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PROGESTERONE and water retention

by Cynthia
(Virginia)

Hello

THIS IS MY SECOND POST OF THIS SAME MATTER. PLEASE HELP.

I am age 53 and very youthful and energetic. I use to be on Bio Identical progesterone and my body loved it. My body did not like estrogen, so we stopped that early on. After about four or five years, the death of my husband and life circumstances resulting from his death, I suffered from severe anxiety which resulted in a continuous burning sensation in my limbs. This continued over the years to reach my back with the same burning sensation.

I have tried several times to go back on progesterone even though it did not help the burning sensation. However, about a month ago, I again tried a 200 mg capsule of progesterone, which I open and pour powder in my mouth because I don't digest the capsule. In fifteen minutes, the burn was reduced to a light tingle.

I am trying to take 400 mg per day (200 mg twice a day), but the water retention that I have only in my stomach is very annoying. I only weigh 102 lbs with the extra water (two extra pounds of water) and it is uncomfortable around my stomach and causes me to feel extremely bloated and stagnant. Water retention also causes my back to hurt. I want to continue to take the progesterone because it has helped the burning skin sensation and anxiety dramatically and has given me a calm feeling. The anxiety still surfaces at a lesser degree around 5 am and until I can busy my mind with something other than my life.

My body use to love Progesterone without this problem. I have NOT had a hysterectomy and still HAVE my overies. I did have my tubes tied when I was 23 years old and have never had children. Is there something that I can take for the water retention? I have tried several natural products, but they have not been successful. My gynocologist offers no resolution for this water retention.

I also have hot flashes that can be more severe at night than in the day, regardless of sleeping with a fan or on cotton linens. The reason I take the progesterone capsules instead of using the cream is that in the past when I was on the cream, it did not absorb through my skin as it did with others. I am going to attempt to try the cream again to see what happens. I tried putting the progesterone powder in some cream and applying it to my skin, but that did not work. It just rolled up like peeling skin and got strange.

I also have suffered from severe insomnia since the age of fifteen. Progesterone capsules help this only when taken at 800 mg or above. This is not an option. Although I sleep well, I am physically and mentally useless for several days and the water retention is just as bad as above.

Thank you for your response.

Comments for PROGESTERONE and water retention

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Apr 27, 2014
 PROGESTERONE and water retention
by: RJ

Hello Cynthia!
It will be hard to get a response from Wray right now. I'm not sure what cream you were using, but I'd advise you to try Natpro. Has a totally different composite than any other out there. The capsules aren't doing you a lick of good. Most of it is being destroyed in your stomach....you take 200 mg but you may only be absorbing 100 mgs. So, if you are not getting sufficient dosage then your body is in an estrogen dominance state all the time. Go on the cream, it absorbs excellently, and increase the dosage until you find the level that works for you. Read Wray's site and type you question into the google bar. Tons of articles will come up and you'll find your answer. Stress will put every organ in your body into a maxed out state and will cause all kinds of issues. But progesterone is not the only answer, read her site and look at all the other supplements and diet protocols Wray suggests. Progesterone needs help from so many other supps. The only other thing that comes to my mind is how is your liver. Folks with liver trouble carry water in their tummies. God Bless! RJ
Apr 27, 2014
 Progesterone and water retention
by: Anonymous

I am not a DR. but the fact that you took a progesterone pill could be your problem. First, pills don't work as well as the cream and second your pill might have been the chemical version of progesterone instead of the bioidentical type which usually comes in cream form. I don't know of anyone who has used a pill form and had any success.
Apr 27, 2014
 progesterone and water retention
by: Deborah

Hi Cynthia!

I'm not an expert - not in the least little bit - but I will tell you what I know, and try to help.

Wray has mentioned many times that oral progesterone is probably the worst way to get progesterone, and that transdermal progesterone is the best way.

You mentioned that you've tried the creams before but they didn't seem to help, but I wonder if they had enough progesterone in them?

I think it's worth it to read her page that tells how much progesterone should be in the cream - I'm not sure where the page would be, but perhaps click on the links on the left side of her site and read a lot.

Because of life situations and/or hormones, I developed anxiety every time that I had to go out of the house. After quite a long time of using Natpro (Wray's cream) it's gone. Completely gone. I now know I should have been taking a lot more progesterone and it would have gone faster.

I think she has mentioned 500 mg a day if you have severe symptoms, and doing that until the symptoms are gone. Then when you feel better, you can cut back slooooooowly, little by little - and if any symptom returns, up the amount again.

She's also said that if you're not using enough, you will only aggravate (my word) your estrogen levels, making your symptoms worse.....

Despite the anxiety leaving however, I still could not get rid of 30 pounds of sudden weight gain. Perhaps if I'd taken 500 mg a day for awhile, I might have seen some results from the exercise - I'm not sure.

But I started taking coconut oil too - I have worked my way up to a tablespoon a day (most people say you should have three tablespoons a day, but it can have a laxative effect so it's best to work up slowly).

I started losing weight and I continue to lose weight. The water retention was the first to go.

I think I have to end this reply and start another one.....
Apr 27, 2014
 PART TWO
by: Deborah

Sorry - it wouldn't let me put my whole reply on one page. Here's the second part:

Read what Dr. Mercola says about coconut oil:
http://products.mercola.com/coconut-oil/

It's especially important to read what he says to look for when buying coconut oil.

Also, I know Wray would want you to have your vitamin D levels tested; progesterone and vitamin D go hand in hand, and Magnesium and vitamin K.

If you can't get out in the sun enough to get your daily vitamin D, Dr. Mercola has a spray:

http://products.mercola.com/vitamin-d-spray/

Read the whole page - I think it will be very interesting to you.

Oh - I believe that Wray also has vitamin D on her site (sorry Wray)!.

And Magnesium oil - here's a page that tells a little bit about the symptoms of deficiency, but there are many more than are listed:

http://www.ancient-minerals.com/magnesium-deficiency/symptoms-signs/

No, I'm not getting any kickback from any of these companies lol! They just have some easy reading pages so that you can begin to do your own research.

I can't see your page while I'm writing this, so I hope that I have covered most of what you were asking about.

I know it's so frustrating when doctors can't help - but thank God for people like Wray who are determined to find out the truth and to help other people!
Apr 30, 2014
 Progesterone and water retention
by: Joy

Hi Cynthia

The death of your husband would have affected your stress levels terribly, stress destroys both progesterone and vitamin D levels in our bodies, more of both are needed during times of stress.
As others have mentioned, and Wray herself so many times of her website, oral progesterone is not the best delivery method when it comes to progesterone as 96% gets destroy by the gut and liver – see here.

The skin absorbs progesterone cream very well, so does hair follicles however, the thicker the cream the more difficult it is to absorb. It is so important to use the correct progesterone cream otherwise Estrogen Dominance symptoms take place, weight gain and water retention are two of them.

At 53 not only are you in Peri-Menopause heading towards Menopause which causes many of the symptoms that you are describing, so too does the Tubal Ligation that you had. Please read the side effects of it, perhaps you can identify with some of them.

How to use Progesterone Cream will help you to understand a little more about progesterone, if it is not used correctly it will not work. It is also not an overnight fix, it does take time for positive results to be felt. For your hot flushes nothing less than 400-500mg per day of progesterone cream is needed for 4 to 6 days, or until the hot flushes have cleared, once they have and you feel stable, you can reduce very slowly, about 16mg at a time. If you reduce too soon and by too much, your hot flushes will return, if they do, simply increase the amount of cream again and try reducing again.

Do you know what your Vitamin D level is, if not please consider having a test done as a deficiency reduces the benefits of progesterone, it is also connected to every single cell and its formation in our bodies making it vital.

Hope this helps.
Apr 30, 2014
 Progesterone and water retention
by: Joy

Hi Cynthia

Apologies, I forgot to discuss your burning sensation that you have been experiencing over the years. Have you been tested for Peripheral Neuropathy? It can cause a feeling of burning, a crawling sensation, numbness, pain, tingling, and more. Certain drugs can cause this too as they can leave the skin feeling extremely sensitive. Progesterone is neuroprotective, increasing myelinisation. It's also a potent analgesic, so too is it's metabolite allopregnanolone. It can help with peripheral neuropathy if that is the case.

It is a problem found in diabetics too, have you been tested for Insulin Resistance?

Take care.
Sep 23, 2018
 Re:
by: Anonymous

Hi there, not sure if you are still checking the post.
Based on your trial with the progesterone you would need to routinely be checking your levels to see if the therapy is working for you and that you are utilizing the proper amount of progesterone.

You can also ask your doctor about magnesium to help with relaxation, deficiency is fairly common these days. Getting your thyroid and adrenal gland functions tested is also a good idea as they play a role in fluid regulation.

Hope that helps.

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