Is Progesterone Safe For Fertility?

Bluebell

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May 24, 2013
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I'd like to try out progesterone. I was wondering, is it definitely safe for fertile women, as in, it won't mess up your hormones?

I've heard the stories of it being very helpful for symptoms, and that's why I'd like to try it. My hormones are quite balanced I think (regular periods, changes that show ovluation), but after ovulation until my period I don't feel so good. I was wondering if this indicates I would benefit from progest-e during that time. I'm a bit unsure about taking massive doses right away though.

I wonder whether it would be safer to try and get my progesterone up naturally instead? (not sure how though! currently taking thyroid, aspirin, niacinamide)
 

eatpray

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Feb 26, 2014
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Have you had any blood work? Peat has said that progesterone is safe in any quantity, that it doesn't have any toxic effects, and it is the most protective thing that the body produces. I don't see why a massive dose wouldn't be necessary, I've seen Peat write that 3-4 drops is usually sufficient to bring blood levels up to normal. The only ill effects would occur from taking it at the wrong time of the month (it should be taken during the luteal phase - unless it is being used to control symptoms), or by taking amounts excessive enough to produce anaesthesia. It won't mess up any hormones, but will almost certainly get rid of your PMS symptoms, by correcting the deficiency of progesterone that is responsible for causing PMS symptoms.

One of the things that Peat says about a poorly maintained digestive system is that it is usually the underlying reason behind hormonal imbalance, as endotoxin along with estrogen is reabsorbed by the intestine. You could try adding more fiber to your diet and see what effect this has on your symptoms before using the progesterone.

Other things that raise progesterone include vitex, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B6 and obviously avoiding everything like plastic, soy and pesticides that raise estrogen levels.
 
J

j.

Guest
Couldn't progesterone at some point suppress testosterone?

Taking it orally seems safer, as you can just stop taking it, while if you take it topically, it can accumulate in the tissues and slowly reach the bloodstream for months. A person's experience:

The bad news, which I got soon after, was that progesterone cream builds up in the tissues and takes anywhere from three to six months to be cleared by the body. This timeline ended up being almost exactly true for me. I was sick, sick, sick until about two weeks ago.

Link
 

aguilaroja

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My experience is that progesterone is safe generally, in context. Anything can be hazardous in the wrong amount and at the wrong time, even water or oxygen. I know of women whose infertility was solved with the Progest-E oil. So it can be supportive.

If wishing to support progesterone functions without the substance, adequate cholesterol and protein and many others factors may apply. Avoiding phytoestrogens and estrogen-promoting stuff is sometimes enough.

It's generally more cautious for a menstruating women to start with progesterone use in the second half of the cycle, and with a low amount, such as the 3-4 drops <eatpray> suggested. If difficulties linger, then further exploration about use during other times could be contemplated. I have known women who had a variety of early cycle complaints relieved with Progest-E only during the second half of the cycle.

If possible, track symptoms, even ones not necessarily linked to "female" hormones (fatigue, muscle or joint stiffness, clarity of memory & attention, etc etc).

I know of women whose infertility was solved with the Progest-E oil. So it can be supportive.

My experience is also that the Progest-E/Kenogen oil is the preferred preparation, whether oral/sublingual or topical. My admittedly only observational experience is that some of the other creams & ointments, including the compounded ones, had more problems with accumulation and slow return to normal when lowering the dose.
 
OP
Bluebell

Bluebell

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eatpray said:
Have you had any blood work? Peat has said that progesterone is safe in any quantity, that it doesn't have any toxic effects, and it is the most protective thing that the body produces. I don't see why a massive dose wouldn't be necessary, I've seen Peat write that 3-4 drops is usually sufficient to bring blood levels up to normal. The only ill effects would occur from taking it at the wrong time of the month (it should be taken during the luteal phase - unless it is being used to control symptoms), or by taking amounts excessive enough to produce anaesthesia. It won't mess up any hormones, but will almost certainly get rid of your PMS symptoms, by correcting the deficiency of progesterone that is responsible for causing PMS symptoms.

One of the things that Peat says about a poorly maintained digestive system is that it is usually the underlying reason behind hormonal imbalance, as endotoxin along with estrogen is reabsorbed by the intestine. You could try adding more fiber to your diet and see what effect this has on your symptoms before using the progesterone.

Other things that raise progesterone include vitex, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B6 and obviously avoiding everything like plastic, soy and pesticides that raise estrogen levels.

Sorry for not replying sooner, have not been doing well recently and did not check the forum. I finally turned the corner a bit today.

eatpray thank you so very very much for replying, especially as it is your 1st post. You are very kind.

I have not had blood work done, I really should but do not have money for it & I am not registered with a doctor.

That is very encouraging that you think 3-4 drops is usually enough. One of the main things putting me off was the idea of having to take massive amounts.

"will almost certainly get rid of your PMS symptoms" are heavenly words! I had a very bad time this month from ovulation onwards. I have about 1-2 weeks feeling OK, 2 days feeling good, then after ovulation it all goes downhill until my period comes: severe aching, depression, anxiety, neuropathy, malaise. It would be a dream come true if progesterone could stop all that.

thank you for your suggestions - here is what i plan to do:

fiber: i need to be consistent with a daily carrot salad
vitex: not sure, I could try it.
vitamin A: currently not having liver because I am copper toxic (found out from hair test - too much copper in my body, I think from absorbing it through bathing water. Sometimes I wonder if the copper issue makes my PMS worse), but I have natural vitamin A in pills from fish oil, I could try those
vitamin C: i have OJ, and sometimes a "camu camu" type natural vitamin c powder (not recently though)
vitmain E: I should add this back, although the only one I can tolerate is the vitamin E succinate (dry powder) and it is alpha only - I am not sure if it is OK to have just alpha like this
vitamin B6 - i can try that. I have some of the P5P active form. I hope it is OK to take it in isolated form without the rest of the b complex (b complex is the other vitamin pill I can't seem to tolerate)
yep - definitely I avoid all soy, plastics, pesticides.

I'm encouraged to try the progesterone, in small amounts to start, just from ovulation and stop just before my period is due to come.

Is it just 3-4 drops every day, or do you start at 1 drop and gradually increase up to 4 and then down again?

THANK YOU again, you are a star.
 
OP
Bluebell

Bluebell

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j. said:
Couldn't progesterone at some point suppress testosterone?

Taking it orally seems safer, as you can just stop taking it, while if you take it topically, it can accumulate in the tissues and slowly reach the bloodstream for months. A person's experience:

The bad news, which I got soon after, was that progesterone cream builds up in the tissues and takes anywhere from three to six months to be cleared by the body. This timeline ended up being almost exactly true for me. I was sick, sick, sick until about two weeks ago.

Link

Thank you j. for that very useful information. I am unsure now about using it topically (would have rubbed it onto thighs).

It seems like there is a lot of guesswork involved in terms of where & how much to use, and that it can cause bad effects if you didn't need it.

I wonder if rubbing it onto gums counts as orally.
 
OP
Bluebell

Bluebell

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aguilaroja said:
My experience is that progesterone is safe generally, in context. Anything can be hazardous in the wrong amount and at the wrong time, even water or oxygen. I know of women whose infertility was solved with the Progest-E oil. So it can be supportive.

If wishing to support progesterone functions without the substance, adequate cholesterol and protein and many others factors may apply. Avoiding phytoestrogens and estrogen-promoting stuff is sometimes enough.

It's generally more cautious for a menstruating women to start with progesterone use in the second half of the cycle, and with a low amount, such as the 3-4 drops <eatpray> suggested. If difficulties linger, then further exploration about use during other times could be contemplated. I have known women who had a variety of early cycle complaints relieved with Progest-E only during the second half of the cycle.

If possible, track symptoms, even ones not necessarily linked to "female" hormones (fatigue, muscle or joint stiffness, clarity of memory & attention, etc etc).

I know of women whose infertility was solved with the Progest-E oil. So it can be supportive.

My experience is also that the Progest-E/Kenogen oil is the preferred preparation, whether oral/sublingual or topical. My admittedly only observational experience is that some of the other creams & ointments, including the compounded ones, had more problems with accumulation and slow return to normal when lowering the dose.

Thank you very much, I really do appreciate all of you for taking the time to reply :D !

I have been roughly tracking symptoms and there is a definite pattern, from just after ovulation things get bad. This is all my illness symptoms get bad at that time (including fatigue, muscle aches/pains, headache, nerve pain, tingling, even blood flow, and also mental symptoms, fuzzy head, can't think, upset). I predictably feel some relief when my period comes, and have 1-2 very grateful days at ovulation where I feel good at last! I need to track the symptoms in better detail but that is pretty much how it goes.

I would definitely take the Peat progest-E, if I try it.

I wonder if it's safe to just try it out, without having had a blood test to see if I am for sure in need of it.
 
J

j.

Guest
Bluebell said:
I wonder if it's safe to just try it out, without having had a blood test to see if I am for sure in need of it.

I'm a male, once I took 100 mg, which I'm pretty sure put my blood levels way, way beyond the upper limit. All I noticed was feeling pretty sedated for 1, or maybe 3 days.

My guess is that low doses are very safe, unless it's too low to increase your sensitivity to estrogen but not enough to have a positive effect.
 
OP
Bluebell

Bluebell

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Thanks j.

I'm really tempted to give it a try. As long as there are no long term effects on fertility & won't risk mucking up my hormones, then it seems worth a go at just 3-4 drops a day post-ovulation to period.
 

catan

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Aug 22, 2013
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I tried progest-e for the first time in my last cycle. I never had progesterone tested, so just took 3 drops daily before bed. Besides sleeping a lot better, my PMS symptoms were very mild, so mild that I thought my period wasn't due yet. I usually get very moody, huge appetite, and fatigue 1-2 days before my period; then heavy cramping on the first 2 days. It's been this way for years. The only thing I got was the mood swings and some mild cramping this time.
 

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