What does the hormone Progesterone do?
In our younger years, progesterone prepares our uterus so that a fertilized egg can implant itself and begin to grow. In menopause, progesterone can help with menopause symptoms like:
Hot flashes and night sweats: Progesterone can reduce or eliminate these symptoms when combined with estrogen
Sleep: Progesterone can improve sleep quality and help with insomnia
Mood: Progesterone can help stabilize mood and reduce anxiety
Libido: Progesterone can increase libido by stimulating the production of testosterone
Intercourse: Progesterone can decrease discomfort during intercourse
Preventing uterine cancer: Progesterone thins the uterine lining, which can help prevent endometrial cancer
Protecting bone health: Progesterone therapy can lower the risk of developing osteoporosis
Improving metabolism: Progesterone can improve glucose and lipid metabolism, which may reduce the risk of diabetes and high cholesterol
Winona Estrogen Body Cream with Progesterone
When I first became a Winona patient, they prescribed to me an estrogen/progesterone cream that I rubbed on the inside of my arms each night. Progesterone cream can be combined with estrogen like my prescription was or it can also be just a progesterone cream.
Progesterone also comes in the pill or tablet formulation.
Estrogen and Progesterone are made to oppose one another
If you are menopause age and still have a uterus, if prescribed Hormone Replacement Therapy, then you'll likely be given both estrogen and progesterone. Think of progesterone as the "calming" hormone of the two.
Our lowering levels of progesterone are the first to show signs as we enter perimenopause. the 5-10 years leading up to menopause. This can also cause an "estrogen dominance" state, not because estrogen is too high, but rather because the opposing progesterone isn't there to balance out the estrogen as it used to be.
Low levels of Progesterone can cause symptoms of:
Menstrual irregularities: Irregular, missed, or abnormal periods
Difficulty conceiving: Low progesterone can affect the uterine lining's ability to support a fertilized egg
Mood changes: Anxiety, depression, or mood swings
Sleep issues: Difficulty falling or staying asleep
Hot flashes: Can occur even when estrogen levels are normal
Other symptoms: Headaches, migraines, joint pain, fatigue, low libido, weight gain, bloating, acne, cracked nails, dry skin, and peeling skin
Perimenopause and Progesterone
For me, I self-diagnosed myself when trying to get pregnant in my late 20's back in the 90's. I could get pregnant but couldn't stay pregnant. I picked up some books at the bookstore on fertility and convinced by OB/GYN to let me take progesterone the 2nd half of my cycles, so that if a fertilized egg did make to my uterus, it would be in a good condition for the egg to attach and began to grow. I was finally able to get and stay pregnant after I started progesterone.
Then in my mid 30's I became very moody and grouchy the last week before my period. I now know that I was probably progesterone deficient and that's also about the same time I noticed that my sleep patterns began to change. Also, likely due to lowering progesterone levels.
Progesterone Cream vs. Progesterone Pills
Over the years and as I experiement with differt Hormone Replacement Therapies for this blog, I've used both progesterone cream and progesteron pills. I've also remembered my experience when I was trying to get pregnant and assumed if my body struggled to have enough progesterone in my 20's and 30's, it probably wasn't producing enough in my 40's and 50's.
For me, I do better when my progesterone is in the pill form and my estrogen is in the patch formulation. When you are first starting Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), you'll likely have to experiment and tweak things a few times to find the perfect combination for you and your body.
My first estrogen patch was too high of a dose for me and I started spotting, so we decreased the amount of estrogen per patch and all is well today.
Progesterone dosage
When I switched to a progesterone pill, my HRT doc said that a typical dosage is 100 mg. I felt pretty good at that dosage, but my sleep still wasn't where I wanted it to be. I did my research and found supporting evidence that progesterone is imparitive to sleep and sometimes we'll need more that the starting dose of 100 mg to get the full benefit progesteron can provide.
I worked with my HRT doctor and we agreed that I could increase my progesterone pill to 200 mg per day taken at night and that has made a world of differnce for me. I fall asleep faster and I stay asleep longer. I still typically wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, but I'm okay with one trip as long as I am able to right back to sleep.
Winona Hormone Replacement for Menopause Relief
Click here to get started with Winona and get 15% off your first order. Create an account and complete the medical history questionnaire. With Winona there is no need for an appointment, once your account is created, they'll reach out to you with instructions on how to get to their patient portal and from there you'll be able to communicate with your HRT specialist.
Your Winona doc will make recommendations but will likely also take direction if you have a certain formulation you want to start with or if you've been on HRT before, like I had been and know what you want and what works for you, share that with them too.
They will write the prescription and send to their partner pharmacy. The pharmacy will ship the medications directly to your home. They typically send out prescriptions in three-month quanties and when it's time to renew, Winona will reach out to you to confirm you want same products and then ship to you. Once you start your therapy, if you have questions or any concerns, you can always reach out to your HRT provider as they are only one message away from answering your questions.
Click on image below to create your WINONA account and get 15% off your first order.
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