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[Dippie]

Hello, I have hit a rough patch and would appreciate some help understanding OTC progesterone.

I used it during my luteal phase when I was trying to conceive my now-six year old but I had to stop because the early pregnancy symptoms were more severe than an actual early pregnancy and were affecting my performance at my job.

I remember my then-18 year old making me promise not to use it during the cycle my child was actually conceived because she thought it turned me into a raging hormonal (expletive denoting female dog deleted) but I don't actually remember the psychological effects.

So I'm having trouble understanding how it could help my current symptoms, which are over the top anxiety, brain fog, grief/rage, and other such miseries that would be described as raging hormonal (expletive denoting female dog deleted) by anyone who was unfortunate enough to have to be around me.

But I am at my wit's end and ready to try anything.

Does anyone want to take a crack at explaining it to my dumb (expletive denoting donkey deleted)? If it matters, I am 49 and not bleeding regularly, but it has been less than a year since my last period.

TIA

[honeybun]

I think it's a case of try it and see. May work for you or may not but you won't know until you try.


Honeyb
x

[jo61]

of my experience with progesterone cream, I used it for about a year because of my anxiety I was terrified of HRT. I really convinced myself that it was working and maybe it did in the early days and I had read all the speel of anxiety weight gain etc was due to high estrogen levels. Eventually my symptoms escalated using the progesterone cream  I then tried HRT first was elleste duet but again I was convinced I was estrogen dominant. I then went onto Femseven conti patches which changed me into a raging animal this went on for some time and by chance on holiday in Spain the patches kept coming off and I felt terrible. I went to the local pharmacy who could only give me 50 mg estraderm patches I was so desperate I had no choice to try them she advised me that they were estrogen only and must return to my usual regime of est/progest when I got home. WOW that patch turned my life around I felt human again the sweats stopped I felt like I had opened the door into a new world. On my return to UK went into GP and asked for progesterone because I didnt want to give up the patch,I am now on Utrogestan 100 for 25 days and 25 mgs of estrogen patch and my world has changed it took me a week on the Utrogestan to get used to it but I feel like a new person. I now believe it is the combination of the two hormones that work not progesterone only I cant believe how terrified of taking HRT I was.I dont ever want to go back. You can always try the cream and if your symptoms are mild it should help but dont be afraid to try the alternatives.Good Luck

[Dippie]

Thanks bunches, jo61! My symptoms aren't mild so it's certainly not worth taking food out of my kid's mouth to line the pockets of yet another snake oil salesman. 

I feel so vulnerable to scammers right now. Our only defense from them is being honest with each other.

Stellajane, I am so sorry if I accidentally whacked a hornet's nest. I get enough drama from the rest of my life and will definitely try to use the search feature before making any other unnecessary posts. I'm a GNU/Linux user so I should have known better.

[Hurdity]

Hi Dippie

Not to worry about raising it again!

The point is if you are peri-menopausal then your oestrogen levels will be dropping/fluctuating and are the likely cause of your symptoms. Other symptoms are also caused by fluctuating progesterone levels - not the decline in them - but the actual changes in levels and the phsyiological changes in your body as a result.

Therefore most peri-menopausal women will benefit from added oestrogen, and if so and if they still have a womb they also need progesterone to protect the lining.

It is the progesterone that usually causes, rather than relieves the problems women experience with HRT because it is responsible for many of the adverse pms symptoms, and some women are also highly progesterone intolerant. As jo61 says, Utrogestan ( which is NHS natural progesterone) is the most natural way to take it - but as with all progestogens may have some (hopefully only mild) side effects.

Some women who can tolerate progesterone find that a small dose of continuous progesterone also helps during peri-menopause (ie in addition to the oestrogen replacement) because it evens out the extreme highs and lows of this hormones that cause such unpleasant symptoms.

Hurdity  x

[Dippie]

Now that makes sense and clears up the cognitive dissonance of the same thing that gave me PMS on steroids helping others' peri symptoms.

I still have my uterus and I want to keep it that way, so I don't think this is something I can DIY or patch together as best I can with used chewing gum and scotch tape as easily as I have other "girly" things and medical issues in the past.

I mentioned in my intro that I am NOT representative of Mr. Obama's NHS knockoff in the least and not wanting to talk politics, just open my mind a bit and find out what's working for other people who aren't bored or embarrassed by hearing me talk about this so much.

Knowing what doesn't work is every bit as valuable to me as knowing what does.

Thank you so much for your time.