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Breathing difficulties

by Elaine Gale
(Edinburgh)

I hope you can help. I started using progesterone cream yesterday and applied in in the morning and last night before bed. My heart was beating rapidly last night and when i woke up this morning i have had dreadful difficulty breathing, it was so bad that i considered phoning nhs direct. I am asthmatic and I am now wondering what i should do, should I continue to use it or not.
I stopped my period 4 years ago. I would really appreciate your help.

Elaine

Comments for Breathing difficulties

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Dec 09, 2011
 Breathing difficulties
by: Wray

Hi Elaine I would have to know how much progesterone you were using, but it appears to be a very low amount. Probably in the region of 20-40mg/day, which is the normal amount recommended. I've found this rarely helps, and often exacerbates the very symptoms people are trying to get rid of. It also appears you were not warned about Oestrogen Dominance. When first using progesterone it stimulates oestrogen, particularly if a low amount is used. If continuing on the low amount, adverse symptoms can also continue. It's essential to make progesterone the dominant hormone. This can only be achieved by using high amounts. I recommend 100-200mg/day, more if symptoms are severe. I've found if levels of 400mg/day are used oestrogen dominance is rarely experienced. For more info see our page on Menopause. Oestrogen causes prolongation of the QT interval, which results in palpitations, arrhythmia and Torsades de Pointes. Whereas progesterone shortens the QT interval, see here, here, here and here. Which explains why your heart was beating rapidly, oestrogen was being stimulated. Oestrogen also constricts the smooth muscle in blood vessels, hence the tight chest. Continued below. Take care Wray
Dec 09, 2011
 Breathing difficulties Part 2
by: Wray

Hi Elaine Progesterone is excellent for the lungs, as it relaxes smooth muscle, plus increasing the volume of air inhaled, see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here. It's been used successfully for asthma, see here and here. Whereas oestrogen can exacerbate it, see here. You live in Edinburgh, Scotland gets less sun than the rest of Europe, therefore less vitamin D, it's vital to supplement. Scotland has one of the highest rates of heart disease in the world, MS too, both due to a lack of vitamin D, see here and here. A lack of vitamin D has been implicated in asthma, see here, here, here and here. Continued below. Take care Wray
Dec 09, 2011
 Breathing difficulties Part 3
by: Wray

Hi Elaine Please have a test done. For more info on levels, testing etc see the Vitamin D Council, GrassrootsHealth, Birmingham Hospital and Vitamin D Links websites. Blood levels should be 70-100ng/ml or 175-250nmol/L and not the 30ng/ml or 75nmol/L most labs and doctors regard as adequate. And the minimum daily dose should be 5000iu's per day, although the latest research indicates it should be 10,000iu's per day, see here. This is an excellent video to watch too, see here. Take care Wray
Feb 12, 2017
 Had same breathing issue
by: Anonymous

I had same problem as Elaine. I am not asthmatic. I woke up at 3am restless and uncomfortable. I felt like I had to make myself breath. My husband was worried and got up with me to make sure I was okay. Felt a slight numbness in my body, too. It felt scary. I had just increased my dose the day and night before as this "progesterone therapy.com website suggested. It did help alleviate my symptoms during the day, but at night this bad side effect. I'm still up with insomnia and will pay for it tomorrow in fatigue - the very thing I was suffering with which made me try this in the first place! I have been taking the progesterone cream (source naturals) as directed and tweaking my dose and trying to figure vis internet sources about how all this works for the past two weeks. I am very discouraged that it appears this will not work for me - even though initilly it helped so much. Another treatment with side effects. It's really discouraging. Glad it worls for some, and I sure wish I was a part of that group.

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