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QUESTIONS ABOUT PROGESTERONE AND MISCARRIAGE

by Erin Lemon
(Salem, AR)

I have had 2 successful pregnancies 15 and 9. My husband and I have been married for 6 years now and have never done anything to prevent getting pregnant.

My first miscarriage was in March of 2009, then at 8 weeks in November of 2009, then approx 4 weeks in May 2010, then 15 weeks in February 2011. I was started on Metformin after my first miscarriage and diagnosed with PCOS. Then when I got pregnant in Novmeber 2010 I was started on Progesterone suppositories twice a day. Everything was wonderful with that pregnancy, saw the baby on the ultrasound in January with a strong heartbeat. Heard the Heartbeat at my 12 week appointment in the office, was told to stop the progesterone then. Stopped the progesterone at about 13 weeks then at 15 weeks started having a little bleeding but didn't think much about it just was taking it easy.

On February 27 woke up to more bleeding so went to the ER they were running some tests and I misscarried while I was there. They said it looked like the baby had stopped growing about the time I stopped the progesterone. I found out I was pregnant on August 17 with this one and immediatly started on the Progesterone again. Went to the Dr. on the 19th and he sent me for lab work. My HCG was 230 had it rechecked on the 21st and it was down to 170. Dr called me and wanted me to have levels checked agian on 23rd levels were back up to 924 there is no explaination as to why HCG levels dropped then came back up.

Still feel pregnant and am continuing on progesterone just wondering if there is anything else that I can do to insure a very healthy pregnancy? Have already insisted with the Dr that we continue the progesterone for the entire pregnancy. Please any advise would be appreciated. Just very nervous!!!!

Have been on the progesterone suppositories the whole pregnancy and am now 24 weeks with a healthy baby boy!! My Dr. told me at my last appointment that he thought I should stop doing the progesterone as he has read something about limb abnormalities and doesn't want to take any risk with that happening. So I have began weaning myself off of the progesterone. I started out doing 90 mg suppositories twice daily and have gone down to 90 mg once a day. I guess my question is should I be worried or will it be safe this far along in my pregnancy to go ahead and wean completely off of the progesterone? I am still feeling baby movement and everything so I am trying not to worry too much. I have not had any bleeding or strange discharge since decreasing my progesterone either. I just want some other advice as I am just not sure what to do and don't want to do anything to harm my precious little man!!!!!!

Comments for QUESTIONS ABOUT PROGESTERONE AND MISCARRIAGE

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Jan 05, 2012
 Cream
by: Annette Canada

Hello I had a preterm baby at 29 weeks and I sure wish I knew about Natpro then. I would recommend you switch to the cream and use it all through your pregnancy. Obviously your body is telling you that you need it. Women have used it through their pregnancies for years and have had healthy babies.Stopping progesterone is not worth the risk in my opinion, along as it is bio-identical progesterone. Transdermal cream is the most effective I would recommend Natpro. You should be also taking 5000 iu's minimum of vitamin d.
It was awful what we went having our girl so early. Many doctors don't know much about bio-identcal so you probably won't get much support unfortunately. Hope this helps until Wray responds. Just my opinion through experience.
Jan 06, 2012
 QUESTIONS ABOUT PROGESTERONE AND MISCARRIAGE
by: Wray

Hi Erin It doesn't surprise me you had the miscarriage. Stopping the progesterone cold turkey at 13 weeks would have caused a sharp drop in levels, which would in turn have caused the miscarriage. I've just received another very similar tale of stopping it abruptly, see here. It should always be reduced slowly, by no more than 16mg/day. This means shaving off a small amount from the suppository daily. I'm delighted you've insisted on using it for the entire pregnancy, you won't regret it. I've helped numerous women who've
done this, and gone on to have a beautiful baby. We do have a page on Pregnancy which gives info on the role it plays, and how much to use and when. hCG levels can fluctuate, this is an excellent site giving a full breakdown, see American Pregnancy Association hCG levels. It still amazes me that there is so much confusion between progestins and progesterone, even with the medical profession. Unfortunately the term is used interchangeably, and it shouldn't be. Progestin molecules are greatly changed, and they can cause malformation in the foetus, see here, and here. Progesterone cannot, if it did, every child would be born malformed! We make over 400ng/ml per day in the third trimester. Incidentally it's in the first trimester that malformations take place. In fact normally within the first month, so you are long past the stage when your doctor should be concerned. The change from corpus luteum production to placental production takes place round about 8 to 10 weeks. As you are now 24 weeks pregnant, the placenta should be making sufficient progesterone. The only way to tell would be to have a test done on your levels. Your hCG levels will be dropping now, as it's role is to stimulate the corpus luteum to produce progesterone. You can then decide if you wish to continue to slowly reduce the progesterone, or to continue with it till term. Please look through this page too. Take care Wray

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