So the confusion goes on. Can anyone help? I have been taking Estrogel now for 12 weeks with no P. I am getting obsence amounts of bleeding. Like a huge pad every 30 minutes. I cannot take Prometruim (terrible stuff) and on Aygestin, I got very depressed in 2 days. I understand that I need some sort of P. Now, I have read were some of you are getting a prescription compounded P cream and have been doing good on it. From the posts I read, it is still only a 20% cream. So what is the difference between that and the Progest you get over the counter at vitamin stores? And does the compounded one protect the lining vs the over the counter one which is 20% also. I need to do something. My next step would be FemHRT or something like that. With my suseptability to depression and the weight gain......I need to be careful. Any input from anyone????

Dear'jhawley'
Am not very good about what amount of what is needed but have been on the HRT,pill form Angeliq for about a year now.For about the first three months I had breakout bleeding.Then after a thorough exam my Gyno.increased the dosage.I have felt well ever since.

I do take a low dose of Prozac but have had no increase in weight with either the AD or HRT.

Sorry I cannot be of more use.Hopefully other Ladies will jump in with their advice and experience.

Meanwhile do not give up on finding something that works for you.

Warm Wishes
Elizabeth

Thank you. Actually, the Angelique is the pill of choice that my gyn wants to try me on. Any side effects for you? I had only thought of the FemHrt because alot of the ladies have done well with it. Thankys for the info. I am starting to think that BC will be the way to do and stop trying to figure out these biodenical creams and patches. Yikes

Dear Friend
You are more than welcome and no have had no side effects.As I mentioned you might have a little breakout bleeding for about the first three months.If it continues the Gyno.may wish to increase your dose as happened with me

Please let me know how you do.
Warm Wishes
Elizabeth

I volunteer with a lady who just came off of Femhrt at the age of 72yo. She has been on it for many years and was very happy on it. However she did say that some of her friends gained weight on it. She did not though. Angelique is a great ht (according to my docs and own research). The progestin is typically user friendly, low side effect profile, less androgenic than others, and mild diurectic too. You could either take it continuously or cycle it in for 2 weeks every 2 to 3 months if you want to continue with the Estrogel. (you just need to monitor periodically with a transvag ultrasound to figure out how often.) Hope you feel better soon. JZZ

Now does the BC like Angeiliq actually protect the lining and maybe help with all this terrible bleeding that I have been having??

Angelique is a hrt Not a bcp. It is a much weaker version of the bcp YAZ. Any progestin can work to suppress the endometrial build up. But, I can't address how it is relative to your current bleeding situation. Please give your doc a call. I am so sorry you're dealing with this. I dread when my ovaries go kaput for the final time and I have to cycle in anything. (I had the bad reaction to Prometrium too) If I skip 2 or 3 periods I will have to cycle in something. One of my docs wants me to try transvag Endometrin while the other said 2 weeks of the oral Angelique would be better (given my reaction to the prometrium). hmmmmm.... Anyway, I just had a May period so I'm ok with just continuing supplementing with my vivelle patch and estrace cream. But, I do think I'm leaning towards the Angelique. I really like the info on the drospirone in it And the Estradiol is bio too. Hope you feel better soon and feel free to pm me. Regards, JZZ

btw - I was all hung up on only using bio's and that's why I agreed to 2 rounds of Prometrium. Both my new docs said the 2nd round was totally unnecessary due to the extreme side effects I experienced. Anyway, I plan on using whatever works for my body along with careful monitoring by my docs.

I have a different question regarding pill vs cream. I have read on this forum and others that the cream can build up in your system and it can take a while for it to clear. I have the option of using either the cream or prometrium and am trying to decide which would be best. Does anyone know if build up can be a problem with prometrium? I wouldn't have thought that it would but I seem to remember reading about this happening to someone.

Thanks

The buildup with Prometruim will not be the problem. The question is rather or not you can tolerate or not. There are a few that can but most of us find it to be a horrid alternative. I still have had no one answer my first question about the cream vs pill.

Hi there,

I have never used OTC P cream, but from what I have read it's a good product if you aren't using any E and just want the benefits of progesterone without going through a doc/pharm. I believe it's ingredients are different than prescription. My progesterone cream is 30% so it's strong. It's prescription and made up at a compounding pharmacy.
I'm thinking it's probably better to get a prescription from your doctor for progesterone if you are supplementing with E.
I didn't do well on Prometrium either, but so far (1 1/2 months) I am doing well on the compounded cream.

c

I just started a compounded progesterone cream/gel after 16 months on prometrium. In the end the Prometrium caused some bad side effect and I had to stop taking it. It is hard on the liver, caused an enormous appetite, weight gain, fluid retention, fatigue....not good. I have been on the P cream for about a week now...we shall see how it goes.

Thanks for the response. I guess that my fear is that if I do react badly I want to be on the form of P that will clear the quickest. I did try the cream once before at a low dose (<20mg) for about a week before my period (I stopped it when the period started) and I got hungry and bloated which seemed to linger on for a while after stopping it. But then maybe this was just a phase I was in and not related to the cream as my next period showed up on day 14.

Sorry, but I don't have an answer to your original question. I don't know what is in Progest but 20% sounds high to me. My prescription compounded cream is 6%. I have not yet started on estrogel.

I thought over the counter ProGest was a 1% cream!

It says that a quarter pump has 20 mg.

Yes but that doesn't make it a 20% cream. I use a 3% cream, each scoop delivers 20mgs.

[quote name='joyceveronica' date='May 25 2009, 11:18 AM' post='286371']
Dear'jhawley'
Am not very good about what amount of what is needed but have been on the HRT,pill form Angeliq for about a year now.For about the first three months I had breakout bleeding.Then after a thorough exam my Gyno.increased the dosage.I have felt well ever since.

I do take a low dose of Prozac but have had no increase in weight with either the AD or HRT.

Sorry I cannot be of more use.Hopefully other Ladies will jump in with their advice and experience.

Meanwhile do not give up on finding something that works for you.

Warm Wishes
Elizabeth
[/quote








Hi
jhawley


I asked the GYn on this site and he told me the 2% using twice a day is enough to protect my lining. My GYn also did something very smart. She did a base line U/Sound of my uterus and will check it in a years time. I couldn"t take the Prometrium at all. I just got more and more depressed and had constant diarrea and stomach pain from it. I take Progesterall by Dr Lee.


jpinperth