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[Binks]

Hello there ladies,
please excuse typos i have a brokn wrist.

I am peri , age 50 , taking a pump a day of eostrogel as i had really really bad low esotrogen related arthritis. Despite docotrs convinced it didnt exist, i had a diarised pattern linked ot periods which i got less and less. Started on patches in november -  evorel and another, then moved to gel as patches falling off.

I have felt so much better even with one pump =  i can get out of the car and walk up stairs and go to the gym - i have stopped all this over the last few years and put on 6 stone. Still have mild flushes but would rather take min dose.

Big problem is the progesterone. So big a problem that I just took the oestrogel for 5 months without any prog whic i know is a big no no .
I went back to GP and fessed up. she prescribed utrogestan ( id had everything else) . i told her the NHS website says you can do three monthly and she just said ok. I really could have presecribed myself.

So i just took 200mg utro for 12 days. felt absolutely awful, ridiculously tired, couldnt wake up, 4 aura type migraines in 12 days. it has really affected my work and my colleagues.
 
What next? I asked her about cyclogest ( whic i took for ivf) and she just said it wasnt licenced for HRT, she didnt mention i could takae the utro vaginally ..... can you use the same round tablets orally and vaginally??

Last 200mg was 24 hours ago so expecting ( but not really ) a period. Nothing i have taken so far inc patches has resulted in a period - at most , gripy pains.  i have natural cycle monthly gripy pains but no period, so i tried to time the 12 days utro to end when the pains start ( 25th of the month)

So i would be very grateful for any advice on taking utro 200 (or 100!) three monthly. 

How can i see a specialise or meno clinic?

How can i get a regular scan so that my womb lining can be monitored??

I was literally disabled prior to taking the gel, and am willing to risk cancer to be able bodied again, i have lost 3 stone already this year, but do feel that I  should be being listened to and monitored more closely .

[Kathleen]

Hello Binks.


So sorry about your wrist injury and also that you haven't yet had any response to your question.

We do have lots of very knowledgeable ladies here and I'm sure you will receive helpful advice soon.

As you are discovering finding the right HRT is a mammoth task for some of us but I am assured that persistence pays off eventually!

 I understand that your GP can refer you to an NHS menopause clinic but you can also self refer to a meno consultant at your nearest private hospital. You may find that your particular situation does require  specialist help and hopefully this will include a bone scan.

Last but not least well done for losing weight, no easy task at this time in our lives.

Sorry I can't be of more help but hang in there and I'm sure you'll hear from other MM members soon.

Take care.

K.

[sheila99]

I am in peri. I take utro vaginally (200mg for 12 days) and mine says it is for vaginal use only, they are oval and a bit squishy. I haven't had the tablets but if they don't say they can be used vaginally I'd suggest going back to your GP for the vaginal ones. I believe you are less likely to have side effects using vaginally. I have only been on it for 2 cycles, the first one I was extremely tired during the utro phase, this time I'm OK. I have recently increased from 2 to 3 pumps oestrogel - I don't know if t's this that's made the difference but it could well be. As you're still having hot flushes you still have insufficient oestrogen so it might be worth increasing it. You can ask your GP for a referral to a meno clinic but in my area there is a long wait (5 months & no appointment yet). Also ask her for a scan of you uterus, as you haven't had a bleed for some time your lining is likely to be too thick. Perhaps questio why you are on 100mg not 200mg.

[Hurdity]

Binks - I answered your previous thread of almost the same title here: https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,40031.0.html. Not sure what more I can add that I didn't already answer but do please ask if there is anything else you need to know!

sheila99 - since Utrogestan is not licensed to be prescribed vaginally - most of us just insert those damn tiny 100 mg balls! the 200 mg dose used to be available for menopause/HRT but was withdrawn for some bizarre reason known only to the manufacturers - meaning those using it sequentially have to make do with 2 x 100 mg. I suppose as it's "meant" to be used orally - it's not seen as a problem in UK except to users! I keep meaing to ask again for the 200 mg version that you have - and I guess it has to be requested from GP if they are prepared to prescribe it!

Binks said she was taking 200mg though?

Hurdity x

[sheila99]

Oops, meno sypmtoms again, not sure why I thought 100mg when it clearly says 200. I hadn't realised my utro was different. I got it when the meno 'expert' was on holiday, presumably this GP didn't know it had been withdrawn (I changed from patches because of a rash). Wish I'd asked for testosterone at the same time!

[Binks]

ah ladies thank you!!

Am now 5 days on from ending utrogeston 12 days and no sign of any period. Saw GP today who ( as a middle aged woman never moind doctor) seemed pretty clueless.

She is going to look inot why consultants can prescribe vaginal and not GPs as it is not licenced for HRT. WE talked about crinone and cyclogest.

She didnt seem to know about menopause clinic, I have seen this NHS vagueness before.... trying to deflect you... mentioned people paying privately. I told her I couldn't afford it ( common NHS I paid for ALL of my own IVF)

I said I was worried about thickening womb lining and she said some women didnt have withdrawl bleeds from progresterone () and it must mean my lining is thin. I then asked what is the point of taking Prog is lining is thin and we went round in circles.

I m going back in a fortnight to see if she has got anywhere with vaginal prog, though as I dont intend ot take it again until September there's no rush.

DO you think I should get a private endo scan to check thickness on a reg basis?

Thank you sooooo much for your support at this lonely time xxx

[SueLW]

If you want to have the lining checked, it costs £189 through Ultrasound Direct who operate out of Mothercare stores around the country.  I've just booked one for next week.  Really easy to do.  You get ovary check as well.  Have a look at their web site for more information.

Now I know it's this easy I think I'll probably get checked out once a year or so.  It's 18 months since my last check.