When will your period start after treatment with Duphaston and will it start at all?

Young women often have irregular menstrual cycles. This happens due to a hormonal imbalance in the body. Taking Duphaston, the hormonal levels stabilize, and when you stop using it, your periods should begin. But sometimes it happens that after taking a course of treatment, menstruation does not begin.

Doctors can also prescribe Duphaston for menopause, which not only improves well-being, but is also used to treat many diseases. Can the drug restore hormonal balance, why are there no periods after stopping taking it, and why do women gain excess weight?

Features of the drug

Duphaston is a medication used for hormone replacement therapy. This hormonal drug is not tied to a specific age category: both young women and ladies after forty take it. For young women, the drug helps stabilize hormone levels and normalize the monthly cycle. During menopause, the medicine eliminates hormonal imbalance and unpleasant symptoms of menopause, prevents bleeding in the middle of the cycle, reduces pain, and stabilizes metabolism.

In general, women tolerate the drug well, but the following side effects from Duphaston are possible:

• headache;
• allergy to Duphaston;
• sometimes women gain weight;
• your chest may hurt;
• thrush appears;
• daub after Duphaston;
• skin rash.

One of the possible side effects is an allergy to Duphaston. In most cases, the drug component, dydrogesterone, acts as an allergen. Often allergic reactions manifest as a rash on the skin.

However, there are other manifestations of allergies to Duphaston:

• skin itching;
• nausea and vomiting;
• bloating;
• abdominal pain;
• frequent sneezing;
• overweight;
• stuffy nose, difficulty breathing, copious nasal discharge;
• increased lacrimation;
• headaches and dizziness;
• peripheral or angioedema;
• suffocation;
• sense of smell worsens;
• taste sensations disappear;
• Quincke's edema;
• increase in body temperature.

If such symptoms appear, it is recommended to immediately consult a doctor, especially if the allergy to Duphaston is severe.

Is Duphaston a contraceptive? Any gynecologist should know the answer: no. If you drink Duphaston after a contraceptive, on the contrary, the chances of conception increase.

Instructions for use of Duphaston.

Instructions for using Duphaston for delayed menstruation

According to statistics, it is irregular menstruation that most often forces a woman to see a gynecologist. Reviews from gynecologists about the drug are mostly positive, and today many gynecological and obstetric problems are solved with its help.

Due to the rather high cost of the drug, not every patient agrees to start taking it, especially for a long time. However, the price fully justifies the positive effect of synthetic progesterone on the body. In addition to the approach of menstruation, he:

1. Reduces the risk of relapse of inflammatory processes in the ovaries.
2. It prevents the development of oncological processes.
3. Restores the normal menstrual cycle, if its disruption was not caused by serious pathologies.
4. Reduces the female body's production of male sex hormones when they are in excess, thereby increasing the patient's chances of becoming pregnant and carrying a child.

Although Duphaston is well tolerated by the body, there are still contraindications to its use. They are:

1. Galactose or glucose intolerance.
2. Malabsorption syndrome (insufficient absorption of nutrients in the small intestine).
3. Intolerance to dydrogesterone (the active component of Duphaston).
4. Lactation period.
5. Tendency to thrombosis.
6. Hepatitis.
7. Severe pathologies of the cardiovascular system.

Before prescribing Duphaston to a patient, she must undergo the necessary instrumental (ultrasound) and laboratory (hormone level determination) examinations, which will confirm the advisability of taking the medication and help the doctor calculate its correct dose.

Duphaston is taken orally and begins to act in about 1.5 hours. The synthetic hormone does not accumulate in the body and is completely excreted in the urine after 3 days.

The dosage is selected by the doctor individually, depending on the patient’s age, her hormonal balance, examination results, the duration of absence of menstruation and the presence or absence of inflammatory processes in the reproductive organs.

If it is necessary to induce menstruation by using Duphaston for a short course, small doses of the drug are taken 3 times a day. After 3-5 days (but not more than 10) of such treatment, menstruation usually begins. When bleeding begins, the drug is immediately discontinued.

But during long-term treatment with Duphaston, it is drunk, as a rule, only in the second phase of the cycle, starting from the 15th day until the onset of menstruation. Thus, it can be used for no longer than 6 months. Abrupt withdrawal threatens uterine bleeding and serious disruption to the menstrual cycle, so it is removed gradually. For example, if a woman took 2 tablets a day, she will have to take only one tablet for a while, then 1 tablet every two days, etc.

The following side effects are possible when taking Duphaston:

1. Soreness of the mammary glands and their swelling. This happens due to progesterone entering the body. After the arrival of menstruation, the unpleasant symptoms disappear.
2. Pain in the lower abdomen. Pain sometimes appears already during menstruation. Experts associate this phenomenon with increased levels of progesterone. In the next cycle (if treatment with Duphaston was a single dose), the pain should go away or noticeably decrease.
3. Allergic reaction. Allergies (nausea, vomiting, skin rashes) are extremely rare in people who are intolerant to any component of the medication.
4. Heavy periods. If you take synthetic progesterone correctly, without exceeding dosages, then slightly more heavy bleeding is not a cause for concern. However, it is extremely important not to confuse this unpleasant but not dangerous side effect with uterine bleeding. If blood loss is more than 100-120 ml. per day, this is a reason to urgently consult a doctor.

As you can see, the drug Duphaston is not completely harmless, and under no circumstances should you prescribe it to yourself. Be sure to visit your doctor first.

Question to the expert

I just can't figure it out. Does Duphaston delay your periods or cause them?

Duphaston is often used in gynecology as a remedy that can speed up the onset of menstruation. And in obstetrics - to maintain pregnancy. It is not used to delay menstruation, but it can cause this phenomenon if the wrong dosage is chosen.

When does menstruation begin after stopping the drug?

The drug is taken in the second phase of the female monthly cycle. It is mainly taken by young women in case of irregularities in their menstrual cycle, as well as to stop uterine bleeding. But even in premenopause, the drug has a similar effect on the uterus.

Many women do not know when their periods begin after stopping Duphaston. To answer the question: how many days will it take for vaginal bleeding to begin after Duphaston, you need to figure out when menstruation actually begins.

In nature, it is arranged that menstruation begins after progesterone levels decrease. The same thing happens when taking Duphaston. If the correct dosage and duration of use are observed, menstruation after Duphaston should begin within 3-5 days.

However, it happens that bleeding begins:

• while taking the drug;
• on the day of treatment cancellation;
• the day after cancellation;
• after 10 days;
• After Duphaston there are no periods.

In general, this is a very overrated drug. In no other country in the world are women as keen on this hormonal drug as in the CIS countries. Most foreign doctors are shocked that our women take progesterone drugs in large quantities.

Menstruation after IVF

After the end of the IVF protocol, every woman feels as if in limbo. She is waiting for menstruation, and is very afraid of it: after all, this will mean that the attempt to get pregnant was unsuccessful.

When does your period start after IVF? What should be considered exactly as menstruation, since after embryo transfer it is normal to have bleeding? When do you need to urgently call or go to the doctor, and when is the situation unbearable? And finally, how do you know when there is no hope?

Periods after IVF

When menstruation begins after IVF depends on two factors:

First. Whether fertilization was successful or not

It only takes 40 hours for the embryo to implant. In this case, by about 3 days the woman may notice scanty bleeding, and her stomach may also hurt “like during menstruation.” There is no need to worry about this; it’s still too early to run to do a hCG test. Observe yourself: if such “daub” becomes more and more scarce and then stops, you can determine the treasured hormone after 5-6 days (although it’s better - still on the 14-15th day).

There is also a “but” here. The embryo can develop in the uterine cavity and attach as early as 10 days after replantation. This is a variant of the norm, which is called late implantation. Then you need to look:

• if it is menstruation on the 10th day after IVF, then it will be very profuse, clots and lumps of mucus will come out, which may well resemble an embryo. Menstruation - if blood discharge from the vagina is observed for at least 3 days.

Attention! Bloody discharge that lasts longer than 10 days is no longer menstruation, but uterine bleeding!

• If this is implantation bleeding, it will be very scanty. At first it may be reddish, but then it turns brown. If at the same time your stomach is pulling, you need to rest as much as possible, call your doctor and then, if he recommends, donate blood for hCG.

Attention! The appearance of symptoms such as nausea, enlarged mammary glands, changes in mood, changes in taste before the 14th day cannot be regarded as pregnancy!

Second. What features does the body have?

It is important here what the hormonal background was before the protocol, what the cycle was like before the start of using hormonal drugs. It also matters which protocol was used. The organismal factor is the most difficult to predict.

It depends on your personal characteristics whether your period came ahead of schedule or, conversely, 14 days have passed, the hCG test is negative, but there is still no menstruation. To find out the reasons and identify deviations that could appear specifically against the background of IVF, you need to contact gynecologists.

Consultation with a doctor is necessary if you are concerned about the question “what to do if the menstrual cycle is disrupted?”

Periods after unsuccessful IVF

If the embryo fails to implant, menstruation normally begins 3-14 days after embryo transfer (usually this occurs 3-5 days after discontinuation of the maintenance drug).

If this does not happen, you need medical advice! The reasons may be different, including a woman’s bad habits and experienced psychological stress, which negatively affects the pituitary gland, causing hormonal imbalance.

What is considered normal after an unsuccessful protocol:

• both unusually painless and, conversely, painful periods after IVF;
• heavy menstruation;
• discharge of clots and fragments of the endometrium (what may resemble a “baby” or “embryo”)

The first menstruation after IVF “has the right” to be unusual. In the second month there may also be deviations, but there should no longer be excessive bleeding. In general, the menstrual cycle can take about a year to establish itself, which should not cause panic.

Attention! In the first 2-6 months after unsuccessful IVF, the chances of a natural pregnancy are maximum!

After IVF there are no periods and the test is negative

If you don’t have your period after unsuccessful IVF, you shouldn’t think about a medical error! Moreover, you should not take any medications to maintain pregnancy. If on the 14th day after embryo transfer the hCG is negative, you will have to endure this failure, but be sure to consult a doctor to find out the reasons for the delay.

Consultation with a doctor should be urgent (by phone - with the attending physician, and if he does not answer - in any 24-hour gynecological hospital) in the following cases:

• before the protocol, the cycle was within 25 days;
• swelling appeared;
• it became difficult to breathe;
• the temperature has risen.

Thus, if you donate blood for hCG on the 14th day after embryo transfer, and the result is negative, this condition should be regarded as a delay in menstruation. This requires seeing a doctor and getting examined!

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Why doesn't the remedy work?

Quite often there are situations when a woman independently tries to normalize her monthly cycle and, on the recommendation of friends, starts taking the drug. However, it happens that she took Duphaston for 10 days, but did not have her period. Most women, after unsuccessful attempts, will come to the conclusion: if there is no menstrual flow after Duphaston, the drug does not help.

There are no periods after Duphaston, and you can also gain excess weight if the dosage or duration of use is incorrectly selected. If you prescribe the pills yourself, don’t be surprised if your period doesn’t come. In order for menstruation to come, the optimal treatment regimen is prescribed only by a doctor, and only after determining the amount of progesterone in the female body.

It happens that a woman took the drug as prescribed by the doctor for 10 days, followed his instructions, and still her period does not come. The patient has symptoms of PMS: abdominal pain, dizziness, nausea, and breast enlargement while taking Duphaston. However, these same signs indicate pregnancy. What to do in such a situation?

If pregnancy is confirmed, you should not suddenly stop taking the drug; this should be done gradually and closer to the 2nd trimester of pregnancy. With a sharp decrease in the hormone, a miscarriage is possible.

If there is no pregnancy during a delay, the woman needs to be examined. It is also worth noting that if a woman’s ovulation is delayed and the amount of her own progesterone is high, bleeding will not occur after discontinuation of Duphaston and the monthly cycle will not be restored.

Treatment of endometrial hyperplasia, endometriosis and uterine fibroids

Duphaston for endometrial hyperplasia helps stabilize the balance of hormones in the female body. If endometrial hyperplasia is not treated, the pathology will progress. After taking the drug in premenopause, the menstrual cycle becomes regular, the increased abundance of blood discharge and the likelihood of bleeding in the middle of the cycle disappear. As for postmenopause, vaginal bleeding disappears completely.

Often during menopause, endometriosis disappears on its own - this is a completely physiological process. If the disease continues to develop, doctors prescribe progesterone medications. This drug reduces the production of estrogen, the endometrium stops growing and the disease will no longer progress. Thanks to this remedy, you can get rid of pain in the lower abdomen that occurs due to overgrown endometrial tissue.

During menopause, doctors prescribe taking Duphaston for uterine fibroids. However, it must be taken into account that taking the drug is possible only when fibroids are simultaneously diagnosed with endometrial hyperplasia or endometriosis. Combined with the mentioned diseases, myomatous nodes are of estrogen nature. Therefore, in order to slow down their growth, it is necessary to regulate the effect of estrogen, which is what this remedy does.

It happens that after taking it, brown discharge begins. Such discharge during treatment may indicate polyps in the uterus.

A similar pathology appears in women at any age, but the largest percentage of cases occur at the age of 40 years and older.

Expert opinion

Alexandra Yurievna

General practitioner, associate professor, teacher of obstetrics, work experience 11 years.

It is after 40 years that a hormonal imbalance occurs in the body, which is the main cause of the appearance of polyps. Basically, polyps are removed surgically, so we can say that the polyp and Duphaston are incompatible. Duphaston for polyps in the uterus is widely used to prevent the appearance of new formations.

Doctors have different opinions about the benefits of taking the drug. Most pharmaceutical companies write that the product stops the growth of the uterine mucosa and reduces the risk of its cells degenerating into cancerous ones.

However, Canadian studies and evidence-based medicine indicate a high risk of cancer when taking progesterone drugs. Draw your own conclusions and consult only competent and attentive specialists.

How to take the product correctly?

The lack of regular menstruation forces most women to seriously think about their health and consult a specialist. Basically, the attending physician prescribes hormonal therapy.

When used correctly, the medication causes uterine bleeding and reduces the risk of developing serious pathologies. However, the wrong dosage of the drug and treatment regimen can harm the body. How to take the product correctly?

Admission rules:

1. During premenopause, Duphaston should be taken from the 5th to the 25th day of the monthly cycle, 2 tablets per day. The duration of therapy ranges from 5 months to a year.
2. During postmenopause: with continuous treatment with estrogen - 2 tablets per day for the first 2 weeks of the monthly cycle; if estrogen is taken periodically - 1 tablet per day during the last 2 weeks of taking medications with estrogen.
3. For irregular menstruation, you should take 2 tablets from the 11th to the 25th day of the monthly cycle.
4. Duphaston for bleeding is taken 2 tablets for no more than 7 days.

Usually, when taking hormonal medications, it is important to take them strictly according to the treatment regimen, and if one dose is missed, this affects the woman’s health: the stomach feels tight, spotting begins, etc.

However, for those taking this remedy, everything is not so serious. If a woman misses a Duphaston tablet, to avoid the consequences, she just needs to drink it within 6 hours. If there is a longer delay, you no longer need to take the pill; the course of treatment continues according to the prescribed regimen.

Start of menstruation after Duphaston

The drug Duphaston for irregular periods and other menstrual disorders is prescribed in the second phase of the cycle - from 11 to 25 days (according to other sources - from 16 days). At this time, the woman’s body compensates for the lack of progesterone. Around the 14th day of the cycle, a woman ovulates, which can last 16-32 hours. After it, active growth of the endometrium is observed. If fertilization does not occur, then it is rejected and menstruation begins. When taking Duphaston, this happens only after stopping the drug:

• Normally, menstrual bleeding begins 2-3 days after taking the last pill.
• Here it is worth taking into account the individual characteristics of women. It is not considered a pathology, even if your period came within a week. The critical period is 10 days.
• When more than 7-10 days have passed after stopping Duphaston, this is a serious deviation that requires consultation with a doctor.