Progesterone the hate story

[pattismith]

I started yesterday evening a trial with progesterone to see if it can help my symptoms… (the natural progesterone)

This morning I felt more sleepy than usual, but I took a second dose.

A few hours later, I felt lightheaded, ready to faint….


This reminded me two times I experimented the same problem, one time when pregnant, one time from a birth control pill….


Isn't it creasy not to tolerate any progesterone when you are supposed to be a woman?

 

[Nine lives]

I do not tolerate progesterone (post menopausal). My issues are greater joint laxity as well as sleepiness, weight gain. I am careful to use non soy based cream that had caused an issue perimenopause. I think this progesterone intolerance is a clue for a subset.

 

[wigglethemouse]

Isn't it creasy not to tolerate any progesterone when you are supposed to be a woman?

When I looked for papers on IDO after the OMF symposium metabloic trap presentation I came across a few where they had studied the effect of progesterone on IDO. Perhaps something to read about on a rainy day.......

 

[perchance dreamer]

@pattismith, I take a compounded progesterone, which really helps my sleep. However, it's so sedating that I'd never take it at any time other than right before bed.

 

[Float]

Progesterone is a diuretic so perhaps your blood pressure dropped hence the dizziness? Yes it's a relaxant and it sounds like you could stick to a night time dose .

 

[Inara]

I started yesterday evening a trial with progesterone to see if it can help my symptoms… (the natural progesterone)

This morning I felt more sleepy than usual, but I took a second dose.

A few hours later, I felt lightheaded, ready to faint….


This reminded me two times I experimented the same problem, one time when pregnant, one time from a birth control pill….


Isn't it creasy not to tolerate any progesterone when you are supposed to be a woman?

When do you take progesterone and in what form (capsules, cream...)?

My doctor said to take Progesterone only at bedtime (because it can make sleepy). I had a very weird reaction to capsules, probably something in there (not the progesterone). I'm now taking a cream which works fine. I have progesterone deficiency (and estradiol).

 

[pattismith]

Thank you ladies for helping with your own experiences with progesterone!

I have severe dysmenorrhea with a concomitant CFS/ME/FIBRO. They came progressively and seem to correlate together.


My progesterone is low for decade (s), and my testosterone is dropping too, so hormonal imbalance is likely to be involved in my syndrome.


On the other hand I have this tolerance problem with any birth control pills, and progesterone as well.


This time I tried 100 mg natural progesterone at night and was still sleepy in the morning.

I also have low T3 syndrome; It probably goes with increased free estrogen/testosterone because Sex Binding Protein is connected to thyroid activity, so everything is interconnected, and so every time we try to move a stone, we move the wall!

 

[Inara]

Do you mean progesterone or gestagen? You speak of birth control pills; some contain gestagen, but not (never?) progesterone.

 

[pattismith]

Do you mean progesterone or gestagen? You speak of birth control pills; some contain gestagen, but not (never?) progesterone.

I am using progesterone. After all the difficulties I had previously with synthetic birth control pills, I don't want any longer synthetic sex hormons.

 

[Inara]

I am using progesterone. After all the difficulties I had previously with synthetic birth control pills, I don't want any longer synthetic sex hormons.

Yes, I wouldn't take synthetic sex hormones again either.

I am sorry you're having trouble with progesterone. It's an important hormone.

 

[perchance dreamer]

@pattismith, I had tried 100 MG of natural compounded progesterone at bedtime, and it just wiped me out the next day. Do you think you could try 1/2 that amount?

 

[pattismith]

@pattismith, I had tried 100 MG of natural compounded progesterone at bedtime, and it just wiped me out the next day. Do you think you could try 1/2 that amount?

Yes i think I am going to try that. How much do you take that you can tolerate now?

 

[mari_gold]

This morning I felt more sleepy than usual, but I took a second dose.

A few hours later, I felt lightheaded, ready to faint….

This reminded me two times I experimented the same problem, one time when pregnant, one time from a birth control pill….

Hi @pattismith, same for me: I've tried transdermal progesterone, not capsules, and I felt like it nearly killed me. I was (and perhaps still am) low in progesterone. After taking a hazelnut shaped amount of prog. cream for 10 days ( I think it's one tenth of one capsule) at night I felt great. But on the eleventh morning I woke up with racing heartbeat, feeling of faintness and extreme lightheadedness, couldn't get up and felt poisoned and very sick (in this moment I thought people with a heart attack would experience the same). I stopped taking it although other symptoms improved or disappeared (better sleep, less pain, better digestion, having more energy).

On occasion I've tried again taking it but in much smaller doses, e. g. a needle head and just vor 2-3 days (homeopathic dose I realised I had to be VERY careful with the dose and take much, much less than "normal" women.

The same intolerance to birth control pills, but as Inara mentioned I think you can't compare synthetical gestagen with natural progesterone.

(Pregnancy: No experience ) I was told how strange my reaction was as pregnant women are producing a multiple of the usual amount of progesterone circulating in non-pregnant women and the dose I took via the cream would never reach that.

Interesting to read that there are others like you that have similar experiences with natural progesterone.

One physician told me that for some women pregnenolone - or even DHEA - would be a better choice as it helps build progesterone (and other hormones). Right now I'm not in an experimental mood...and wouldn't give it a try.

 

[Inara]

Did you try it vaginally? Are there the same reactions?

@mari_gold, do you think your experience might hint to pregnancy being a bad idea for pwME [edited]?

 

[mari_gold]

Did you try it vaginally? Are there the same reactions?

No, I didn't, you can just apply it anywhere on your skin. It's said to have better effects on thin skin (like the inner side of under arms or the hollow of the knee) but in my experience it doesn't matter where you apply it, progesterone finds its way through any skin even the sole of your feet
I guess there are others who only have effects with the higher-dose capsules.

Edit: The cream I tried was a prescription not a ready-made cream: The pharmacy had to mix different ingredients.

(By the way: It was a scary experience, I didn't expect that transdermal application would have effects like metaphorically speaking "a bomb". Thinking about environmetal toxins and hormonal active substances in water, clothes and skin care products....whew....no wonder many people are experiencing infertility, PCOs and other conditions etc. So I try being careful about buying textiles and body lotions or soap...)

I haven't tried pregnancy so far and I don't know if it would be a bad/good idea. Some women who also had reactions to synthethic hormones / birth control pills suffered heavy hyperemesis - but others didn't.... Then there are many women who are just VERY tired and exhausted during pregnancy, they don't have ME of course or Hashimoto or anything similar but just felt bad...
The hormone thing is so complex and I couldn't find studies with clear or homogeneous outcomes.

 

[pattismith]

@mari_gold

thank you for sharing. When I explained the doctor how bad was my reaction to the birth control pill, he couldn't explain to me any reason why. It was likely a vascular reaction too (kind of syncope with fall of the blood flow).


I have low blood pressure, so I wonder if this could be a susceptibility to progesterone induced bad reaction.


I am very low in pregnenolone too, but taking it didn't helped me. (no bad reaction though).

 

[mari_gold]

I have low blood pressure, so I wonder if this could be a susceptibility to progesterone induced bad reaction.

Yes, I know, doctors can never tell why some people don't tolerate synthetic medication or hormones... and they never have an explanation...
I was also thinking about blood pressure (which was very low in my case, too) and vascular reactions but hormones have such a complex impact and are influencing so very many body functions ... I don't think it's the only explanation.

I am very low in pregnenolone too, but taking it didn't helped me. (no bad reaction though).

That's interesting though. I was told you would have to take it several weeks to realise any change or reaction. Some women with ME reported more energy according to the doctor. Very good that there weren't any bad reactions. Maybe I'm giving it a try this year...

 

[Inara]

@mari_gold, I meant the capsules. Did those who took capsules also tried them vaginally, and were there the same reactions? Sorry.

Edit: And the pregnancy question referred to pwME, especially those who now made bad experiences with progesterone.

 

[perchance dreamer]

Yes i think I am going to try that. How much do you take that you can tolerate now?

I use 45 MG now. I might go up to 50 in a few months.

 

[mari_gold]

Edit: And the pregnancy question referred to pwME, especially those who now made bad experiences with progesterone.

That's a very good question. I can't answer it. I wouldn't say that problems with progesterone in pwME are a hint to better avoid pregnancy. Maybe progesterone just causes trouble in balancing homeostasis and pwME cannot cope with that? You would need to ask pwithoutME and problems with progesterone.