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Progesterone cream causing racing heart?

by ES
(US)

Can progesterone cream cause your heart to race? I just swapped creams (from lifeflo to emerita) and I've noticed that my heart races and a few other symptoms since I've changed. Just wondering if there's a connection? What can I do about it?

Comments for Progesterone cream causing racing heart?

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Mar 02, 2014
 Racing Heart
by: Deborah

Hi ES

At some point while taking progesterone cream, my heart used to race every time that I laid down. It got so bad sometimes I wondered if my heart had stopped beating, and when would it start again!

But I didn't want to stop taking the cream, so I didn't. When I saw your question, I realized that the racing heart stuff had stopped for me some time back and I hadn't even noticed it.......

You should maybe look into Wray's progesterone cream. There aren't too many good ones out there but Wray's is one of them.
Mar 03, 2014
 Progesterone cream causing racing heart?
by: Joy

Hi ES

Yes this can happen especially if one uses a cream that does not contain the correct progesterone concentration - see cream. Usually 400mg per day is needed to get you over the racing heart/heart palpitations, then you can slowly reduce the amount of cream to a level that suits you.

It is not progesterone that is causing it though, but rather excess estrogen, please see Estrogen Dominance. Estrogen causes prolongation of the QT interval, which results in palpitations, arrhythmia, Torsades de Pointes and sudden death. Whereas progesterone shortens the QT interval, see here and here.

You might like to read the page on Vitamin D as a deficiency reduces the benefits of progesterone.
Mar 14, 2014
 Promerium Inquiry
by: Christy

I am 39 and started prometrium 100mg a day cream about two months ago. I was started on it because I was low on progesterone and experiencing low thyroid symptoms along with cystic acne and fluid retention and inability to loose weight. I noticed everything improving but the acne so they bumped me to 150mg. It is helping however when I am off of the Prometrium for 14 days my symptoms come back with a vengeance especially as far as the fluid retention/weight gain. I have weighed about 115 for the last few years and have tried to loose but can't. I am only 5"1 and my normal weight for me for years was 100-105. Right now I am at 119 and miserable. My legs are so fluid filled they hurt to touch and this extra weight has got to go somehow. Even with diet and exercise my weight does not change sometimes I even gain :( My question is am I not on enough Progesterone and is there a way I can stay on the Progesterone every day or at least for 21 days instead of 14??? My lab tests say thyroid is fine but something is screwing up my metabolism to the point I don't have any anymore. I can smell food and gain weight and I am at my "weights" end!!!! So I am asking what your opinion would be on increasing dosage and days of Prometrium or another possible answer to my problem. My Dr. believes I have Fibromyalgia and Sjrogrens and I am high anxiety under lots of stress. I am on Fluoxentine 40 mg for depression and have been for the last 12 years. I am also on Treximet as needed for migraines and a Nortriptyline 10 mg. All of these meds are not new to me and so nothing has changed except the Prometrium so I hope I have given enough info for you to be able to possibly suggest what to do. Thank you so much. :)
Mar 28, 2014
 Prometrium Inquiry
by: Joy

Hi Christy

I can't advise you on Prometrium I am afraid as I do not know what it contains, but I can advise you that there are two things which are extremely important when using progesterone is firstly, it is not an overnight fix, it can take anything from 2 to 6 months, possibly longer, depending on how severe symptoms are before benefits are felt. Secondly, if the incorrect progesterone concentration is not used it causes terrible Estrogen Dominance symptoms, which is what you are experiencing now. You are not using enough progesterone for your symptoms.

With any adverse symptom, it is preferred that progesterone is used every day until symptoms have cleared and one is feeling stable enough to reduce and follow the monthly cycle. With Fibromyalgia and Sjogrens I would suggest that be used every day. Both these are caused by excess estrogen and Vitamin D deficiency, do you know what your level is as a deficiency reduces the benefits of progesterone. A vitamin D deficiency can also explain your thyroid problems.

Hope this helps.
Aug 20, 2014
 heart palpitation on 400mg a day
by: Ksenia

Hello dear,
I continue to experience heart palpitation on 100, 280mg and even on 400mg of progesterone a day in cream and sublingual drops. My heart races even when I lay down – up to 90-100heartbeat per minute. Sometimes I wondered if I can get a heart attack… My blood pressure also has increased from normal for me 90/60 up to 110/75. Plus general fatique, pain, migraines and candida…
I drink no coffee, have full B complex and additional B6-100, 1000IU of vit D, 400mg magnesium day, along with other minerals, amino acids, adrenal and thyroid support.
I desperately need your advice! Should I increase progesterone even more? Or should I maintain 400mg a day for some time to see the result? All my current symptoms look like estrogen dominance…
I thought I was quite prepared for progesterone, but now I have gotten more trouble than benefits…
Thank you for any reply!
Aug 26, 2014
 Heart Palpitations on 400mg a day
by: Joy

Hi Ksenia

I think your problem is that you are also using an oral progesterone which is not the best delivery method as 96% gets destroyed by the gut and liver. Please use a cream only which has the correct progesterone concentration as mentioned further on this thread. You are indeed suffering from Estrogen Dominance and the only way to overcome this is to use the correct amount of progesterone. Use 400mg until your symptoms ease, then you can slowly reduce the amount used to a level that suits you. Progesterone therapy is not an overnight fix, it can take anything from 2-6 months, possibly longer depending on how severe symptoms are and of course, using the correct amount of progesterone. Another thing to remember is that things can get worse before they get better when using progesterone for the first time. Please read How to use Progesterone Cream and the Candida page will also help you.

Another thing to consider, is Vitamin D. Do you know what your level is as a deficiency reduces the benefits of progesterone.

Hope this helps.
Nov 14, 2014
 I'm taking 300-360 mg
by: Natasha M. (Florida)

I remember when I first starting taking progesterone cream I experienced lots of really intense symptoms much like some of the things you are saying. Something that has helped me was to keep a symptoms journal that way it anything was off with my health I was able to track it. So meaning you write down how much you are using everyday and write your symptoms and include any medicines you are taking and any vitamins things like that. Also something else you need to keep in mind is your stress levels or being sick. If there is anything stressful going on in your day it will reduce the effectiveness of your progesterone cream.

So yes you might need to just increase the dose til the racing heart rate stops but the thing is the within the first couple months as you are figuring out your doses then you gotta kind of let your body adjust to it all. Not only that but also changing your diet could help a lot. I had to stop drinking milk something small but it made a big difference.

Anyways I am still currently trying to figure out what is a good dose for me cause I have been using through out the month not stopping for my period. So it does take some time for your body to get rid of the estrogen dominance you have to what is right for you. I have been using like 5 months straight non stop still trying to figure out when can I lower my dose. But you have to do what is right for you and your body. I hope that helped.

At first when I started taking progesterone I would wake up a lot still experiencing hot flashes and experienced the whole racing heart rate thing. Up the dose til you get relief but stick to that particular dosage and just practice on some breathing exercises because I used to experience panic attacks at first and really intense headaches because i was only using 100 mg.
Feb 22, 2015
 to - Natasha M.
by: Aliisa

Hi Natasha. How are you getting along with your progesterone? I have been using 600mg/day because of muscle weakness among other symptoms. And now I'm getting palpitations. I've been at this dose for 20 days. Muscle weakness is much better and well as many of my other symptoms. But now with the palpitations I'm getting scared.
Mar 15, 2015
 Heart Palpitations
by: Carla T.

I write this as I ended up in the ER yesterday with almost no sleep the night before from a racing heart and chest pain. I'll back up to November when this all started. I am 51 and still menstruating. I was having fluttering in my chest usually when I relaxed at night. Also really bad cramps and various times in my cycle. I did a saliva test which showed low progesterone and low estrogen. I did a followup blood test which showed my levels were all normal. So my gyno doc put me on 30 mg of progesterone cream (bioidentical) and the fluttering eventually went away.

About 3-4 weeks ago I started experiencing chest pain, a racing heart and irregular heart beat but only at night when I lay down to go to bed. As soon as I get up and go about my day I am fine. It was occasionally but now it is definitely getting worse and more frequent.

Yesterday I went to urgent care and they sent me to the ER. They did an EKG and blood work and everything was normal. I've been on a 24 hr heart monitor but last night I had a good night so I have a feeling the results will be normal. I also have a history of costochondritis and have been very stressed lately.

My periods are still irregular - like every 3 weeks and I still having cramping at various times of the month. I now stop the cream during the first 7 days of my cycle. Although I am now on Day 23, still no "P" - I am crossing my fingers!! I take high potency multi with high levels of B vitamins, 1000 mg of Vit. D. Adaptogens Ashwaganda, Rhodiola. Also take tumeric, COQ10 and hawthorne flower. Do I need to get a stronger Rx for progesterone? Have only been on it for 3-1/2 months but definitely feeling worse than better with the racing heart. Thank you for any suggestions you can give me!
Mar 30, 2018
 heart rate and bp up
by: Dawn

Was looking for something to explain my symptoms, when I ran across this acticle, so glad I found this.

I had partial hysterectomy when I was 28, I'm 56 now and in menopause. I'm on estragel and recently the dr. put me on progesterone. I have been having awful side effects, my bp is normally about 110/70 and now is up to 145/110, my heart rate rarely gets under 100 and have spikes up to 147 occasionally, having jittery feeling. I'm also on xanax which does not seem to help with the jittery feelings anymore like it used to, still having several hot flashes per day and night, not much sleep, called the dr. and they said that progesterone doesn't usually cause heart problems like this. Called reg. dr. who sent me to a cardiologist who wants to do all kinds of test on me, even though I just had several done a little over a year and everything was normal. Blood test showed I was vit D deficient, so on 50000 uts for that.

Anyway i stopped taking the progesterone on my own and have noticed that my heart rate is fluctuating up and down now, but I actually seem to feel better and bp is coming down slowly. I have tried to find out how long it takes for this to get out of my system, was only on it for 5 weeks, anyone have any ideas? I would rather deal with the hot flashes than these other syptoms!!

Any help?? greatly appreciated, feel like I'm losing my mind with this stuff going on.
Jul 14, 2018
 In reply to Dawn from March 2018
by: Sandy

Hi Dawn,

I could have written your exact post. My normal bp (116/72) spikes on roughly the 5th day of using Progesterone cream (100mg in divided doses). It went up as high as 168/101, makes me feel awful. Soon as I stop using the cream, the BP comes down to normal again. I am Estrogen Dominant and am desperate to correct the imbalance as my symptoms are fatigue, anxiety, heart palps, night sweats and hot flashes. I am also working on raising my Vitamin D level and using 8,000-10,0000 IU's of D3 daily. Did you figure anything out about why your BP would go up?
Jul 22, 2018
 Sandy
by: Dawn

Sandy, I have checked everything I can find on progesterone, and everything I have read says it will raise heart rate among other side effects, it has been 4 months since I have stopped the progesterone and I'm still having several issues happening with my heart rate and bp besides several other withdrawal issues. My GP has me on a heart monitor for a month which I am into 2 weeks now to see if I'm having AFib, which progesterone can cause to happen. He also informed me that I should have never been put on progesterone ever without having a uterus, as it naturally is stored there, since I dont have a uterus, the progesterone is in my fat cells and will take several months to get out of my system, so in the meantime I feel awful, cannot hardly do anything without my heart racing and/or having issues with breathing, among several other things going on. I am so upset with the dr. that put me on this without warning me about the side effects.
I wish you luck, but as of right now, everything I read or have been told is it will take time to go away up to a year even, wish I had better news for you, if you find out anything please let me know as i will check in with you here if I do, Sandy.
Jul 05, 2019
 Look at other causes...
by: Anonymous

I can't help noticing that almost everyone who posted in this thread is taking MANY other medications, vitamins, and herbs.

Please consider everything you are taking, and don't assume the progesterone is causing it. The doctor who said you should not take prog if you don't have a uterus is WRONG. That means you NEED it more -- because your uterus isn't there to make it!!!

Too much Vit B can cause heart palps. Too much or too little Vit D can cause them. Review EVERYTHING you are taking, and the foods you eat. Too much sugar can be a factor. You have to get your whole body healthy and in sync.

Be well, friends.
Jul 05, 2019
 in response
by: Dawn

OK, it has been 16 months since I stopped the progesterone and the symptoms have finally gone away thank you God, I will never ever use this again, My Gp and my Gyni both told me I should never have been put on it to start with, I have several medical bills I am still paying on for since all of this happened, among a stress test, echogram, pulmonary test, ekgs, angiogram and MRI, according to my Cardiologist, there is nothing wrong with my heart everything is great, but my heart rate was still high and after several times in the ER with high BP, she finally put me on BP meds and that is under control now. Im am feeling more like myself finally after a year and a half of hell, thought I was going to die. I know some people on here think I am wrong and progesterone may work for you, but I will never support it ever, all my other meds are not causing me any issues considering I have been on them with no effects since, just a warning, progesterone is not the cure all and some of us cannot tolerate it, PERIOD!!!
Aug 31, 2021
 Heart Palpitations after Progesterone Cream
by: Aliona

I am sure progesterone can be helpful in certain cases but for me after using progesterone cream I developed heart palpitations, which are taking a while to go away (have been few months coming on and off). So I agree that one should be careful with progesterone cream. Wished I read this blog before using the cream.

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