Hi again
Yes to no bleeding now and if I remember rightly that was to stop any break theough bleed (although confess have forgotten now).
Afraid I have to pay for it all (oestrogel, crinone, vagirux, ovestin androfeme, consultations) as nhs g.p "menopause specialist" won't offer anything as she does not like the specialist's advice even though she suggested them as the head of practice is a menopause bigwig ( president of the international menopause association and past president BMS). So yes expensive!