18-12-2018, 22:16
Hi boys and girls,
I found this article on progesterone cream that I wanted to share. Lots of great tips on how to properly take it -switch up the areas that you apply it to in order to avoid saturating receptors in one area, apply it in the morning and at night rather than all at once, etc.
But what I thought was really interesting was this:
"Estrogen dominance may become worse when first beginning natural progesterone cream. When first introducing progesterone back into the body after an extended period of progesterone deficiency, the estrogen receptor sites ‘wake up’ (are stimulated), enhancing the action of estrogen for a short period of time. This is a sign that the body is responding well to the progesterone, even though at the beginning it can exacerbate estrogen dominance symptoms such as breast tenderness and swelling, spotting, fluid retention, dizziness, hot flashes, fatigue, headaches, and nausea. This can be very worrisome but should level out and go away over the next couple of cycles, as progesterone levels increase...
Severe progesterone deficiency requires more time to increase progesterone levels with progesterone cream supplementation. It takes anywhere from 4-12 months to bring progesterone levels back up in women with very low progesterone levels. Following a loading dose protocol may help to bring the levels up quicker, but consistency of use over an extended period of time is best. For women who are trying to conceive, a realistic plan is going to help achieve pregnancy and prevent miscarriage due to progesterone deficiency. Give yourself many months of progesterone cream supplementation before even trying for a baby, to help prevent the likelihood of miscarriage."
So this info hit me like a ton of bricks for a number of reasons. For one thing, I've been on birth control that either reduced or eliminated ovulate for oh I dunno, the last 14 years. And because our bodies really only produce progesterone only when you ovulate, it's safe to say that in my case I have not had normal levels of progesterone for well over a decade.
Another thing is that since starting NBE I've been having symptoms of what seems to be estrogen dominance since starting - headache, breakthrough bleeding, acne. (I'm currently taking Shatavari in the follicular phase, PC in the luteal phase, and SP all the time. Took a little PM for a while but stopped after only a few days). I have been thinking that maybe the Shatavari is already too much estrogen and that I'm "naturally" estrogen dominant. After reading this though, I'm wondering if the progesterone I'm using could be causing these symptoms as it starts to "wake up" the estrogen receptors. And also, if what I thought was "natural" estrogen dominance is actually just progesterone deficiency, since the two are not really different but can go hand in hand.
Also, I appreciate the honest, but mildly frustrating, advice in this article that it can take 4-12 months to reverse progesterone deficiency. I think that fits with what many of us here on this forum have experienced, especially for those starting with very small breasts - like me
I found this article on progesterone cream that I wanted to share. Lots of great tips on how to properly take it -switch up the areas that you apply it to in order to avoid saturating receptors in one area, apply it in the morning and at night rather than all at once, etc.
But what I thought was really interesting was this:
"Estrogen dominance may become worse when first beginning natural progesterone cream. When first introducing progesterone back into the body after an extended period of progesterone deficiency, the estrogen receptor sites ‘wake up’ (are stimulated), enhancing the action of estrogen for a short period of time. This is a sign that the body is responding well to the progesterone, even though at the beginning it can exacerbate estrogen dominance symptoms such as breast tenderness and swelling, spotting, fluid retention, dizziness, hot flashes, fatigue, headaches, and nausea. This can be very worrisome but should level out and go away over the next couple of cycles, as progesterone levels increase...
Severe progesterone deficiency requires more time to increase progesterone levels with progesterone cream supplementation. It takes anywhere from 4-12 months to bring progesterone levels back up in women with very low progesterone levels. Following a loading dose protocol may help to bring the levels up quicker, but consistency of use over an extended period of time is best. For women who are trying to conceive, a realistic plan is going to help achieve pregnancy and prevent miscarriage due to progesterone deficiency. Give yourself many months of progesterone cream supplementation before even trying for a baby, to help prevent the likelihood of miscarriage."
So this info hit me like a ton of bricks for a number of reasons. For one thing, I've been on birth control that either reduced or eliminated ovulate for oh I dunno, the last 14 years. And because our bodies really only produce progesterone only when you ovulate, it's safe to say that in my case I have not had normal levels of progesterone for well over a decade.
Another thing is that since starting NBE I've been having symptoms of what seems to be estrogen dominance since starting - headache, breakthrough bleeding, acne. (I'm currently taking Shatavari in the follicular phase, PC in the luteal phase, and SP all the time. Took a little PM for a while but stopped after only a few days). I have been thinking that maybe the Shatavari is already too much estrogen and that I'm "naturally" estrogen dominant. After reading this though, I'm wondering if the progesterone I'm using could be causing these symptoms as it starts to "wake up" the estrogen receptors. And also, if what I thought was "natural" estrogen dominance is actually just progesterone deficiency, since the two are not really different but can go hand in hand.
Also, I appreciate the honest, but mildly frustrating, advice in this article that it can take 4-12 months to reverse progesterone deficiency. I think that fits with what many of us here on this forum have experienced, especially for those starting with very small breasts - like me
