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Overbalanced on progesterone?

by Louise
(Canada)

Hello Wray, I've been taking about 200mg of progesterone cream for the last 1 1/2 months trying to get relief from my inability to fall asleep until 4 or 5 am and also from headaches that started about 1 year ago. It helps the sleep but the week or 2 before my almost non-existent period I have more trouble falling asleep so dab some on thoughout the night and that helps me relax and then fall asleep. Oh, I'm 52 by the way.

Since I've started the higher doses of progesterone cream, my breasts for the last 2 cycles have been really really sore about 2 weeks before my period, more so than usually in the past and my night sweats are worse than they were before. I'm wondering if I'm overblanced on the progesterone cream and taking too much? My Dr. put me on 25mgs of progesterone cream twice a day and that initially hepled for a little while. Also I was prescribed estriol 0.5mg and testosterone 0.25mg, 1 ml once a day for a week and twice weekly thereafter, do you think these are necessary, she said they would keep the vaginal and bladder tissues healthy and help my occasional incontinence. Thanks very much!

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Jun 16, 2010
 Overbalanced on progesterone?
by: Wray

Hi Louise I'm pleased it's helping with the sleep, but you are having a rough ride. I do so wish this didn't happen, but progesterone does have a stimulatory affect initially. I don't think you're overbalancing, I still use about 170mg/day (1tsp) and that's after 14 years of use. As soon as the breasts feel tender please rub some cream on them too, it does help. As for hot flushes and night sweats, the most awful things! But a really high dose... 400mg/day... for 4-5 days does get rid of them, and then women reduce slowly to the optimum. 50mg/day would not have done much as you found. I don't find either oestrogen or testosterone neccessary, in fact oestrogen is a mitogen, it stimulates cell to divide and multiply, hence it's danger in cancer. It's also an excitatory and inflammatory hormone, not what we need! You might like to read this web page HRT Research papers.

Testosterone is also given in the mistaken belief it will raise libido, but the jury is still out on that. In fact we have many men using progesterone to raise theirs, there is evidence it does from studies done. And incontinence, oestrogen makes it worse! Please see here, andhere. By implication a lack of progesterone would also make it worse. A lack of vitamin D also causes incontinence, please have a test done, so many of us are deficient, I am, and now busy trying to raise my level. It should be no less than 50ng/ml year round. Please see here. And for more info please see the web site for the Vitamin D Council. Finally please consider taking either inositol or tryptophan for sleep, they do help. The tryp has been found to help with hot flushes too. Take care Wray

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