Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Tracey E]

One pump is a prescribed dose to 100mg of Utrogestan daily. What's low for some is fine for others. Keep upping Estrogel doses if your very sensitive to the product can make your symptons worse Birdy and yet you tell everyone to do this why?

[winnie1967]

Hiya, thanks for your reply, so hard getting this 'right' when everyone's so different...I think I'll try halving the oestrogel, then very slowly go up if no better x

Hi Winnie, I was originally prescribed 1 pump of gel to 1 Utrogestan tablet daily. It is quite normal for there to be some residue of the Utrogestan tablet around the next day. I would give 1 pump of Estrogel a go, everyone different some need less than others to get symptom relief. Also it can take a while for HRT to settle and for your body to get used to it. Good luck! :)X

[winnie1967]

Hi, thanks for your reply...I'll increase very slowly if the lower dose doesn't help....flushes and sweats have about gone, but anxiety etc has all worsened since starting the hrt.
Thanks x

Don't lower your oestrogel and then increase again. Do any adjustments very gradually. Ideally, you start low and gradually increase. Two pumps is a standard dose. It is fairly low. One pump is very very low.
And you are already on the lowest dose of utrogestan. Try putting the capsule as far up as possible. I use an applicator from an old Canesten package. But you can use your fingers.

If your flushes are still happening, you probably aren't on enough gel.

[Tracey E]

Hi, thanks for your reply...I'll increase very slowly if the lower dose doesn't help....flushes and sweats have about gone, but anxiety etc has all worsened since starting the hrt.
Thanks x
 

Good luck Winnie..x

[winnie1967]

Hi, yes taking the utrogestan every day without a bleed....I'd like to try every other day, see if it works for me, but won't change them both at same time 🙂
Thanks again x

Hi again everyone, I wonder if I can get some more advice/suggestions please....I've been on the oestrogel (2 pumps a day) and utrogestan 100mg, for about 3 mths now.... Really severe flushes and sweats all but gone (brilliant), but anxiety, depression, crying, sleep, all gone much worse. I have ME and tend to be quite drug sensitive.....I've decided to go down to one pump a day temporarily, but I was wondering is there a way to half the utrogestan dose and NOT get a bleed....would every other day work?
Also, I've been taking the utrogestan vaginally, but doesn't always go well 😮
Can I swap and change between orally and vaginally?
Many thanks 🙂

No I would stick to one way or the other. Are you taking Utrogestan every day Winnie without a monthly bleed? I know folk have successfully tried every other day, it might improve your symptons. Some people are quite intolerant to the Utrogestan. This regime may be better for you or it may cause intermittent bleeding, maybe it's worth a try? If you do try this I would leave your Estrogel dose as is for the time being.

[winnie1967]

Is that utrogestan 7 days a month, and oestrogel every day?
Thanks

Hi, thanks for your reply...I'll increase very slowly if the lower dose doesn't help....flushes and sweats have about gone, but anxiety etc has all worsened since starting the hrt.
Thanks x
 

Good luck Winnie..x

[Hurdity]

Hi again everyone, I wonder if I can get some more advice/suggestions please....I've been on the oestrogel (2 pumps a day) and utrogestan 100mg, for about 3 mths now.... Really severe flushes and sweats all but gone (brilliant), but anxiety, depression, crying, sleep, all gone much worse. I have ME and tend to be quite drug sensitive.....I've decided to go down to one pump a day temporarily, but I was wondering is there a way to half the utrogestan dose and NOT get a bleed....would every other day work?
Also, I've been taking the utrogestan vaginally, but doesn't always go well 😮
Can I swap and change between orally and vaginally?
Many thanks 🙂

Hi winnie1967 - if your severe flushes and sweats have gone, this suggests that the oestrogen dose is right for you. If you have been taking utrogestan every day then the depression and other pms symptoms etc could be due to that. If you are post-meno and this regime has not led to a bleed than the utro is protecting your endometrium at the moment. I have previously posted studies showing alternate day use of utrogestan but will be with low and medium oestrogen doses (I'll bump the thread for you and it's here: https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,43633.msg696198.html#msg696198 ) - it might not be sufficient for higher oestrogen doses, and is off-licence anyway so would need the OK from your doc.

I agree with the others don't swap between oral and vaginal use due to fluctuations leading to spotting or bleeding.

I would not lower the oestrogel as it sounds like it's working. You might even benefit from increasing it although I wouldn't try this until you've first changed the pattern of progesterone dose for a few months and see how you feel.

If your doc approves the alternate day Utro and you still feel the same (ie no improvement to mood etc)  then maybe cyclically is the way to go as some of us do who don't like taking prog every day.

Hope this helps and you feel better soon.

Hurdity x

[winnie1967]

Hello, thanks for that, and the link to the other article....must admit I got a bit confused (ME and Meno brain 😮).
So I could keep to 2 oestrogel pumps a day, and 100mg utrogestan every other day vaginally should be enough?
I take it I'm supposed to speak to my GP? Much as she's lovely, she doesn't know much about this hrt - when I got it prescribed, she just checked it was available on the NHS then agreed to prescribe.
Many thanks x

Hi again everyone, I wonder if I can get some more advice/suggestions please....I've been on the oestrogel (2 pumps a day) and utrogestan 100mg, for about 3 mths now.... Really severe flushes and sweats all but gone (brilliant), but anxiety, depression, crying, sleep, all gone much worse. I have ME and tend to be quite drug sensitive.....I've decided to go down to one pump a day temporarily, but I was wondering is there a way to half the utrogestan dose and NOT get a bleed....would every other day work?
Also, I've been taking the utrogestan vaginally, but doesn't always go well 😮
Can I swap and change between orally and vaginally?
Many thanks 🙂

Hi winnie1967 - if your severe flushes and sweats have gone, this suggests that the oestrogen dose is right for you. If you have been taking utrogestan every day then the depression and other pms symptoms etc could be due to that. If you are post-meno and this regime has not led to a bleed than the utro is protecting your endometrium at the moment. I have previously posted studies showing alternate day use of utrogestan but will be with low and medium oestrogen doses (I'll bump the thread for you and it's here: https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,43633.msg696198.html#msg696198 ) - it might not be sufficient for higher oestrogen doses, and is off-licence anyway so would need the OK from your doc.

I agree with the others don't swap between oral and vaginal use due to fluctuations leading to spotting or bleeding.

I would not lower the oestrogel as it sounds like it's working. You might even benefit from increasing it although I wouldn't try this until you've first changed the pattern of progesterone dose for a few months and see how you feel.

If your doc approves the alternate day Utro and you still feel the same (ie no improvement to mood etc)  then maybe cyclically is the way to go as some of us do who don't like taking prog every day.

Hope this helps and you feel better soon.

Hurdity x

[Bljezard]

Morning ladies, just been prescribed  oestriol gel/ utrogestan, I am concerned at the high dose of progesterone as have been taking 5 mg previously in a tab form / femoston   conti.
 I'm also interested in your thoughts and experience on taking it internally rather than orally.

[Ladybt28]

Hi Bljezard - don't worry that the progesterone amounts on Utrogestan look high. They are no way comparable to the doses in tablets/femostan conti in terms of amount, nor should they be.

I use mine vaginally because they bypass the liver and the stomach and you don't get any side effects that way that you might get through taking them orally, but the thing is until you take them orally you won't know if they give you side effects - you could be lucky and get none taking them that way.  Orally they are known to have a sedative effect, some women like it if they have insomnia, some find it makes them groggy.  There are other side effects from oral doses but as I said you may be fine.
Some ladies get some side effects from using them vaginally but now I have been on them a year I don't get any that bother me much.

[Hurdity]

Wot Ladybt said!

I do get some side effects from vaginal use but I'm betting, not half so many than I would experience from oral use, and I have always been a nil-by-mouth gal when it comes to hRT - as being the most natural way to get it into your body

Hurdity x

[Lucyjo]

Can utrogestan be used vaginally along side vagifem?? I was just going to take them orally x

[Sammiejane]

hi ladies

i'm confused i'm on estrogel 2 pumps and ever since starting hrt my weight is going up and up disbite not eating more this is having an big impact on my mental state as before hrt i had actually lost weight i'm 5 yrs post meno so this has happened since starting hrt and can't understand why it keeps going up at this rate i'll be 20 stone without trying its worrying me my boobs keep growing in size too i've been on hrt 10 months , i'm too loosing all my hair since starting it i'm thinking of maybe stopping i feel bloated all the time but scared if i stop it i'll end up with a prolapse through lack of estrogen ?

[Lucyjo]

HI Sammiejane, sorry I can't help - only started estrogel yesterday - but it does worry me what you are saying! I had conti patches for a while & noticed I was continually hungry & put on weight really quickly. Hopefully, some of the other lovely ladies can be more help than me. Take care x

[Lucyjo]

Hi ladies, just wondering if utrogestan can be used vaginally along with vagifem? I have taken them orally for the last two nights but after reading Ladybt & Hurdity last posts, I'm not sure what to do x