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Progesterone side effects?

by Jill
(Dallas, tx)

Hi, I am 48 and for the past 2 yrs, I have had blood tests that either say I am in menopause(FSH is 40 or more) and no testosterone OR tests show I am estrogen dominant with no progesterone and no testosterone.

So I was put on progesterone oral 100 mg daily and initially felt calmer, had fewer abnormal heartbeats but weird feelings in my legs, muscle spasms and then joint pain and numbness and tingling in my right hand and feet. Pain got worse as my fingernails became thinner and broke/split/peeled easily and then hot flashes!. Some itching too. I finally stopped progesterone and pain calmed down but hot flashes are still here. I am frustrated.

Is progesterone the miracle everyone touts but just not for me?

Comments for Progesterone side effects?

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Apr 03, 2015
 Oral progesterone
by: Diane

Hi Jill~
Firstly, you need to read about progesterone. Start with pressing on the tab on the left "progesterone therapy". It's in bold font. It has so much information. It talks about menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and how much Progesterone cream is suggested. Also you you need to read about Oestrogen Dominance. Below is a search bar. Please look up OESTROGEN DOMINANCE so that you know how to overcome it. It is so vital to understand what to initially expect with progesterone. It's enpowering to take charge through learning how all this works before starting any therapy. Unfortunately, too many doctors do not know how to properly treat with progesterone and therefore RX orals, and too low a dose, therefore tickling the oestrogen response.
Secondly, you have been RXed the least effective form of Progesterone in orals. As you will read, Orals are poorly absorbed because most is destroyed by the gut. From a 100mg oral P, you may be only absorbing 10%! Creams have THE best absorbability and therefore efficacy.
Personally, I am using between 200-250mg progesterone cream daily to manage my symptoms.
Also, I recommend you get Dr Michael Platt's book, THE MIRACLE OF BIOIDENTICAL HORMONES. This website and his book (amongst others recommended on this website) are trustworthy.
Good luck, Jill.
Diane
Apr 03, 2015
 Oral Progesterone
by: Jill

Thanks, Diane. However, I switched from the oral to the bio-identical cream and actually that's when the hot flashes started and the headaches and joint aches got worse. My right hand was numb and my elbows were in excruciating pain. I stopped all progesterone and the joint pain slowly went away after 4 days and my right wrist and hand are no longer numbing out. However, my nails are still breaking off and splitting and my hot flashes/flushes are still here.

I feel like I can't win.
Apr 03, 2015
 Progesterone Side effects
by: Jill

Thanks Diane. However, I did switch from oral to bio-identical cream and that's when the hot flashes, headaches and excruciating joint pain got worse. My elbows were awful and my right wrist and hand would numb out.

Now that I have stopped the cream, I am still having massive hot flushes and weak and brittle nails.
Apr 03, 2015
 hot flashes,
by: Diane

Jill,
Did you read about the dosage to manage hot flashes? How long did you try cream? What dose? It can take weeks and sometimes months to overcome OESTROGEN dominance and it MUST be at high enough dose...For me personally, it took weeks, and now I'm on the other side of it and feel so good. Oestrogen dominance really is difficult to overcome but the higher the dose initially the faster you'll get through it. But first READ all I have suggested in my first response.
Hang in there. It does get better☺️
Diane
Apr 06, 2015
 Re: hot flashes
by: Jill

Diane,

The hot flashes didn't start until I started using the cream after I switched from the oral progesterone. I did a week of the oral and a week of the cream (20mg). The pain in the joints from the oral (along with brittle, weak nails) made me switch to see if the cream would be better. The pain increased and then I started having hot flashes. Now mind you...I have been told two years in a row by my OB/GYN that my blood tests show me not estrogen dominant but rather in menopause with no estrogen. When you hurt so bad, your nails are coming and you have 20 hot flashes a night, there is no incentive to keep taking progesterone at that point when all those things didn't exist prior.
Apr 07, 2015
 Hot flashes
by: DiIane

Jill, I want you to feel better. You are using FAR TOO LOW a dose of P. This website recommends 400mg to manage hot flashes.Please read the following:
1. Hot flashes and menopause on this website
2. Dr Michael Platt Miracle of Bioidentical Hormones
An absolute must read
3. If you don't think P will help you after reading the above, then try the following.... I personally am on 200-300mg P daily, Maca root and DIM. I FEEL GREAT!
if you don't use P then atleast read, learn and then decide if you also want to try MACA and DIM
Good luck:)
Diane

MACA is also a natural hormone balancing agent, which is helpful to men and women alike. Women use it to alleviate the symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, mood swings and sleeping problems. Too much or too little estrogen is a problem that plagues many women. Maca dramatically fixes these problems.

Read Original Article: http://www.herbslist.net/maca-root.html

http://www.wholeworldbotanicals.com
http://www.wholeworldbotanicals.com/factsdimwomen

Royal Maca Plus for Women™ with DIM is an ideal product combining the hormone-regulating effects of maca with the estrogen metabolite regulating effect of DIM. It relieves PMS and painful periods, and alleviates peri-menopausal, menopausal and postmenopausal symptoms. Maca & DIM together help your body make healthy estrogen metabolites and a healthy progesterone level. Progesterone is important for healthy hormonal function and helps provide protection against cell proliferation in estrogen-sensitive tissue. There are many scienti­fic studies which show that indole 3-carbinol and DIM can improve the ratio of healthy

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