Cyclical HRT in postmenopause

[Anonymous]

Anyone with experience with this HRT method? It doesn’t seem popular. I am 2 years post menopause, using estradiol patch and progesterone. I am very sensitive to the progesterone and am exploring new methods to use long term.

[Anonymous]

Yes! I do it for the reason you said. I prefer the feeling of unopposed estrogen. Instead of taking 100 mg of progesterone every day, I take double the dose two weeks on, and then two weeks off. This way, I get two weeks feeling great with only estrogen, and two weeks with the progesterone where I feel a little groggy, a little sleepy, but I can manage. Otherwise, I have that lingering feeling of progesterone all the time.

I don’t bleed this way, apparently some people do. If I did, it wouldn’t bother me though.

[Anonymous]

I’ve thought about doing this…but I thought for sure you would bleed. Hmm….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes! I do it for the reason you said. I prefer the feeling of unopposed estrogen. Instead of taking 100 mg of progesterone every day, I take double the dose two weeks on, and then two weeks off. This way, I get two weeks feeling great with only estrogen, and two weeks with the progesterone where I feel a little groggy, a little sleepy, but I can manage. Otherwise, I have that lingering feeling of progesterone all the time.

I don’t bleed this way, apparently some people do. If I did, it wouldn’t bother me though.

So you take progesterone (200mg) each evening for 14 days and continue using your estrogen patch as normal, and then restart again after 2 weeks? How high is your estradiol patch? Thanks for sharing what's working for you.

[Anonymous]

I’m peri and I love my cyclical progesterone. I’d also try it vaginally and see how that compare to orally and which way you prefer to take it. I think you should totally try these things. No harm. Nothing ventured nothing gained. I personally have no idea why so many people don’t take progesterone orally. I bet it’s bc the lowest estrogen doses are popular and it’s not enough estrogen to do much or hello with sleep, so those people over rely on progesterone. Just my theory.

[Anonymous]

^ sorry why they don’t take progesterone cyclically!

[Anonymous]

Anecdotal: I took progesterone 200mg cyclically for several years, then started to bleed erratically. Did all sorts of biopsies and ultrasounds, all negative. I switched to 100 mg daily and after a few months stopped bleeding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anecdotal: I took progesterone 200mg cyclically for several years, then started to bleed erratically. Did all sorts of biopsies and ultrasounds, all negative. I switched to 100 mg daily and after a few months stopped bleeding.

What was your estradiol dosage at the time? I don’t tolerate 200 mg very well 100 is fine however may not be sufficient for .75 estradiol patch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes! I do it for the reason you said. I prefer the feeling of unopposed estrogen. Instead of taking 100 mg of progesterone every day, I take double the dose two weeks on, and then two weeks off. This way, I get two weeks feeling great with only estrogen, and two weeks with the progesterone where I feel a little groggy, a little sleepy, but I can manage. Otherwise, I have that lingering feeling of progesterone all the time.

I don’t bleed this way, apparently some people do. If I did, it wouldn’t bother me though.

So you take progesterone (200mg) each evening for 14 days and continue using your estrogen patch as normal, and then restart again after 2 weeks? How high is your estradiol patch? Thanks for sharing what's working for you.

Yes. This exactly. Patch right now is 0.05 (recently increased, did this on 0.0375 too).