How to use the progesterone cream

by Cathy
(Australia)

Hi Wray, I saw a question from one of your readers asking about the latest Dr Mercola information advising people to use progesterone cream in the vagina to stop the build up in fat cells.

I was wondering if you had any more details on this. Excuse the following personal question but I'm sure others would like to know too. If you have a cream and not pills do you try and get the cream right into the vagina somehow or just rub it inside the vaginal lips?? I'm not exactly sure how to administer the cream based on what he said.

Any info would be great. Thanks.

Comments for
How to use the progesterone cream

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May 09, 2011
 How to Use in Vagina
by: Anonymous

Yes I would like to know also, have read recommendations to apply vaginally but with no instruction.

May 09, 2011
 application
by: Anonymous

I also would like a clear answer for this as this could be revolutionary. Wouldn't the vagina area become saturated by the progesterone just as other parts of the body do?
May 10, 2011
 How to use progesterone (reply)
by: Gina

I found this info on another page in this site:

Progesterone application methods.
May 11, 2011
 How to use the progesterone cream
by: Wray

Hi Cathy Dr Mercola does advocate using it in the vagina in preference to the skin. But in the 15 years I've used it, and advised on it's use, I've not found this a problem, either in myself or others. In fact if I do go through extra stress I cover myself with the cream, including in the vagina. In fact I put some there every night. I do this for a couple of days till I feel 'topped' up. I find the symptom which comes back most readily is labile emotions. Last year I had a great deal of stress, nothing serious, just more of the usual daily stressors, plus working long hours. I used 2tsp per day, which gave me 330mg/day progesterone. I did this for 2 weeks, and during that time I suffered bad oestrogen dominance. I ached in every muscle, joints too, I felt so old! Plus I was not pleasant to be around. My nails had become very weak too, splitting and flaking off. Well at the end of the 2 weeks, I had my strong nails back again, and not an ache left. I normally use about 170mg/day progesterone (1tsp cream), so I think I can safely say my receptors are working fine still! I would not have had the Oestrogen Dominance if they had been turned off by too much progesterone. Or it had saturated the cells. See these papers here and here. Applying the cream in the vagina can be done using a finger or putting the cream in a syringe. Take care Wray
May 11, 2011
 what to do????
by: Anonymous

Hello Wray, I find that I'm having spotting three weeks out of the month when I apply internally, I feel cramps and have dried blood and blood. My dr says that the progesterone is building up and that is causing the bleeding...?? I still feel cruddy and I don't know what to do. I'm. Taking my supplements and I'm under heavy stress. I have adrenal exhaustion as well! My hair seems to be coming out again as well!!!!. I get my results for my test again today. I will see what they are.

Thank you for your helpful site! !!!!;).
May 16, 2011
 what to do????
by: Wray

Hi there I'm not sure how much progesterone you're using, but if you're having spotting for 3 weeks out of every month, it appears far too little. I recommend 100-200mg/day, dependant on symptoms. Progesterone doesn't cause bleeding, in fact it stops it! MMP's cause bleeding, these are enzymes that break down protein. They play a role in the breakdown of endometrial tissues at the end of the menstrual cycle. Oestrogen stimulates MMPs. Progesterone suppresses MMPs. It?s only when progesterone levels drop at the end of the cycle that the MMP?s can get to work, and break down the lining causing our monthly bleed. If there is sufficient oestrogen in the body it will stimulate more lining, and so the cycle goes, see here and here. But if progesterone is low due to anovulation, spotting and/or bleeding can continue. Please consider increasing the amount of progesterone you are using, for more info see How to use progesterone cream. But before you do please see our page on Oestrogen Dominance. It's really not essential to use progesterone in your vagina, it's an option. It's certainly good for dryness and inflammation if that's a problem. I've found supplemental progesterone excellent for adrenal stress. The adrenals first make progesterone which they then convert into cortisol. If they are under stress they'll rob other sources, notably the ovaries. This then effects the reproductive cycle, in fact stress causes anovulation, which of course means no progesterone is made. A vicious cycle. Progesterone does help hair, but so do many nutrients. I'm running out of space so will start a new comment below. Take care Wray
May 23, 2011
 Vaginal use
by: Wray

Hi there I've had a rash of queries asking about vaginal use, it seems to be the in place to use it. And yet Dr Dalton was prescribing progesterone pessaries to her patients 60 years ago, so there's nothing new about it at all. The rectum is another place it can be applied, suppositories are normally given for this. Although there is no difference in composition between a pessary and a suppository, only the name varies. The cream can be applied in the vagina with either with a finger or syringe, there are also fizzy vaginal tablets too. I can't say I relish the thought of those! We do have a page on Delivery systems which gives all the options. Take care Wray
May 23, 2011
 Fatty tissue
by: Wray

Hi there The vagina has no fatty tissue, as does the skin. So the reasoning goes there can't be a build up there. But as progesterone is so beneficial if applied directly to the skin, it seems a waste not to use it there. I've found that it's effect is far quicker too, then waiting for it to circulate. For instance for aches and pains, it's the best thing for burns, it soothes immediately, excellent for piles if applied directly to them, minor cuts and bruises, leg ulcers and more. It's excellent for the face too, see here. Take care Wray
May 23, 2011
 Part 2 to 16 May post
by: Wray

Hi there Please consider taking 5000iu's/day vitamin D, 2000mg/day N-actyl cysteine, 2000mg/day inositol, 2-3mg biotin and 100mg thiamine (B1). Please check your iron levels, and there is some evidence the amino acid lysine is beneficial too, see here. Vitamin D is vital for the anagen phase of hair growth, see here, here and here. Please consider having a test done, for more info see the Vitamin D council and GrassrootsHealth websites. Thanks for the kind words! Take care Wray
Oct 04, 2011
 Insomnia
by: Sandra

I read Dr Mercolas article about applying progesterone cream in the vagina. I am interested because I know I have low progesterone from a saliva test. I also have insomnia. I fall asleep easy but wake up after 4-5 hrs and cannot go back to sleep. When I take progesterone cream applied to the skin it wires me and I cannot fall asleep as I usually do, and I have a much worse night of sleep, which is normally not good anyway. It doesn't matter if I apply it morning or night. I get that wired effect. I first applied the cream transdermally about 8yrs ago and it worked nicely for several months (I lost weight and I slept better), but after that I noticed it affected my sleep and I was gaining weight. I was hoping applying the progesterone cream in the vagina, it would take a different route and work better.

Wray, any comments from you about why the progesterone cream causes me to feel wired would be appreciated. It seems it causes my cortisol to rise. Thanks.
Oct 06, 2011
 Insomnia
by: Wray

Hi Sandra The vagina is a good place to apply progesterone, particularly for dryness or inflammation. It's also helpful for Candida. But it matters not where you put it, on the skin, in the vagina, nose, ears, it travels rapidly around the body, carried on red blood cells. The vagina has an ample supply of blood vessels, so it enters the circulation very quickly. The wired feeling was an Oestrogen Dominance symptom, you were evidently using too little progesterone. Perhaps the 20-40mg/day most people recommend? I suggest using 100-200mg/day, more if symptoms are severe. We do have further info on our page How to use progesterone cream. Progesterone is excellent for sleep, see here. It's essential to make progesterone the dominant hormone, it's only possible to do this by using high amounts. So if you should consider using it again, please make sure you use sufficient. I prefer the cream, but there are other Delivery systems you might like to look at. If enough progesterone is used it suppresses cortisol, which incidentally is made from progesterone within the adrenals. Stress causes cortisol to rise, stress also drops progesterone levels, simply because it's being converted to cortisol. So given sufficient supplemental progesterone, the stress effect is lessened and cortisol drops. In fact progesterone is an excellent anxiolytic, see here, here and here. Take care Wray

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