The diagnostics are back- everything within normal limits except my cycle which is as in shambles as Iraq.

She is calling me premenapasal- age 47. No other problems but my period will not stop. Doc has given me three options w/ the first being a course of Provera. She described to me what to expect while taking it and I said "and the next option is what?". If what I heard is what she said I could expect a heavy cycle, which may or may not end, the first month or so. She mentioned some other things that are making me think "I'll take whats behind Door #2" which is the D & C.

Any input from gals who have tried Provera? Would you do it again? Did it help- it seems like it will take what feels like living hell and put in 3-D form 24/7.

H-E-L-P!

Could you request Prometrium instead? Provera is the synthetic version of progesterone, while Prometrium is bioidentical.

On the other hand, if it were just a one-time treatment, I might try it, but would definitely not continue on it.

Good luck.

I don't know why she prescribed synthetic over bioidentical. The goal is to jump start my system, retrain it if you will. I phoned the office yesterday because I needed some questions answered before deciding what to do. They put Doc on the line and she was fabulous and gave me the info I needed to go ahead and try Provera.

I admit I'm more than leary of the first "flush" which Provera will produce but hopefully it will be managable and help. Doc hopes that it will only take 2 or 3 treatments to provide relief. If it doesn't we go another route.

Ain't it funny, in 5th or 6th grade when the schools provide the "You are becoming a Woman" talk this stuff isn't even on the radar. Guess it's a good thing that they leave out the part "down the road in a few decades your gonna wish that what we tell you today was your only concern."

anyone actually tried provera? my gyn wants me to be on hrt - climara patch w/provera because she says i need to be on hrt?!? bios didn't work so she is prescribing half bio & synthetic? anyone in this situation before?

appreciate your feedback. thanks.

kollette

I used it when my periods first started doing the weird things. Mostly too much bleeding,then bleeding that went on too long,though not heavy. I took it for the last 2 weeks of each cycle for about 5 or 6 months I think (it was awhile ago) and didn't have any issues with it. It did what it was supposed to.

However, my boss's wife used it for a few months (not sure why) and she had a very bad experience with it. I don't know the details,only that she told him to warn me not to take it when I first started noticing the meno symptoms. This was years after I had taken it.

Just goes to show you, we're all different!

hi mrsb76,

thanks for the reply. i decided i'll just call bellevue for some alternatives. i had consulted with pete before & brought his recommendations to my gyn. somehow she does not do compounding & i believe is scared of being sued. so she insists on using only FDA approved meds, even tho provera is synthetic!!! & known to cause side effects. i read about it in dr uzzi's book & am too scared to try it.

i'll hold on altho my headaches are causing me grief! for some relief!

k

All forms of progesterone are synthesized from some other source.

When my doctor put me on prometrium, she asked if I was on Blue Cross for pharmaceuticals. I am. She said, "fine let's go with the prometrium. It's pricier, but you're covered." I think the appeal for her had something to do with it be micronized. Why, I cannot recall.

Provera is syntetic form of progesterone -Medroxy-progesterone acetate, which is a syntetic drug with progesterone like qualitites, so it attaches to progesterone receptors and behaves like progesterone.

Prometrium is synthesized from dosgenin, which is precursor of progesterone found in wild yams, and is indeed bioidentical progesterone. It is micronized (made into small particles) and is fat soluble ( n peanut oil) so it is absorbed better, and it is indeed identical formula to what our body makes (or used to make).
I was scared to use Provera after reading all teh books too, but got 100% of listed Prometrium side effects, which are pretty much identical to those listed with Provera. Oh, I was Rx it to regulate my cycle (twice a month bleeding) which ironically was caused by P-cream. I had severe reaction to Prometrium, although it is bioidentical. Anyways, my cyclle returned to normal once I stopped fiddling with all hormones.
Progesterone or progestine both are used to "purge" endometrium and stop heavy bleeding, and is normally done for 3 cycles. After that if the bleeding does not stop, the goden standard is D&C.
HTH

Ok! Now I am really scared! The Dr at the University of VA put me on Provera because I was having such heavy bleeding - during which time I was very stressed and from what I remember - I was told that for some women it worked and for some it did not. I took it and from the 1st month my bleeding became more managble. He had said to me to come back to discuss more in depth about what to do about my bleeding problem. While on it the 1st yr - I was going thru so very much - court with the X and such- and before I knew it I had been on it for over a yr. I changed Dr's last yr and she is wonderful and have told her what I was taking and she asked if it was working and she knows how long I have been on it and did not bat an eye! Other than weight gain I have had no reactions to it except that it keeps me regulated. But in reading the post I am seeing concerns about being on it for any extended time! Ahhhhhhh! Should I be worried? Please someone tell me - should I call the Dr and remind her again of how long I have been on it? I have been on it since Aug of 2003!!!!! Once a month for 7 days! The DR I am with continues to give me prescription for it - she should know right?

Blessings,

KSheets

I just want to add that the progestins (i.e., Provera) are linked to heart attack, etc. Prometrium, which is bioidentical progesterone, is not.

I think the progestins are worse than the synthetic estrogens, from everything I read. Dr. Uzzi is just death on it. He quotes the statistics in his book and says doctors knew about the negative cardiovascular effects from the beginning. If my book weren't packed away in the storage unit, I'd type up what he said.

i'm throwing Provera away. i decided if i have to take hrt it will be NATURAL hrt. climara + progest cream if i have to. not 100 mg of prometrium.

thanks everyone for your replies. - k

I've been on 100mg of Prometrium for almost a year. I've had absolutely no side effects from it. We all handle meds differently!

Me too. I take it about 30 mins before bed. It helps me sleep.

Me too. I take it about 30 mins before bed. It helps me sleep.

well, i tried promterium 100 mg before & it totally wiped me out, plus bad headaches. so that's out, & gyn replaced it w/provera medroxyprogesterone (generic).

i prob suffer from information overload, too much info is making my head spin. dr uzzi, dr lee, info from p-s, from other websites. perimeno is not the best time to try making life-altering decisions.

thanks everyone for responding, sincerely appreciate your sharing of your personal experiences.

k

Hey Duch, did you tell me you are using Prometrium gel ? Kollette, maybe you can get the gel and use half a dose ?

hi ladies, back to post an update.

in my follow-up visit, i told my gyn i didn't take the provera generic because i was too scared after doing the research. she was quite unhappy with my non-compliance, i could tell, & she said how could she help me if i don't try it? so i went home & decided to give it a try.

verdict? i could not sleep well because of the hot flashes. my hot flashes were minimal until i took this provera tablet. then, i was so tired today at work - fatigue.

i checked dr reiss's book for hormone balance. i'm pretty sure the provera generic 2.5 mg minimal lowest dose was prob too strong for the estradiol patch i had on - .0375mg, hence the fatigue & hot flashes.

i'm supposed to see her again in a week's time to follow-up & prob tweak the dosage. but really, how could i wait a week??? all the $ i'm spending & time, tweaking, & feeling so crappy, ups & downs all the time... is really too much for me. more stress on it than not on such therapy. i was getting better until i thought i would give it a try.

btw, i asked her about creams, she said the otc creams are just too weak to protect my uterus. fair enough. so there goes my progest cream - have to return it to store.

i asked her about natural alternatives - she said from my experience with prometrium - lowest dose - she felt i was not tolerating it. ok fair enough.

but now, even this half bio/half synthetic is too tedious to cope with. i'm thinking of giving up - she'll prob be furious but really i need a break from all this hassle & spending of my hard earned $! my hubby says it's only march but i'm fast using up my flex care spending!

kollette