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Progesterone for pms and for pregnancy

by Lindsey
(Nashville, TN)

I am so glad I found this site. Very grateful for Wray and all of her research and help.

I am 34 years old and have had horrible PMS issues for years. Horrible. Irritability and mood issues and anger control or lack thereof is my number one complaint. It has gotten worse as i've gotten older. In my 20s, my doctor said birth control pills would help. They made me worse. It would get so bad I wouldn't even want my boyfriend (now husband) to touch me much less be intimate. I also have Crohn's disease which has had me taking many medicines over the years since I was 15. One of them i had to take which is horrible for you and your system is Prednisone, a steroid. I know that messes with your adrenal gland, which has to in turn mess with your hormones. When I was 19-22 I had to take it for 9 months at a time. It was awful. These days they have much better medicine for Crohn's with less side effects, that I know of at least.

I also got married a year ago which can be stressful and i am also studying for the CPA which is stressful and I work full time as an accountant. This past year I have had blood sugar issues, weight gain that I have never experienced (i'm normally around 110-114 and i'm close to 130 - 20lbs in a year), had an ovarian cyst that cause major pain which i've never had before either, my periods became heavier and pms more miserable than ever, extreme bloating. I dreaded it. I refused to believe that just because I got married and turned 34 that I was all the sudden "old" and my body was turning against me. It turns me into a different person. and it's only during the 2 weeks or week and half before my period. I knew I was out of whack after all the stress and chemicals i've ingested over my life and it was coming to a brink. I began to research and learned of natural progesterone. I tried Emerita and they suggest 20-40mg i believe. it made me worse when I didn't think I could get worse. I was crying, sad, way depressed, angry, bloated etc. So I stopped the progesterone. But then i found this site and learned that wasn't enough progesterone and it just exacerbated my symptoms. This is the second month I've tried Natpro and I'm seeing improvement. At first I went through a rough patch of estrogen dominance symptoms but i just added more and increased my Vit D as i read that can help too. I believe my vit D was at 31 ng/mL the last time I checked which isn't bad but I think it was too low and the progesterone needed more to work with. This second month is better. If i feel the symptoms creep in, I add more. I believe i'm at about 200mg of progetrone (natpro) per day give or take. And I added Estrosense to my regimen. I was also told my progesterone was slightly low. 10.8 ng/mL

That's my story. My quesiton is do I use the cream until i start and then stop the cream, or do i just use it until around when i'm supposed to start. And do i just stop cold turkey or do i use a little less on the last day i'm using it.

My second question is regarding pregnancy. We plan to try at the end of this year. I keep reading that you should use the progesterone cream from ovulation day and on through your pregnancy. What happens if you assume you aren't pregnant and stop using the cream at the regular time according to your cycle and then miscarry because you quit taking it? I guess i'm just confused on how you are supposed to know when to stop using the cream for a regular cycle and then for pregnancy also.

this site has been invaluable to me. Thank you Wray and everyone that helps. It's been a life saver. and relationship saver. ;) I've scoured over the pages but just want some clarification about usage.
Any guidance is appreciated. -Lindsey

Comments for Progesterone for pms and for pregnancy

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Mar 13, 2014
 Progesterone for PMS and for Pregnancy
by: Joy

Hi Lindsey

Before I begin, I would just like to say that your …. “I refused to believe that just because I got married and turned 34 that I was all of a sudden "old" ….. comment, it had me in fits of laughter!! Men get blamed for quite a few things, don’t they?? :)

Seriously though, you have had a bit of a torrid time, as I did before I also found Wray’s website. I often wonder if Wray actually realises just how many people she has helped! Why do doctors seem to think that the 'good old' birth control pill is the answer to all female problems? All drug based Contraceptives have a potential to cause harm, as you found out.

Crohn’s disease is a lack of Vitamin D – see here and here. It is also caused my inflammation, please read Wray’s page on Inflammation. Both progesterone and vitamin D are excellent anti-inflammatories. Stress, what a terrible thing, it destroys both progesterone and vitamin D, and you certainly have been under a tremendous amount of stress. Your vitamin D level is very low, it should be between 70-100ng/mL, once you get your level up, you will start to feel the benefits.

I am so glad that you started on Natpro, but using too little progesterone, causes terrible Estrogen Dominance symptoms which you experienced. Have you been tested for Insulin Resistance especially as you have problems with blood sugar. If your monthly cycle is regular and you want to start a family, progesterone needs to be used by following your cycle, please read How to use Progesterone Cream, it will explain things to you. Estrosense is an excellent combo of nutrients. It contains some potent antioxidants, plus calcium D-glucarate and DIM, both of which help reduce estrogen, or convert it into a less toxic form, so if you are feeling its benefit, then continue with it. The Pregnancy page may also help you.

Anger could also indicate that your testosterone level is high, it might be a good idea if you had that tested too. You need progesterone to balance this out too.

Hope this helps you.

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