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Natural progesterone cream helps

I realised that I was in perimenopause at 49 - a year ago - when I experienced irregular bleeding that went on for a long time. My period thereafter stayed away for 2 months. Then it returned as a very heavy period for 4 weeks.

When it finally stopped I started using progesterone cream twice a day on the inside of both thighs and both upper arms. After 2 months of using this my period returned again, still heavy but only 8 days in duration. Since I have started the cream, I have lost some weight too. I use the cream on a daily basis, because of my irregular cycle. I had a few hot flushes a few months ago but they have practically disappeared since using this cream. Has anyone had a similar experience?

Comments for Natural progesterone cream helps

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Aug 10, 2010
 Natural progesterone cream helps
by: Wray

Hi there I'm please the progesterone has helped you, it does help with peri-menopause symptoms, which often start 5-10 years before menopause. You're very lucky you lost weight, as most women experience weight gain when first using progesterone, which really puts them off! For an explanation on this please see our page on Oestrogen Dominance. Cycles in P-M do become erratic and there's no way of telling when they will come, for how long, how heavy or how light they will be. So it's best to use it daily, please see our web page on Peri-menopause. The skin comprises 95% kerotinocytes which have ample progesterone receptors, so the cream can be used anywhere, and not just on the thin skinned areas. It's wonderful for the face for instance, for a dry vagina too. If the hot flushes bother you again, please use 400mg/day progesterone for 4-5 days, this usually stops them or reduces them dramatically. I've generally found between 100-200mg/day is needed to stop symptoms, and it should be applied a minimum of twice a day. Although it's impossible to regulate a cycle with progesterone once in P-M, if you find you bleed for too long, or it's very heavy, please increase the progesterone to between 400-600mg/day, this stops it. But divide the amount into hourly applications. Take care Wray
Aug 16, 2010
 Progesterone cream side effects
by: fian

I used the natural progesterone cream a few months ago, it helped with the insomnia and headache, but there also came with the side effects of bloating and gas, tight throat and chest. I stopped using it afterwards, but 5 months have passed, and the side effects of tight throat still there (not as frequent and severe though). So, I figured that it must have something to do with the progesterone cream. I don't like the tight throat feeling, feels like there is something stuck on my throat and chest, not feeling ok when swallowing my spit, but feels relief when swallowing food. So, I give the P cream another try, hoping to make that side effect go away. This time, I used 1/2 the recommended dosage (which is 10ml) and the tight throat and chest feeling were even worse than before plus bloating and sore breast. I then lower the dose, and the side effects subsided, now only has tight throat and chest feeling. I've been using it for 10 days now, am reducing the dose to size like a raisin because I don't want to stop cold turkey. I expect my period will come in couple days, I think I will stop the cream today to see if side effects persist, since most of my symptoms are gone. The high dose you recommended is way too high for us to digest. We all had horrible side effects which are worse than the symptoms that we had before. My questions are: Can I stop using the cream right away? How long will the side effects go away once I stop using it? if I continue to use it a pea size per day, how long will it take to balance the hormones? Before I used the cream, I never had tight throat feeling (with lots of gas stuck in my chest, needed to burp every 10 minutes). How can I make it go away since I didn't have that to begin with? Anyone are welcome to give me comments. Please help.
Aug 19, 2010
 Progesterone cream side effects
by: Wray

Hi Fian The side affects are caused by oestrogen not progesterone, this often occurs when women first use progesterone. For more info please see our page on Oestrogen Dominance. Oestrogen does constrict, it also causes bloating and a tight chest and more. Progesterone is given in cases of chest constriction, ie asthma, please see here and here. You'll notice the 'hard to digest doses' I suggest are those given in the papers. 2 women received 100mg/day, and another received the equivalent of 170mg/day, which is within the range I suggest of 100-200mg/day. Reducing the dose as you did would have caused a worsening of symptoms, as the oestrogen was being ramped up by the progesterone. It's essential for progesterone to become the dominant hormone for it to help. If you had headaches and insomnia prior to using progesterone and it helped those, I don't believe your hormones were balanced. Progesterone is excellent for headaches and migraines, please see here, here and here. It also helps insomnia as it raise levels of serotonin, the precursor to melatonin our sleep hormone. You can stop the progesterone now, as you are down to such a small amount stopping will not give you any adverse effects. Did you try the high amount I suggested? I think you'll find it will help. Take care Wray
Aug 20, 2010
 Progesterone cream side effects
by: fian

Hi, thanks for your comment. Like I said, when I first started using the P cream, I didn't have the tight chest and throat feeling to begin with. This is not my symptom, this is a side effect of using the cream. How long will this side effect go away after I stop the cream? A few months? I read all the articles you attached, however, I don't think I can stand the side effects, I'd rather have the old symptoms of headache, heart palpitations. Is there a way I can flush the cream out of my body? The tight chest and throat feeling makes me very uncomfortable and high anxiety. If what you said is right, estrogen will wake up the progesterone receptor, should I go for estrogen therapy for a short while just to wake up the progesterone receptors in order to make the tight throat feeling go away or should I be patient and wait it out and let my body do its own job (plus go to bed early, eat healthy and exercise more)?
Aug 26, 2010
 Progesterone cream side effects
by: Wray

Hi Fian I do understand you didn't have the symptoms before starting the progesterone. It is caused by oestrogen dominance, in other words progesterone has stimulated the oestrogen you have. This makes oestrogen the dominant hormone hence the adverse symptoms. I can't tell how long it will take to go away, we're all so different. The reason your symptoms were bad was because you were not using enough progesterone, it has to become the dominant hormone before any symptom goes. Incidentally oestrogen causes heart palpitations, an indication you have too high a level. Oestrogen prolongs the QT interval which causes tachycardia and arrythmias, progesterone shortens it which stops them. I don't suggest using oestrogen, if you want convincing please see this web page on HRT. And this one on Contraceptives. If you don't want to use a high amount of progesterone, there is nothing else I can recommend besides waiting it out. Take care Wray
Apr 21, 2012
 birth control and cream
by: Anonymous

Hi... just wanted to let you know I've been using the cream at 165mg and then after a few weeks reduced to 120mg a day for the last 6 weeks. I am on ortho cyclen birth control pills. I've gained a good amount of weight in this time and am very upset so I've stopped the cream. I'm thinking that if I'm on the pills that the estrogen will never be able to go down(cause I'm taking the same dose everyday) therefore I'm constantly in estrogen dominance, and using the cream only makes it worse. Do you think this is true? I'm afraid to stop the pills, because the last time I did about 50% of my hair fell out (handfuls)and that was last year. It never stopped after 6 mons. so I went back on the pill. I'm thinking the progesterone cream would be good if I could ever get the nerve up to stop the pill, but I'm not ready to wear wigs again. I'm on the pill for endometriosis caused from a c-section I had. Doctors tell me to get a full hysterectomy so the endometriomas will stop growing. I've had a large one removed(abdominal wall) surgically in 2005 when I had my tubes tied. They thought i had a hernia, but they were wrong. Do you think in order to get rid of the endo I should have them remove the lesions again and then do the hysterectomy at same time...then after I can go on progesterone cream. The doctors say that if they leave the ovaries my body will still make the hormones that cause lesions to grow. I'm trying to decide what would be best. Do you think I would have hairloss after i have the hysterectomy? Also, if I decide to go ahead with the hyst. can I start the cream before the surgery? How much would you recommend taking at that time? Also, to be clear..did you say no to the vivelle dot? I think you have said before just the cream was needed. Sorry so many questions. It's just I don't know what I should do. I'm 42 by the way. Thank you for your help.
Apr 21, 2012
 birth control and cream
by: Wray

Hi there There is a reason why your hair falls out after stopping the pill, it's explained on our Contraceptives page. You are right, the progesterone will have an uphill battle while you stay on the pill. It is possible to reduce them slowly, we have info on our page Coming off HRT, the Pill etc. Endometriosis is normally caused by oxidative stress, large amounts of antioxidants are needed to reduce it. Plus excess oestrogen in any form, causes the cells to grow, and inflames them. Removing the ovaries will stop ovarian oestrogen production, but it will also stop ovarian progesterone production. The pill can stop it too, so you have very little progesterone at present. Our fat cells make oestrogen, so removing the ovaries will not remove all oestrogen. Progesterone is an anti-inflammatory hormone, opposing oestrogen's inflammatory affect. I would never advise a hyst, please see Dr West’s site for more info. I have found 500mg/day is needed to reverse endo, particularly if pain is felt. I don't believe any woman needs HRT in any form. You are now in the beginning stages of Peri-menopause, this page gives info on how to use the progesterone should you try it again. Take care Wray

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