# Gestone v Lubion



## Hopeful_81 (Aug 11, 2015)

Hi ladies

Not sure if this is the right place for this post but here goes...

I started bleeding v early in my last cycle so have been prescribed Lubion injections this time as well as 2 x Cyclogest pessaries daily. However, having done some research, Lubion only comes in 25mg doses whereas gestone is 100mg and the Cyclogest 400mg per pessary. Is 25mg of Lubion really going to make the difference?! I'd be grateful if anyone has any experience of using it. I feel so anxious about the early bleeding again, just didn't expect it but I did struggle a bit with the pessaries xx


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## Hbkmorris (Apr 7, 2010)

Hiya Hopeful, 

I have used Gestone 100mg for the last 3 cycles and as it's now out of stock/not in circulation I too have been offered Lubion.. 

So when I asked this question my UK clinic informed me that 25mg is the same as 100mg of gestone.. Now I'm no consultant but I don't believe this.. or I don't trust it.. so on my next cycle when I do run out of my gestone I shall inject 50mg daily and may also add a cyclogest x

********


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## fififi (Mar 16, 2011)

Although gestone 100 dose has been unavailable in UK for several years now you can still get 50mg dose and just use 2 at a time. One injection but draw up from 2 vials.

I've not tried lubion but with changing my protocol to Gestone from cyclogest made massive difference to me. The cycles without it I bled before OTD and first time was really heavy loss too so wonder if the lack of progesterone had caused v early MC.

For my last cycle (baby now here) I was prescribed 100mg  Gestone up until 12 weeks and no cyclogest at all. I had extra so reduced the dosage slowly at end of the 12 weeks stopping altogether at around 15 weeks

Good luck to you both with your cycles & hope to see joyful posts in not too distant future x


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## Hbkmorris (Apr 7, 2010)

Hi fififi, 

Sadly 50mg is also now out of stock and I'm told they are stopping the production of it.. It's amazing stuff isn't it.. Apart from the two extra bum cheeks by 12 weeks! Mine last year were shocking. I too inject the 50mg X 2 just wish there wasn't this dramarama.. I've enough T to get me to test day so I'm just hoping and praying I've success. 

Lovely to read of you forever, longed wish came and you've your daughter.. She's a truly magical miracle.. God bless you xx


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## Hopeful_81 (Aug 11, 2015)

Thanks for your responses both. Hbkmorris, I am sceptical about that response too. I can understand the difference between absorption of vaginal pessaries and injections but not between the two different types injections. I don't think my clinic has been using it for very long so they may still be in the trial and error phase. I am glad I don't have to do the bum injections but I'd like to know I'm getting sufficient progesterone support. I've had lining issues too so I'm not sure whether it's all connected in some way. I can see from your sign off that you have had a very difficult time, I so hope this next one is the one for you.

Fififi, did you do pessaries at all or just the gestone? Wonderful that you got your longed for ivf miracle.

For anyone who has done a combination of injections and pessaries, at what times of day did you take them? I'm supposed to do the pessaries 12 hours apart (v difficult during the week) but not sure when to fit the injection in. The nurse just said to do it at the same time each evening but didn't say when. It would make sense to me to spread the doses out if I can... xx


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## Laura11 (Apr 18, 2015)

Just to say I have to have Gestone as I had an allergic reaction to cyclogest pesssaries on my first cycle and there was a lot of confusion with the manufacturer about whether I could have Lubion due to my peanut allergy. On my last frozen cycle back in April they couldn't get Gestone so gave me an unbranded version of progesterone in oil, and this time round they've given me Prontogest in 100mg, which according to the manufacturer is exactly the same as Gestone, it's just the Italian brand name. So it is still possible to get if you want it xx


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## VCR (May 7, 2015)

Hi,

For my most recent attempt, I took Cyclogest throughout the pregnancy and also  Gestone from before ET to being 8 weeks pregnant and then Lubion from then till the end of my pregnancy.  I changed because my hip area couldn't tolerate the intramuscular Gestone injections (too painful, creating huge lumps as bruises and my husband had to give them to me because it was difficult for me to) and the Lubion is a sub-cutaneous injection which I could give myself and so it didn't hurt.

I never thought about the different dosage between the Gestone and Lubion but I would have thought they can be attributed to the fact that the active drug is combined with different substances and administered into different body tissue type.  

The change didn't affect the outcome of treatment for me.  I hope that is reassuring.

Also, if you bled using the pessaries, I'd recommend using them rectally.  I used them vaginally when I started off but bled almost constantly from  5-10 weeks pregnant, which made me panic constantly about miscarrying (especially given my history).  Using them rectally stopped the bleeding permanently within 24 hours.

Hope that helps.

Vxx


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## Cloudy (Jan 26, 2012)

Re: The difference in dosage. Lots of drugs have different dosage levels, like gonal f and menopur have different doses to have the equivalent effect. Besides, paracetamol tablets come in 500mg tablets, and codeine in 15/30mg tablets but codeine is a hell of a lot stronger than paracetamol, and you certainly wouldn't want to be taking 500mg of codeine!!!

I think if you are concerned about the equivalent dosage of lubion vs gestone vs pessaries you need to discuss it further with your Dr or pharmacist.

Xxx


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## fififi (Mar 16, 2011)

Hopeful - was only prescribed gestone by clinic so no pessaries. I used to do the injection around 9pm so that I had bit of time to "walk" the discomfort off before going to bed.
On previous cycles where been prescribed cyclogest twice daily I did those at roughly 7am & 7pm. My clinic advised to do them lying down & to remain like that for 20 minutes to maximise absorption. Therefore I set an alarm 20 mins before needed to get up for work & did first one then. The second dose was after I'd got back from work & I used to use those 20 mins for either vegging laid out on sofa or doing Zita west ivf meditation CD.

As for dosages being different between different meds I agree with Cloudy in that the amount of progesterone your body will get must vary so that the overall effect is similar. I'd imagine if your clinic suggests an alternative to gestone that they would still be prescribing a similar overall level. Certainly when compare cyclogest (800mg day) with gestone (100mg) it seems very different yet when my progesterone levels were tested after cyclogest they were way too low but on gestone where they should have been. People are all different but the method of absortption into body must have impact on dosage.

Getting right drug protocol is quite a minefield!!! Not to mention expensive form of torture!!!


PS Thanks for the congrats. I am still in semi disbelief that our little daughter is here. It's been a very long & tough 13 years trying to create a family but the pleasure we feel now makes it all worthwhile


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## Hopeful_81 (Aug 11, 2015)

Thanks everyone.  VCR, that does give me some comfort thank you. I've heard that the pessaries can irritate the cervix and cause bleeding so if I start bleeding early again, I'll switch.

Fififi, you are so right about it being a minefield! I had no idea when I embarked on treatment, I had just assumed it was all fairly standard. 

I can understand the difference between Cyclogest and Lubion/gestone but not between the 2 injectable forms, esp when they contain the same ingredients. I'll ask my dr and let you know! Have decided it's more important that the pessaries stay in so doing half an hour before getting up and at bedtime. Then doing my injection around 7.30. Hopefully that will do the trick xx


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## KDJay (Sep 21, 2015)

Well wen both lubion and gestone were available we were told by the clinic to take the gestone as it is quote 'four times stronger' we already had Lubion and that's why we asked can't we just stick with that and were told that gestone would be better for us hence why we got it. Disappointing that it's not available. We also did pessaries and the gestone, get on in the morning at 8am and then pessaries four times evenly spaced out xxxx


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