Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Mary G]

Scampi, that is a very low, post menopause level. 

Just to give you an idea of the blood levels that can be achieved with transdermal progesterone @50mg every day, these are my blood results from a few weeks ago:

4.57 ng/mL which (in your money!) is 14.53 nmol.

If I don't use any progesterone at all, my base level of progesterone is:

0.60 ng/mL which is 2.00 nmol.

Bear in mind, I'm 61 and 15 years post menopause.

Back in 2007 when I was 45 and first post menopause, my progesterone level was:

0.50 ng/mL which is1.59 nmol.

My baseline progesterone levels have not changed much throughout the years as you can see but since using both the bespoke progesterone and the Darstin progesterone gel, you can see that my levels have risen significantly so you can probably achieve something similar with the cream.

I hope that gives you some idea of what to expect.

[CrispyChick]

Mary - how do you test?? When I was trying prog cream my serum never seemed to increase. I tried capillary blood (finger prick) last month and got a much higher level.

[Mary G]

Crispy, they are just standard blood tests which I obtain from the health clinic I use in Spain.

When I get a slip for a blood test from a doctor, there is a tick box form (which I have photocopied!) with the slip and I just tick all the appropriate (extra!) boxes.   

What is particularly useful is having possession of all my records/results going back years.meaning I can refer back to make comparisons.

[CrispyChick]

Thanks Mary - is it a proper draw from your arm??? Or finger prick?

Cream is renowned for not showing in serum (arm) ... Which I think must've been the case with me as it never increased.

I'll stick with the finger prick now for consistency. Plus, I can buy it myself.

Yip, I think it's great to be able to compare over time and at certain times when symptoms are high. That time in Sept when my E was 2089. I nearly passed out that day!!! Was good to understand what was wrong!

Sounds great that u can get a, blood test shopping list 

[Mary G]

Crispy, it's a blood draw from the arm taken about 12 hours after applying the progesterone.

[dangermouse]

I just check my NHS app and my last prog result taken (blood from arm) in Aug 2021 was 0.3 nmol when not on any prog.

It went very high when I was on prog cream (90.1)!

[CrispyChick]

It is bizarre. Mine reached a heady 5.5 nmol in Sept on 340mg prog cream - at which point that same cream pushed my estrogen to a ridiculous 2089.

Wo see why my serum never shows increased prog?!

Now, on nothing I was 32 nmol prog last month - tested by finger prick.

The other thing I'm thinking is prog cream stopped my ovulation for the most part. So I guess if I ovulated last month coming off - that result is just an ovulation. 

Mind boggling.

I know I've not ovulated this month on nothing (I've now got some strips) so I think I'll do another test next week. 

[Scampidoodle]

Scampi, that is a very low, post menopause level. 

Just to give you an idea of the blood levels that can be achieved with transdermal progesterone @50mg every day, these are my blood results from a few weeks ago:

4.57 ng/mL which (in your money!) is 14.53 nmol.

If I don't use any progesterone at all, my base level of progesterone is:

0.60 ng/mL which is 2.00 nmol.

Bear in mind, I'm 61 and 15 years post menopause.

Back in 2007 when I was 45 and first post menopause, my progesterone level was:

0.50 ng/mL which is1.59 nmol.

My baseline progesterone levels have not changed much throughout the years as you can see but since using both the bespoke progesterone and the Darstin progesterone gel, you can see that my levels have risen significantly so you can probably achieve something similar with the cream.

I hope that gives you some idea of what to expect.

That’s really useful, thanks Mary! Isn’t it crazy that some people say the cream doesn’t work and is mega weak as it clearly has an impact.

[Scampidoodle]

It is bizarre. Mine reached a heady 5.5 nmol in Sept on 340mg prog cream - at which point that same cream pushed my estrogen to a ridiculous 2089.

Wo see why my serum never shows increased prog?!

Now, on nothing I was 32 nmol prog last month - tested by finger prick.

The other thing I'm thinking is prog cream stopped my ovulation for the most part. So I guess if I ovulated last month coming off - that result is just an ovulation. 

Mind boggling.

I know I've not ovulated this month on nothing (I've now got some strips) so I think I'll do another test next week. 

It feels like that serum blood test should have shown a lot higher if you were on 340mg of cream! Can’t have been accurate with the serum test as you say.

[dangermouse]

Ok so perhaps the progesterone cream used when perimenopausal and still ovulating causes excessive oestrogen to be released to ovulation levels. Maybe this is receptor related where the sudden high levels of progesterone in the blood triggers the reopening of all the dormant oestrogen receptors (that have become dormant in an effort to rebalance the previous chronic low progesterone levels).

Then the high oestrogen release uses up the extra progesterone making that suddenly come down, making the ratios even worse.

Obviously this has no scientific backing, just rationally trying to build an explanation, and would make sense with my experience in peri.

If this was the case, perhaps trying very small amounts of progesterone (around 25mg) could improve things without setting off too many alarms?

[CrispyChick]

Thanks Dangermouse.

Certainly sounds like what happened to me. I've read recently that prolactin is a better measure of real E level as it goes up when E is high (often in tissues and not measurable). My prolactin is high.

Noone in the UK believes prog can trigger this estrogen release, including my private bhrt clinic!!! But it's a well known phenomenon in the US.

I did work out, after 12 months of trying, that my dose is 25mg compounded cream. But, to be honest, I think I'm better on nothing than the cream right now.

I think it's something I should keep ready to use when my own E buggers off. In fact, I think some woman use it post meno so they can actually release that extra estrogen.

So, for the time being, I'm trying agnus castus.

That said, I've spoken to scampi and I think she should give the prog cream a try. Plenty don't seem to have the experience you and I had Dangermouse. It's all trial unfortunately.

I think, to add to your theory - I was taking bio clear estro for 6 weeks, which tanked my estrogen. I felt better, but it also gave me severe gastritis (that I'm still battling now). So I know it's all my E/P balance.

I've learnt a lot in the last 12 months - mostly how little we know in the UK 

Scampi - I am wondering if your prog level is so low because of the mirena?! The progestin is meant to replace your progesterone, but progestin won't show in bloods... I don't think.

Anyway, there was a lady on our previous thread who took progesterone cream alongside the mini pill I think. She found it worked. Definitely worth a try for you.

Xx

[Scampidoodle]

Thanks dangermouse for that explanation that sounds very logical and is likely what would happen with larger doses of progesterone.

Crispy, you’re right, been doing some research and your own progesterone levels switch off when you have the Mirena and you just use the progestin released from the Mirena. Which falls over time so by 5 years the levels are half that than they started at. Maybe why some ladies need an earlier change.

So, god knows why the Mirena has helped me previously. Maybe my E levels are far far higher than they were before so the balance is off. Either way, supplementing with progesterone does seem like it might help and as dangermouse says, a small dose may help. I’m still waiting for it, this biovea takes a good while doesn’t it!!

The logical thing must sound like I should remove my Mirena but I’d fear a big crash if I did as had one since 2018.

Interesting as crispy says that hellosam666 used the cream with the progesterone only pill. That must be the same situation as me really.

[HelloSam666]

Hi Scampidoodle, Crispy Chick  Just a note first, i did cancel my membership of the forum but do look on now and again. And the reason i cancelled was primarily because i didn't feel the forum catered in most part for people like me who decided against NHS prescribed menopause medication and used alternative solutions. For many ladies who mentioned using or wanting more info on OTC or privately prescribed creams, the inevitable message back from more seasoned posters is "progesterone cream is not potent enough to make a difference, it's a scam" or "don't use anything not accredited by the NHS / Menopause Society".

As you know from my own messages from this board, I have had enormous success from using these creams. I use Biovea Progesterone Cream and Life-Flo Biestro cream (mix of Estradiol & Estriol). They stopped my migraines, improved my mood, stopped the dryness and gave back the person i used to be before all this started. And the good thing about creams is that you can taper them to your needs - a little less or more if you feel you need it. A huge amount of this forum is dedicated to ladies with dreadful side effects of prescribed HRT and having to chop and change medication to get the right balance. I tried prescribed HRT briefly and felt absolutely awful and i do believe it was too much progesterone & estrogen for my body even though it was the lowest prescribed patch / tablets. 

Scampidoodle - just to let you know, i do still take the mini pill along with the creams each day. It's a winning combo for me. I'm scared of stopping the mini pill whilst all has been working well and like you with the coil, worried it would make things worse.

Sam

[CrispyChick]

Welcome back Sam. I missed you 

So glad to hear things are good for you. Xxx

[HelloSam666]

Thank you Crispy Chick and that's really kind of you. Thank you  xx