Anybody on 200mg of oral Progesterone or Utrogestan?

[Serendipitious]

Keen to know if anybody is taking 200mg and not 100mg of Utrogestan. Dose bumped up by private Endo. Not sure if it’s helping or making things worse. Thanks.

[J972]

Hi, is that continuous or sequential use? 200 mg would be excessive if continuous. Why has your endo increased the dose? How do you feel on Utrogestan? I personally found it intolerable.

[Serendipitious in reply to J972]

J972,

When I first started taking (HRT) progesterone it made me really depressed but after a few months I was fine. It’s continuous and I think he did it also to improve my sleep but it hasn’t helped with that either. Thing is he’s changed so many things I don’t know what is doing what. Decreased oestrogel from 4 pumps to 3. Replaced vagirux with prasterone. Increased Levo from 75/100 to 100.

How did you find it intolerable?

[J972 in reply to Serendipitious]

It’s so difficult to unpick everything isn’t it?

I honestly felt poisoned on Utrogestan, if that doesn’t sound too dramatic?

So I was initially taking 100mg orally, last thing at night and the sedative effects were almost instant and I’d be knocked out for the night. The sleep, however, was anything but restorative and the following day I’d feel spacey and generally not ‘with it’. One night my daughter unwell and needed me to help her….I was literally staggering about and if I’d needed to have driven her to the hospital (for argument’s sake), it’d been impossible. I then explored using it vaginally and, at the time (2 years ago?) it was suggested that because of the proximity to the uterus that this could be done on half a dose, eg 100mg every other night. There’s now some doubt over the safety of that. Anyway, I tried that for a while and the side effects were less extreme but I still never felt good. I tried different combinations of pumps of oestrogel, number and timings wise, I never found my sweet spot.

I then asked to try provera which was slightly more agreeable (despite being synthetic) but I still had that gross hangover-type feeling throughout the day.

Next I tried Evorel conti patches and I’m currently persevering with that; note that I have to stick them on my butt cheek otherwise I get terrible PMT type symptoms.

So the transdermal route of progesterone seems to agree with me better - I actually sleep too. Plus, I’m able to add in oestrogel (I was literally contacted about this yesterday by a nurse with a special interest in menopause, who advised that I can add in 2x pumps of oestrogel, which I’m going to try from today - previously been adding in just 1x).

But! Everything I’ve said about my tolerance of Utrogestan and provera needs to be considered in the context of my ‘subclinical’ hypothyroidism. It’s likely that this is affecting how I metabolise HRT. I’m in the early stages of self medicating with NDT.

So in summary perhaps think about giving patches a go or, alternatively, a mirena coil.

All the best 😊

[janeroar]

I take 300mg on advice of hrt / hormone specialist at night. The idea is it is supposed to help you sleep. I have just 1.5 pumps of oestrogel. Feel pretty good on that.

[Efka]

I take (have done for 2 years now) Utrogestan 200mg daily/continuously but for endometrial pain, incredibly helpful! For me no issues and I think it’s helping my peri menopause also - however - I think I’ve always been low in progesterone (and probably high in oestrogen). I’d certainly say you shouldn’t feel worse on it then it’s not right/the right mix for you bless. My go to resource for information is Dr Lara Briden, great articles and books.

[MLHOE in reply to Efka]

do you have endometriosis? I do and my doctor prescribed that same regimen.

[Serendipitious in reply to MLHOE]

I think that may be the reason I was given more Utrogestan. However, recently the endocrinologist raised it to 300mg which I feel is too much since it is affecting bowel motility and frequency of urination.

[Efka in reply to Serendipitious]

Interesting! I too tested 300mg for a while but didn't feel good (and certainly no benefit!) so I dropped back down to 200mg. For me a good level of benefits andno side effects.

[Efka in reply to MLHOE]

Yes combination of a large endometrioma "lump" (seeded into muscle decades ago during a fibroid open myomectomy op) and "bit of" endo and adhesion all around gut/bowel/uterus. Good to hear your doctor has prescribed the same, I hope it is working well for you.