Bioidentical progesterone cream causes withdrawal similar to benzo-

update for me: i am still using 200 mg prometrium on days 1-12 throughout the month. it seems to be working fine and i am having regular menstrual periods now. which i can't believe since i am still only about 87 pounds.

i am still tapering from the vivelle dot estradiol patch and i should be very low on it by April and totally off it by May. i think i will just continue the 200 mg prometrium on days 1-12 until further notice and further benzo healing.

i am in my 11 month and pretty much still couch-bound all day. starting to go for about 5 minute walks that i hope to increase each day. this is slow for me. my brain is still vibrating and doing many other things--but i do feel healing is happening.

-- I deleted my original post from 3/12 by accident on while trying to edit it--

I found this fourm while searching for progesterone side effects.  I just wanted to let members here know that I experienced bad side effects when I stopped rx progesterone cream after using it for just a few days. (I quit taking it because it was making my menopause symptoms worse).  What I experienced was very similar to when I stopped taking Ambien cold turkey 8 years ago (anxiety, depression and severe insomnia).   

update for me: i am still using 200 mg prometrium on days 1-12 throughout the month. it seems to be working fine and i am having regular menstrual periods now. which i can't believe since i am still only about 87 pounds.

 

i am still tapering from the vivelle dot estradiol patch and i should be very low on it by April and totally off it by May. i think i will just continue the 200 mg prometrium on days 1-12 until further notice and further benzo healing.

 

i am in my 11 month and pretty much still couch-bound all day. starting to go for about 5 minute walks that i hope to increase each day. this is slow for me. my brain is still vibrating and doing many other things--but i do feel healing is happening.

PD -- This is a very positive post.... It is so great to know that you are doing better.... albeit slowly, but better....  (((((((HUGS)))))))

Your hormone taper plan makes good sense.  Good luck with it. 

Getting out in the fresh air for even 5 minutes will be so good for you. 

I look forward to the day when you are feeling so much better.

-- I deleted my original post from 3/12 by accident on while trying to edit it--

 

I found this fourm while searching for progesterone side effects.  I just wanted to let members here know that I experienced bad side effects when I stopped rx progesterone cream after using it for just a few days. (I quit taking it because it was making my menopause symptoms worse).  What I experienced was very similar to when I stopped taking Ambien cold turkey 8 years ago (anxiety, depression and severe insomnia). 

Thanks for reposting!!  It takes a little while to get familiar with how the boards work. 

Well my dilemma since I started my taper 18 months ago is my progesterone fluctuations. I did ok tapering until I would get my period. Then after I got my period I would get really bad for like 10-14 days until my progesterone started rising  again. It was like I stopped taking my Valium. Complete agoraphobia and dp/dr. Had hormones tested. Progesterone was low, estrogen was high. I had stopped my bc pill at the beginning of my taper not knowing any better at the time. I tried 3 times to get back on bc pill. None of them were successful. I could not taper below 3 mg of Valium. I tried 5mg of progesterone cream. It seemed to make me feel good for a few hours and then I had a lot of anxiety and palpitations. Doctor wants me to try the oral progesterone now. First he said 50 mg during the last part of cycke and then off for the first 1-12 days of my cycle. Told him I didn't think it would go over well just stopping the progesterone, since that was my original problem. So we compromised 25mg of the oral day 1-12 and then 50 mg for the rest of the cycle. I'm so scared to try this again but I can't deal with getting my periods every month like I was. Does the progesterone displace the Valium? Does the Valium bind better to the receptor when more progesterone is there. Why did I react so badly to just 5 mg of prog. cream? Did i need more?He said the oral acts more on the GABA receptor. I'm just trying to figure out what's going on. I know I need it but why won't my body except it. I'm not worried about tapering the progesterone. I'll deal with that later. I need to increase my progesterone if I'm ever going to get off this Valium. Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.

Mm

Well my dilemma since I started my taper 18 months ago is my progesterone fluctuations. I did ok tapering until I would get my period. Then after I got my period I would get really bad for like 10-14 days until my progesterone started rising  again. It was like I stopped taking my Valium. Complete agoraphobia and dp/dr. Had hormones tested. Progesterone was low, estrogen was high. I had stopped my bc pill at the beginning of my taper not knowing any better at the time. I tried 3 times to get back on bc pill. None of them were successful. I could not taper below 3 mg of Valium. I tried 5mg of progesterone cream. It seemed to make me feel good for a few hours and then I had a lot of anxiety and palpitations. Doctor wants me to try the oral progesterone now. First he said 50 mg during the last part of cycke and then off for the first 1-12 days of my cycle. Told him I didn't think it would go over well just stopping the progesterone, since that was my original problem. So we compromised 25mg of the oral day 1-12 and then 50 mg for the rest of the cycle. I'm so scared to try this again but I can't deal with getting my periods every month like I was. Does the progesterone displace the Valium? Does the Valium bind better to the receptor when more progesterone is there. Why did I react so badly to just 5 mg of prog. cream? Did i need more?He said the oral acts more on the GABA receptor. I'm just trying to figure out what's going on. I know I need it but why won't my body except it. I'm not worried about tapering the progesterone. I'll deal with that later. I need to increase my progesterone if I'm ever going to get off this Valium. Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.

Mm

I wish I knew what to tell you to do.  It is all such a crap shoot!  I'm menapausal and have been taking 10 mg nightly (via drops/skin).  I've just started to taper it again.

I hope that PD sees your post and offers her thoughts.  She is also taking progesterone for period related issues.

Good luck!!

Hi Mm,

it's pretty unbelievable how hard core this progesterone acts on those Gaba and affects the benzo withdrawal. this last one was pretty bad for me when my "own" progesterone dropped during ovulation but thank God it only lasted only one day where i wanted to die. and i was finally able to know the wave from the benzo withdrawal and what was from the drop in hormones.

i did get back on the "prometrium" which is a wild yam progesterone. it's not what i wanted to be on. i really would like to just be on the "progest+E which is another formula that is made with cholestrol and is supposed to be as real as progesterone in the body but i couldn't do that as it kinda makes me nauseous.

it really is a crap shoot and depending what kind of progesterone you use. i think the prometrium is pretty good and i use it day 1-12 out of the month. although my period still is a bit scattered but that could be because i have tapered from the estradiol patch and barely on anything.

i am still doing a lot of research about progesterone, estrogen and all hormones & thyroid. from what i am learning progesterone is the only bio identical we need and too much estrogen is not good. but that is a whole other story and it really is that drop in progesterone that makes for the benzo withdrawal to intensify, although since progesterone acts on the same Gaba receptor's that are trying so hard to heal from benzo's it's very difficult to really know what to do. you just have to really listen to your body daily--without being obsessed about it, and that is difficult.

i am learning that a raw carrot daily helps to pull out old estrogen and neuotransmitter's and also helps for those hormones not to be recycled so that helps with PMS issues. and eating organic free range eggs and liver (i know,yucky) helps for your own natural progesterone to rise--and taking care of the thyroid is probably the best way to have all hormones be balanced.

good luck

pretty

Yeah it's pretty frustrating that our own natural bodies are causing theses waves of intense symptoms. I just stopped the pill so I know I have a lot of work building up my progesterone again. I wonder why other women are not affected by their cycles. Is it because they have high enough progesterone throughout their whole cycle? I've been eating eggs everyday. I think b6 is a key factor too. I believe lentils might be good for progesterone too. Someone also said turkey helped too. I'm afraid I'm going to have to try the progesterone too. I'll be taking something like prometrium except it will be compounded by a pharmacy. What dose are you using? I wouldn't think you would need the estrogen unless you are in menopause, which it doesn't sound like you are.  I know I have too much estrogen also. I do eat carrots often also but I also have the mthfr gene mutation which might play into why I don't produce a lot of progesterone and why I can't break down estrogen and remove it. Your gut plays a role in how well you can remove these estrogen toxins too. So trying to keep things "moving out" in a steady rate would be helpful too. Hope things continue to get better for you. I saw you did a c/t from a high dose. How was that? I don't know how you survived.

Mm

... I also have the mthfr gene mutation which might play into why I don't produce a lot of progesterone and why I can't break down estrogen and remove it.

How did you discover your mthfr mutation?  My brother recently found out he has it ...was tested after years of not well controlled hypothyroidism and anemia. 

I'm looking into testing through Genova.  They have several panels.  Not sure what all I should have tested.  My doc is new to all of this and I am guiding her. 

My doctor ordered a blood test. It's called mthfr snp. If your brother has a mutation it's likely you do too. It's a genetic mutation. 23andme is also a place you can get tested but I think you need a doctor that can read the results. It can get very complicated when you start looking at all the gene mutations. With mthfr you basically can't utilize the b vitamins normally. Even though all my b levels test normal my liver can only convert or use 10-30 percent. Thus I'm really deficient. The big ones to try and supplement through bypassing the liver by using the active forms are folate, b12 and b6. Do not try the synthetic forms found in common b complex vitamins. You need the active forms. You can buy these on amazon or other vitamin stores. Mthfr.net is a useful site for information. You need to start small and work up. Folate creates glutathiamine. B 6 helps with pms, progesterone. B12 deficiencies cause a lot of problems too. So if you have this mutation I think you would have hormone issues and probsbly are a slow healer to benzo w/d symptoms. I personally think a lot of people suffering or having to taper really slow have some form of these gene mutations. I'm going to start trying to supplement with these vitamins slowly. Once your body gets what it needs you will start removing toxins and healing in your body but doing  it too quickly can cause a healing crisis or if you can't remove the toxins as fast as your body is breaking them down you'll feel like crap. It's a delicate balance. Ill keep posted how I'm doing.

Mm

Wow that is really interesting about eating organic eggs! I was having hot flashes (and using a mild progesterone cream), but my own chickens started producing eggs in the middle of February, so I'm eating at least one of them per day. I'm not using the cream, and not having any hot flashes at all! Wonder if there is a connection.

I was really messed up during my benzo use, and after withdrawal, by playing around with the progesterone creams. It made the situation really confusing and stressful--what was affecting what? In retrospect, I wish I had not used any creams at all. Right now, no hot flashes, but they really don't bother me that much anyway. And my sleeping is pretty good, which is why I went on the creams in the first place.

My doctor ordered a blood test. It's called mthfr snp. If your brother has a mutation it's likely you do too. It's a genetic mutation. 23andme is also a place you can get tested but I think you need a doctor that can read the results. It can get very complicated when you start looking at all the gene mutations. With mthfr you basically can't utilize the b vitamins normally. Even though all my b levels test normal my liver can only convert or use 10-30 percent. Thus I'm really deficient. The big ones to try and supplement through bypassing the liver by using the active forms are folate, b12 and b6. Do not try the synthetic forms found in common b complex vitamins. You need the active forms. You can buy these on amazon or other vitamin stores. Mthfr.net is a useful site for information. You need to start small and work up. Folate creates glutathiamine. B 6 helps with pms, progesterone. B12 deficiencies cause a lot of problems too. So if you have this mutation I think you would have hormone issues and probsbly are a slow healer to benzo w/d symptoms. I personally think a lot of people suffering or having to taper really slow have some form of these gene mutations. I'm going to start trying to supplement with these vitamins slowly. Once your body gets what it needs you will start removing toxins and healing in your body but doing  it too quickly can cause a healing crisis or if you can't remove the toxins as fast as your body is breaking them down you'll feel like crap. It's a delicate balance. Ill keep posted how I'm doing.

Mm

This is fascinating.  I think I'll start a thread about it tomorrow. 

I am B12 deficient.  I tried supplements  at a very low dose but they make my dizzies worse so I stopped and tried again a couple of weeks later at 1/4 the dose and same thing. 

Why did your doc do the test on you? 

My doctor ran the test because I was so exhausted and wanted him to check all my b levels. I knew the bc pill depletes these vitamins. That's when he suggested the blood test. There is a thread started somewhere in the forum and one on b12 too. If I recall correctly sagemom has the mutation and couldn't tolerate the supplements either. Another benzo buddy has it too and had the same bad experience trying to supplement too. That's why I'm starting super low and cautious. How many days was it until u noticed bad side effects or was it right away?

Mm

Yeah it's pretty frustrating that our own natural bodies are causing theses waves of intense symptoms. I just stopped the pill so I know I have a lot of work building up my progesterone again. I wonder why other women are not affected by their cycles. Is it because they have high enough progesterone throughout their whole cycle? I've been eating eggs everyday. I think b6 is a key factor too. I believe lentils might be good for progesterone too. Someone also said turkey helped too. I'm afraid I'm going to have to try the progesterone too. I'll be taking something like prometrium except it will be compounded by a pharmacy. What dose are you using? I wouldn't think you would need the estrogen unless you are in menopause, which it doesn't sound like you are.  I know I have too much estrogen also. I do eat carrots often also but I also have the mthfr gene mutation which might play into why I don't produce a lot of progesterone and why I can't break down estrogen and remove it. Your gut plays a role in how well you can remove these estrogen toxins too. So trying to keep things "moving out" in a steady rate would be helpful too. Hope things continue to get better for you. I saw you did a c/t from a high dose. How was that? I don't know how you survived.

Mm

Hi Mm,

well, to answer your question about the c/t--i have no idea how i survived? i just wrote a little bit about my thoughts and experience at the detox in my blog last night after watching "Life of Pi". that movie really does show you that it's really all about whether or not you want to sink or swim and why we make that choice. my brain is still very active and basically feels like there is a big refrigerator inside that is on humming & vibrating.

i started a new topic all about the benefits of having that raw carrot somewhere on the general health section. i had copied lots of things about it. i really think it can help anyone whether they have the mthfr gene mutation when it comes to pulling out all those endotoxin's and recycled estrogen's. yes, i don't the estradiaol patch but tapering is still best as it could too have w/d affects similar to cocaine i was told. i am almost done with it and never should have been put on it--just like benzo's.

i am on 200mg prometrium days 1-12 monthly. it seems to be pretty mild and gentle. i am interested in having all those testing's about the mthfr gene mutation and also phase 1 & phase 11--liver tests to make sure all detoxification pathway's are working well--but still pretty much bed-ridden during the day, although i did finally turn a little corner and had my first big "partial window" the other night and it's been 12 months! so anyway, i am not up for the extra stress of testings. i do want to also have my progesterone tested but i am waiting.

keep is posted what you will be doing!

pretty

 

 

i am on 200mg prometrium days 1-12 monthly. it seems to be pretty mild and gentle. i am interested in having all those testing's about the mthfr gene mutation and also phase 1 & phase 11--liver tests to make sure all detoxification pathway's are working well--but still pretty much bed-ridden during the day, although i did finally turn a little corner and had my first big "partial window" the other night and it's been 12 months! so anyway, i am not up for the extra stress of testings. i do want to also have my progesterone tested but i am waiting.

keep is posted what you will be doing!

pretty

Hi Pretty

200mg of Prometrium is a pretty high dose to be on if you are doing it monthly. The recommended amount for a monthly cycle is 100mg. 200mg is probably a better amount to use if you were wanting a 2 monthly cycle.

I'd like to recommend Prof John Studd's website, if you're doing some research on hormones and menopause etc. He’s from the UK and he talks a lot about Utrogestan, which is the same thing as Prometrium. That's what it is called in the UK, Europe and some other countries. His recommendation for anyone who is sensitive to progesterone is 100mg for 7 days a month.

You can also use it orally or vaginally. I'm not sure how it is licensed to be used in America, but in many countries it is licensed to be used vaginally, and for anyone who has a sensitivity to progesterone this is often a better way to use it because it bypasses the liver. I personally use 100mg of Utrogestan vaginally for the first 10 days of the month because I found that while I'm doing my taper, 200mg every two months was too much for me, but 100mg has a nice sedating effect at night. Once I'm finished my taper I hope to go back to the 200mg x two monthly cycle though.

http://www.studd.co.uk/

btw - this is just one thing he has to say about progesterone and those OTT progesterone creams.....

The problem with bioidentical hormones comes with the progestogen components. The much heralded expensive progesterone cream available on the internet with exaggerated claims of increase in bone density and improvement of depression, hot flushes, sweats, etc is in fact virtually ineffective as it is hardly absorbed. My team have spent more than £100,000 studying this preparation over the last few years and it has no effect whatsoever on bone density, no effect upon mood and no effect upon the symptoms of flushes, sweats and headaches which are the common symptoms of the menopause. It might have a tranquilising and sedating effect if it is absorbed. These results have been published in Menopause International (Benster et al)

 

It is therefore necessary to give an effective progesterone/progestogen to protect the lining of the womb in patients receiving oestrogens. Most gynaecologists would use a synthetic progesterone such as Norethisterone or Medroyxprogesterone which certainly protects the uterus and produces regular scanty periods. Unfortunately, it often reproduces PMS symptoms in those women who are progesterone intolerant and therefore there is a move to use a more natural progesterone such as Utrogestan 100 mgs for 7 days of each calendar month. This is in contrast to the orthodox management of 14 days of progestogen a month because of the frequent problems of depression, breast discomfort and loss of energy that occurs with a longer course of progestogen in those women with PMS and progestogen intolerance.

 

The best method of taking bioidentical hormones would in my view be Oestrogel 2-3 measures daily with the possible addition of transdermal testosterone gel and then Utrogestan 100 mgs daily for the first 7 days of each calendar month. This would bring about a regular scanty bleed on about the 10th day of each calendar month. You will find more details of this treatment for menopausal symptoms, hormone responsive depression and osteoporosis in this web site but please remember that it is not a recent American discovery. That would be too much to bear!

Another doctor you might like to do some reading on is Dr Elizabeth Vliet. If you're interested in the facts about bio-identical hormones, and not just the nonsense that Suzanne Somers and Oprah goes on about, I can post a link to a couple of really interesting videos of hers.

http://www.herplace.com/

It is so hard to get the true facts about HRT, progesterone, oestrogen/oestradiol by just searching the net because there are so many charlatans, and other non-qualified people, who try to sell certain ideas and preparations simply to make money. They make all sorts of unfounded claims that are just plain lies. Professionals like Prof Studd and Dr Vliet will actually give you the facts.

Basically I think too many people put too much emphasis on their progesterone levels and not enough on their oestrogen (oestradiol) levels. This is due, I think, to all the misinformation that has gone on about bio-identical hormones, since Oprah "discovered" them (the fact is that bio-identical hormones have been getting used for decades, and are licensed, tested, regulated and approved by the FDA).

Prior to menopause, progesterone has a more important role to regulate ovulation, periods etc, but in menopause, micronised progesterone is really only needed to be taken in as low a dose as possible for between 7-12 days a month to oppose the oestrogen. Oestradiol is far more important to counter the effects of menopausal symptoms (ie hot flushes, insomnia, etc). Basically, now that I am menopausal, if I could get away with not needing any progesterone at all, and I could just use my lovely oestradiol, I'd be very happy, and I know a lot of other menopausal women who would be happy too, because progesterone always seems to be the most "troublesome" of hormones.

btw - here's another website you might like to have a look at. I haven't done much reading on Dr Annie Evans yet, but she has been highly recommended to me by a friend of mine with a biology phd, who has done a lot hormone research of her own.

http://www.drannieevans.com/

Yes I do find conflicting info everywhere. Especially on that progesterone therapy website. They have you using 100 mg transdermal or more everyday to just over come the oestrogens. When I asked my doctor he did not agree with this.

The creams definitely did something to me. Both times I used them , once OTC and the second time compounded I got either a rush and then felt ok or got lots of energy and then had a panic attack. From what I read the oral is different because it goes through the liver where it processes into its metabolite allopregnalone, which is what goes to the GABA receptor. So maybe eith the oral ill have better results. I don't know. All I know is that everyone I got my period I was thrown into hell for like 10 days. When I had my hormones checked I barely had any progesterone and my estrogen was high.  I was menstruating every 4-6 weeks. Thanks for the extra info.

Mm

How many days was it until u noticed bad side effects or was it right away?

Mm

The first time it was after 3 days.  The second try it was 2 days. 

Both times after I stopped I felt better the next day. 

Yes I do find conflicting info everywhere. Especially on that progesterone therapy website. They have you using 100 mg transdermal or more everyday to just over come the oestrogens. When I asked my doctor he did not agree with this.

The creams definitely did something to me. Both times I used them , once OTC and the second time compounded I got either a rush and then felt ok or got lots of energy and then had a panic attack. From what I read the oral is different because it goes through the liver where it processes into its metabolite allopregnalone, which is what goes to the GABA receptor. So maybe eith the oral ill have better results. I don't know. All I know is that everyone I got my period I was thrown into hell for like 10 days. When I had my hormones checked I barely had any progesterone and my estrogen was high.  I was menstruating every 4-6 weeks. Thanks for the extra info.

Mm

I personally think the best thing to do is to keep away from any of the progesterone creams. They are either compounded or they are just someone trying to sell a product that has no proven therapeutic effect, and that includes Ray Peat. As far as I'm aware, the only tested and approved progesterones are Utrogestan and Prometrium.  These are prescribed by regular doctors and have approval from your particular country's regulatory body (eg FDA, NHS). All the other stuff is not regulated, tested or approved.

I've been through all this nonsense about needing to "overcome" oestrogen because I spent 3 months going to a naturopath, until I learned she didn't have a clue what she was talking about. Oestrogen isn't something to be "overcome". It's what you need to counter those menopausal symptoms. Of course it is possible to be oestrogen dominent, but it's not just a clear cut issue of what your hormone levels are. There are a lot of factors that need to be taken into account, and most doctors prefer to prescribe based on symptoms rather than blood tests because hormones blood tests are very unreliable.

For the record, Ray Peat has never had any financial interest in Progest-e.  He did formulate the product decades ago however, long before there were any progesterone creams on the market.

of which i just got some more of today. i do like using the progest+E on the cyst in my left breast that seems to be fading away. and a few skin keratosis pilaris which seemed to be a genetic thing that are also going away. and i really do think that my PMS symptoms are much better because of that daily raw carrot--that is the only thing i'm doing differently or the benzo withdrawal may also be getting better, although today was another bad brain sucking day.

Diaz-Pam,

well, as many peeps already know that i am definitely "Ray Peat" inspired now and will forever be researching his work.

but i am definitely an open minded person so i will read through those links you sent. i already read a little of John Studd's site.

my Ob/GYN told me to use 200mg prometrium vaginally days 1-12 in a month. i haven't been using it vaginally and just poking it with a pin and putting the inside on my legs. but maybe i will try just using the 100mg prometrium vaginally days 1-7 i think you stated to have a monthly period--is that what it is--i think that is on John's site.

i don't like any other progesterone creams as most of them are a wild yam (dioscorea) and considered a toxin from what i've read--that is why i use Peat's formula on my skin and breast cyst which is finally going down a bit.

but from all i am reading about estrogen dominance--it is not a good thing. i'm not against anyone using oestrogen's if it balance's out the hormones. but i do think it's still worth looking into finding some kind of way to help the progesterone levels to not drop so much during that ovulation time--for me, that seems to be my only problem. i am not menopausal yet. so i just want to find a way to keep those levels balanced.

i will look at the other links you gave to me too! i wonder why my OB/GYN said for me to use the prometirum days 1-12 vaginally? should i try the 100mg vaginally--days 1-7 monthly?

Thanks, pretty

As far as I'm aware, the only tested and approved progesterones are Utrogestan and Prometrium.  These are prescribed by regular doctors and have approval from your particular country's regulatory body (eg FDA, NHS). All the other stuff is not regulated, tested or approved.

I find this comment extremely interesting on boards where folks are in the struggle of their lives because they took drugs prescribed by regular doctors and approved by their country's regulatory body. 

Not all regulated and approved therapies are bad, and not all doctors are evil.

Also, regulated and approved hormones are not "drugs".  Regulated bio-identical hormones have been synthetised to mimic the natural hormones your body produces, just like insulin and thyroid medication are synthetised to mimic what our bodies produce.  No one seems to have a problem with insulin, yet so many people have a problem with hormone therapy. I don't understand that. If you were insulin dependent would you put something totally different into your body, other than the insulin prescribed by your doctor? Yet when it comes to hormones women seem to be quite happy to put anything they find on the internet into their bodies because they believe it is more "natural", when in most cases that thing they're putting into their bodies can't be recognised by their body because it's not "bio-identical". For some women using hormone therapy is just as important and "life-saving" as using insulin is for a diabetic.

Hormone therapy is produced by using natural products like soy and yam, but they have been made in such a way to be identical to our own hormones, hence the word "bio-identical". So they are not the same as putting a chemical into your body like a benzo, or some other product that has no relationship to our own body's makeup.

However, I don't intend getting involved in further discussions about peri-menopause, menopause or hormone therapy. I have tried before and I have learned that it can become a very divisive subject, mainly because there is so much misinformation out there. Unfortunately there is a belief that any kind of hormone therapy is bad, because the media has done such a good job of convincing people of that over the last 10 years or so, since the WHI, and I'm afraid I don't have the ability to change that thinking.

I have provided a few very legitimate sites for people to look at to gather more information for themselves, because I know there are far too many websites out there that don't provide accurate information, so it is very difficult to know what the correct information is. Although I suppose simply because these websites belong to doctors this will mean that some people will automatically be suspicious, but I can't do much about that.

What people choose to do with that information is up to them. If anyone wants to use any kind of OTC or internet obtained hormone/progesterone cream, that is their choice. I choose not to.

 

 

i will look at the other links you gave to me too! i wonder why my OB/GYN said for me to use the prometirum days 1-12 vaginally? should i try the 100mg vaginally--days 1-7 monthly?

 

Thanks, pretty

Hi Pretty

I'm not sure, and I wouldn't like you to change what your doctor has prescribed just because of what I've said. Perhaps you should speak with your doctor first to see why he/she wants you to use 200mg. I was under the incorrect assumption that you are menopausal, and 100mg is the dose used in menopause. However, if you are pre or peri meno, that could be why he wants you to use the higher dose. I only got involved in researching hormones after I became meno, because I never had any problems until then, so I've never done much research on hormones prior to meno.

I personally think that 7 days might not be enough, even though that's on Prof Studd's site. I would probably err on the side of caution and go with 10-12 days. I think Prof Studd suggests 7 days for women who are particularly prog sensitive, and I'm sure he does that under clinical control and monitors uterine linings to ensure it is enough. I go with 10 days simply because it works nicely with a 30 capsule pack of Utrogestan..lol...

Thanks Diaz!

i will talk to my doctor about it. i didn't have problems until an endocrinologist mistakenly put me on the vivelle dot estradiol patch for whatever reason? and of course being on the benzo's for so long caused a lot of hormonal dysfunction. so now i am completely tapered of the estradiol patch and just using the 200mg prometrium. i use Peat's formula for other skin things right now. my periods are still irregular but i also am still only 88 pounds when i should be at least 125 lbs. and i am still having the worse benzo withdrawal symptoms and also still bed-ridden during the day. i hope things start to change soon. i've always been interested in hormones and keeping things balanced even when i was a teenager--don't know why, just have.

i will continue on with my research and i have looked at the sites you gave.

thanks, pretty