Print

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

[Hillbilly]

Hi all

So I'm now on oestrogel and have been taking it for just over a week but I've started bleeding, not just spotting but a proper period. I started the gel mid cycle but my 'normal' period isn't due for another 10 days and I assumed I would bleed during/after the progesterone cycle as a withdrawal bleed.
Does anyone know if this is normal?

Thank you.

[Dandelion]

Hi all

So I'm now on oestrogel and have been taking it for just over a week but I've started bleeding, not just spotting but a proper period. I started the gel mid cycle but my 'normal' period isn't due for another 10 days and I assumed I would bleed during/after the progesterone cycle as a withdrawal bleed.
Does anyone know if this is normal?

Thank you.

In the absence of someone more knowledgeable, I don't know much about the gel.
Could it be that you started it mid cycle, did your GP advise this?
All hrt forumulas are different.
It would be worth having a word with your GP.
Hope someone more knowledgeable comes along but in the meantime, hope that helps.

[Hillbilly]

Thanks Dandelion 

Yes my GP said it was fine to start it mid cycle. I thought my own cycle was over riding it but I'm not due a period for 10 days yet.

I'll see what happens and then check witth my GP.

[Beaker]

I'm no expert but am pretty certain that the bleeding is likely to be caused by you starting the gel mid-cycle. Hopefully it should settle and if not see what your GP says.

[Hurdity]

Hi Hulahoop

It does seem odd that you have started bleeding only a week after starting oestrogel but I would be surprised if this was due to the gel - increasing oestrogen dose doesn't normally cause bleeding after such a short time I don't think (maybe during peri-menopause it does?) - although high unopposed oestrogen doses can cause the womb lining to over-thicken and then break away spontaneously.

My view is that maybe your period was going to happen anyway and perhps you ovulated early this month. Have your periods been normal and regular up until now?

When did the doc say to start the progesterone given that you have started the oestrogel early? Whichprogesterone will you be taking? Normally the cycle is counted from the first day of the bleed as Day 1 and then progesterone (Utrogestan or Provera) is taken from Day 15 for the requisite number of days.

Hurdity x

[Hillbilly]

Hi Hurdity

I am taking the gel alone for 16 days and then adding provera for 12 days.

My periods have been pretty regular, no more than a week of difference but usually about the right time. My last one was a bit weird, very stringy and combined with egg white type discharge?

I don't want to bother my GP if it will settle down but the bleeding is quite heavy 

[Hurdity]

Aside from the current bleeding you are having, if you are only very early peri-menopause and your doc has advised you to start the whole HRT cycle randomly ie mid cycle, then this may cause everything to go out of sync. If you were mid cycle then it would have been better to start the gel and provera together, because during the second part of your cycle is when you produce your own progesterone after ovulation.

The instructions for the gel don't actually provide instructions for your scenario ie starting HRT when still early peri-menopause with pretty regular periods but slightly variable cycle length starting to happen. However they do say start at the end of the therapeutic cycle if you are already on other HRT. The cycle starts with Day 1 being the first day of the bleed and then once you've started it just continues with a 28 day cycle.

No-one can say why you have started bleeding early; it could just be due to peri-menopausal cyclical changes, but that being the case in your position I would count the first day of your current bleed as Day 1 and then start the Provera, and hope that you then get another withdrawal bleed partly due to the Provera and also your own ovulation, if you see what I mean? However if you want to go by your doc's instructions then why not try it and see what happens - ie start taking the Provera on Day15 as instructed?

As always though, if the bleeding really worries you then do consult your doc. Hope all goes well!

Have you read this article?
https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/magazine/pdf/Article%20-%20Perils%20of%20the%20Perimenopause.pdf

Also there is information about bleeding on this website on the main menu....


Hurdity x