Question re: Progesterone Creams

[badunnin]

This will be cross-posted on the Other Stuff/Healthy Living Boards....

My mother recently purchased a tube of natural progesterone cream for me to tame my, umm, iffy PMS symptoms. *yelling* I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HECK SHE'S TALKING ABOUT!

Does anyone know of any adverse effects that these creams can have? I know there are many questions re: HRT, but can't seem to find any specific information regarding whether or not these creams are included in that research, or indeed if they are safe/unsafe at any level.

Any insight you can offer is much appreciated!

[wallycat]

Dr. Lee and Dr. Christiane Northrup both think that the cream is a god-send for women who need it.

Dr. Weil thinks it may be dubious, but a collegue of his recommends it highly.

I used it for a few months and noticed my glucose level to run higher. Once I stopped, it was back to normal. Progesterone is supposed to HELP insulin work better/be more responsive in the body, so it was a very odd side-effect for me.

I've not heard any negative things otherwise.
Some people insist it will do nothing and it is a placebo effect...so be it if it makes you feel better.

I also read some women apply it as a facial cream to prevent acne. I had never tried that.

[Kayaksoup]

Not the cream, but my doc actually switched my BCP because I was having crazy out of control PMS. Seems a little better now

[badunnin]

Originally posted by Kayaksoup
Not the cream, but my doc actually switched my BCP because I was having crazy out of control PMS. Seems a little better now

Linda - not on the pill, so changing it won't help.

Ana - I'll look up those docs you mentioned - thanks! I'm on acne medication now (well, not meds, it's supplement, but it was on the rec of a doc that I started it), and if the progesterone could clear it up even more....

[DocAgocs]

I have researched this topic to a large degree for my own practice, primarily because a doctor in town does tons of lectures to the public on the miracle of progesterone cream and I was interested in finding out if she knows what she is talking about. What I've found is interesting:

1) "Natural progesterone" is not really a natural product. It is a highly processed derivative of yams, but that's about as natural as it gets. The "natural progesterone" is USP (United States Pharmacopeaia) Progesterone which is made exclusively by Pharmacia (a pharmaceutical company recently absorbed by Pfizer, I believe).

2) USP Progesterone is supposedly identical to the real natural progesterone made by the ovaries, but it doesn't act that way, so there must be more to the story. Real female progesterone undergoes something called a "cascade" which means that progesterone can be converted to other hormones in the body. What this means is that if the body makes excess progesterone it will convert to something else. With USP ("natural") progesterone found in these creams, this does not happen, so the potential for overdose is there.

3) Women can and do overdose on "natural" progesterone creams. Here's what happens: woman has PMS symptoms or symptoms of estrogen dominance. She uses the cream, which puts high levels of synthetic progesterone into the bloodstream (typical authors recommend pretty high doses) and gets a pretty quick and beneficial result with the symptoms. Weeks or months down the road, the symptoms come back, and the patient, thinking like most people, reasons "If a little bit worked before, a little bit more will work better..." and, it does, for a while. This same cycle continues until the woman's body is overloaded with this USP Progesterone and the results can be the very symtpoms of PMS and estrogen dominance she was trying to get rid of! Furthermore, with continued overuse, the woman can develop symptoms of adrenal fatigue, thyroid problems, fibromyalgia and eventually chronic fatigue syndrome.

To make matters worse, to use progesterone creams properly you have to follow a rather complicated dosage chart. Very annoying. Most women don't comply with this, and they just "use a dab" and figure that's okay. It isn't, as I've just explained!

My problem with this approach is that the symptoms of PMS or "estrogen dominance" can have many causes. Has the doctor measured levels of progesterone in the woman's system, and have they monitored it regularly to make sure the levels aren't rising with use of this product? Most don't. Too much work for a "perfectly safe" product! Also, estrogen dominance could be a liver problem (the liver clears unneeded estrogen from the body) and may not have anything to do with estrogen or progesterone production levels. I wouldn't recommend jacking up progesterone levels to match and covber up symptoms of too much estrogen! That will stress the body further, even.

So, does that mean there is nothing that can be done naturally? Not at all. There is a great natural alternative to PMS. I have had this protocol work in almost every female I've tried it with with substantial, if not complete improvement in the symptoms. The protocol is centered on the use of an herb called Chaste Tree. It increases the release of lutenizing hormone from the pituitary gland, which eventually influences the ovaries to produce more progesterone. This progesteroine is the natural, body produced stuff, so no worries about having too much. PLus, the herb is very gentle and not like the USP progesterone or fully synthetic products and it can do the trick very nicely. My favorite protocol uses two products: Chaste Tree and a nutritional supplement that amount to about $30 per month. Quality is everything with herbs, so I can't vouch for most products on the market. The product I use requires one or two tablets and you have to take them right when you wake up because the pituitary gland is most active in the morning (actually around 2-3 am, but you don't have to set your alarm any earlier than usual!). It works awesome. You can do the Chaste Tree alone, too. If you'd like to know what I use just PM me, and no, I won't sell it to you myself. My intent is to help, not sell stuff! I have several patients using Chaste Tree that are EXTREMELY happy with it. With the product I use they get full effect within three cycles and will know with minimal financial outlay whether it's working or not. Oh, and to make things even more simple Chaste Tree is used every morning throughout the cycle, so no funky dosage charts to mess with! Couldn't be any more simple or effective!