Menopause Matters Forum

Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Sue1972 on October 17, 2023, 01:19:46 PM

Title: Does anyone on cyclical HRT feel worse when they are on the progesterone break?
Post by: Sue1972 on October 17, 2023, 01:19:46 PM

I notice a real dip in how I am feeling when I am the 2 week break from progesterone. Especially in the second week.
I am interested to know if this happens to anyone else and if have you found something that helps, like lowering or increasing Estrogen during the break?

Title: Re: Does anyone on cyclical HRT feel worse when they are on the progesterone break?
Post by: CeCe on October 17, 2023, 01:47:39 PM

Hello Sue1972,

I always felt terrible during the 2 week break from progesterone. My menopause specialist put me onto continuous progesterone despite being perimenopausal to counteract it, and I felt much better. It wasn’t perfect though due to breakthrough bleeding, but way better than before.

Sorry I have no advice re changing the oestrogen dose. The 2nd week of the cycle is when your natural oestrogen is getting to its peak, so adding more oestrogen might be your problem, it was mine.

Best wishes,
Cece

Title: Re: Does anyone on cyclical HRT feel worse when they are on the progesterone break?
Post by: ToriiJ on October 17, 2023, 02:17:58 PM

Hi Sue

I was the same as you, always felt better when on the progesterone part. My GP changed me to continuous progesterone. I’m still struggling as feel like I’m not getting enough, but this may work for you.

Best wishes to you x

Title: Re: Does anyone on cyclical HRT feel worse when they are on the progesterone break?
Post by: Sue1972 on October 17, 2023, 04:07:16 PM

Thank you both for your replies.

My meno nurse mentioned about possibly putting me on a continuous regime a while ago as I am now 51 and I think I actually became peri-menopausal when I was 42! I didn't realise at the time that this was the cause of all the strange things that were happening to me. I was only diagnosed and started HRT when I was nearly 50.

I have been having some issues with the Oestrogel and have now swapped to Sandrena. I have just changed over this week so I did not want to make too many changes at once.

I feel a bit more hopeful about changing to a continuous regime now so I will probably do a month on the new gel to see how that goes and then ask to be put onto continuous progesterone. I do worry though that like ToriiJ, I may not then be getting enough progesterone on a daily basis.

Thanks again for your replies. x