Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: kittydaydream on August 10, 2024, 09:21:52 AM
-
Hi ladies, just wondered if anyone else had a horrible experience on Provera? I took the 1st one the night before last and yesterday I had awful symptoms….keep thinking I’d throw up, felt drugged, palpitations and anxiety! I’m peri and was on Utrogestan but had lesser but still yuk symptoms on that! I’m waiting for an appointment for Mirena at mo!
-
How long B4 U get the Mirena coil? If any medication makes me feel that ill, I stop.
MayB put provera into the search box and read the threads? Make notes ;-)
-
I might have to wait a month for mirena and I’m worried about thickening of the womb, but utro and Provera are awful for me!
-
Go back to utrogestan if you have any left. Have you tried taking it vaginally and rectally?
-
I tried utro vaginally but it still makes me feel awful 😢
-
:bighug:
-
Hello I had a really bad reaction to provera. I was supposed to take it (5mg three times a day) for 4 months after PMB and biopsy showed too much thickening. I lasted 9 weeks and put myself back on utrogestan but 200mg instead of 100mg. This is in the British Menopause Society guidelines as being fine for endometrial thickening. No idea why my consultant didn’t just suggest that in the first place, as I was totally happy before on Oestrogel and 100mg Utrogestan, instead of suggesting this synthetic progesterone which turned out to be poison for me. Have had repeat biopsy and endometrium is now fine so it worked. But some effects of provera are still there 16 weeks after my last dose. It seemed to put me back to the beginning again as if Oestrogel no longer worked. I had the whole range of symptoms and bitterly regret not stopping it immediately. Hot flushes. Cold chills. Insomnia. Heavy night sweats. Anxiety. Panic attacks. Anorexia (the only silver lining is I lost 22lbs as I couldn’t eat and I needed to lose it!) Blood tests (private of course my GP has barely heard of “menopause”) show I am still absorbing Oestrogel and I am hugely improved so it is possible to reverse the effects. I am also now on Androfeme but it’s too early to see if that’s working yet.
-
Have you already got a thickened lining or is this just for general endometrial protection?
Provera or utrogestan are not your only options whilst waiting for the IUS.
You could try norethisterone, 150mcg desogestrel (off label but supported by the BMS) or slynd.
If under 50 (or low risk and under a private specialist) a combined pill with estradiol and a kind progestin can be a great option.
If you are post menopause, tibolone is another alternative for progesterone intolerant women that is often overlooked.
-
Old lady 1961 - I’m in peri and opted to have mirena out in April as I was having anxiety and thought Utrogestan might help! HUGE mistake! Anxiety was manageable before but after 3 months continuous utro i suddenly had disturbed sleep waking like having had no sleep and with terrible anxiety! Then the one Provera I took was even worse! I swear I hate this time in my life, everything stopped, I don’t see anyone and don’t have motivation to do anything! I’ve been trying to get an appointment to have mirena again but it’s not happening quickly!
-
Have you already got a thickened lining or is this just for general endometrial protection?
Provera or utrogestan are not your only options whilst waiting for the IUS.
You could try norethisterone, 150mcg desogestrel (off label but supported by the BMS) or slynd.
If under 50 (or low risk and under a private specialist) a combined pill with estradiol and a kind progestin can be a great option.
If you are post menopause, tibolone is another alternative for progesterone intolerant women that is often overlooked.
Hiya it’s for protection, I’ll ask dr for another option for progesterone but as for a combined pill I’m too terrified to change anything else in case I’m even worse! Also Off course you’re stuck with three month chunks of time where you have to wait to see if it’s better or worse! Honestly I’m just totally fed up and frightened all the time that I’m going to die 😞
-
My oestrogen was 388 last month so I’m also wondering if my 100 patch is too much and I’m debating cutting it in half? What you all think?
-
I’m so sorry for you it’s sounds so awful and I definitely know something of what you’re going through.
My serum oestrodiol is higher than yours at 471 pmol/L on two pumps Oestrogel per day and I was told that’s fine - have you been told 388 is too high? Although I am 63 and it was suggested that once I feel normal again (I’m definitely getting there but not yet) I could start to try to reduce as I may not need this much at my age. The reason for considering a reduction is because of the PMB and trying to prevent that happening again.
-
If you feel well and your estradiol is 388, that's totally fine. I feel like shite and can't sleep and mine is 325pmol, so I'm aiming to get up to 450-650pmol.
Estrogen is very safe, very good for your health, anti-inflammatory, and nothing to be afraid of if you have sufficient progesterone on board.
-
Oldlady1961 - thank you! I’ve not been told 388 is too high just that it’s on normal range!
-
Joziel- I too feel like shite, problem is the gynaecologist I see won’t go above 100 patch, I’ve got estrogel so could add that but then I’d be in trouble when I run out! I guess I could stick on another half or quarter patch?
-
Change to a dedicated menopause specialist as many GPs and Gynaes still don't know enough about HRT requirements.
-
Can you not see Newson privately? Don't know what I'd do without them... Fortunately my NHS GP is so far approving whatever their letter of recommendation prescribes me so at least I don't have to pay for meds.
-
Thanks both! I’ll ask gp for referral but I think it’ll be at least a year wait! I’m not working since the worst of peri kicked in so I’m worried about the cost of going private like with Newson - Joziel can you give me an idea of cost if you don’t mind?
-
Well, it's £240 for the consultation and you need one of those a year to stay registered with them.
Then you can get all bloods and medication on the NHS - as long as your NHS GP approves what they are written to and told to approve by Newson.
You don't need a referral, to go to Newson.
-
U can ring to find out - explain your health issues as well as your work situation. It's worth paying for proper advice but do make sure that the medic is menopause au fait because some have 'done a course' and know less than we do on here in some cases. Let us know how you get on.
Tnx joziel - that's not a bad price for good advice when I was paying £170.00 per hour for mental health support in the 1990s.
-
Thank you CKLD I’ll ring them. Joziel that’s not as bad as I thought but how often did you have a consultation to get sorted?
-
Well originally I just had one appointment with them a year and it all worked out quite well.
Recently I've been on a quest to get my estrogen up and I was switched to Sandrena which didn't work out for me, so then I needed to request to be switched off it and to patches and gel. Since I'd had a proper appointment about 3 months before this, I just had a 10min phone consult with my Newson doctor. That was £100. Then I had to pay another £100 to reverse that(!) and get off Sandrena and back onto gel along with patches.
Which is all to say, it depends how much you'll need to change dosages or products. Once you are stable on something it should be fine.
And it has all been cheaper than the ridiculous private thyroid care I've also had to pay for over the last year, trialling thyroid meds for symptoms which were actually low estrogen. I think it's been about £1K just for the thyroid stuff because it involves bloods every 6 weeks and expensive T3 meds and more private doctors' appointments than meno stuff.
I'm weaning off thyroid meds now. I began at 50mcg T4 and 45mcg T3 - and today I'm on 25mcg T4 and 30mcg T3. It will be another couple of weeks before I'm completely off. I'm doing okay so far.
-
Thanks for the great info Joziel! I will get back on mirena but if I still struggle I’ll definitely go for Newson as it’s a small price to get my life back! Thank you 🙏
-
There’s Minter Clinic too they’re a bit cheaper https://www.minteretal.com/meet-our-minter-hormone-health-team/