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Progesterone is helping! But still have insomnia.....

by Becki DiRubio
(Morgan Hill, CA U.S.A.)

Wray,
Thank you again for your advice and concern. I wrote twice under the title of "Confused". Things are better! Last cycle my period was so much easier, not as much cramping, less emotional and didn't completely stay awake around that time. One thing that hasn't gotten better is my insomnia. Can't figure it out. Usually fall asleep for 2 hours then wake up 4-8 times the rest of the night. Sometimes can't get back to sleep at all. It's a very restless sleep if I do. Would give anything to sleep through the night. But I have had problems with insomnia since I can remember, so don't know if it's hormonal or not. I'm taking the micronized capsules of 200 mg of SR progesterone dissolved in cream like you suggested. When I can I will purchase Nat-pro, but my husband is still on Workman's comp disability and I have had these pills for awhile. I use 20-30 mg of Pro-gest cream during the day
just to boost it up a little bit. Everything is better but the sleep. Can you suggest anything? In Pro-gest there is 20 mg per 1/4 tsp. How many mg are there in 1/4 of Nat-pro. I worry about being able to afford it. Thank you again for all your help, you are truly a wonderful lady!

Becki

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Oct 15, 2012
 Progesterone is helping! But still have insomnia.....
by: Wray

Hi Becki I'm so happy the progesterone is helping you. Another woman who was taking the oral caps did as I suggest, i.e. adding it to a cream, and has found it has dramatically helped her problems. Don't forget to rub the cream on your tummy for the cramps, it can help. Insomnia can be caused by so many things, it can be hormonal, but a lack of salt too. The adrenals need sodium, and if someone crashes late afternoon, early evening, then becomes wide awake at 10 or 11pm, 1/2tsp in water before bed can help them tremendously. Unstable blood glucose too, if it drops during the night, it can wake us, the amino acid glutamine is good for this, as it keeps the glucose from dropping. It could be your dopamine is too low, as this disturbs sleep, in which case the amino tyrosine is good for this. Tyrosine is the precursor to dopamine, low tyrosine causes our thoughts to be all over the place, or buzzing too much, so it prevents sleep, or wakes us up buzzing! In fact one study says..."In insomnia, which is a very common sleep disorder, objective sleep measures, EEG activity, physiologic findings, HPA axis activity and inflammation markers suggest that it is not a state of sleep loss, but a disorder of hyperarousal present both during the night and the daytime.", see here. There seems evidence that inflammation could be a cause, or rather oxidative stress, which leads to inflammation. Some have found taking antioxidants help. Impairment of nitric oxide can lead to sleep disorders, see here. The precursor to NO is the amino arginine, this is a potent antioxidant. A lack of vitamin D leads to insomnia, see here and here. Vitamin D is another potent antioxidant. The B vitamin inositol also helps sleep. Finally of course progesterone, it can be used as an anaesthetic! See here. I can't remember if I asked you to have a vitamin D test done, or to take it? It works synergistically with progesterone, amplifying the effect. Natpro is double the strength of the Pro-gest, which has 16mg/ml, whereas Natpro has 33.3mg/ml. In 1/4 tsp it has 41mg. Cost is always a factor, do you perhaps have a friend who is using progesterone? As we give a 30% discount on 20 tubes, so the outlay is quite big, but if it could be shared it lessens the burden. Bless you for the kind words! Take care Wray
Nov 17, 2012
 When should I reduce amount?
by: Becki

Hi Wray,
I noticed in one of your responses you use 170 mg per day. I have been on 400 mg for a month I think. Got the Nat pro and reduced to 330 mg. I read Dr. Lee's premenopause book and noticed he says do not do high amounts, that it will cause more of an imbalance. I reduced the next 2 days and noticed I was feeling like my old self, not wanting to be in life. So I uped that night and felt better the next day. I do believe you about higher doses, but the book said if you use high doses for 6 months you will start feeling depressed and on and on. How will I know I need to go down on the dosage? My periods are better and my breast tenderness has gone away. Feeling not as depressed either, not perfect but definitely much better. The only thing is I still have the waking up several times a night. How did you know when you needed to go down on the amount? And can you explain why Dr. Lee believes less is better and you believe more is better? Thank you so much! Becki
Nov 18, 2012
 When should I reduce amount?
by: Wray

Hi Becki Yes I do use about 170mg/day, which is about 1tsp of Natpro. When stressed I increase it substantially. So pleased you're trying it. Ah yes Dr Lee does say don't use high amounts. He recommends 20mg/day, and therefore so does everyone else! Unfortunately it doesn't raise levels to that found in the luteal phase, not even 40mg/day does. I doubt 80mg would either. I go into this on our Progesterone Misconceptions page. I've used it daily now for over 15 years and haven't experienced it's efficacy wearing off, only when stressed, and then I apply more. I'm so pleased you experimented, as that's the only way you can tell if it is working or not. I don't believe you'll need 400mg/day for any length of time. And when you feel stable, i.e. your symptoms have gone, begin reducing, but do it slowly, no more than about 20mg per reduction. It's best to stay on the lowered amount a few days till reducing further. If done slowly you won't undo all the work you've done, if too quick your symptoms will come back, as you found. Any time you feel your symptoms come back because of stress increase it until they go, then reduce back down again. There's no hard and fast rule to using it, just as and when needed. It's the best thing there is for burns, I keep some near the stove, good for piles, minor wounds, leg ulcers, stomach cramps, headaches. Just apply to the problem area. I'd been using progesterone for about 6 months when I discovered Dr Dalton's work, she scorned low amounts, said they didn't work. At the time I was trying to take a break for the customary two weeks, I still had regular cycles then, but all my symptoms would come back. In desperation I phoned her and she just told me to use it daily, no harm done. So I did and haven't looked back. Which is why I encourage women with bad symptoms to do the same. I have to agree with her from my own experience in helping others that high amounts do work. In her studies, and for her patients, she used amounts of 400mg, 800mg and up to 2400mg/day for her patients with post natal psychosis, see here She helped over 50,000 women in her lifetime. She wrote some wonderful books too, Amazon do sell them, see here and here. Take care Wray

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