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Kate Smith

Dear Wray I found this article and another by Dr.Mercola could you please explain to me what you think about its useage as vaginally as opposed to dermal? Can we use the Natpro vaginally safely? Also could you tell me if I am to take 1/2 tsp for three months then follow the next cycle what amount to I take then? Many thanks, Kate Smith

The key mistake that many well intentioned knowledgeable doctors, including myself made is to advise to use the cream on your skin. While this certainly provides better results than swallowing the hormones, it can still be improved.

There is a relatively minor tweak you can make with the creams which avoids nearly all of the side effects of applying the cream on your skin.

If you apply the cream to your mucous epithelial membranes that line your uterus and vagina you obtain a virtually ideal administration system. Not only is absorption through these membranes more complete than through your skin, but hormones absorbed through your vaginal membranes enter the very same pelvic plexus of veins that your ovaries normally empty into.

From here the hormones are carried to your heart and lungs and distributed to your tissues just as if your ovary had actually produced them.

Men also require hormones and I myself take DHEA. Obviously men don't have a vagina to use but we do have a rectum that has a similar mucosal epithelial surface and can be used to administer the hormones in a near ideal fashion without any of the complications previously described.

Timing and Dose of Progesterone Cream

For most premenopausal women the usual dose is 15-24 mg/day for 14 days before expected menses, stopping the day or so before menses. So you would use the cream for twelve days and then stop. Typically this would mean you would start on day 12 of your cycle and stop on day 26.

The abrupt lowering of your progesterone level is the primary stimulus for your period to start. Hopefully when it starts any PMS and painful periods will be dramatically reduced.

When a women is in menopause she may only need 15 mg but taken for the first 25 days of the month, then take 5 or 6 days off and restart on the first of the month.

For most women a single daily application will work. However, because the half-life is relatively short, some women find that they get a more satisfactory response by splitting the daily dose in two, half in the morning and half in the evening. If you are only taking the hormones in the morning and begin to feel symptoms later in the day, splitting the dose in two should solve this problem.

Comments for Kate Smith

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Aug 06, 2012
 Kate Smith
by: RJ

I normally do not reply to other comments, but just wanted to say that I have tried it vaginally and once it warmed up it came out almost as fast as I put it in....I used an applicator I had from a Monistat application. My worry was it is too precious to me to waste. Putting it on my skin I know for a fact it's going in and not being wasted. Using it vaginally, I felt like I wasted the whole application as it drained out onto my pad. In fact, I got out of bed and put another application on my skin. If you have ever used paint thinner or mineral spirits without gloves, you find out real quick how absorbent you skin is and how quickly something travels throughout your body via the skin. God Bless!
Aug 16, 2012
 Kate Smith
by: Wray

Hi Kate Sorry about the late reply, I went to an area with no internet access, so my computer was useless! I'm often given this article by Dr Mercola, and yes progesterone is absorbed well in the vagina. It's absorbed well anywhere on the body, we run Saliva Tests periodically, you'll notice how the progesterone level shoots up after only a month of use. I recommend using it in the vagina if experiencing dryness or inflammation, but see no reason to use it there exclusively. I use some there every night before bed to prevent any occurring. Although RJ says it leaks out when she uses it there, you might find it does not. You might like to see our page on Progesterone Misconceptions. I go into all the odd ideas people have about progesterone. 1/2 tsp will only give you about 80mg/day progesterone, I don't believe this is sufficient for most of us, and recommend 100-200mg/day. Or 3-6ml per day of cream. When you say "if I am to take 1/2 tsp for three months then follow the next cycle", I assume you mean use it daily for 3 months, through any bleeding? I do recommend this if symptoms are bad, or if the cycle is irregular, to suppress any excess oestrogen. The amount is entirely dependant on symptoms, so you might find the 80mg/day enough for you. You'll have to play around with the amount to find one which suits you. I still use about 170mg/day. You might like to look through our page on How to use progesterone cream. RJ has gone up to 400mg/day to stop the symptoms she has, although she's still struggling. It's not a quick fix, and I appreciate her input here. Take care Wray
Aug 10, 2017
 Progesterone Cream
by: Anonymous

Kate,

I would suggest following the advice of Dr. Mercola. His information on this subject came from the leading physician, Dr Jonathan Wright, who along with the late Dr. John Lee, are the pioneers in introducing bio-identical hormone replacement therapy in the U.S.

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