Menu

Insomnia and Hair Loss

Hi, firstly thanks to everyone, especially Wray, for the abundance of information on this website. It is (literally) a life saver. I was in a dark place before discovering natural progesterone cream and this website.
I have been using natural progesterone cream (started with another brand, but using Natpro when available) for about a month now. It has dramatically improved my chronic insomnia and completely cured my excessive hair loss (I have lost 50% of my hair) plus a few other things, which I am now sure was caused by my doctor (who I trusted emphatically) putting me back on the birth control pill at age 48 for more than 4 years, which resulted in estrogen dominance.
However, I have just read an excerpt from Hopkins Health Watch which states "if you use too much progesterone day after day you’ll start shutting down your progesterone receptors and won’t be able to sleep again". How much is too much? This has sent me into a state of stress again, after being so calm for a while now (the calmness is a new and wonderful feeling for me and I thank natural progesterone cream for that). Does anybody have any information on this? I really shudder to think of being in a situation where I absolutely cannot sleep again. I'd appreciate any input. Many thanks.

Comments for Insomnia and Hair Loss

Click here to add your own comments

Apr 01, 2016
 To much .
by: Muphie

You can't over dose on Progesterone as I am sure someone will let you know. Been using it for 4 years high doses and reduced. Your body just rids of any extra not needed.
Don't worry . Hope this helps.
Apr 01, 2016
 Insomnia and Hair Loss
by: RJ

Hello!
At our age, I am 50, we no longer have progesterone receptors, it's something every woman is meant to encounter, hence all the trouble millions of us and men too, suffer from when we have too much estrogen. God meant for it to happen, what He didn't mean to happen to us was to ingest, breath and apply all these chemicals which create ED. If we would have followed what He intended for our bodies, I don't believe any of us would suffer as terribly as we all do. I have been using progesterone for over four years, non-stop, 300-1,000mg a day and sleep has not been an issue for me. What does happen to us is the estrogen in our bodies increase, for so many reasons, and because our bodies have shut down producing progesterone, all these troubles, insomnia, come rearing their ugly heads at us and we keep thinking well I am on progesterone why is this happening. That's because we aren't taking enough progesterone to counterbalance the increase in estrogen. So, I have to disagree with the study it's not that they are shutting down, it's the fact we have far too much estrogen in our bodies and those receptors are hollering for more progesterone. Don't be thrown off by that report. Wray has helped hundreds of women for years and 90% of us all have the same identical symptoms. If your insomnia comes back increase the dosage and try taking a teaspoon of himalayain salt with some warm water before bed. Try some castor oil on your scalp for hair loss. God Bless! RJ
Apr 04, 2016
 Progesterone receptors
by: Karin

Hello Muphie and RJ, thank you so much for your valuable comments, opinions and suggestions! I really appreciate it and will try the salt water and castor oil that has been suggested, although sleep and hair loss is still hugely improved but am hoping that the castor oil will help the hair regrow. I am amazed that all I needed was this wonderful cream. I am definitely no longer stressing about progesterone receptors shutting down and never being able to sleep again! I am so grateful for this website. Without it I would be in a really bad way. It is so difficult to find properly researched information on the internet. Thank you again, Karin
Apr 05, 2016
 Hair loss
by: Muphie

I know that Wray recommended Biotin tablets for hair loss too. And I also take Magnesium Glycinate tablets which should help your sleep.
Warn regards your not alone.
Apr 06, 2016
 Insomnia and Hair Loss
by: Karin

Thanks Muphie. I appreciate all your help. I am already taking Biotin and Inositol. I was considering adding N-Acetyl-Cysteine but decided not to when I saw that it could interfere with sleep. I am so sensitive to anything that may hype me up. I will definitely try the Magnesium Glycinate though. I am on a Magnesium supplement which contains various forms of Magnesium, but the Glycinate version sounds better. Many thanks!
Aug 12, 2016
 Any updates on progesterone use?
by: Lora

I've read all the post with great interest and have some questions. How effective has estrogen been for you for sleep issues?

I started on 100 mg and went to 200 with a low dose estrogen patch. It just stopped working or I have too many competing issues going on??( I started a low carb diet and am hypothyroid and have just read that low carb can increase cortisol in thyroid patients)

I have gone two weeks with constant insomnia and feel so down and out. I just want some sleep went to gyn and she gave me Zoloft for possible pms issues ( I'm two weeks before possible period) I got severe diarrhea and a headache and I stopped taking anymore.

I'm trying tryptophan and high dose of melatonin tonight, but wondering if I can get some input on what's going on and any advice on supplements I could take for sleep. I'm way past sleepy time tea. I do take oral magnesium and have recently just upped the dose.

Thanks for any help😊
Lora
Aug 15, 2016
 Insomnia
by: Karin

Hi Lora, I'm so sorry you have sleep problems. I have the utmost sympathy for insomniacs. It is awful. Unfortunately I don't know anything about thyroid problems, so can't help with that. I see that you take some estrogen. I'm no expert. Maybe you need it. But if you feel your sleep has gotten worse since starting the estrogen, I would say stop it immediately. Estrogen dominance made by long-existing insomnia much, much worse. Sleep, or even getting drowsy, was impossible. Coming off the pill and using natural progesterone cream has helped enormously. I use quite a lot of the cream, 150mg morning and night. I also take 2 x 200mg magnesium glycinate every night. I did notice a further sleep improvement with that. Then about 2 months ago I started using a collagen supplement (in an attempt to wipe away the years of insomnia from my face), but I noticed after 3 nights of using the collagen supplement that my sleep improved even more. When I looked at the ingredients, I saw that it contains glycine and proline (plus Vit B complex and magnesium). Upon further research, I read with interest that glycine, an amino acid, is great for anxiety and sleep problems. I take the collagen in the morning. The container says take at night. I tried that but I did not get the same good effect. I suspect that I am sensitive to Vit B complex. It hypes me up. But if I take the collagen in the morning, it helps, also during the day to control stress/anxiety. Another thing I use is a product called Benesom (made by Metagenics). It also contains melatonin, but is pricey. I'm not sure if it really helps but I don't want to change anything at the moment. I'm glad to hear you have stopped the Zoloft. I tried so many anti-depressants and sleeping tablets/tranquilizers, but they did not help. In fact I know they made things worse. I would recommend not going that route. Doctors are so quick to hand them out for just about any ailment. For me, the worst of the bunch was Ambien (Zopiclone) and even worse, Alprazolam (Xanax). So all in all I spend quite a lot of money on sleep, but it is worth forgoing other luxuries to get some decent sleep for the first time in about 10 years. Regarding my diet, I try to eat a very balanced diet. I don't eliminate any food groups, except I have switched to gluten-free pasta and bread. I also try to avoid foods with phytoestrogens, such as flax seeds, soy etc. I tried to eat flax seeds again recently and was amazed to see that my hair loss started again, so now I avoid phytoestrogens completely. I hope that helps. Good luck, Karin
Feb 04, 2018
 Estrogen, progesterone/insomnia
by: Anonymous

I find Karins's story interesting. I am postmenopausal and suffered from severe insomnia for several years. I tried the estradiol patch plus various amounts and types of progesterone. Generic P, which is what is in creams, even in very low doses, made my insomnia worse and Prometrium, even 25mg, made me extremely drowsy during the day.

Finally stopped E after E dominance started causing hair loss and now just take 20-25 mg Prometrium before bed (which I get by pin pricking the capsule). I am now able to sleep without next day drowsiness. If I do start to experience drowsiness, I stop the P for a night or two.

Good luck to all who experience insomnia or hair loss. Both are very unpleasant.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Benefits of progesterone.

Share this page:
Find this page helpful? Please tell others. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Search over 8,400 pages on this site...