Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Katherine on December 01, 2022, 02:47:52 PM
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Hi ladies,
I'm moving from continuous Utrogestan to taking it for 25 days a month but am unsure if when I'm supposed to have the break. Is it from the day after your period ends, for 25 days then a set number of days break? Or do you just not take it during your period?
My period lasts 4 days and there can be anything from 21 to 28 days between a period, but usually the gap is about 24 days. I just started my period today so wondering if now is a good time to start my first break. I am seeing my GP later on in the month but need some help sooner. Any help would be greatly appreciated. xxx
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Hi Katherine - start the first day of your bleed as Day 1 and then when you get to Day 25, stop the utro for 3 days and hopefully you'll get another bleed. Don't worry if the bleed comes later - you can still start Day after Day 28 even if your bleed hasn't come - because sometimes after a while women don't bleed on this regime (depending on where they are in menopause, and their oestrogen dose, as well as their womb condition), and it is important to make sure you continue taking it. If you end up always being a week out then you can tweak it but to start with - take it as above.
Good luck and let us know how it goes!
Hurdity x
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Thanks so much Hurdity I’ll do that and I’ll let you know how it goes! X
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When I had periods, I stopped Utrogestan for 3 days when bleeding started. If you do that, then your HRT will be in sync with your periods.
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Ah I’m querying what to do, this thread is helpful.
Ellie, do you mean you just took continuously till a bleed started then you paused for a few days?
That makes sense to me.
I want to take continuously as I find it beneficial but I’m still in peri.
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Hi Clarella. Yes, I was taking continuously until I had bleed, and then stopped for 3 days. After 3 days resume 100 mg continuous again. My periods were regular, more or less every month.
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I think this would suit me. I’m taking vaginally at the moment but hoping to try orally again now on a higher patch.
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Thanks so much for explaining!
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Hi Ellie, can I ask did a gp tell you to take it this way? Is there any official guidance on when to have the break? Maybe it says on the leaflet in the box, I will have another look.
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Hi Katherine. No, there is no official guidance because these regime (25/3) is licensed for post menopause.
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Hi ladies.
I was also wondering if I could take the progesterone side of things regularly as I feel a lot better when I’m on the two weeks Utrogestan (two capsules) and then find I really miss them when I have the two week break, I start feeling terrible again. Im 47 and peri. I’m a week away from the progesterone pills and it can’t come soon enough. I’m on 2.5 pumps of Estrogel. Does anyone else take Utrogestan like this (25/3) whilst still peri?
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Hi Vive, I'm 46 and in peri and my GP told me I could do 25/3. It was just the timing I wasn't sure about.
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Thanks Katherine. Do you mind me asking why you decided to take the prog this way? Instead of the usual two weeks on two weeks off for peri? I’m also wondering if tell my GP I’m struggling during the weeks I’m not taking the Prog if she will suggest this way of taking it instead and if I’m doing so will I still get the benefits on the lower dose 🤔
I actually dread coming off it now as I know my symptoms will be back with a vengeance 🤦🏼♀️
How are you feeling on the continuous Prog yourself?
Vive x
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Hi Vive. I was taking 25/3 when I was peri because of sleep benefits. I was sleeping so well on progesterone.
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Ellie O that’s good to know, hopefully my GP will give me the thumbs up, I sleep well on Prog too, although I do have much more vivid dreams which is interesting.
Wondering if I need to bother the GP with this or just trial it myself 🤔
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It feels such a minefield as in another forum I’ve just seen someone who I recognise as having a lot of experience and under a good consultant insist continuous is only for post menopause.
But my own Gp said ‘usually after a year we try continuous.’ At that point, last June, periods were v light and I was on 75; we raised it to 100 at that appt due to symptoms and blood tests.
It was fine at first (vaginally) but then I spotted for several weeks and made the decision to go back to cyclical. In retrospect I feel that was too hasty as it’s likely that this will happen?
This last cycle I felt so unwell *off* the utro and had such a heavy period (I think as the date pattern has me starting it during my last bleed so I’ve had a good two weeks with no utro) that I’ve just gone back to daily. And this time orally which definitely helps me feel much better in myself this time (couldn’t cope in past.)
I’ve noticed that within 3 days my feet don’t ache first thing in the morning.
I suppose I’ll have to trial this for a good 3 months. I’ve an appointment in a month; first I could get.
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Just thought I’d do some googling and found this - latest ref is 2018 but no idea when it was otherwise written.
Seems to say continuous is fine but may be erratic bleeding.
https://d2931px9t312xa.cloudfront.net/menopausedoctor/files/information/363/Safe%20HRT%20prescribing.pdf
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Hi, sorry I’ve been really busy but I’m back. I went on continuous utrogestan as my gp said it is fine even though I have regular periods still, because it helps so much with sleep. So she suggested it with better sleep as the reason. I just recently had my first 3 day break on days 2-4 of my period and was fine I still slept fine but I know from experience if I have a break of say a week I will need it for sleep. It seems to stay in my system a while. Since taking utrogestan and estrogel my periods are pretty much the same as they were before and I’ve never had spotting.
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Hi, sorry I’ve been really busy but I’m back. I went on continuous utrogestan as my gp said it is fine even though I have regular periods still, because it helps so much with sleep. So she suggested it with better sleep as the reason. I just recently had my first 3 day break on days 2-4 of my period and was fine I still slept fine but I know from experience if I have a break of say a week I will need it for sleep. It seems to stay in my system a while. Since taking utrogestan and estrogel my periods are pretty much the same as they were before and I’ve never had spotting.
Thanks very much for the reply Katherine. Glad it’s working for you like this, and that there are still options to try, ones that maybe we hadn’t thought out before, for anyone still struggling.
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Thank you for sharing your experiences Katherine and I hope it continues to go well. And I hope you get somewhere with the Gp vive.
How much oestrogen are you on Katherine? I’m a bit worried that this will be enough given I’m on 100 patches and also peri.
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Hi Clarella, I’m on 2 pumps of oestrogel but recently I have upped it to 3 pumps for a few days before my period when I am really low on energy. I am actually wondering whether I would benefit from 3 pumps all the time as my ‘good window’ each month when I have enough energy, feel positive and can be happy seems to be getting smaller. I now start to feel really tired a week before my period and it lasts until a few days after my period whereas before I would start to feel better once my period started. But I was concerned by a comment by Dr Heather Currie on here recently where she said there was concern that the recommended dose of utrogestan may not be enough to protect the womb from higher doses (3-4) pumps. These are not her exact words but we’re my interpretation of her comment. However it does say 2-4 pumps on my prescription. I guess all we can do really is trust our gps as there is so much conflicting information. What do you think Clarella?
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Hi Vive, I don’t see why you can’t take 100mg utrogestan 25/3 same as me as we are about the same age and peri. My gp said I could from the start and she is very well regarded. It might be worth telling your gp you want to try it and at least then it’s on your records. Also we are unlikely to have the same medical history so there might be another reason why you were recommended your current regime. I think it’s best to check although you could tell her what you’ve read on here.
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“But I was concerned by a comment by Dr Heather Currie on here recently where she said there was concern that the recommended dose of utrogestan may not be enough to protect the womb from higher doses (3-4) pumps. These are not her exact words but we’re my interpretation of her comment. However it does say 2-4 pumps on my prescription. I guess all we can do really is trust our gps as there is so much conflicting information. What do you think Clarella?”
I hadn’t seen the comment here but a Gp friend did dr curry’s training and said “x2 utro continuous for the higher doses” - but I’m not sure what is higher. Eg Davina is on 100 patches and one pump but just one utro. Done women are on much higher but maybe mirena?
I’ve considered writing to dr curry (the £30 service.)
I’m not sure I’m on enough oestrogen yet though as I feel some symptoms may be back. Or I need testosterone
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It said 3-4 pumps is a higher dose
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Ok thanks. I will have to see how this month goes and discuss with Gp.