Oh Dearest, Thank you so much....I was about at wits end, feeling very pms'y......extremely irritable, snappy, bloated etc...I didn't use the cream yesterday.....and I do believe I will go to the ProGest..I found their web site and it sounds more professional etc.       I probably should have taken the saliva tests to determine or at least get a ballpark figure of where my hormone levels lie....Can you recommend the best way to do that? (The saliva tests I mean)....I'm afraid unfortunately that my ob-gyn is not in favor of this and only pushes birth control pills on me.  I am 46, hypertensive, now overweight by 50 pounds and feel by all that I read that I am estrogen dominant, so this is very frustrating.I have however had three surgeries in my life for huge ovarian cysts, and after that was labeled "infertile"....so my husband and I adopted our son 6 years ago....(Yes, I'm 46 and a mom to a wonderful little boy 6 1/2 years old and going through perimenopause, HELP!!)....Dearest, It just helps so much to talk and write to others going through the same thing, and I will go to the articles and read more....Thanks so much for your help....Love,   Beth  444 (when you see the numbers 444 angels are in your midst!)

I got headaches when I first started using the creme.  I was also using it twice a day.  I cut back to once in the morning and feel great.  I think I found the right amount for me.  Do you think it might help you?

Thanks Noel,  Yes, I think perhaps i should play around with the dosages a bit............I'm off for that week now before the period so....we'll see.I think that Dearest is right about needing a little estrogen though..so I'm thinking of going to the ProGest web site and ordering that one.  I do so wish I had a NP near me....my ob-gyn is so narrow minded and just blows you off.When I had a late period a few months ago i called their office and they insisted on doing a preg test before doing anything else, this was very hurtful and humiliating as I am infertile, went through many surgeries and hence adoption....they wanted to push bcp's on me and didn't even read my chart to see that I'm hypertensive and overweight etc....This is all made worse because I happen to be an RN who has worked my entire career in OB.....go figure huh?Frustrating, frustrating, as I always listen and treat patients well, don't feel like I'm getting the same in return.Well, thanks for listening.....this is certainly a very emotional time in a women's life isn't it?  Take care..Beth

Beth, I'm going to second the idea here that the pmsy effects could be related to an excess of progesterone--or at least an estrogen/progesterone ratio that is now skewed towards the progesterone-heavy end. Those are the normal effects of progesterone when it starts displacing too many estrogens from brain receptor sites. So the idea of modifying your dose downward slightly makes sense as a good place to start.

My observation based on watching a lot of women work with progesterone over the past couple years is that an initial rocky period seems to be normal as your hormones all adjust to the shift that adding progesterone initiates. That seems to moderate after a couple weeks, and things should be getting, if not better, at least no worse. By four weeks, you've generally adjusted fully. That's a broad norm, but it may give you some help in evaluating what is "getting used to" and what is "undesirable effect."

And the really difficult thing of this is when you are working with one element you kind of control (the progesterone dose) and two elements you cannot (your ovarian output and your stress levels, which determine adrenal production of a variety of hormones), you don't get a steady state no matter how good your dose is on any one day. Still, it's way better than no progesterone at all, and with time and listening to your body (and keeping a journal of what you hear), you should arrive at a sense of what your body needs when. You're getting started, and you're obviously listening to your body. Keep working with it, and you'll get there.

I might be in the minority here, but I think i'm either getting too much progesterone, or it doesn't agree with me. For over a year now i've been using...first-prometrium at 100mgs, and now- compounded cream at 4% and this entire time i've been experiencing extreme dizziness. It puts me to sleep just fine, but, every morning I literally stagger out of bed....i'm so dizzy.  I read back in Dr. Vliet's book and she seems to think we only need progesterone for 6-7 days out of the month.  Now for 2 days I didn't  use any progesterone cream at all.....and woke up without the dizzies.  Do you think that a few days a month is enough progesterone to off set my .0375 estradiol patch? I know everyone is different, but so many women rave on about the benefits of progesterone and I was hoping to be one of them.....guess not. All it does for me is put me to sleep at night.

Anyone else have problems with progesterone?

Kari, come to think of it.....I did sleep like a "baby" on it....in fact that effect I liked as I don't normally sleep well........but it's not worth the sore  breasts (I'm already very large busted, so don't need that side effect) and pms feelings....oh well......I went to the ProGest web site and left a message with the doctors there, so maybe they will give me some answers....Thanks again for all responses...much appreciated....Beth

I've been using Femgest for about six months now and have noticed a great improvement in the amount of bleeding and also no longer have mid month break-through bleeding.  However, I have also noticed that I seem to be having more severe pms symptoms such as bloating, tired, edgy, palpitations (more towards the starting of my period).  I've been using 1/4 tsp. twice daily but was wondering if maybe I should decrease it to 1/4 tsp. daily if that would improve my pms symptoms.  Any suggestions?????

Joline,

Thats what I did.  I was using it twice a day and had a slight headache.  Since I never get headaches I figured it had to do with the creme.  I use Emerita Pro-Gest Creme.  I cut back to 1/4 tsp in the morning only and haven't had headaches.  Some people have said the creme makes them sleepy it doesn't affect me that way so i use it in the morning after my shower.  Maybe you should try to adjust the amount!  I have to tell you I feel great on this dose of creme.  I was having bad anxiety and insomnia.  Hope it continues to work this well.  I am 53 so hope I don't have a lot longer to get through this nonsense.

Thanks for the help Noel.  I will try decreasing the dosage to 1/4 tsp. daily instead of 2x a day and see if that makes any difference.  I guess you just have to keep trying different things till you get it right, if that ever happens!!!!!!

Last night I decreased my dose to 1/8 teaspoon and wasn't as dizzy this morning. It also made me sleepy....which is a plus. I think the 1/4 teaspoon was a little much ....correlative to my .0375 estradiol patch.

It's all such a guessing game.