# Cyclogest vs Crinone vs Gestone



## almond

Hi Maz, sorry,I'm sure you have been asked variants of this question a hundred times, but I couldnt find anything which answered everything!

I have issues with progesterone / mid cycle bleeding and use cyclogest 200mg in a natural cycle. On my 1st IVF cycle, I used 2 x 400mg Cyclogest pessaries and I started to get brown spotting a couple of days before otd and then red bleeding on otd. So it seems I need more prog support than just 2 x 400mg cyclogest.

For this cycle my NHS clinic has recommended changing to 2 x Crinone per day, which they say is in fact equivalent to 3 x 400 mg cyclogest (they say that although the dose per crinone is lower, it is absorbed better). My first question is whether you agree with that - that 2 crinone is the equivalent of 3 cyclogest?

My second question is about gestone. A cons I have seen privately for immune issues has suggested that because of my prog issues, I use gestone and crinone in combination. I am stressed by this! DP is needlephobic and I am not sure I wd be able to inject myself (worried about length of needles and also being able to reach my bum!) I could ask my local drs to do it during the week and then get friends to do it at the weekends, but I am worried about going into drs every day when likely to be full of swine flu germs (and my immune system will have been suppressed from treatment). 

Am trying to decide what to do! First question is whether it is possible to inject yourself with gestone .. and second question is whether it really does make a difference. Are there any studies do you know showing that gestone is a more effective form of prog support?

Thanks and sorry for the long message!!! Really appreciate any help you can give

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## mazv

Aarrrgggggh just lost a huge post     Sorry!

Much shorter reply coming up as I need to get to bed....

Don't know about 2=3  Both totally different preparations. Pessaries give you a big hit of progesterone and then levels fall off over next few hours. Gel sticks to the vagina and slowly releases drug over 3 days. You can't really easily compare the mg doses directly as they are absorbed and released very differently. Pessaries cause big peak and trough levels in the blood where gel gives a more steady constant level. Usual dose of gel is once a day so taking it twice will certainly increase level and would mak esense if you have issues with low natural progesterone levels (you can't really overdose on it  )

Gestone is given by deep IM injection into buttock so not really possible to do yourself. You would have to get someone to do it for you. Fertility research not my area of expertise so don't know if any papers do comparisons between different preparations (only really aware of what I've read in my own journey). Most of the reviews I've read though don't suggest any major differences. The reason there are so many protocols/treatments used is due to clinican experience and preference. If there was one drug/protocol vastly superior to others then they would all be using it 

Hope this helps. Sorry can't really answer   All the best for this cycle  

Maz x

P.S. GP surgery will be best place to be in swine flu epidemic. Most of population will be too poorly to get out of house and GPs couldn't cope with volume of appointments so they won't be seeing folk in surgery for that.


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## almond

Thanks Maz, hugely helpful as ever, I really appreciate it
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