Hello!
I am new here and have heard wonderful things about this board!
I have just started taking Prometrium 200mg (12 day) and have some concerns about taking it. The reason I am taking it is because I have not had a period in 7 month. I am 43 years old. I do not like taking medication unless it is a must!!! My gyno told me to take this so that I would have a period, and I did on day 12.
I was just informed that I would have to continue taking prometrium until my next annual visit! Or until I stopped having a period for 3 consecutive months while being on Prometrium, then he said that I could stop. My concerns are with breast cancer and elevated blood pressure. Would you please share your experiences
Prometrium. (good and bad)
Thank You

Angele,

200 mg of oral Prometrium would wipe me out so much that I would not be able to function. I tried it last month and by the second day I had to stop and go back to vaginal progesterone. Vaginal progesterone makes me irritable but at least I can function.

Does your doctor want you to take Prometrium every day or just 12 days of the month?

Did your doctor check your estrogen (and other hormones like progesterone) with blood work and are you having any low estrogen symptoms? Did he offer you estrogen as well? Progesterone can be an estrogen blocker and may make you feel bad if you already have low estrogen and take Prometrium alone. Your doctor may feel that you are not making enough of your own progesterone and wants you to take the Prometrium to prevent possible endometrial buildup. Did he tell you something like that?

Have you read any good hormone books yet? The one that I would recommend first is “Natural Hormone Balance for Women” by Uzzi Reiss. It was extremely helpful to me.

Kathy

Hi Angele!

Welcome to PS. You will meet many wonderful woman here. I just started taking Prometrium last month. Cycling it for 2 weeks/per month. I take the 200mg strength also. The only thing I noticed last month was that I slept much better those 2 weeks. I noticed no bad side affects from it but of course its early days yet. I actually start taking them again tonight and look forward to getting some sleep! I have the same concerns as you do so hopefully someone will be able to answer your questions. Just wanted to welcome you and let you know your not alone!

Take Care
Cathy

Hi Kathy,
Thank you for your prompt reply. My doctor would like for me to take Prometrium for 12 days each month. He did not offer estrogen. He did tell me that Prometrium would prevent me from having endometrial build up. (this is what he was concerned with.) My internist checked my hormone levels last year and they were normal. In addition to this I have hypothyroidism and taking synthroid 25mcg and thyroid synergy (a natural supplement) I am hoping to one day take the natural supplement instead of the synthetic one. (I know that having an under active thyroid can alter periods as well)

Hi Cathy!
Thank you for the warm welcome!!!

Hi Angele,

That is good that your doctor is only having you take Prometrium for 12 days of the month. “Normal” hormone levels do not necessarily mean normal for you. Did you get a copy of your test results and can you post them with the reference ranges and the day of your cycle the tests were drawn?

You can have a “normal” estrogen level on day 20 but your day 5 level may be too low for you to feel good. If your estrogen level is OK for you every day of the month; taking Prometrium for 12 days should be OK. If you have low estrogen days, Prometrium can make you even more miserable unless you add a little estrogen on those days to make you feel better.

I took progesterone for a couple of years before I “needed” to add estrogen because of low estrogen symptoms. In retrospect I believe I needed estrogen much earlier and I have some long term side effects of not starting it earlier like bone loss in my mouth and hips. Also, I never even realized that I had vaginal dryness until I started my estrogen and it went away. I used to have head ache and migraine problems. I no longer have head ache problems because I know that using just a little extra estrogen will “cure” my headache without the need for other medication. I could go on and on telling you about all of the positive things that estrogen has helped me with.

I believe it would be helpful for you to read “Natural Hormone Balance” by Uzzi Reiss. The book will help you assesses your hormones to make sure that your doctor is treating you correctly. Dr. Reiss really likes progesterone as well; I think the book will be helpful for addressing your progesterone fears. Dr. Vliet is the second author that I would recommend; she has a new book coming out this month (“Savvy Woman’s Guide to Estrogen”); I plan on buying it as soon as it comes out and I expect it to be good. Dr. Vliet seems to have a different opinion on progesterone than Dr. Reiss, so it may be helpful for you to read her books as well. “Screaming to Be Heard” by Vliet is helpful but long and more difficult to read but has some good information about progesterone in it.

I do not know much about thyroid; since you are interested in natural thyroid joining the natural thyroid Yahoo group and reading “stop the thyroid madness” web site may be helpful to you (sorry we are not allowed to post links).

Kathy

I have been taking Prometrium for the last 7 months after I had a D&C for Complex Hyperplasia because I had unopposed estrogen. I take 200 mg for 10 days and have not had any side effects and yes I think I do sleep better when on the Prometrium
I am 53 years old and I have only had 1 period after the 2nd month on Prometrium.. I guess this is normal for my age.. Anyone else out there on Prometrium in peri or postmeno that isnt getting a period with Prometrium? I go for a follow up biopsy the end of February.. I guess it's to be sure nothing came back and it's working..

Hi Bushmountain,

I always get bleeding with progesterone but I found a paragraph in one of my books that may be helpful or interesting to you. Page 403 of “The Hormonally Vulnerable Woman” by G. Redmond states:

“Taking progesterone as part of menopausal HT may mean having to put up with periods, though they are usually light. Most typically these start about two days after you finish the medication, but they can begin earlier, wile you are still taking it. When this happens, you still need to finish out the twelve days to get the cancer protection. If you are on a very low dose of estrogen, you may not have noticeable bleeding after finishing the progesterone. This is nothing to worry about; what is important is that your uterus be exposed to the anticancer effect of progesterone, not that you bleed.”

Kathy

Hi Kathy,
Thank you for the book suggestions, etc.

I just started the Prometrium a couple cycles ago and I also didn't have a period this last time. Do you just start taking them again when your suppose to even if you didn't get a period?

OK Ladies I need your thoughts please!! As I stated above in my last post I didn't have a period after taking Prometrium last month. I went ahead and started taking it again when I was suppose to. Three days in I started bleeding. It has now become quite heavy. Can anyone tell me if I should continue taking them this cycle?? And why did I start my period while on the Prometrium? Isn't progesterone suppose to stop the bleeding? I'm sooo confused I would appreciate any thoughts you might have!

Cathy

Cathy,

Dr. Redmond in “The Hormonally Vulnerable Women” says that we should continue our progesterone even if we start bleeding to protect our uterus. Dr. Reiss in “Natural Hormone Balance for Women” says that if heavy bleeding starts that we should stop the progesterone. I used to follow Dr. Reiss’s advice but recently after reading Dr. Redmond I try to continue the progesterone because I liked his explanation better.

Progesterone only stops bleeding if you take it every day. If you cycle it, it changes the endometrium so that it can slough off. You may have started bleeding early because you did not bleed with the last Prometrium cycle. You also need enough estrogen to hold onto the lining; if your estrogen dipped it may have triggered the bleeding. Do you split your progesterone into two doses/day? If not splitting your dose and taking 1/2 at night and 1/2 12 hours later may help breakthrough bleeding. I have had trouble with oral progesterone when I have tried to take it in the past with early bleeding and spotting (along with other side effects). Vaginal progesterone is least likely to cause breakthrough bleeding for me.

Kathy

I also read Reiss' recommendations about stopping when you start bleeding. I wonder if Cathy should sync her progesterone use to her new cycle. She said she didn't have a period last month ... Cathy, did you estimate day 1 based on the prior cycle when you did have a period ? And now here's another period, too early. I would have stopped the progesterone and started up again 12-14 days after the new day 1. What does Redmond say ? I want to buy that book but I just haven't done it yet.

Thanks Kathy and SandraSmith for your replies. I phoned my Gyno's office this morning and was told to keep taking the Prometrium as scheduled. I am taking 200 mg nightly. Instructions were to take them for 2 weeks and then stop for 2 weeks. Gyno's nurse told me not to stop them even though I'm bleeding heavily and to stay on the 2 weeks on/2weeks off no matter if I bleed or not. So here I sit as confused as ever and the bleeding continues. Hopefully things settle down soon! Thanks again for your replies.


Take Care
Cathy

Kathy

You did the right thing.. you checked in with the Gyno.

The function of prometrium is to protect the uterus, to ensure the sloughing off of the endometrial cells. the problem is, we are told to take the prometrium/progesterone et al, to mimic our cycle - our natural, 28 day cycle. Course, by the time we're aware we're in peri, our cycles have altered. They become lighter, or stronger, and the distance between periods diminishes. The uterus will fall away when the progesterone/prometrium is stopped, but if your body is still producing progesterone on its own, it may delay action, or cause it early. In short, your body may have an effect on the cycle that is greater than the hormones taken by mouth.

When you stop and think about it, one expert wants to train the body with prometrium, the other wants the prometrium to support the new, natural cycle.

A third school of thought would be to put you on prometrium 100mg every day, and that would do away with the period altogether. And that's what my obi-wan-gynobee set up for me. I'm not sure there is a right or wrong answer.

Hello Ladies,

I have been reading this thread with interest. I have been posting on another thread as well with some questions. I was wondering since i'm going to try vaginal progesterone 30mg 2x per day, if I cycle it and don't have a period is that O.K.? My Obgyn said she still wanted me to hve a vaginal ultrasounc 1-2x per year and a biopsy as well. The Dr. that is prescribing me the progesterone isn't an Obgyn but is a MD. He wanted me to get a 2nd opinion because I initially wanted to take unopposed estrogen because I can't tolerate any transdermal or oral doseages of progesterone. Prometrium, 100 mg. made my heart pound out of my chest, gave me insomnia and worse depression. I feel wonderful on the tri-est 1.25 mg. oral caps 2x per day. I'm 58 and just stopped having periods 14 mos. ago. I had regular periods until age 57 hen simply stopped. Nothing prior. Now that I look back I can see I was slipping into depression, which I have never experienced before. I'm very concerned about trying the vaginal progesterone but I think I should try it rather than give up. I'll let you know how it goes. So again my question is: if I don't have a perio after taking the prog. vaginally for 12 days in a month, what should I do? The Dr. just gave me a blood test but I havn't gotten the results yet. Last test, in Nov. of 2006, I was low on prog. estrogen and testerone. I just know taking the estrogen pills lifts my mood immediately. Without it I sink back into depression immediately, with just one missed dose. I'mwondering if that is a rebound effect or what?

Thanks Kathy and everyone. You are all such a help.

Ethan Nana (Mary)

Cathy,

If you continue to have the problem with breakthrough bleeding wile on 200 mg of oral progesterone at night you could think about trying 100 mg every 12 hours instead. As I recall, oral progesterone has a half life of about 12 hours. If you take your entire dose of progesterone at night then after 12 hours your progesterone level drops which can lead to spotting and breakthrough bleeding. If you take your progesterone so that your level does not rise and fall so dramatically you may have fewer problems with breakthrough bleeding (every 12 hours instead of every 24 hours). I think doctors put women on 200 mg at night so that the women will not have to put up with progesterone’s sleepy side effects during the daytime. You may be a lucky one though and not feel sleepy if you take 100 mg every 12 hours. The only way to know though it to try it and see. Another thought would be to try 150 mg at bedtime and 50 mg the next morning. When I was experimenting with oral progesterone I used to poke a hole in the Prometrium and save a partial dose on a spoon for the next morning.

Kathy

Mary,

Dr. Redmond in “The Hormonally Vulnerable Women” says that some women who cycle their progesterone do not have a period but the important thing is that they continue with their progesterone for 12 days to protect their uterus. You could let your doctor know and then just make sure that you get your scheduled ultrasounds to check your uterus. I have not seen any posts from women taking cycled progesterone who do not have periods though. It would be nice to hear from the women cycling progesterone and not having periods.

Kathy

Kathy,

Thanks for the reply. My Dr. won't eseeing me again for 6 mos. but said I can call him anytime. He cals me back, on the day I call, ALWAYS. He's not an obgyn but is a heomeopathic MD and prescribes BHRT. Seems like he would want to do more blood testing for awhile until I get balanced on these BHRT's. Anyway, he is always available by phone and would probably order a test if I wasn't feeling well. There is another doc a friend of mine goes to and she tweaks the bios a lot with blood tests often. My friend said the doc was testing her almose every three weeks, until she is feeling better and her blood tests showed she was balancing out. Luckily her ins. pays for the bloodwork, and part of the Dr. visit. I'm praying I can take the vag progesterone. It should arrive tomorrow or Tues. in the mail. I'm nervous about it though, because I've had such a difficult time with any type of progesterone so far. Not sure what I'll do if I can't take it vaginally. Maybe I'll go see my friends doc and see what she might suggest. I'll keep you informed. You have so much experience. It is a comfort to find someone to talk this over with. Thank you.

Ethan's Nana (Mary)

Thanks Duch for the explanation. Hope all goes well for you! Doing away with the period all together sounds good to me!

Thanks Kathy. Things have settled down to just some spotting thankfully. I only have a few nights left of the Prometrium this months. If this don't straighten out next cycle I will certainly be trying your suggestions.

Hi Mary,

It sounds like you have a really nice doctor.

My insurance does not pay for my testing either. I feel lucky that my doctor has not pushed too many blood tests; he seems to understand about costs. He also has me go to a lower cost lab. I did not know that lab prices were so different between labs. The first hormone doctor that I went to had a sign up that said that hormone treatment was expensive and would require frequent blood tests; she sounds like your friend’s doctor. That first doctor did not help me though, even though I had low estrogen and low progesterone symptoms all she offered me was a water pill and said to come back when I started having hot flashes. I had to figure things out on my own. My hormone books have been very helpful as well as reading different forums. My doctor is helpful but does not micro manage me at all, he never gave me a dose for my estradiol in olive oil or for my progesterone. I tell him about what is working and what is not working and what book I am reading and he says OK. He has given me some suggestions and knows I will be back as soon as I start having trouble. I like it that he is very accommodating and lets me experiment with my dosages. For example with my testosterone he said that 2-4 mg a day works well for most women and I should figure out what does I feel best on (without getting excess side effects). It would drive me nuts to have to call and ask every time I adjusted my testosterone dose. He is actually the exact kind of doctor that I like but for other women who do not have the time or energy to read as much as I do and are afraid to experiment I think he may not be as good. Although it is possible that he gives other women more direction if they want it.

Good luck with your progesterone!

Kathy

Hi Mary,

I take lots of supplements and I do not think they interfere with my topical estradiol. Is your triest in oral form? (I just read your previous post—it is.) If you are taking oral maybe you could ask your doctor for a RX for topical to use when your estrogen level goes down fast and you get depressed and have palpitations. I think many women like the dots or patches, once you get your dose right the dots/patches give a nice even estrogen level. I use topical estradiol because my level changes frequently during the month. With dots/patches or topical you would not have to worry about supplements interfering with your estrogen. Dots/patches are not available in triest but I have found that I like estradiol just as much as triest. You can get topical formulated as triest.

I only get heart palpitations if I forget my calcium/magnesium. On one occasion I needed some extra potassium to get my palpitations to go away.

I cannot take benadryl because it puts me to sleep and I have a hangover the next day. Are you taking it for allergies? I take MSM for allergies and occasionally Nettle leaf and Quercetin if they get bad.

Kathy

Kathy,


I have been taking benadryl to get to sleep. I think it's affecting me and giving me palps before I doze off. I don't get a hangover from it though. My hormones do keep going up and down. You say a patch might keep things more level? I'm scared to try anything new because of all the mood swings I keep getting. Now I have to try vaginal progesterone and I'm concerned. Is there anything better for sleep. I have some Valarian root capsules but have been afraid to take one because I'm having such unusual reactions to everything since going on the Tri-est.

Thanks,
Mary

Kathy,

I forgot to ask you. What are the patches called. Would I be switching from tri-est to estradoil or something else. I'm really having problems keeping level on this Tri-est. I'm wondering if the progesterone is going to affect the tri-est and make me depressed again? All of this is getting so commplicated.

Thanks again,
Mary

Hi Mary,

The patches that women seem to like the best are called Vivelle-Dot. *** I think that they come in at least three strengths; your doctor will have to figure out which strength he wants to start you on at first. I think you wear them for about three days and then apply another patch. You should get a nice steady estrogen level with the dot and be less prone to side effects than with orals or tropicals. With orals and topicals (gels, creams, oils) your level peaks and then drops because of the dosing schedule but this does not seem to occur with dots. Some women report that they do notice that their level goes down around the time they change their dot though. Dr. Vliet suggests changing them sooner if this is a problem. Vivelle-Dots are plain estradiol; you cannot get dots or patches as triest. I found estradiol to work just as well as triest

As a backup to the dot you could ask for a topical estradiol (or even triest) to use on occasions where you need an extra boost of estrogen quickly. For example, if you were getting a migraine it would be helpful to apply some extra estrogen. Also, if you found that you needed just a little extra estrogen at night to sleep well you could apply a small topical dose at bedtime to get you through the night to go along with your dot.

For sleep I use 5-HTP and GABA. Some people have a hard time adjusting to 5-HTP so they use tryptophan instead which I have heard is easy to adjust to. Tryptophan and GABA are amino acids (building blocks of protein). You can get these amino acids at the health food store, but I buy them in powder form from beyond-a-century. I take several other amino acids that I order along with my 5-HTP and GABA. The Schwarzbein Principle II talks about all the amino acids that I take and it is a good book to have in your library if you do not have it already. Dr. Schwarzbein has a newer book but I have not purchased it. If you do try Tryptophan and GABA I would start with about 250 mg of GABA and 500 mg of Tryptophan at bedtime (empty stomach) and go up from there. GABA gives me a headache if I take too much so I am careful. If you are on antidepressants you should ask your doctor first before taking amino acids. If you decide to try 5-HTP instead of tryptophan start with a really low dose (maybe 12 mg) because I believe that many people have difficulty with it because their dose is too high which causes side effects.

I have never tried Valarian root, I am going to put it on my shopping list. I think Dr. Schwarzbein mentions it in her book. I think you can also buy many of these items from Dr. Schwarzbein’s web site but the site is a little pricy for me.

If your estrogen goes down because the progesterone blocks some of your estrogen; many of the hormone books recommend taking just a little extra estrogen when this occurs. Progesterone is an estrogen blocker so just keep that in mind. If you had some topical estradiol (or triest) you could apply a small extra dose during the time you are on progesterone if you notice that you start getting depressed again. Topical estrogen goes in and out of our system quickly; try to split your dose so that you take it 3 times a day to get a more steady level.

Once you get things figured out it will become much less complicated. It will be worth the effort! Good luck.

Kathy


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Hi I am new as well.

I have hyperplasia and had a D/C in Jan. I take 200 mg of prometrium twice a day. ( I have been taking it since Early Dec. )

I am now getting my cycle monthly but the pain and bleeding seems to be more than what it should.

Its been months since I had a "normal" period. I am going to to Gyno in a few weeks, can anyone recommend suggestions/alternatives that might help?

Also is it possible that I am still "recovering" from the D/C?


Thank you
Cheryl