Is anyone here on Aygestin for menopausal symptoms? My doctor prescribed Aygestin and after reading about it I am not sure if I want to start it or not. It seems like it is for heavy bleeding and I am not having any bleeding at all. He also prescribed it in conjunction with Estrace so maybe the combination of the two is supposed to provide a balance??? Does anyone have any input?

How weird is that. I just picked up my prescription for the same thing. I had been bleeding heavey and only tolerated Prometruim for 2 days. I am also very leary about it. I am on Divigel also and my labs showed no progesterone so I guess that is why I am bleeding. I hate this. Hopefully someone can shed some light for us.

Well, that is why I am so confused as to why I was given it...it does seem to be for heavy bleeding. And I am not bleeding at all. I had heavy bleeding for years but now my periods have stopped. I went to a new doctor and I did tell him I had heavy periods before. So I am wondering if he misunderstood me and thinks I am still having heavy periods???

Anyway, I hope someone will come along who has actually taken it before and can let us know their experience with it.

k

Hi Kimball,
So did you start this stuff yet? Just wondering.

I did start on the estrogen part of the regimen… I am supposed to take estrace on days 1 – 25 and the Aygestin days 21-25…so I will start it in another week or so. I am going to try it just to see what happens. If it makes me feel worse then I guess I am back to the drawing board.

How about you? Did you start it?

No I have not. I am such a chicken. I had stopped bleeding after 35 days so I did not want to take it then. So tonight I started again and wondering if I should start the P now. Then I have to work in the am. Afraid of being a whack job at work. So now I want to wait for a day off. How silly am I being???????

Oh and I forgot to comment. I saw how many hits this topic got. Isn't there anyone else out there that has tried this P before?

Haven't tried Aygestin yet. Used Prometrium 2 times and felt miserable on it. Some women do better on a synthetic progestin than the much hyped "natural"/bio ident prometrium. You don't know until you try it. Personally, I had such a dreadful time on the prometrium that I would try anything than that one again. Good luck with your decision.

If you have a uterus then a progestin/progesterone must periodically be cycled in if taking E. You have many many options in regard to P. See some of my other responses.

Sorry I'm not writing more but am tired. Feel free to pm me if I can help. Best wishes, JZZ

Agree with this, certain synthetic P's have more androgenic properties which seem to cause less adverse symptoms than the bio P. Also, if you just cannot tolerate the P, but still feel you need to take it, consider getting vaginal P inserts which protect the endometrium with less side effects than other routes.

Thank you for the info! I get so confused about all of this hormone stuff and I hate all of this 'trial and error'. i guess that is the only way to get it right, though.

I do still have a uterus so I guess I HAVE to have progesterone. I've tried bioidentical cream as well as a bioidentical capsule and both made me feel awful.

How much/how often do you have cycle the p into the regimen if you have a uterus?

Thanks again for the help

k

Sariah,

Thank you for the info on vaginal p...maybe that is a good option for me! I am so glad for this message board all of the wonderful, helpful ladies here...I would never know to try all of these things!!!

Thanks again.

k

I am soooo confused by this cycling thing and when it is appropriate. I bled for 35 days straight. 25 of which was just spotting and the others a full blown bleed. I am on estrogel. They tried Prometruim for 2 days and could not stand it. They want me to try this new one listed earlier in post for 12 days. I just started bleeding again and is more then spotting. So do I start the P and why would I if I am bleeding. If one is having a bleed on just estrogen, they why do you need P? I am always the complicated one.

Well, I have no clue! Maybe someone more informed than me will come along. I am confused about it, too. Maybe it would have been simpler to have been born a man. LOL. At least they don't have to deal with periods, menopause and hormonal fluctuations!!!

Kimball
I think I will try starting mine tomorrow. Did you ever cycle yours in?

Turns out I might be joining you in a round of progesterone. Waiting for a call back from the gyns office. My own ovarian produced period was almost non existent last month and he doesn't want me to go more than 2 months without cycling in the P (for 10 days). Other gyn says I can go 3 months without cycling in the P. (I like that idea better) lol But, have upcoming plans and want to work around them. Concerned about the side effects of this new type of P I'll be trying. He wants me to use a vaginal suppositoy called Endometrin at night. Some other choices are: a combination e/p patch, oral angelique or crinone vaginal. But there are other choices too. Ick. Wish I didn't have to take any but am trying to pick the lesser of all evils.

Also plan on having my blood levels drawn to see how much the P level increases. Also, will be checking the E decrease. And, how the P affects my insulin levels. P seems to stimulate appetite for many of us and pack on the lbs (even without increase of food). Just curious if it somehow makes the pancreas go whacky. If so, then I will adjust accordingly. Yes, all of this is time consuming but I am better off with hormone supplementation. Best wishes, Jzz We will get on with this together.

YIPPEE!!!! Doing the happy dance here!! Doc is telling me to wait until next weeks transvag ultrasound to see if I need to cycle the P now. Ok, Power Surge ladies - send me your postive energy that my uterus will give me a "naturally" induced monthly period. Best wishes to all, JZZ

THANK YOU POWER SURGE SISTERS for the positive energy!!!!! Got a big ole natural ovarian induced period starting yesterday. Now I can restart the count until I have to cycle in a supplemental Progesterone. I hope I have periods until I'm 60! Really, I mean it! (That's how much I hated the prometrium.)

For those of us that are intolerant of P - hang in there, we do have options to try.

Can you explain all this to me. How did you know it was a regular period and not bleeding for hormonal imbalances! I am so confused.

Yay, JZZ

jhawley...Well, I cycled mine in my P fro 5 days starting last night. Did you cycle yours in yet? I feel awful today...not sure it is all from the P though. I think I may have a bit of a bug. I have a headache though and am very, very lethargic...I think those two might be from P????? What kinds of problems did you have from the prometrium?

I got sooo very depressed on the Prometruim. I could not function. Only lasted 2 days. So I started the Aygestin 2 days ago. I was suppose to take 5 mg and took 2.5 mg. The first day not too bad but had nightmares. The second day, was very foggy headed. depressed and getting that black cloud. I was afraid of not being able to function at work so I did not take it last night. I dont know whether to continue. Does your body adjust. For how long. She wants me on for 2 weeks. I could not imagine that. Literature says 5-10 days. We you suppose to start Aygestin also Kimball?

I started last night and I only took 2.5 mg's also. I figured it was better to start off w/ less and I can always add more if I have to. I am only suppsed to take it for days 21-25 of my cycle...so it is only 5 days a month. I guess I can hack it for 5 days...but I prefer not to feel this bad, even for 5 days. Two weeks is a long time to have to hang in there with it though. Are you taking it for heavy bleeding or what? I forgot. I am taking it for HRT. I don't know much about how all of this works but someone mentioned the vaginal progesterone to me. They said it had less side effects but gave you uterus protection. I may ask to try that. Are you going to take yours tonight? How are you feeling today after not having it last night?

Let me know...

Kim

I am still in PERI. 2 years ago my ovaries shutdown abruptly due to being given the wrong medicine while in the hospital. (Thrown into the full monty of hormone ****).

Anyway, went 8 months with no periods. During this time was using vivelle E patch .1, and had to take a 10 day course of prometrium to "shed" a very thick uterine lining. In addition to a withdrawal bleed from the 10 day course of prometrium, my own periods restarted and are still continuing. Turns out the hospital medication had "interupted" the negative feedback loop between the pituatary gland, adrenals and ovaries. So that's why my periods were abruptly stopped. Sorry to ramble. But, again I'm in Peri and still having monthly periods again. Once I start skipping periods I will be cycling in a Progesterone every 2 to 3 months. I am currently supplementing my ovarian function with .1 vivelle dot and 1/2 gram nightly of estrace vag cream.

Sounds like you're in Meno. Either way this hormone stuff needs adjustments along the way. Please feel free to PM me and we can talk in more detail. Best wishes to you, JZZ

Kimball,
I was all but giving up. I ride a motorcycle and have a big ride tomorrow so I was going to take it half way through the day. I am taking it for bleeding. I am on Divigel with no P and started a 35 day bleed, stopped for 2 weeks, bled again. She wants me to take this for 12 days. I thought I would try the 2.5 for 3 more days and that would be 5 and see what happens. I just cannot feel like crap for 2 weeks cause I don' feel that great to begin with. When I took the Aygestin like 7pm, I was really feeling the effects till noon the next day. I wonder if 5 days is enough? Let me know how you feel on it!
Just a side note. When I took the Prometruim, I took it vaginally. That was a NO go. Terrible stuff. Let me know how you make out. Sounds like you and I are the only ones prescribed the Aygestin.

I know what you mean...I am the same way. I already feel 'not my usual self' most of the time! I am feeling better, although not great, on the Estrogen. If I HAVE to I guess I could tolerate the P for only 5 days a month but I'd rather not. I felt like crap today!!! I am going to take it again tonite. I will give it a few days and see what happens. Even vaginally the prometrium was awful for you? I am dissappointed to hear that. I think I am one of those people who can't tolerate P. I was hoping vaginally would reduce the side effects and be my answer.

Good luck on your ride. Hope you don't feel too awful!

Kim

JZZ, you say you will cycle in P every 2-3 months. I have been wondering about that. How much/how often is enough to reap the benefits for uterus protection??? I just HATE the way P makes me feel and if I only had to take it for a few days every few months that would be great. I was going to ask my doc about it but wasn’t sure if that was even an option.

Kim

Cycling a P in is absolutely a viable option. Most docs recommend continuous combination hrt because they assume most women don't want to have a "period". However the withdrawal bleed (if any) should be minimal. And, the further post meno one is, then the less (if any) uterine lining will be shed.

How much P to cycle in? Well that depends on different factors. The pdr has current established guidlelines that most docs seem to follow. But, in reality you only need an experienced doc who is willing to work with you. Have your doc do a transvag ultrasound inorder to establish your uterine lining thickness after a minimum dosing of Progesterone. I say minimum because you must stress how intolerant of the P you are, and all the negative side effects. He needs to see that less that the standard dose may be enough to protect your lining from hyperplasia. Unfortuantely, many docs like to take a "one size fits all" approach to dosing. HRT takes patience inorder to customize it for your bodies needs and what makes you feel good.

And believe me, I felt like utter crap after my 2 rounds of prometrium. My current docs said that I didn't need the second round to "see how I'd handle it". Once was obviously enough! No kidding....but, my first doc was inexperienced and felt that progesterone was the best because most of her patients could tolerate the stuff. Anyway, feel free to pm me with more specifics. Regards, JZZ Also, check out my prior responses under other threads regarding P.