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Love the Progesterone--Hair Loss , not so much!

by Cathy Mills
(Brookeville, MD, USA)

Dear Wray, first off, thank you so much for what you are doing with progesteone therapy information for thousands of women everywhere!
Background: I am a 28-day cycle menstruating 50-year old who has 2 grapefruit-sized fibroids and multiple other sizes...plus simple cysts on both my ovaries (I have had cysts on and off for many years) I eat healthy and excersise often. I take 50 mg of spironolactone for chin acne and multi vitamins.

I have been using 1/4 tsp morn and night of Products of Nature, Natural Woman, progesterone cream for 2 months. I read Dr. John Lee's book (the one about menopause) cover to cover and then I found your site. Wa-hoo!
I know it seems too early to feel results, but I do feel like my cysts are smaller and I don't have that feeling of fullness and bloatedness any more. I love the sense of calmness I get after I put on the cream. It is actually very relaxing!
NOW-Aaack!-my hair is falling out in droves. I freaked out and stopped using the cream, deciding hair was more important than cysts.I read where you advised using MORE cream-- Up to 1 teaspoon or 1 1/2 tsp a day. Also, I am taking all those vitamins you recommended.. How long does it take to start growing back/stop falling out after I increase the cream? Thanking you in advance.

Comments for Love the Progesterone--Hair Loss , not so much!

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Sep 01, 2011
 dosage
by: annette Canada

Hello Cathy hormones are a pain in the you know what. You are using far too little progesterone. With size of your fibroids being so large I would suggest at least 400-600 milligrams a day, taking the cream throughout the day. As for your hair it will come back in time, you have to make progesterone the dominant hormone and that takes time. Also you should be taking 5000 iu's of vitamin D a day, very vital. Hope this helps a little until Wray answers. Get Natpro cream it is the best cream ever, with the right concentration of progesterone.
Sep 02, 2011
 Love the Progesterone--Hair Loss , not so much!
by: Wray

Hi Cathy Thanks for the kind words! I'm concerned you're using spionolactone for Acne, I don't believe any drug is needed, see here, here, and here. Ironically spironolactone has androgenic properties, it's excess androgen that causes acne, scalp hair loss, facial hair etc. When first using progesterone it initially stimulates oestrogen, but the oestrogen has to be converted from testosterone, so this first increases, hence the hair loss. Progesterone is very calming, as it activates the GABA receptor sites, GABA is one of the most calming neurotransmitters. The 1/2 tsp of cream you are using is giving you only 40mg of progesterone. This is far too low, I recommend 100-200mg/day. It doesn't surprise me you are loosing hair. If you do increase the amount you are using, please see our page on Oestrogen Dominance first, as this can occur. It's impossible to say how long it will take, hair grows very slowly, and there are other problems to solve too. Such as the cysts and Fibroids. Please have a vitamin D test done, both cysts and fibroids are caused by oxidative stress, often due to a lack of vitamin D. For more info see the Vitamin D Council, GrassrootsHealth and Birmingham Hospital websites. Take care Wray
Sep 02, 2011
 Hair Loss
by: CamperKat

I was on Spiro and Yaz for 5 years for alopecia brought on by fertility treatments...from age 45-50.

These meds are BAD for you in a big way. I quit them cold turkey (not a good idea, see Wray's advice on how to wean yourself off) on December 20, 2010 and then started progesterone cream on Feb 10, 2011.

I can tell you that it took many months of using progesterone cream to even begin to see or feel any change at all, either good or bad. Then in April my hair began to fall out. A LOT. I freaked, but listened to Wray and stuck with the program. I believed her that the loss was temporary. She was right.

By mid June, I noticed baby hairs all around my temples (this is where my hair loss is most noticable) and as of today, Sept 2, these baby hairs are now about 2"+ and well on their way to being "grown up" hairs.

It can take many months for hormones to level out--this is the bad news that we all hate hearing and that we all panic about. Younger women with less problems can start to see/feel the very beginning of change in a couple of weeks with full results within 3-6 months, but older women (40+) can take 3, 6, 12 months or up to a couple of years to completely resolve issues.

BUT these issues can be resolved, and it DOES slowly get better.

Please get yourself off the Spiro, and use more progesterone cream. Oh...and by the way, your facial hair or body hair may get a little worse when you completely quit the Spiro, but it actually will settle down and be less noticeable. I was freaking because I suddenly had noticeable arm hair and chin hair again, but this lasted about a month or so and then it got lighter again--not as light as when I was on the Spiro--but I'd rather have a healthy liver (Spiro and all Rx drugs are horrible for your liver--my enzymes were 3x elevated and my Endocrinologist insisted his Rx meds had nothing to do with it...I quit and now they are normal, so you tell me!)

Good luck to you.
Sep 02, 2011
 Progesterone
by: Anonymous

Since Progesterone activates the GABA receptors can it make you too calm or sleepy during the day?
Sep 03, 2011
 dosage
by: Wray

Hi Annette Thanks so much, it's always so encouraging to others when you answer. This time I wasn't too far behind you! And bless you for the kind words about Natpro! Take care Wray
Sep 16, 2011
 Response to shedding hair
by: Cathy (Maryland)

Yeeesh--can't a girl do anything right? HA!( O : Seems like I have to make a few changes and I am more than ready, believe me!

First off, THANK YOU, for all of your responses. Secondly, I would like to respond to you all and ask a few more questions...

Still love the cream even if my hair is shedding! If it can postpone a hysterectomy, then Wa-hoo, I am all for it! Sounds like I need to at least double the progesterone cream dosage-up to 1-2 teaspoons a day. I assume I still start around day 12-14 and use it up until Day 1 (menstruation)of my cycle--is this correct?

I will buy the Natpro when my other runs out. I did compare the two brands and mine has similar properties--960 mg of natural progesterone per 2 oz. jar.
My Vitamin D level is 39.7 ng/mL which I was told was normal (taken this May during my gall bladder surgery)...I have never taken Vitamin D , it is just in my multivitamin (1000 whatever.)

The 5000 of Vit. D you recommend is an easy fix... I must say, I kind of glazed over trying to read the bit about Oxidative Stress. I understand it is about free radicals and antioxidants and all. I am an Antioxidant Queen and have been for the last 5 years, sitting here right now sipping my green tea and noshing on almonds and dark chocolate..so, besides eating a boatload of veggies and fruit, I guess I need more advice on Oxidative Stress and how to fight back those nasty little radicals playing havoc with me...

I guess I am ready to wean off Spironolactone. I am 50 years old for goodness sake--even my children don't take acne medecine!! BUT, I do want to say spironolactone was my saving grace when nothing else worked on my long battle with chin acne. There were many days I would be so self-conscious about my face and embarrassed. Spiron stopped it all, dried up my lovely shiney face, and even made my hair thick. So, you can see why I'm a little attached, in a weird sort of way. I am willing to wean off for other safe medical reasons--maybe having proper progesteone levels will be enough to help the acne.
S
o glad, CamperKit, that your hair is growing back! There is hope for me! I will also admit, since I am baring it all, that I am vain in regards to my hair and am very distressed it is falling out, or more like shedding actually.

Once again, thank you ladies for listening and responding. I really appreciate it.
Sep 21, 2011
 Response to shedding hair
by: Wray

Hi Cathy I'm so pleased Annette and CamperKat added their bit, they've both been through torrid times. If you want to see all their other comments too, just put their name into the Google search window at the bottom of any page. The cream you are using only has 960mg/60g of cream. The Natpro contains 2000mg/tube of 60g. You can follow your cycle, but often it's of help to use the progesterone daily, ignoring your cycle for about 2-3 months. This ensures a more rapid recovery from oestrogen dominance, it's progesterone you're aiming to make dominant. Unfortunately most labs and doctors are way behind the vitamin D specialists when it comes to normal levels. The range they suggest should be 70-100ng/ml. This can only be achieved with 5000iu's per day. It's most interesting, but one woman who wrote in said her level started off at 35ng/ml, she took 5000iu's per day and it went to 70ng/ml. She then dropped her dose to 2000iu's per day, and her level dropped after 3 months to 39ng/ml. So she's back on the 5000iu's. Progesterone has antioxidant properties, but vitamin D is the most powerful. We also make an antioxidant in our cells called glutathione. This is the second most important antioxidant after vitamin D, but it's pointless taking it as it gets destroyed by the gut. Besides which it's very expensive. The best is to take the amino acid precursors so the body has sufficient to manufacture glutathione. These are N-acetyl cysteine, glutamine and glycine. The amounts I suggest, and also the amounts I take daily are, 2000mg NAC, 4000-8000mg glutamine and 1000-2000mg glycine. Glutamine and glycine also help control blood glucose, as the body can convert them to glucose, but being amino acids the conversion is so slow they don't cause a sugar shock. And please take heart from CamperKat's advice about the spiro and how you could get worse before getting better. Luckily I've never experienced hair loss, maybe because I caught it in time using the progesterone. I must add mine is very thick and I only have a slight greying at the side. Incidentally progesterone is very good for ageing, see here, here, here, here and here. Take care Wray
Sep 21, 2011
 Progesterone, Wt Gain, Inflammation, Cancer
by: Wray

Hi there I've never found progesterone makes me too sleepy. In fact I had chronic fatigue before using it, which went away once I started it, plus I had much more energy to keep going. Calmness is always welcome in the frenetic lives we lead. Take care Wray
Sep 21, 2011
 Hair Loss
by: Wray

Hi CamperKat I seem to have missed your reply, why I have no idea! As always so good, so encouraging, what would I do without you and Annette, and the few others who come to my rescue when I'm late replying. So happy your baby hairs are now 'growing up'! And I'm so pleased you pointed out that it does take longer for an older woman to come right, more's the pity! Take care Wray
Oct 12, 2011
 I have persevered--my hair has stopped shedding!!
by: Cathy

Thank you for your advice , Wray, on my second round of questions.
You have no idea how touched I am that you take the time to answer my questions. Not to mention all the other lovely ladies who responded as well.. Thank you.

I received the Natpro cream that day in the mail, so I have been using it a month and a half (after having used a different, lower progesterone brand for 2 months, not using enough, getting the estrogen dominance thingee and having shedding hair.)

I took your advice and used it during the first month, even thru my menstruation and will use it thru one more monthly cycle, then I will go back to the regular schedule. I am also taking the inositol, biotin, the NAC, the 5000 vitamin D, and only half of a pill of Spironolactone. I will eventually be off the Spiro completely. Like I said in a former post... I am worried that I will break out with pimples all over if I quit it--yes, I know, I am slightly mental when it comes to this subject.

ANYWAY, for the last week, after my shower, when I combed my hair, only 10-15 hairs were in the comb--instead of 70-90!!(speaking of mental...when you are losing your hair, you DO count...) I call that success. I almost cried I was so happy! Your cream is definately a better product than what I was using. You can actually feel it working. My hair even looks better. I have a little way to go to get it back to "normal" but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Oct 18, 2011
 I have persevered--my hair has stopped shedding!!
by: Wray

Hi Cathy Bless you for saying that, having been through hell and back myself, and no one to talk to, I know what it's like! I used to give talks, but with the advent of the internet, I reach many more people, but still not enough. It's so frustrating knowing how many women suffer needlessly every month, or every day through Peri-menopause, and how simple is the solution. I'm relieved you're coming off the spiro slowly, you saw what CamperKat had to say about coming off cold turkey, it's not worth it. I'm delighted you used the progesterone all month, and will try for another month. It really does work, but please be aware of Oestrogen Dominance when you start a cycle again. You'll have to experiment. And you've no idea how happy I am the nutrients and progesterone have stopped the hair loss. I'm sure I would also count each hair as it fell out! Now that the hair has stopped falling out, it should start growing back again. But??.please be patient! The follicles have to 'wake' up so to speak, this can take time. Next the hair itself has to grow, and it's not fast. The last thing you must do is start worrying that it's not growing, this only causes stress, and with this all the essential nutrient levels drop. So the whole process will be slowed considerably. Thanks so much too, for the kind words about the cream. Take care Wray

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