I have been taking Prometrium along with compounded estrogen since December. The first month I had no bleeding after the Prometrium was stopped, but since then I have started spotting and then bleeding as early as the 7th day. My dr has upped my dosage of Prometrium to 400 mg (up from 200 mg) a day. He says there is no downside to taking more Prometrium, but so far I still seem to be bleeding. I only started the higher dose three days ago, so we will see.

Yael,
I'd appreciate hearing how your increased dosage works out. It looks like I am going to have to call my doctor about this bleeding issue also. Thanks!

Has anyone ben prescribed Prometrium who do not have a uterus (Hysterectomy). I recent heard about this and wonder if anyone has done this, what for and has it helped?
LK

I am 40 yrs old and I was put on this medicine for to help me have a child. Is this the correct medication? My phone number is 4223-638-8735

I've been taking Prometrium (10 days/month) for about five years. For the first few years, I would have a fairly heavy period starting about day 10. Often there would be some spotting a couple of days before that. But gradually the periods have gotten lighter (now almost nothing) and the spotting is all that happens, still at about day 7 or 8.

Rosie

Is it possible to take Prometrium by itself to supplement tailing-off of natural progesterone in a peri-menopausal person. I do not want to take extra estrogen as am of the Dr Lee school of thought: wondered whether there are any health risks involved with this regime?

If you are of the Dr lee school of thought why not use progesterone cream? I know it isn't easily available in the UK but then neither is Prometrium. There is a collection of noncommercial info at www.oxford.net/~tishy/np.html which may help you decide.

You can consult the British National Formulary at http://bnf.vhn.net/home/ After registering (free) you will find info about oestrogens in section 6.4.1.1 and about progestogens at 6.4.1.2

Tishy

Please help, I have looked everywhere and this is the only place there are recent postings! I don't know if I am too late to get anyone to read this, but I am 26 and have been having spotting for 10 to 18 days before my periods (which are regular, every 28 days, and normal) for the past two years or more. When this began I was on OC for 5 years, and my FP changed my pills three times. With each change the bleeding became heavier and lasted longer. To the point where I had enough because 3 days after my period ended, I was bleeding again. So I stopped the OC's myself out of frustration a year ago, but although the bleeding got better (usually had 10 days off out of 28), I am still having the same symptoms. Six months ago my doctor put me on Depro-vera (I guess she thought it would help) but there was no change at all, three months ago she put me on Prometrium, now I am only starting the bleeding one week before my regular period, but I am unstatisfied. What is WRONG with me? Why is this happening? Is this menopause, I am only 26, 24 when this started!? My doctor had not done any tests until this week when I begged for them, and I have not been examined outside of my regular physical. Test that are being done are thyroid hormone, hemoglobin, testostrone, estradiol, progesterone, FSH and LH. In Dec I had an ultrasound (for something else) and they could see that I had one nomal follicle on my left ovary. I have read many forums, medical websites, books, drug company web pages and have never read anything about what I am experiencing. This bleeding worries me that for the first few days of it everytime I can hardly concentrate on work and I have no sex life anymore because I am almost alway having my period (besides I have no desire). This is ruining my relationship and my career, please please help!

Gosh Daffodil, You sound in a distressing place. Your symptoms certainly mimic the merry-go-round of menopause, but at your young age, it would be prudent to have the testing done to be sure of what is going on. It is irresponsible of your doctor to have waited so long to do the blood tests that are now ordered. Hopefully the results will give an indication of where the problem lies. If you get no satisfactory answer from your present doc, please get copies of all the lab results and take them to another gynecologist. If you have access to an endocrinologist with a specialty in gyn that would be the best. Your hormones are out of sync and you need help to be feeling well again. Keep advocating for yourself, dont give up until you have answers and relief.

Thanks so much for your encouraging words Anne! I definately will not give up until all my questions are answered and I am feeling better again.
Thanks a million,
daffodil

I started taking Prometrium 200mg daily along with Mesest .625mg approx 1 month ago, after having been on Lo-Estrin for approx 1yr. I had a very heavy period immediately after stopping the Lo-estrin, in which I was told was normal by my doctor. Now right on my 28 day schedule I am having another very heavy period; soaking an overnight pad within an hour, large clots and was wondering if it was normal, especially since I take both meds EVERY day, with no cycling off? Should I even be having a period?

The new (May 2001) New Zealand Guidelines for prescription of HRT include these statements:

- Women who are less than 2 years postmenopausal are more likely to have irregular bleeding patterns on combined continuous HRT and should use sequential HRT
- Women should be informed that irregular bleeding may occur when commencing combined continuous HRT but that this improves with time with 75  90% having no periods at the end of one year (A).
- There has been some suggestion from small studies that women moving directly from a sequential to a combined continuous regimen may have more bleeding than women starting combined continuous therapy from scratch.
- Strategies for dealing with irregular bleeding include decreasing the estrogen or increasing the progesterone.

Here is a link that might be useful: New Zealand HRT Guidelines

I have been experiencing heavy periods due to fibroids. My doctor put me on Aygestin, then changed me to Activella and now Prometrium (100mg). I was told that the Prometrium would stop the bleeding. The bleeding continues and is now heavier than it was before I started the Prometrium. Is this to be expected?

I just wrote a long message and it didn't do thru. I too am on Prometruim to manage heavy bleeding due to a large fibroid. Only on it for 2 cycles now - - Before I go on, let me see if this sends... Write back if you wish.

I have been on Provera and Estratest for years and then the Provera quit working and now my doctor has put me on Prometrium. I had been bleeding for about six weeks when I started the new medication. I have been on it for eleven days now and my bleeding is not slowing down. My doctor told me to take it for a month. I am also having an upset stomach and she said that was normal and it would get better. My husband and I have no sex life and I am 46. My doctor wants me to take the Prometrium every day. Is there any one else taking this medicine every day?

I am in the early stages of perimenapause and am against taking estrogen. Is taking Prometrium alone safe and will it help me? What are the side effects?

Daffodil, I had a very similar problem in my twenties. It went on for almost a year. No one could figure out what was wrong. I had all kinds of tests. We decided to try to start our family, and I was three months pregnant when the bleeding started again and we thought I was miscarrying. The Dr. did an ultrasound and everything was fine. She decided to take a look inside and found a polyp. It was a cervical polyp, and it was was just sticking out of the cervix, I guess all the ultrasounds and tests missed it hiding in the cervix. It went away after a few months and never came back. I just thought you might want to look into this, it sounds like what is happening to you. Good Luck, let us know what you find out

I too had a polyp which could have increased my bleeding. It was removed during a d&c and hysteroscopy. I have since used soy for estrogen and progesterone. I have had no further problems with prolonged or heavy bleeding. IF you look at a cycle chart it is the increase in estrogen that stops a period. Too little estrogen will allow you to continue to bleed. The provera and prometrium are probably counteracting what estrogen you have. I would not tell you what to do but think you should investigate and read all you can for information. I have not found doctors to know very much at all about the female system.

I am not menopausal, but began having extremely heavy, overflowing periods accompanied by many clots. My OBGYN put me on 200mg of Prometrium to stop the heavy periods/clots. I just started taking it and am to take it from day 12-24 each month. Has anyone else been prescribed the drug who has similar symptoms and if so, has it helped ? robbie8011@aol.com

robbie_florida

Yes, I had your symptoms and I had done my homework to be able to ask to have Prometrium prescribed and also thyroid replacement for finally diagnosed but long suspected hypothyroidism. The bleeding of three months, but severe needing an overnight pad every hour during the last four weeks, stopped after two weeks on the natural progesterone (Prometrium) and the thyroid medication.

I thought I was going to bleed to death before it finally stopped. My doctor admonished me to not take any aspirin for the excessive endometrial pain causing buildup.

Diagnosed and prescribed September 5, 2001. Age 46. Now more normal periods than I have ever had.

I did my homework to avoid the synthetic hormone merry-go-round which puts too many women on the surgery table for hysterectomy.

You were deficient in progesterone, so therefore you were building up too much endometrium. Without progesterone to rise and fall naturally, a normal menstrual blood flow is impossible.

I am guessing you are bleed free by now? You can e-mail me if you wish.

Check other posts that I have recently started for information resources to help you understand your symptoms and the reasoning for the Prometrium prescription.

Dear Paula
If you are of the Dr Lee school of thought and want to try natural progesterone cream and can't buy it over the counter in the UK, I have two suggestions. One is that you can buy it over the counter in France - in case you ever come over here - I live in Paris and am using Progestogel. The second suggestion is that I saw somewhere on this forum the name of a doctor in the UK who will discuss your situation over the phone and if he thinks it's appropriate prescribe a progesterone cream called Pro-Juven. Dr David Smallbone - 01-435882880. Now I don't know if Pro-Juven is a natural progesterone or not - but I think it is - you would have to ask him. Hope this info is of some help. I'm perimenopausal and finding Progestogel v.g. for menopausal symptoms.
Linda

I am post menopause and was on the Climara patch as well as Prometrium every 3 mos.(for 12 days) to bring on a period. I recently stopped both cold turkey. Am I needing to be on birth control? My last REAL period was 5 years ago, but like I said, had one every 3 mos. with Prometrium...thanks!