1. Community
  2. Women's health
  3. Menopause

Bio-identical progesterone

Posted , 6 users are following.

maddysmom2015
maddysmom2015

Hi Ladies!

I naturopath recommended I take an over the counter, bio-identical progesterone for brain fog and sleep. I bought a cream derived from wild yams.  But there is no real consensus on how many days a month to use it.

The package says every day.

The reviews on Amazon say 3 weeks a month and 1 week off. (I assume the week of my period.) 

The pharmacist says the day after my period stops.

The naturopath said after ovulation. (No longer easy to predict since my periods in peri- are less regular.)

I wondered if I should just calculate 2 weeks after the first day of my period and start then...

Any insights?  Thanks! 

1 like, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • Guest
    Guest maddysmom2015

    Posted

    First off, the hormone doc I saw said the bio cream will not help with sleep. That's why he prescribed oral. And he said not to skip, just take every day, cream and oral.

    My GYN says that you should take progesterone until you start your period and then skip it while you have it. But that was oral as well.

    I think if you start spotting at ovulation that's because your progesterone is low, but like you said, if you are skipping some periods it's hard to know when you are ovulating. So that doesn't really work.

    So I think with cream it's probably ok to just do it every day.

    Hope it helps you.

    I bought an OTC cream and just use it if I'm starting to spot and get painful breasts. You don't get addicted to progesterone so there's no danger from starting and stopping it.

  • tina00239
    tina00239 maddysmom2015

    Posted

    If it were me, I think I'd probably do 3 weeks on and one week off, if you have a bleed I would re-start after 6 or 7 days because a normal cycle is 28 days long. Hope this makes sense. X

    • maddysmom2015
      maddysmom2015 tina00239

      Posted

      Yes, what you and Suzanne say makes sense. Thanks!

      I used the cream for the first time today. I was hoping to have super powers at the gym...No luck!  I'll keep at it for at least a week to 10 days to see if I notice any difference. 

      It's good to know, Suzanne, that if my breasts start to really hurt, I can use this cream. 

      My main symptoms are health anxiety and brain fog. I hope the bio-dentical cream helps with those symptoms. I was suposed to go to get a haircut on Monday and I drove to the dog park instead. rolleyes

    • tina00239
      tina00239 maddysmom2015

      Posted

      If you have bad breast tenderness ask your dr for prescription strength evening primrose oil capsules. They help alot. Also give the cream a bit longer than 10 days as any kind of hormone replacement can take a while to kick in. Give it a few weeks and I bet you notice a difference! XXX
    • maddysmom2015
      maddysmom2015 tina00239

      Posted

      OK, so after using this cream at 1/2 dose for 3 days, my period came. And it came 19 days after my last period.  I am using an app to keep track and my current average is 34 days.  There is fluctuation, but no fewer than 24 days in the last year between periods. 

      So I am going to chalk this up to a fail and try not to let my health anxiety get out of control.  

      I am super sensitive to medicines and should have known better than to play with my hormones! 

    • tina00239
      tina00239 maddysmom2015

      Posted

      Hormones are such wierd creatures arent they? I have been on HRT for 4 wks and started my first bleed yesterday. I assumed being on HRT that I would have a light bleed and only for a couple of days or so.NO SUCH LUCK! It is as heavy, painful and clotty as my regular periods were. But I am not going to give in as the alternative is not a viable option for me. I'm hoping things will settle down the longer I am on it and I think that is the key, it needs time to settle down. Dont forget the hormones wind down very slowly so it figures that it takes abit of time to normalise them again. Good luck with whatever you decide is the right thing for you. XXX

    • maddysmom2015
      maddysmom2015 tina00239

      Posted

      Hormones are so weird! 

      But now I can say I tried the bio-identical progesterone and it's not for me.  Or, more likely, that my freak out threshold for the most minor bodily anomalies is so low, I can't handle it. rolleyes  I think the later is closer to the truth. 

      I TOTALLY agree with you that hormones take a while to settle down. I hope your periods normalise to a place where they are lighter and less clotted.  How else is the HRT making you feel? Is it relieving some of the other symptoms--I hope! 

      I so much appreciate all of you ladies being here for me as I go through the process. I was less scared all day knowing you are here! 

    • tina00239
      tina00239 maddysmom2015

      Posted

      Thanks for your kind words. The HRT is definitely helping but I dont think that I have been on it for long enough. for it to sort everything out sufficiently yet. The 1st bleed is awful but I have to take into account that my own natural periods were surpressed for months by drugs from the gynaecologist at my local hospital, so I think why this first bleed is so bad is due to a very thick womb lining to shed. I am using 1/2 super plus tampons every hour and as I am incontinent the pants act as pads aswell so 3 pairs a day at least! But I am determined to persevere with it at least for a while to see how much better I can get. I am losing weight with little or no effort so I am pleased about that. I am still menopausing despite the HRT so I'm ok with that as at least the symptoms are being relieved. I am so thankful for these discussion groups and hope I have made many new friends all over the world who I share one important thing in common with, this lovely thing we call the menopause. XXX

  • Guest
    Guest maddysmom2015

    Posted

    Does anyone know, if you start taking hrt will this keep your period coming?
    • tina00239
      tina00239 Guest

      Posted

      I think it depends. Some people get little or no bleeding with HRT others like me bleed excessively, but this is only my first bleed, it may well settle with time, but frankly, the bleeding is far more bearable than all the other horrid symptoms which I am still having, but not to the degree that I was. Hope this helps you to decide what you should do. At the end of the day, its all trial and error. XXX
    • jude84900
      jude84900 Guest

      Posted

      suzanne54870,

      It depends on you and your doctor and what kind of hormone treatment you decide to do. Doctors that are well versed on hormone replacement think its still good to bring that monthly bleed on while others don't think its necessary to put a woman through that. Some doctors believe to mimic the bodies natural way is best, It is a choice to discuss with your doctor. Periods are brought on monthly by the way you take your hormones. After your periods end it is not unusual for women to bleed after starting HRT replacement. It is waking up the estrogen receptors in our bodies again. This does stop with proper adjustment of hormones, again monitered by a doctor that knows what their doing. I do not get any monthly bleed. I've been on BHRT for over two years and use progesterone cream to control any build up in my uterine lining. 

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.