Print

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

[Mary G]

Just for the record, I have tried the Biovea progesterone cream and I think it's just as good as my progesterone gel - I switched to the gel because I can buy it easily here.   However, I have not trialled the Biovea cream for long enough to know how effective it would be for keeping the womb lining thin but I certainly didn't have any side effects with it.   

At a guess, I would say the cream and the gel are about the same.

[Ali P]

Hi. I don’t need the progesterone
For womb had hysterectomy   Estrogen dominance I think   50mg a day was giving me really bad depression and itchy skin. Previously I’d been on 100mg (50 twice a day.  This have me hives and red skin. Not really bad but only on it just over two weeks. Didn’t seem to
het the bad depression. Weird!   Split capsule using scales and needle.

[Scampidoodle]

Ali you can use quercetin with vitamin C. It’s ok to use quercetin 500mg three times a day.

[Ali P]

Cheers xx

[dangermouse]

I think we have to accept that the complexity of hormonal interactions, that can change minute by minute, is beyond the realms of what scientists can manage being able to measure and perform studies on.

This is when trial and error can help as you may just find something that gives an element of control to reduce the volatility that causes symptoms. Then those who have had success with a strategy can pass that on for others to try.

If you stick rigidly to what science can measure and ignore everything else you take the risk of throwing the baby out with the bath water.

I love science but the pandemic showed us how the risk aversive nature of how scientists tried to contain Covid-19 in most countries, versus Sweden's anti-scientific, common sense approach, put those countries at even more risk. Science can only do extremes of black and white, yes and no, positive or negative correlation etc. By ignoring the grey areas it may, for example, cut off too soon at the point where longer use might start to prove effectiveness or ignore infinite factors that may have hampered results.

Absolutely, try for the scientific proven methods first but don't be afraid to try alternatives, as not having gone through expensive trials is not the same as having gone through them and failed or caused harm.

[Kathleen]

Hello ladies.

A long time ago I read an article written by the author Jeanette Winterton. She was talking about her menopause and how awful she felt and how pleased she was to find a medic who understood. I remember her saying that progesterone was the calming hormone and thinking that was the opposite of what I believed at the time.
Could it be that for some of us progesterone is our saviour and adding more oestrogen not only fails to resolve our issues but actually makes us worse? Just a thought.

I used to look on a Facebook page for Ulcerative Colitis sufferers and there were many people who were experimenting with treatment and lifestyle changes. Everyone would report their experiences and the founder of the group referred to them as citizen scientists. I think of MM in the same way in that we report our journey and  pass on any information that may be helpful to others. Over time solutions to problems will hopefully emerge. Fingers crossed!

Take care ladies.

K.

[Mary G]

dangermouse, I agree, there is no point in overly obsessing about studies and guidelines, it's not all ABC, 123. 

It's worth remembering that is was two very badly conducted studies and the individuals associated with them that damned HRT for a number of years and actually caused women a great deal of harm.   Think about it, there are women who were subjected to years of misery because they were denied HRT and left with debilitating symptoms on the back of those two destructive studies.

Rags like the Daily Mail constantly get caught out for reporting conflicting studies and in many cases, studies that contradict each other.

In theory, my progesterone gel should not work and my womb lining should be about a metre deep!  In reality, it works extremely well and my womb lining is under the 5mm danger line - as we all know, anything over 5mm either immediately post bleed or on a continuous combined regime is considered very high risk. 

I would add that private compounding clinics refuse to prescribe to anyone with a measurement over 4mm.

[Ali P]

 Can I ask what people’s intolerances to progestins and Utrogestan were.? Please.
Cheers

[HelloSam666]

Hi Dangermouse, Kathleen, the analogies you gave are so relevant to this scenario and i only wish i could have put into words these explanations in response to the negative posts we've had in this thread.

As a footnote to this, I have a small research agency and we conduct many studies for pharmaceutical clients. Some medication works great for some participants (Citizen Scientists would be a better phrase  ) but not for others but irrespective of the outcome all views are relevant to the study as its the only way to make progress. I wonder in our lifetime we'll see progesterone cream in varying strengths available in this country by prescription from the local GP. I do hope so.

It's been a joy to chat with like-minded and open-minded ladies here. And to not feel like an oddball and a charlatan by stating that this cream worked well for me 

[Scampidoodle]

Hi ladies, just to update I saw my consultant today. I explained all the issues. For context she is a consultant gynae and menopause specialist with a special interest in mast cells, long covid and histamine.

My trials with dim and quashing of symptoms with the prog cream (though I’ve merely dabbled so far not used consistently) prove it’s all hormonally driven.

She has prescribed me the mini pill Norgeston whjch I can try if I want to. It was cheap so I thought she could prescribe then I’ll think about it. Don’t really want to do it unless necessary though.

She said she has absolutely no problem with me using the progesterone cream and that millions use it. She said it’s not high dose and isn’t used here as it doesn’t protect the lining at the doses they recommended ie 20mg but as I’m not using it for that it’s no problem. She asked how much it cost me and then said for that price if it works to go for it.

She offered utrogestan but we agreed it was likely too much for my needs.

X

[Ali P]

🤞for you Scampi. It does sound like you had a product meeting, with your consultant giving green light on cream Can you say who your consultant is?
My GP wants me to come off my hrt   I’m really scared but I’m loosing so much weight about a kg a week which I can’t afford I can see where she’s coming from. My meno doctor and her spoke today and memo dr hasn’t encountered as bad a case of histamine intolerance   
Not looking forward to it   I broke down yesterday and rang 111 so they got in touch with my GP. I was in quite a state. Bit scared but we'll see what happens   She was quite assertive that this was going to happen and she won’t prescribe me anymore estrogen .  Guess I can always try the private route again if it all goes wrong . it’s just the hives and red skin and probable depression from the prog that’s the problem there   Sorry for rambling
 

[Scampidoodle]

Yes it’s Dr Tina Peers, Ali. I think I recommended her to you but she isn’t taking new patients. Remind me what hrt you’re on currently?

Just to say when I’ve been very reactive, I can barely tolerate anything. So be reassured that even if you can’t tolerate things now you may in the future.

Estrogen will definitely be raising your histamine levels.

Are you in any antihistamines or mast cell stabilisers?

[Ali P]

You did sorry Scampi. I do have an appointment with Tina  at the end of May so I think I’ll keep it. In case the trial of the estrogen goes horribly wrong. I’m on just a small amount of histamines or it drops my estrogen   No mast cell stabilisers. Don’t know who to see about them.   I’m only on estrogen at moment prog gives hives and red wheels and itchy
I tried a lower dose and was depressed.

[Ali P]

Hi it’s 100mg patch and it is just controlling my symptoms. Not sure what dose of  cream I’d need to use. If I had to go down this route.  Sorry it’s  me me me at the moment   This menopause thing makes me loose empathy.  I’m just feeling sorry for myself tonight. This has never been me. I dearly hope all you lovely ladies get sorted.  🙁

[Scampidoodle]

You did sorry Scampi. I do have an appointment with Tina  at the end of May so I think I’ll keep it. In case the trial of the estrogen goes horribly wrong. I’m on just a small amount of histamines or it drops my estrogen   No mast cell stabilisers. Don’t know who to see about them.   I’m only on estrogen at moment prog gives hives and red wheels and itchy
I tried a lower dose and was depressed.

Oh yes I remember you saying now. Well I’m glad you got an appt with Tina even though it is in a few months. You coukd try different types of antihistamines as they all affect people very differently and one may work? Quercetin is a natural mast cell stabiliser so good to use that for now.