Good luck! I hope it helps you with all of those symptoms and you stay clear!

I bought some progesterone cream yesterday and started using it today. I would love to be able to replace spiro with it too! *crosses fingers*

Wow. It has only been 3 days but my tiny dose of Progesterelle is having AMAZING effects.

Pros:

1. Slept through the night last 3 nights, fell asleep within an hour of applying progesterone. (Usually I lay in bed for 3 hours before I fall asleep).

2. A ton of tension and cramping in my back and legs is gone. My flexibility increased 3-4 inches in 3 days.

Cons:

1. Yesterday I was really fatigued from 2pm-8pm.

2. Appetite went up slightly.

Noticed this evening that my hands and feet are no longer cold.

Well this is a pretty boring log so far, but really only positive results so far. This stuff works. I am really glad to be sleeping normally. I will probably keep taking it for that reason alone.

Not boring at all! I really appreciate the updates, especially because I just started using it too. Very helpful information because you are also on spiro.

I am only experiencing positive results as well. I have been sleeping better and my libido has increased. My skin hasn't changed but I am quite certain it will once my cycles return and after some more time.

I'm still taking 75mg spiro and I'm using 1/4 a flat dime (maybe 1/8 teaspoon?) of cream in the PM (if I use it early in the day I get really tired.) I don't know if that is enough or not but I thought I'd start slow.

Anyway, I hope you don't mind that I replied in your thread!

Not boring at all! I really appreciate the updates, especially because I just started using it too. Very helpful information because you are also on spiro.

I am only experiencing positive results as well. I have been sleeping better and my libido has increased. My skin hasn't changed but I am quite certain it will once my cycles return and after some more time.

I'm still taking 75mg spiro and I'm using 1/4 a flat dime (maybe 1/8 teaspoon?) of cream in the PM (if I use it early in the day I get really tired.) I don't know if that is enough or not but I thought I'd start slow.

Anyway, I hope you don't mind that I replied in your thread!

 

Not at all please respond any time you want, I don't really want this to be a log of my own, I'd love to hear how others are doing with progesterone!

Yeah my Progesterelle booklet says to take it only at night, it does make you sleepy.

You guys aren't taking it all month are you? If so you'll completely shut down your cycle.

In the instructions it says to use it 3 weeks and then take a week off. Repeat. It also says to just start it for the first time if you are late. Then if it begins, take your week off then.

I remember it being day 12 to when you are supposed to have your period (day26) unless you're in menopause. You better be careful because if your progesterone gets too high the side effects sound really bad. Err on the cautious side so everything doesn't get totally thrown off. The idea behind progesterone supplementation is to mimic the natural cycle. Your p is up the 2nd half of the cycle.

I'm not trying to put a damper on everyone, but I researched the hell out of this a few yrs. ago bc I was going to do it and was dissauded bc of all the reviews by ppl who used it.

Of course my naturopath said she refused to use it too bc of all the potential problems, so I'd be very careful and stop at the 1st sign of side effects.

Another problem is that progesterone is stored for a long time in the body so if it gets too high it takes awhile to go back to normal.

You can check out askpatient for reviews of ppl who used it.

I said in the first post that I'm taking it days 12-26, the recommendation for pre-menopausal women.

I remember it being day 12 to when you are supposed to have your period (day26) unless you're in menopause. You better be careful because if your progesterone gets too high the side effects sound really bad. Err on the cautious side so everything doesn't get totally thrown off. The idea behind progesterone supplementation is to mimic the natural cycle. Your p is up the 2nd half of the cycle.

I'm not trying to put a damper on everyone, but I researched the hell out of this a few yrs. ago bc I was going to do it and was dissauded bc of all the reviews by ppl who used it.

Of course my naturopath said she refused to use it too bc of all the potential problems, so I'd be very careful and stop at the 1st sign of side effects.

Another problem is that progesterone is stored for a long time in the body so if it gets too high it takes awhile to go back to normal.

You can check out askpatient for reviews of ppl who used it.

 

You are correct about day 12... however, for me though I'm not sure of a "day 12" because my cycle is completely absent for the past couple months.

Thanks for your warning, but I'm not worried about this. Although I'm sure it's not for every person, I'm putting things together here.... All of my symptoms (most of what's on GG's list in the first post of this thread, plus absent/irregular period and severe constipation) all popped up about 4-6 months after stopping BC. It's also when I started breaking out, after 5 years of being completely clear from accutane. I'm positive now that it's a hormonal imbalance.

EDIT: I just looked at the Ask A Patient reviews... it seems like a lot of the reviewers are confused and don't know the difference between the synthetic progestin, birth control, and natural progesterone cream. Also a lot of these reviewers didn't use progesterone for an extended period of time. I didn't find these reviews very accurate or helpful.

You should probably try to mimic your cycle and do it day 12-26 then stop so you have flow. You'll never get a period if you don't do that and you'll end up overloaded with progesterone.

Its mostly the NPC...a bit confused here.I've read the same stuff on other sites too and it was all NP, beacuse i was researching it a few yrs ago, but I'll leave you both alone, bc I can tell I'm annoying you both. good luck.

A lot of people w/o periods get them back on vitex. Maybe you can try that if this doesn't work.

You should probably try to mimic your cycle and do it day 12-26 then stop so you have flow. You'll never get a period if you don't do that and you'll end up overloaded with progesterone.

Its mostly the NPC...a bit confused here.I've read the same stuff on other sites too and it was all NP, beacuse i was researching it a few yrs ago, but I'll leave you both alone, bc I can tell I'm annoying you both. good luck.

A lot of people w/o periods get them back on vitex. Maybe you can try that if this doesn't work.

 

You're not annoying me, but I can sense that that the way you feel about progesterone is the way I feel about Accutane. I researched so much about Accutane and decided not to take it even though I had severe acne. Sometimes I wonder if I would have had severe cystic acne for a decade of my life if I had just bitten the Accutane bullet. But I will still tell anyone who will listen that Accutane is too risky, even though I don't have any personal experience to base that off of.

But with progesterone I just don't feel that same risk, so I'm willing to give it a shot

If it starts to look like my progesterone gets too high, I will definitely taper down my dose or go off it necessary. Since I'm getting good results from such a small dose, I probably will never go any higher anyway.

It seems you've had good experience with vitex, could you tell me a little more about it? Is it a phytoestrogen? I was thinking of taking DIM or something similar as well, just because of the protective effects.

I'm glad I'm not annoying you!

No, I didn't. I researched the hell outta it and that plus what my naturopath said about it makes me leery. I'll keep an eye on what happens with you two and If I get flare ups again, I'll think about it, but I'd probably use vitex first.

I'm glad I'm not annoying you!

No, I didn't. I researched the hell outta it and that plus what my naturopath said about it makes me leery. I'll keep an eye on what happens with you two and If I get flare ups again, I'll think about it, but I'd probably use vitex first.

 

I edited my reply after you replied, but I added that I was curious about vitex, I don't know a ton about it. What does it do? Is it a phytoestrogen?

My naturopath said it balances the ratio of estrogen and progesterone naturally. It has no drug interactions. Many people on soul casters use it. Some along with spiro.

She was the first person to diagnose me with PCOS ( I didn't believe her) and had me take that for my acne etc. but I was waiting for an appt to go on tane when I went to her. I did not think the vitex would work at all and didn't try it for a week or so. Then, I got a cyst and I was so desperate so I took it thinking, this is pointless.

It made my cyst smaller after the first day and my cysts would last at least two weeks. I was stunned the same way I was stunned when smoothies helped my skin bc I thought that was ridiculous when people said it.

But I decided to go on tane bc that's what I has planned and I knew it worked for me before.

Some people don't get clear on vitex, some do, just like everything else, it almost always brings on periods in ppl who haven't had one in a very long time. Always. See that all the time on soul cysters. People also start ovulating again on it. Again, almost always. So it is effective for messed up hormones.

I was only on it a month, so I can't attest to its longevity. And it was yrs ago, so who knows if it would work if Tried again, but it helped me for that month.

Hth.

I just read your edited post.

I was the same way with tane. I refused to go in it for many years which I regret, bc it cleared me up with no side effects. I was clear until I had an ovarian cyst removed, then my acne came back. (5yrs later after tane). Interestingly, my acne was non existent with the cyst. I know my estrogen was high because I was carrying weight in my butt and thighs -- I never usually do. No acne. None. That part was great. It was related to the cyst bc I had no acne while I had it , but as soon as it was removed it came back. But they thought it was cancer so I had to get it out. It wasn't cancer. It also made me so tired and I had a lot of pain from it.

Now I can tell I don't have high estrogen bc I'm not carrying weight there. I Can tell my androgens are high by how I look.

Anyway, I get where your coming from. I had a gut feeling I should be on tane and it worked well for me, so go with your gut. Maybe the others are using too much..?

I've heard dim is good but that it stops working.

Well, progesterone still working for secondary symptoms...

I do notice that I only get the sleepy effect that tells me it's working if I apply on my inner arms and inner thighs. My Progestelle booklet says you can apply it pretty much anywhere you have fat, but I don't feel it working anywhere else. This may make things trickier down the road as I don't have that much fat in the first place.

I was super worried a couple days ago because I was really moody, but to my surprise, today I have AF!

So happy!! I wanted the Progesterone to bring it back. So I'm counting today as my new "Day 1" and taking 7 days off and starting the cycle again.

Well, progesterone still working for secondary symptoms...

I do notice that I only get the sleepy effect that tells me it's working if I apply on my inner arms and inner thighs. My Progestelle booklet says you can apply it pretty much anywhere you have fat, but I don't feel it working anywhere else. This may make things trickier down the road as I don't have that much fat in the first place.

 

Green Gables..... I was curious to see if your still on the Progesterone Cream? How is it working? Side effects??

I just started last month too. My Naturopath put me on Prog cream, Vitex, DIM to balance my estrogin dominance. I already was taking Saw Palmetto too. I started all of these meds spaced several weeks apart to make sure I knew I was tolerating them well. I did one cycle of the cream, stopped and then got my period. Now I wait til day 15 of my cycle to start again.

My Problem is I am gaining weight the past two wks. Bad cravings so I am eating more. Also lower energy so not working out as much as normal. Obviosly that is why I'm gaining. I'm a very fit person and always weigh 116-122.... never more. 122 is my highest. Right now I'm 126. So I know it's something hormonal that is causing intense cravings and laziness. And I have also gotten two migranes. I haven't gotten a migraine in 5 yrs since stopping BCP. So I know its hormonal. I think from Vitex cuz the first one I got was before I started the Prog Cream.

So I was wondering from you or anyone else.... have you experianced weight gain or migraines???

Green Gables has retired from the boards but maybe I can help a little. (:

I am still using natural progesterone cream and I am amazed at the results so far. I've only used it for 27 days (with a 7 day break somewhere in the middle.) I am sleeping super well, I'm much less anxious, my period has returned, I no longer suffer from constipation, sex is no longer painful, and my libido has increased. Also, my skin is SUPER soft and is actually clearing up, even though I've cut my spiro dose down even more (I plan to quit spironolactone completely now.)

I did experience the "estrogen wake-up crisis" that I've read about with the cream in the first week or two. I was super moody and cried easily. I also had what could have been a small initial breakout. The estrogen dominance at this time is supposedly a common thing when starting because you're stimulating the estrogen receptors. This makes estrogen dominant, and can take a few days to a few months to level out, depending on the person and how much you take. This all passed for me after a week or two.

Your symptoms could be related to what I just described, and it could just be taking longer for the progesterone to be more dominant. You are also taking a lot of supplements at a time that affect hormones, so it may be overwhelming you somehow, I don't know from personal experience because I have never taken any of them myself.

How much cream are you using? I upped my dose a bit and noticed my skin has been doing better. I'm probably taking 1/2 of a dime-sized dollop at night. I may even take more if I keep seeing improvement in everything.

This site has been extremely helpful to me, even though I'm not using that brand of cream. There are lots of stories from women's experiences with NPC, and Wray's responses are very insightful. This page on estrogen dominance has weight gain and headaches/migraines as symptoms, so I really think that may be what you are experiencing. Perhaps waiting longer or using more cream could help. (:

Thank U iheartpaul.... I am already Estrogen Dominant. So maybe it's making it worse. I have seen that site you referred to. I'll check it out again though. I read it before I started.

I got my progesterone cream from a compounding pharmacy perscribed by my naturopath. I take 25mcg (I think). It's a tube that clicks out the cream. So I do one click. She said it's a very low dose to start and we are going to bump it up to two clicks.

I also have been tearful. I actually had a crying meltdown a cpl wks ago and that NVR happens to me. I know it's the hormones adjusting.

I have been sleeping good too but I always sleep good. I have had some very vivid dreams and even a bad nightmare which is abnormal for me. I think the dreams are related. Maybe I'm getting into a deeper sleep or something.

Didn't have issues with sex. But my libido is lowered from the spiro. I don't notice improvement in that department yet.

I have been feeling very chill. No anxiety. Kinda blah though. Not very energetic.

And yes I am on alot of stuff. I am trying to get off spiro or at least lower my dose. That's why I'm taking saw palmetto cuz it's a natural spiro. And DIM to lower my bad estrogen. And Vitex to help balance. And now the Prog Cream. My Prog is very low. And very high estrogen. It's ALOT of stuff. But I really want to balance myself and hopefully my skin will improve.

I'm happy it's working for you. It also Gives me hope! So have you had any weight gain?

I have not had any weight gain. *knock on wood* I've been tracking it very carefully since starting progesterone cream because I gained on spiro. Ever since lowering my dose of spiro I've been down at my natural weight and I've had no problems.

It's just my opinion and you should totally do what you want, but it seems like sometimes less is more -- using only one new supplement at a time makes it so you can tell exactly how each treatment is affecting you. If all you started was the cream, you would know that it was the cause of anything negative and not one of the other supplements. I know that you've already started this though, so now it's a guessing game. Maybe since spiro and saw palmetto are supposed to act the same, it's an overkill?

Yes, the reason I brought up the estrogen dominance thing is that you can experience even more when starting out, but then it could start improving after the initial wake-up that I was talking about. Using more cream might work for you like your naturopath has suggested since you seem to know that you have low progesterone and high estrogen. I have not had any hormone testing so I am just doing what feels best and adjusting as I go.

I'm sorry that you're struggling some! Hopefully the negative symptoms go away soon and you start feeling only the positive. (:

I've used vitex, but only for about two mos. I had no side effects during that time. But I was only using that. I agree with the other poster that you are on way too much stuff. I'd drop the sp too since you're on the spiro. I don't know if you should take dim, vitex and pg together. They're all supposed to do the same thing! I'd pick one of them and see how you do. Just my opinion.

Iheart:

Green zgables left the board? I'm soooo sorry to hear that. She was very knowledgeable. I hope she's ok and that she comes back.

 

Well, progesterone still working for secondary symptoms...

 

I do notice that I only get the sleepy effect that tells me it's working if I apply on my inner arms and inner thighs. My Progestelle booklet says you can apply it pretty much anywhere you have fat, but I don't feel it working anywhere else. This may make things trickier down the road as I don't have that much fat in the first place.

 

Green Gables..... I was curious to see if your still on the Progesterone Cream? How is it working? Side effects??

I just started last month too. My Naturopath put me on Prog cream, Vitex, DIM to balance my estrogin dominance. I already was taking Saw Palmetto too. I started all of these meds spaced several weeks apart to make sure I knew I was tolerating them well. I did one cycle of the cream, stopped and then got my period. Now I wait til day 15 of my cycle to start again.

My Problem is I am gaining weight the past two wks. Bad cravings so I am eating more. Also lower energy so not working out as much as normal. Obviosly that is why I'm gaining. I'm a very fit person and always weigh 116-122.... never more. 122 is my highest. Right now I'm 126. So I know it's something hormonal that is causing intense cravings and laziness. And I have also gotten two migranes. I haven't gotten a migraine in 5 yrs since stopping BCP. So I know its hormonal. I think from Vitex cuz the first one I got was before I started the Prog Cream.

So I was wondering from you or anyone else.... have you experianced weight gain or migraines???