Progestogen sensitivity / intolerance?

[fitwithgail]

Hi everyone. It's barely into week 3 on combined oestrogen patch and progestogen pessaries. I have such severe physical and mental symptoms that I have stopped all treatment suddenly. This happened before when I tried HRT about a year ago but it took some months for these side effects to kick in.

After one night with utrogestan I was seriously considering hurting myself. my body and mind feel like someone else's, I have no recognition of who I am. It's like nothing else I have ever experienced.

I have tried to read things about these side effects and have come across sensitivity / intolerance which seems to affect people who have had bad PMT or depression in the past which I have. If this is the case then it may rule out the coil which was my next option.

My doc is really of little use and I have requested a referral.

It would be good to know if anyone has found a solution.

[Flamingoblue]

I have exactly the same problem, it’s truly awful! Have tried utrogestan and provera, and the combined patch and can’t tolerate any form of progesterone. Even tried going back on the mini pill, which I was fine with for years, and it has the same effect. I never suffered from PMT or depression. There doesn’t seem to be a proven reason why some of us can’t tolerate it. Really frustrating

[Eevee_S]

Hi there. I’ve always had an intolerance of progesterone. Never been able to take the pill and the mirena coil made me ill. However I’ve found utrogestan has given me no side effects and only good effects. I have read though, where people like yourself have been having problems with it, it can be taken vaginally. Not sure if you’ve heard of the balance menopause website and app. Lots of stuff written on there about it. Perhaps ask your doctor about taking it vaginally? Hope that’s of some help x

[fitwithgail in reply to Eevee_S]

Thanks Eevee. It's really helpful to hear other people's experiences, as the docs can sometimes make you feel like it's just you, I find!

Unfortunately the Utrogestan pessary and tablet were as bad as each other - suicidal and violent thoughts 😪. I have agreed with my doc to try the coil as it's such a low dose and locally administered rather than systemic, plus the oetrogen patches. My levels are all over the place - sometimes have symptoms of oestrogen excess, sometimes deficiency, so just need a find a balance and I appreciate it might take some time.

[Maybelline2022 in reply to fitwithgail]

Hello, I’ve just been reading your post from a year ago so not sure if you’ll see this, if you do may I ask how did you get on with the Mirena coil?

Many thanks in advance.

[fitwithgail in reply to Maybelline2022]

Hello. I've had the coil for a year plus oestrogen patches 50mg and it's significantly better than other things I tried. I have more energy and don't have such severe ups and downs although I still get irritable and have mood swings is NOTHING like before. Having the coil hurt at first and I had about 8 weeks of cramp and bleeding but once it subsided it was fine. I have tried increasing oestrogen but that didn't work out as I had a horrible skin reaction plus rapid weight gain and agony in my breasts so I dropped back to 50mg.

How are you and are you considering it?

[Maybelline2022 in reply to fitwithgail]

Hi thanks so much for your reply. Good to hear the coil/ patches are working for you. I seem to have similar problems with progesterone/ progestin, the last 10 days I’ve been trying utrogestan capsules with oestrogen gel and feeling completely not with it, no motivation and mood much lower with thick foggy head, hot sweats have returned, sure it’s the utrogestan as felt like this when tried mini pill progestin only. I’ve tried it orally and felt very moody snappy and vaginally not as snappy but just feel not with it. My joints are definitely less achey so it’s made me realise I need oestrogen . Funny thing is I tried the mirena last year as have adeynomyosis (endometriosis in my womb) and it really helped with the pain I felt much lighter and had a lot more energy and more with it mentally but I was scared to add oestrogen incase it flared my pain up. My periods stopped a year before I had the mirena I only had it for four months and it bought my periods back. Wondering now if things would have been more balanced if I’d used oestrogen. So wish I’d kept it now as I definitely need some form of hrt to make me feel normal. Maybe I just didn’t give it long enough to settle. Have not really felt normal since I had it removed 🙁.

[Maybelline2022]

Forgot to add how long did you persevere with the utrogestan before you gave up? and changed to the mirena. I’m beginning to feel quite worried which doesn’t help things, as I feel much lower than a few weeks ago. Was really hoping this combination would work for me as have read so many people get on better with utrogestan. Also have always slept well but since taking have not been sleeping well and feeling tired in the day. I seem to be the complete opposite of everyone else I thought they were supposed to make you sleep not feel wired. Thanks

[fitwithgail in reply to Maybelline2022]

Hope you can see the reply ok. I wish you all the very best and hope you find a solution. HRT is really tough to balance, everyone is so different hormonally but it's the one size fits all mentality we are in 🙄

[Maybelline2022 in reply to fitwithgail]

Thank you. Yes just seen your reply. I know it’s tough knowing weather to stick it out and see if things improve or give up and still not feel right. Thanks again all the best.

[fitwithgail]

It sounds like you've been having a similarly tough time. Latterly I only lasted a few weeks on the utrogestan, the reaction was so severe I was worried I would do harm. As soon as I came off things normalised but admittedly I did have 3 months of low dose antidepressants to get through it all. Then I got the coil and the 50mg patch and it settled, took about 3-4 months so feel like I had my proper energy and something like my old self (I will never fully feel like that again). I also find the patch better than the gel but I am mixing them at the moment as I have two prescriptions!!