Progesterone cream help with Depo Provera withdrawal symptoms?

by Brandy
(USA)

Please help as I cannot find ANY positive info anywhere. I'm on depo provera and must come off. I like it, it has completely alleviated periods, the pain associated with them and my pms and mood swings.

I had endo and a round of lupron after a lap. Then I had my son and have been on depo since he was 6 weeks old (now 2). I'm due for a shot in 3 weeks and not getting it. I can no longer tolerate the weight gain. I tried to get off the depo last year and for 3 months I suffered hideous side effects. Mood swings, unbearable joint/bone pain that left me sedentary, weight gain (even more if you can believe that) constant bleeding, anxiety... it was awful. Do I need to start using a progesterone cream now to help? I'm so terrified of these side effects but I have to find a way to cope because I MUST get off the depo. Please help.

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Progesterone cream help with Depo Provera withdrawal symptoms?

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Jan 13, 2011
 Progesterone cream help with Depo Provera withdrawal symptoms?
by: Wray

Hi Brandy I'm relieved you want to come off the depo, please see our page on Contraceptives. Yes you do need to start the progesterone now, this should lessen, if not eliminate the adverse side effects you get. We do have a page on Endometriosis, please read through it. As you probably know, endo is caused in part by excess oestrogen, hence the lupron you were given. Stress exacerbates it too. But many now believe the route cause is oxidative stress. This is a result of too many free radicals damaging cells and causing inflammation. It's essential to use anti-inflammatory antioxidants. We do have a page on Inflammation too, please read through that, as it gives info on the antioxidants to take. I normally recommend 100-200mg/day progesterone dependant on symptoms, yours seem severe. So I suggest you use no less than 200mg/day, if not more. For instance I've found endo itself needs 500mg/day to prevent the pain. Heavy continual bleeding needs between 400-600mg/day. Before you start using it, please read our page on Oestrogen Dominance. This can occur, but it's dependant on the amount of excess oestrogen present. If high it occurs far more frequently than if low. We do have a page on How to use progesterone cream. Between this and the endo page you should get some idea of how much to use and how often. I have some women using it hourly for very severe symptoms, and many using it daily too. There's no harm in this, it's more important to get rid of symptoms, than to worry about following a cycle. It's easy enough to do this once symptoms have eased. Finally please get a vitamin D test done, for more info on this see the Vitamin D council website. Most of us have far too low a level, it's the most important nutrient there is. Americans spend about 90% of life indoors, getting insufficient sun to make vitamin D. It's a powerful anti-inflammatory and a lack is always found in endo. Take care Wray

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