Nor-QD or progesterone for pms without getting pregnant??

by Miranda
(Florida)

Hello,

I had a child at 19 years old, my hormones seemed to balance out for a couple of years but for the last 3 years and especially this last year my pms has been quite severe. I have extreme anxiety that comes before period and during ovulation and my doctors want to put me on meds for it. I have heart palpitations which come on strong after eating, and during my cycle, which causes more anxiety..its a cycle I am trying to break. I went to my Dr. and she prescribed me Nor-Qd a progestin only mini pill... since I do not want to get pregnant and she said this was the easiest way to balance and prevent pregnancy. After researching the pill, I called her and left a message that I would like to try the cream... I haven't heard back yet.. she really was pushing this pill on me... My concern is... what do I do to balance out my hormones but to prevent pregnancy.. is it safe to use this cream as a contraceptive or would that be unhealthy for my body?? I know you have said the Copper IUD is safe but really wanted to know if the cream could and should be used for this purpose. Thanks soo much and your suggestions as to how to get my life and sanity would be great.. as I am only 30 and the Dr. never tested my progesterone but did test my other hormones.. which showed anovulatory cycles sometimes and a vitamin d result of 33. Any help would be great!!!!!

Thanks

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Nor-QD or progesterone for pms without getting pregnant??

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Jan 22, 2012
 Nor-QD or progesterone for pms without getting pregnant??
by: Wray

Hi Miranda I think I have answered some of your concerns on another page, see here. The Anxiety is due to the ratio of progesterone to oestrogen becoming skewed during the few days before bleeding. And at ovulation, oestrogen peaks, but progesterone is very low. You might like to see a Chart we have, which will give you an idea of when the hormones rise and fall. Do you know what foods in particular cause the palpitations? And when you say you have palpitations during your cycle, when do they occur? Oestrogen can cause palpitations, arrhythmia and Torsades de Pointes, progesterone prevents this. The contraceptive you've been offered is a 19-nortestosterone derivative, so will have some androgenising properties, see here. (Scroll down to the second link on Google to see the full pdf article). Progesterone can be used as a contraceptive, starting 8 days before ovulation, see here. Scroll to near the bottom of the page. But as I said in my previous reply, if you go through a stressful patch, protection could be lost, as stress drops progesterone levels. It would be essential to use more in this case. 200mg/day is needed if using it as a contraceptive. It's typical not to check progesterone, but it gives only half the picture. We've found from Saliva Tests we run, that the ratio of P:E2 should be 600:1 and over to feel well. It definitely appears your progesterone is low, taking the pill will lower it further. I suggest you try progesterone, if for nothing else than to get your PMS under control. I recommend 100-200mg/day, more if symptoms are severe. We have more info on our page How to use progesterone cream. But before you start, please see our page on Oestrogen Dominance as this can occur. Take care Wray
Jan 26, 2012
 Thanks Wray
by: Miranda

Hi Wray,

Thanks for your reply, I notice I get the palpitations after I eat dinner especially...late in the evening. Possibly because its a large meal and I am usually sitting down afterwards?? It happens frequently and not with certain foods..assumed it had something to do with digestion or peak in blood sugar? Also the palps can occur at ovulation and at time of period. I was prescribed a beta blocker as needed but wasn't sure if the progesterone would help for this. My vitamin d was a 33.. dr didn't seem to be concerned just told me to take a supplement, how much is safe to take and is this number low? I am really considering taking the progesterone for a contraceptive, but how is this different from the pill..other than its natural and not synthetic.. but doesn't it stop u from producing your own progesterone if used this way because you are not ovulating? Any help would be great!!!

Thanks!
Jan 27, 2012
 Thanks Wray
by: Wray

Hi Miranda Blood sugar does play a role in palpitations, if it drops too fast adrenaline is pumped out to stop it going too low. Try to avoid all sugars and sweet, starchy foods, ie all grains, legumes, sweet or starchy fruits or veggies which fall into this category. It's best to eat protein and leafy veggies. People often wake during the night with palpitations after a meal high in carbs, some with panic attacks. Or what they think is an angina attack in the early morning. Progesterone also drops after a large meal, due to an increased metabolic rate. I wanted to confirm when the palps occurred, before giving you all the papers. Oestrogen causes prolongation of the QT interval, which results in palpitations, arrhythmia and Torsades de Pointes. Whereas progesterone shortens the QT interval, see here, here, here, here, here and here. It seems as if you could do with some! As I mentioned oestrogen peaks just before ovulation, which is why they occur then. Plus the drop in progesterone the few days before a period skews the ratio of the two hormones. You don't need a beta blocker, you need progesterone, the pattern is unmistakeable. I did answer your query on using progesterone as a contraceptive. My only concern is stress, as this drops levels and protection could drop. Vitamin D levels should be no lower than 50ng/ml, but I feel it's better to have it in the 70-100ng/ml range. I gave you the links to more info on the other page. The minimum dose should be 5000iu's per day. Take care Wray

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