Progesterone 1.6% or 3.2% ?

by Robyn
(Australia)

Hi Wray, I have been advised by my Dr to take 1ml of 1.6% progesterone daily. From what I have been reading this amount seems to be rather low.

I was taking 1ml of 3.2% daily until I was told this was too much for my age 59. I had my vit d checked and this was below average so am now taking 1000iu daily .

Not sure what the quantity of progesterone I should be taking. I have to get this sorted before I let her treat my Hashimotos. Not at all confident. Still thinking of my options. Thanks.

Comments for
Progesterone 1.6% or 3.2% ?

Click here to add your own comments

Jul 20, 2010
 Progesterone 1.6% or 3.2% ?
by: Wray

Hi Robyn 1ml of a 1.6% cream will only give you 16mg progesterone! What is he thinking? Even the 1ml of a 3.2% cream is too little, as that only gives you 32mg progesterone. Progesterone has nothing to do with 'dose' but all to do with symptoms and on how much oestrogen is present. Are the symptoms bad or not. They will be if the ratio of progesterone to oestrogen is out. I've found if the ratio is anything from 300:1 we start to feel better. But find it's even better if the ratio is 600:1 or over. For instance when I first had mine tested my ratio was 0.005:1 and I felt awful. I'm sure it's more like 1000:1 now! Incidentally women suffer far more than men from 'autoimmune' diseases, in some instances it rises to more than 80% of sufferers being women. Makes you wonder if it's not all to do with hormones, and nothing to do with the body attacking itself. I would recommend no less than 100-200mg/day progesterone, this is low in all inflammatory diseases, whereas oestrogen is always high. Moreover oestrogen stimulates the production of MMP's, these enzymes break down tissue. Needed by the body, but in excess they cause inflammation and tissue destruction. Sounds like an 'autoimmune' disease! Living in Australia you have probably been using sunscreen or avoiding the sun, but it's vital. Without it we make no vitamin D, a lack of vitamin D leads to inflammation, it's low in all autoimmune diseases. It also leads to high parathyroid hormone levels, this slows the thyroid down. Finally a lack of vitamin D reduces the benefits of progesterone. So to my mind the most important issue is to get your level up. You are not taking enough. It should be a minimum of 5000iu's per day, 10,000iu's if lower than the ranges I've given below. You don't say what your level was, but the lab/doctor is probably working on very old reference ranges. The level should be a minimum of 50ng/ml or 125nmol/L year round, but better if it's 80-100ng/ml or 200-250nmol/L. For more info on this please see the Vitamin D Council website. Take care Wray
Jul 23, 2010
 1.6% 3.2%
by: robyn

Hi Wray, Thank you soooooooooo very much for all the advice on the recommended dose of Progesterone required. If I had continued with the 1ml daily of the 1.6% and the 3.2% which was prescribed for me I'm sure I would never have improved. I have been to numerous Drs and to date none of them have had the slightest clue on dosing with natural Progesterone, which is a huge concern, not only for me but all women.

My vit D results were 34nmol/L to which I was told to take Vit D. Never a mention on how much I should be taking, so once again thank you for advice on the recommended dose and the links to view this information.

Thank you once again for all your help. It is truly appreciated.
Jul 26, 2010
 1.6% 3.2%
by: Wray

Hi Robyn Glad it was of help! Yes if you had continued on those amounts you would have got nowhere. The same with the vitamin D, the level has to be much higher than we've been told in the past to have any effect too. As it is so low, I suggest taking 10,000iu's per day for a month to get it up, and then reduce to the 5000iu's. But it's best to have a test done to see where you've got to, you might need the 10,000iu's for longer. I will be fascinated to hear if your Hashi's clears! Take care Wray
Dec 17, 2010
 Progesterone Amount
by: Anonymous

Hi Wray Sorry to keep asking the same old questions but i just can't grasp the dose. I was taking 1.6% & 3.2% cream and you did explain to me how much I was getting by taking 1ml of each and that was great I knew exactly how much I was taking but now i have changed Drs and have been prescribed 1g (which i think is equivelent to 1m?). The amount on the container is 25/250mg/g 100g I am to use 1g per day. I need to know how much progesterone I'm taking. Never was very good at maths.

Thank you so much for all your wonderful advice and hopefully I won't have to ask this question again. Hope you can make sense of all this.
Jan 02, 2011
 Progesterone Amount
by: Wray

Hi Robyn I must confess to being thoroughly confused by the amount you've given me! Is it 25mg/g or 250mg/g and the 100g, is that for the amount of cream in the container? If it's 25mg/g then that's the amount you will be getting, about 1/4 to an 1/8th less than I suggest. If it's 250mg/g, that's impossible to make. It means a quarter of the container is progesterone, or a 25% strength cream. It would not dissolve! Or if it's 250mg/100g cream that brings us to 2.5mg/g of cream, which is very low. 1ml of water weighs 1g, the SG of cream is slightly lower, roughly 0.9, but it's near as dammit. So I think of 1ml of cream as being 1g. Please consider using more progesterone, it will merely take much longer to get your symptoms over and done with. Or worse, you'll stay in oestrogen dominance. Maybe you could clarify the amount, or you could ask whoever you got it from for the strength, then I can work out how much is in 1g. Take care Wray
Jan 10, 2011
 Will Natpro work for me
by: Linda

Hi Wray,
I was perscribed by my doctor Progesterone capsules or cream 10% (100mg 1gm) or 100mg bid?? (Hard to read her written perscription)

Will the Natpro work for me & how much would I have to take?
Jan 15, 2011
 Will Natpro work for me
by: Wray

Hi Linda I would avoid the oral progesterone, it's not the best Delivery system. A 10% cream is high strength, the Natpro would work for you, but it's not as strong, being 3.3%. It depends so much on your symptoms, are they very severe? This might be the reason she's giving you a 10% cream. Or maybe she prefers a high strength cream. I'm not sure how much she's advised you to use, so I can't tell you how much Natpro to use! But I do recommend 100-200mg/day progesterone, which is 3-6ml Natpro, or 1-2ml of the 10% cream. You could try both and let me know which is better! But before you start either cream, please read our page on How to use progesterone cream. Or if you are in Peri-menopause please read this page for more advice, as it's a difficult time for many women. Finally if you are in Menopause please read this page. The most important page to read though is the one on Oestrogen Dominance. This can occur when starting progesterone, and if she hasn't explained it to you, this page should help. Take care Wray
Feb 11, 2011
 25% progesterone
by: Robyn

Hello again, Sorry for any confusion in regards to quantities. I have had another look on the container and it is definately 250mg/g and contains 100g. The cream is very gritty and does not rub in like the 3.2 cream so it would appear I am getting 250mg by using 1g daily. This must be a 25% progesterone cream? ( Is that correct?) It is compounded progesterone cream.

Would the 25 % cream be as good as using the 3.2% I would imagine the 25% would be a more economical way of using. Would you suggest a 3.2% ,10% or the 25% cream i am using at the moment ?

Thank you once again for all your help.
Feb 25, 2011
 25% progesterone
by: Wray

Hi Robyn It doesn't surprise me if it's gritty, if it really contains 250mg/g! That means a quarter of the container is progesterone. It won't dissolve at that strength, which means you won't be getting the full amount through your skin. The 'grit' which is of course progesterone, will fall off. We've tried various strengths, and find even the 10% difficult to dissolve satisfactorily, although it can be done. So you are right, it is a 25% strength cream. So I don't think it's an option, as you will be wasting most of it. If you can find a 10% try it, make sure it's not gritty too! Otherwise it's the 3.2% option. Take care Wray

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 Progesterone faq

Return to Home Page

Search over 3,000 pages on this site...

Do you have a progesterone deficiency?

This free questionnaire will tell you in 10 minutes

Just enter your email address and click the button...

Why do I ask for your email address? Simply so I can stay in touch. Your details will not be revealed to anyone


Do you have a question or concern?

See what's being discussed, ask for help, give your thoughts or experiences, or just browse...

See the FAQ pages...


Natural Progesterone Cream

Discover the facts...


Health care practitioners and therapists

Here's an
Associate Program
that may be a good fit for your practice


Your language

Translate this website into your language