Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Magpie_meno on May 16, 2025, 03:44:36 PM
-
Hi, I’m feeling pretty desperate so any advice would be appreciated please.. 5 weeks ago I started on evorel 50 patches and utrogestan 200mg. First night felt wired and anxious from the utro and super wired/anxious/ palpitations the next morning. Went back to doctor and was put on evorel sequi. Started the 50 patches first and felt pretty good the first week, more energy and chatty again, started the conti patch and felt awful, anxious and very dark thoughts. Went to doctor and asked about trying utro vaginally, she said she couldn’t recommend it but didn’t say I mustn’t. She said she’d recommended trying the Mirena coil so I said I’d think about it.
Thought I’d try the utrogestan vagi ally first (as the thought of having constant progesterone from coil was a bit scary after such dark thoughtsetc)
So 2 weeks of utro vaginally- wasn’t too bad apart from slight low mood and fatigue. But… since stopping it 5 days ago I’m now having horrible low mood, dark thoughts, crying episodes. I got my bleed yesterday so thought I’d start to feel better but feel worse today. I really don’t want to give up HRT as I really did start to feel like myself again the first two weeks on estrogen but I’m so scared to have mirena fitted and possibly be stuck feeling so low from it. I’m only 44 and in the middle of a divorce with two children (already on ssri for past two years) so really need to have my wits about me and just feel so scared I’m getting crazier and crazier.
Does anyone have any advice if progesterone has made you so low before? Am I likely to feel like this from mirena or is it a lower dose?
-
In theory a mirena *should* be better tolerated as it delivers the progestin locally to the uterus and is not considered to act systemically.
A minority of women who are sensitive to progestogens do experience mood symptoms on it though - there is no way to tell if you will be one of them without trying it. If so you can have it removed although this is something that you need to get an appointment for, and there are cases of women desperate to get an IUS removed and struggling to access a timely appointment to remove this on the NHS.
It is interesting that you say you felt reasonable when taking micronised progesterone vaginally but things seemed to deteriorate after stopping it.
The obvious suggestion would be to try continuous vaginal use.
Conventional dogma is to avoid continuous progesterone if still menstruating as this MIGHT result in a less regular bleeding pattern.
Personally I would accept having to carry some sanitary towels in my bag for stable mental health.
-
I’m only 44 and in the middle of a divorce with two children (already on ssri for past two years) so really need to have my wits about me and just feel so scared I’m getting crazier and crazier.
You sound under a lot of stress. Just putting an NHS link for Sertraline which you may be on. Sertraline seems to be the first go to now a days but i may be wrong in your case. The link towards the end mentions that dark thoughts while on it need to be mentioned.
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/medicines-and-psychiatry/ssri-antidepressants/side-effects/
I hope that you have some support around you.
-
Thank you very much for replying. I feel much better today thankfully. I forgot to mention after finishing the 14 days utrogestan I also had a 3 day migraine. I think the issue is possibly the withdrawal and stopping and starting with the progesterone. I’m going to make an appointment on Monday and discuss trying the mirena.
Thanks again for the replies, I really do appreciate you taking the time 😊
-
So pleased that U R feeling better! Certainly hormonal upheaval can cause dark thoughts, Dr Dalton did a lot of Research on Premesntrual Syndrome in the 1980s: NAPS is a good website.