Progesterone Therapy Causing Frequent Bleeding

by Kati
(USA)

I'm 29 and take 75 mg of progesterone each morning and each night, by bioidentical troche in my mouth. I started by taking it days 14-28 to prevent migraines. It helped, but was still getting migraines days 1-14, so now I'm taking it every day of the month. It is helping. But my last two cycles were only 21 days and then only 12 days.

Is this normal?

I don't want to take less progesterone because the migraines are debilitating. But is it unhealthy to bleed so often?

Will I keep getting frequent periods if I stay on the progesterone? Or will I level out and go back to a normal cycle?

Thanks for your help.

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Progesterone Therapy Causing Frequent Bleeding

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Apr 12, 2010

Progesterone Therapy Causing Frequent Bleeding
by: Wray

Hi Kati. Troches are a relatively new method of administering bio-identical hormones. The reasoning behind them is the hormone bypasses the stomach and first pass metabolism of the liver as it?s absorbed by the buccal mucosa, so entering circulation. However according to one report, more than 50%, occasionally up to 70%, of the total dose of hormone is swallowed. Once swallowed stomach acids and the liver will destroy up to 90% of the hormone. The best delivery systems are injections, vaginal suppositories or gels and transdermal creams. Absorption of progesterone via a transdermal cream has been found to be as effective as injections and to enter circulation rapidly. It has an advantage over all the other systems as it can be used where needed. On painful areas, in the vagina for dryness and inflammation, excellent for burns, migraines too. It's best to apply the cream under the ears, all over the neck and face too for migraines. For information on progesterone and migraines please see these...
Blackwell
NCBI

If a woman still has a regular cycle, progesterone should only be used from ovulation, for the last 12-14 days, when bleeding will occur. Please see here. If used beforehand it will upset the cycle, as you've found. When first using progesterone the cycle is also disrupted, but settles down within a month or two. if you do switch to a cream, use between 100-200mg/day. You're currently taking 150mg/day, but loosing much of it. Take care, Wray

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Apr 12, 2010
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Submitted by: Wray

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Hi Kati. Troches are a relatively new method of administering bio-identical hormones. The reasoning behind them is the hormone bypasses the stomach and first pass metabolism of the liver as it?s absorbed by the buccal mucosa, so entering circulation. However according to one report, more than 50%, occasionally up to 70%, of the total dose of hormone is swallowed. Once swallowed stomach acids and the liver will destroy up to 90% of the hormone. The best delivery systems are injections, vaginal suppositories or gels and transdermal creams. Absorption of progesterone via a transdermal cream has been found to be as effective as injections and to enter circulation rapidly. It has an advantage over all the other systems as it can be used where needed. On painful areas, in the vagina for dryness and inflammation, excellent for burns, migraines too. It's best to apply the cream under the ears, all over the neck and face too for migraines. For information on progesterone and migraines please see these... <a href="http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1526-4610.2007.00817.x" target="_blank">Blackwell</a> <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=17166400&dopt=Citation" target="_blank">NCBI</a> If a woman still has a regular cycle, progesterone should only be used from ovulation, for the last 12-14 days, when bleeding will occur. <a href="http://www.progesteronetherapy.com/how-to-use-progesterone-cream.html" target="_blank">Please see here.</a> If used beforehand it will upset the cycle, as you've found. When first using progesterone the cycle is also disrupted, but settles down within a month or two. if you do switch to a cream, use between 100-200mg/day. You're currently taking 150mg/day, but loosing much of it. Take care, Wray

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