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Conversion

I have been using a compounded progesterone cream of 100 mg/gm and applying a quarter tsp twice a day.

Can you tell me how to convert to your cream and should I use half and half at first or can I go straight to your cream? I believe your cream is 33 mg/gm which is a lot weaker than the one I am using and don't want to have any problems.

Comments for Conversion

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Aug 16, 2011
 Natpro, in milligrams
by: CamperKat

FYI, Wray Whyte gives various conversions in great detail in several places, including the main home page and on the postings board.

But here are two conversions right now, per this website:

From Milliliters (ml) to Milligrams (mg)
1ml = 33.3mg of progesterone
2ml = 66.6mg
3ml = 100.0mg
4ml = 133.2mg

From U.S. Kitchen Measuring Spoons and Milliliters (ml) to Milligrams (mg)
1/16 teaspoon (0.31ml) AKA a "dash" = 10.1mg of progesterone
1/8 teaspoon (0.625ml) = 20.8mg
1/4 teaspoon (1.25ml) = 41.6mg
1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) = 83.2mg
1 teaspoon (5ml) = 166.5mg

Hope this helps.
Aug 16, 2011
 Switchover
by: CamperKat

You don't have to worry about "switchover" from one type of progesterone cream to another...you can start using Natpro right away. Just don't try to put one over or under another at the same time, because one brand or compounded product may have carrier agents that interfere with absorption of another brand.

But you can use different brands concurrently...for instance, I use Natpro on my legs & torso, but it's a bit too concentrated for my arms and chest and back (I can get a reaction there because I also take MSM and other supplements that cause rashes), so I use John Lee's product in those areas (half the strength of Natpro). And I'm using up what's left of my Emerita Pro-Gest on my feet only, since it has preservatives in it that cause irritation elsewhere. But I don't just squirt them all together and use them, I specifically break up the areas and don't mix. No problems with this.

Good luck.
Aug 18, 2011
 Amount
by: Anonymous

So would that mean that 5/8 of a teaspoon or 1/2 tsp and 1/8 tsp of Wray's cream would be equal to the 1/4 tsp I'm using now? My cream says it is 100 mg/g and I am to use 1/4 tsp each time. I am not sure if that is how you do the math. I had a a bad fall (head injury) several years ago and my math is not the greatest. Thank you.

PS: Wray says that the one doctor used high doses of progesterone cream on traumatic brain injury patients. I was just curious what symptoms it was helping.
Aug 18, 2011
 Conversion
by: Wray

Hi there I can't better what CamperKat says re the measurements. You're currently using a 10% strength, but 1/4 tsp twice a day would be giving you only 50mg/day. I recommend 100-200mg/day, dependant on symptoms. The more severe they are, the more progesterone is needed. So if you do decide to increase, please see our page on Oestrogen Dominance first. Take care Wray
Aug 18, 2011
 Natpro, in milligrams
by: Wray

Hi CamperKat Bless you once again for coming to my rescue! I'm most intrigued by your protocol, but that's how progesterone should be used. Incidentally you can always 'thin' down the Natpro by adding it to a 'safe' skin cream, ie one with no synthetics in it. Take care Wray
Aug 18, 2011
 Measurements
by: Anonymous

Oh thank you so much for telling me I am only using 50 mg per day when I put a 1/4 tsp of my 100 mg/g compounded cream on in the morning and at night. No wonder I am not feeling any better and no wonder I got such a bad reaction last night when I tried a half tsp of NatPro. I didn't realize I was doubling the dose by doing that. I got the same reaction your other patient did which was palpitations and pounding in my stomach. I was thinkign the one I had from the compounded pharmacy was stronger. Thanks for explaining. I can't connect the dots when it comes to math and so I really appreciate both of your replies.
Aug 18, 2011
 Thin cream
by: Anonymous

Wray,
What is considered a safe thin cream? Is vanicream ok?
Aug 19, 2011
 Thin cream
by: Wray

Hi there I'm glad our replies helped you. CamperKat is always so supportive of me. If your query is also the one about the vanicream, it's not one I would use on my skin. They go to great lengths saying that they don't put synthetics or toxics into their cream. But there are some ingredients I would never use, one is petrolatum, it's a mineral oil. Propylene glycol is second cousin to anti-freeze and BHT is an oestrogenic antioxidant. There are now so many natural and organic creams on the market, please try to find one if you need a skin moisturiser. One of the best is Badger. And if you should ever suspect an ingredient, the best site to look for info is Skin Deep. Take care Wray
Aug 19, 2011
 "Safe Cream" Definition
by: CamperKat

What Wray means by a "safe cream" is one that has the least amounts of ingredients, with most all of those ingredients being natural and not man-made, as in mineral oil (which will prevent absorption of progesterone cream). Many good products have some preservatives in it...in the U.S., we have to list ingredients in order of quantity, so the smaller amount of preservatives in a product, the better. Natpro is 100% natural with nothing fake in it, as is Dr. John Lee's cream called ProgesterAll.

All other progesterone creams you will find on the internet including Emerita's Progest and Source Naturals Progesterone Cream have a small amount of preservatives in them. Compounded pharmacy creams tend to have a huge amount of chemicals in them.

Examples of "safe" oil would be coconut oil, cocoa butter, olive oil, emu oil, jojoba oil, aloe vera. If you know what the ingredients are, then it's probably OK: tocopherol acetate, (Vitamin E) rosemary extract, grapefruit extract, coconut oil, xanthan gum, squalene, vegetable glycerine--it's a "safe cream".

Anything commercially man-made tends to have a huge amount of artificial ingredients to extend the shelf life of a product (whether it's a cream or shampoo or loaf of bread or frozen dinner) and none of these do anything good for your body.

There should be little or no preservatives or additives in the cream, as in phenoxyethanol, sodium benzoate, propylene glycol, polysorbate 80. There should be no silicones...think "no cones"...any word that ends in "cone" like Dimethicone or Andomethicone. Think no acrylics or co-polymers.

Hope this helps.
Aug 21, 2011
 Thank You
by: Anonymous

Thanks so much!!
Aug 21, 2011
 Measurement
by: Anonymous

Wouldn't 1/4tsp BID of a 100 mg/g progesterone cream be a total of about 250 mg a day not 50 mg?
Aug 22, 2011
 Amount
by: Wray

Hi there I must have been brain dead, or too tired when I replied telling you 1/4 tsp twice a day was giving you 50mg/day. As the last comment on this page says, it's giving you 250mg/day. If you wanted to stay on this amount, you would need to use 7ml/day of Natpro. The studies on TBI used over 1200mg/day, but not with a cream, it was via IV transfusion. They follow here and here. And a new study is being conducted with 1000 people, see here. Sorry about the error. Take care Wray
Aug 22, 2011
 Measurements
by: Wray

Hi again Well now you have me baffled, as you would feel worse if you were using more progesterone than you had been. But if your cream is 100mg/g or a 10% strength, then you shouldn't be. The only other explanation I can think of was the progesterone was not being absorbed well from the compounded cream. I do know it's well absorbed via the Natpro, as we run Saliva Tests. Do let me know how you get on, as I'm puzzled now. Take care Wray
Aug 22, 2011
 Measurement
by: Wray

Hi there Thanks so much for pointing out my error. As I said to her I must have been tired, certainly brain dead! Take care Wray
Aug 22, 2011
 "BID" means twice per day
by: CamperKat

100mg per gram means the cream contains a total of 1,000 milligrams of progesterone. This means the cream is a 10% strength (10% of 1,000 is 100) which is what Wray said. So 1/4 teaspoon = 25mg.

The term BID on a prescription means "twice per day", so if your MD is prescribing 1/4 teaspoon twice per day (at 25mg per 1/4 teaspoon), that means you are using 50mg total per day which is a very low dosage, in line with what was originally recommended by progesterone cream "pioneer" Dr. John Lee...but he passed in 2003, and there has been much usage and study since then--mostly by us women--which has proven that higher dosages are what work best. And the best thing is...you can't hurt yourself if you use a little more...in HUGE dosages, like in the 1,000's, you may get sleepy...but that's it. Don't worry about overdosing.

(FYI, the term BID is from the Latin Seen on a prescription, b.i.d. means twice (two times) a day. It is an abbreviation for "bis in die" which in Latin means twice a day. The abbreviation b.i.d. is sometimes written without a period either in lower-case letters as "bid" or in capital letters as "BID". )

I worried constantly when I first started using progesterone cream last February--and it was needless. I am fine, I'm feeling better...larger doses are fine. At one point I used about 200mg per day for a couple weeks, and now I find I'm good with about 120-140mg per day. Your body will tell you after you've been using it a while.

Also...bear in mind that hormones take a while to stabilize and "balance". Some lucky women, usually younger ones (i.e., under 40) tend to get results more quickly and can begin to find relief from progesterone cream within a couple of weeks and full relief within 3-4 months. Others, it will take longer. I am 51 and started the cream in February and did not feel a bit different until April...and it continues to improve. It's been 6 months now, and I can say I really can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Listen to Wray--she is THE expert on progesterone dosage and vitamin supplements et al. She knows a huge amount of info across a wide variety of subjects, and frankly is more like a pharmacist or nutritionist or dietician than those I've known.

Good luck!
Sep 02, 2011
 Amount
by: Anonymous

Since Wray and Camperkat gave different amounts, can someone confirm which one is the correct amount?
Sep 03, 2011
 "BID" means twice per day
by: Wray

Hi CamperKat I so value your support! And the often interesting tidbits you give too, as in the definition of BID. I'm also so delighted to hear of your improvements, it does take time. That's the hardest part, and hardest for me too. As all too often I get women saying why isn't it working, or why is it taking so long, or worse, why have my symptoms come back! It really does need perseverance, and you are so right too about younger women. They do respond far quicker, once in peri-menopause, with the skewed ratio of progesterone to oestrogen, the supplemental progesterone has an uphill battle. And bless you for the kind words, I love what I do, and do try to give as much info as possible, so thank you for them, it's very encouraging to me. Take care Wray
Sep 05, 2011
 conversion
by: Anonymous

I am not the one who wrote this comment that you responded to that it was correct. "Wouldn't 1/4tsp BID of a 100 mg/g progesterone cream be a total of about 250 mg a day not 50 mg?" But I want to make sure I know how much cream I've been using so that I can correctly convert to NatPro. Am I using 50 mg a day or 250 mg a day. There's a big difference and I don't want to send my body into shock.

I am also so sorry. I did not even see that the block for Your Name needed to be filled in with a name. So sorry for the confusion.

Thank you to both of you. I see CamperKat's comments on a lot of these and they are always so helpful.

Stacey
Sep 07, 2011
 conversion
by: Wray

Hi Stacey There has been some confusion, and thanks for now giving your name. If there are too many anonymous queries I find it almost impossible to tell who sent what! I'm assuming you sent the first query? If I'm correct, then 100mg/g of cream means you are using a 10% cream. This must have come from a compounding pharmacist. So the 1/2 tsp you are currently using would be giving you 250mg progesterone. My initial error only added to the confusion! You don't mention your symptoms, but 250mg/day is an amount I would suggest if symptoms were severe. Has it helped you, are you still having adverse symptoms? If so then I suggest you continue on that amount until they've gone, and then reduce slowly. But no more than 15-30mg/day, staying on that amount for at least a week or so. If you want to use the Natpro, you'd have to use 7.5ml of cream to get 250mg progesterone. I hope this clears things up. Take care Wray
Sep 07, 2011
 Clarification, Hopefully!
by: CamperKat

I think the confusion here is because perhaps we got bogged down with doing arithmetic/conversions, when really all we need to clarify is how much progesterone Natpro and other creams contain. I think it's easiest to disregard how much is in an entire tube, and look at how much is in a "serving", which tends to be 1/4 teaspoon. If you look at the amount of progesterone in an entire tube (which you will not be using at one time anyway) and then try to figure it out how much is in each "serving", it seems like major confusion time. That's why no MD or pharmacy is going to ask you do arithmetic; they are going to tell you how much to take.

So let's forget conversion conversation for a minute and discuss how much cream is in what product.

Natpro has approx. 40mg of progesterone in each 1/4 teaspoon, and most other brands like Emerita's Progest, Dr. John Lee's Progest-All and Source Naturals have 20mg of progesterone per 1/4 teaspoon. Compounded pharmacy creams differ according to how the MD wrote the Rx, so I can't comment on those.

If you want to start using Natpro to get 100mg per day total, know that Natpro has 40mg per ¼ teaspoon and 20mg per 1/8 teaspoon. That?s pretty simple?.do ¼ in the AM, 1/8 mid-day and ¼ PM?or?again, it can be a bit confusing to say you can do what you want?but you really can?it took me months to understand I couldn?t hurt myself by fiddling with dosage?but if you only want two doses, use ¼ teaspoon in the AM, and then use ¾ teaspoon at night.

And going back to the "BID" Rx instruction--if your MD said to use progesterone cream at 100mg BID, that means twice per day--which means the Rx is instructing you to use 100mg at two different times during the day, for a total of 200mg per day.

Hope this helps.
Sep 08, 2011
 Clarification, Hopefully!
by: Wray

Hi CamperKat It is confusing, far more than need be! Take care Wray
Sep 09, 2011
 TY
by: Stacey

Thank you to both of you. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it!!

I wanted to reduce because I feel a bit groggy in the head and a bit too slowed while I'm on that much cream. But when I try to reduce I get anxious. I will do it the way you suggested of reducing by 1/8 tsp per week.
Oct 20, 2012
 confused about measuring
by: kathy

i am looking at the different conversions here so if i want to start at 100mg as per tsp then what do I use if I want to use 50mg 2x per day and evening of the Natpro to get this amount. this is very confusing..even a phamacist could not convert 100mg to tsp for me??? I would also like to use on my face ...could that cause any reactions..is it safe as my skin is sensitive.
Thanks to anyone that can help with the conversion. Tried online conversion and it is also difficult as most conversions don't allow for mg to tsp etc..:) reading the dosing chart on this site did not help as i do not understand metric system conversions .

Much appreciated!!
Oct 20, 2012
 confused about measuring
by: Wray

Hi Kathy But I told you how much you need in teaspoons, 3/5th!!! And I also told you 100mg/day is not going to be anywhere near enough. The chart doesn't give metric conversions, it tells you how much you need to use in tsp to get the required amount of progesterone. The third line down on the chart reads 99.90mg (i.e. 100mg), then it gives the ml needed in the next column, then the 3rd column it shows you need 0.6tsp. The last column gives the number of days the tube will last at that particular amount, in this case 20 days. I'm amazed the pharmacist couldn't work it out for you! 1 tube contains 2000mg progesterone, it's a 60g or ml tube, therefore 2000/60 will give 33.3mg progesterone per ml. There are 5 ml in a teaspoon, you need 100mg, or 3/5th of a teaspoon of cream. You can't convert mg to tsp, mg are a measure of weight and tsp a measure of volume. So if you insist on using 100mg/day progesterone you will need 3/5th of a tsp of cream. I'm concerned this will just make your symptoms worse, and suggested you used 300mg/day. You would need 9ml of cream or 1 and 4/5th tsp. Take care Wray
Nov 28, 2014
 Testimony
by: Terese

Hello All,

I am 51 years old. About 7 years ago I began experiencing burning tongue syndrome. At first I thought it was residual from a mild attack of Bells Palsy. I now believe it is from estrogen dominance. I was on the Pill for 17 years, yikes!

Two years ago I started experiencing dizziness and last May heart palpitations arrived. I have had a complete heart workup and thankfully my heart is in great health.

I started supplementing with natural progesterone cream about two years ago. I have gone back and forth between a natural estriol (estrogen) cream and progesterone. Like Wray states, estrogen works for a while but then it stops working and symptoms remain. Like many women, I was afraid to go beyond the dosage on the tube. When I use an 1/8 of a teaspoon, 10mg, the heart palpitations stop and some of the burning tongue goes away but the dizziness comes back. Today I decided that I would try an 1/8 of a teaspoon at a time to monitor how much helps me to feel optimum. So far, I am at 100mg, which if I am understanding the dosing here by the cream I use, that would be 1 1/2 teaspoons. So far, I am feeling well. Other benefits are the tinnitus in both ears is hardly noticeable and noise sensitivity is barely there.

I encourage you to stick with the progesterone cream, testing a measured amount at a time to find the level that is best for you.

Thanks Wray for such an awesome website!
Dec 01, 2014
 Testimony
by: Wray

Hi Terese Thanks for the kind words about the site! The cream you are currently using is not very strong, and must be costing you a bit. I don't normally push our cream, but you would only need 3ml to get 100mg of progesterone, not 1 1/2 tsp which is 7.5ml! Increasing the progesterone slowly as you are doing can often cause worse symptoms, I'm glad it doesn't seem to have affected you. I have info on both burning tongue and the palpitations, I hope it doesn't overwhelm you! No one seems to know the cause of burning tongue syndrome (BTS), see here. These are a few sites with info on it, see here, here and here. It does appear to be more common in women who are stressed. But as it affects more women than men, and it's more prevalent during the last three years of Peri-menopause and into Menopause, than during our earlier years, this makes me suspect oestrogen, it's an excitatory, inflammatory hormone. There are ample nerve fibres in the tongue containing substance P. This is a nociceptive neuropeptide, causing pain and nausea. No one seems to know why substance P is in the neurons, but one study concludes "These data suggest that substance P may play a role in taste and/or in oral pain", see here. Oestrogen appears to amplify it's signal, whereas progesterone decreases it, see here. But substance P suppresses progesterone, see here. Although progesterone does suppress substance P, but only if enough is used, see here. The paper says "Accumulating evidence indicates that the neuropeptide substance P is predominantly involved in neurogenic inflammation and pain perception...... Intriguingly, decreased pain sensitivity is found to be associated with high plasma progesterone levels. We hypothesize that progesterone may attenuate nociception and associated inflammatory response." Continued below
Dec 01, 2014
 Testimony Part 2
by: Wray

Hi Terese There is a higher incidence of dry mouth and eyes with BTS. In it's most severe form it's called Sjogren's syndrome, oestrogen is always high, see here. Mood changes, especially Anxiety and depression have been consistently found in people with BTS. This is again indicative of high oestrogen, low progesterone. Another interesting feature is a disturbance in taste. This could be due to zinc, as a lack of zinc reduces our ability to taste. And a lack of zinc has been found in people with BTS. Oestrogen suppresses zinc, and increases copper. Copper can cause severe depression and psychosis. Progesterone raises zinc and suppresses copper. Vitamin D is a potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic, magnesium is an analgesic too. Low magnesium will cause pain. Studies have discovered magnesium depletion allows substance P to increase, and subsequently inflammatory cytokines to increase too, see here and here. Magnesium is the most important co-factor for Vitamin D, an imbalance between the two causes pain. Please consider taking some if you're not, and having a test done. Continued below
Dec 01, 2014
 Testimony
by: Wray

Hi Terese Oestrogen causes prolongation of the QT interval, which results in palpitations, arrhythmia, Torsades de Pointes and sudden death. Whereas progesterone shortens the QT interval, see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here. These symptoms occur far more frequently in women who naturally have a long QT interval, rather than men who naturally have a short QT interval. Take care Wray

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