I'm 39 and new around here. When I found this board I felt like I found my sanity again! Bless you all for posting and offering so much support.

I won't make this too long by listing all my symptoms, but suffice it to say I believe I'm in perimenopause and I've got to try something to help myself. Neither my well-meaning internist nor my ob/gyn were interested in discussing perimenopause, so I feel I've just got to try something on my own.

So....a few months ago I bought a tube of Emerita Pro-Gest, but for some silly reason I've been afraid to start it! I read in some book that sometimes after starting the cream you may feel worse - and oh I don't want to feel WORSE! I think it mentioned that one's symtoms might ramp up a bit, before things get better. So the tube has been sitting in the medicine cabinet, beckoning me every month, then I chicken out thinking my symptoms are getting better, even though they really aren't!

So can anyone tell me how I might feel when I start this cream? I've read the directions and I have determined I don't have a "regular" cycle anymore. Thus it says I should start it on day 8 of my cycle, which mean I have until Tuesday to psych myself up!

The directions say to start with 1/4 tsp. I'm wondering if I should use less to begin with - as I've always been kind of sensitive to meds, etc.

Any tips anyone might have would be appreciated. I am so hoping this might be the solution to feeling more like myself again!

I started Pro-gest back in Nov. and it took a couple of mo. to work, but I think it has made a huge difference. My symptoms are much lessened since a couple of mo. ago. I don't know if it coincidence, but my husband has made a comment about my temperment and that I haven't been complaining much anymore about how aweful I feel. I still have symptoms and rough days, but less of them. The only thing I think I have noticed and whether it is pro-gest or just peri I don't know is I have nuasea more often. Mikki

Thank you Mikki - my husband would be very pleased to see an improvement in my temperament too! I would be as well. I hate complaining about how awful I feel! But he's a great listener and always sympathetic.

I did read that progesterone cream can increase nausea and that is a symptom I've been battling anyway. So, we'll think about giving it a try come Tuesday!

I could have written your post. It almost mad me cry.

I'm 40 and feel the same way you do about starting Pro-Gest; but started it three days ago anyway.
My internest doesn't understand what the heck I'm talking about when I talk about peri menopause and my GYNO is so old he just knows what they taught him in medical school 100 years ago and is swayed by the big pharmacutical companies and doesn't care to know anything beyond synthetic drugs.

I tried Pro-Gest three years ago, here's my story....

After the birth of my 2nd child when I was 36 my hormones where completely out of wack. I had a series of medical issues pop up one after the other - high blood pressure (never during pregnancy?!), hair loss, sores on my tongue all the time, anxiety, insomnia, no sex drive, terrible PMS, foggy thinking, facial hair etc... I kept coming to the answer as being natural progesterone as what I needed to replenish. That I was probably Estrogen Dominant.

I read all the books by Dr. John Lee, Dr. Erika Swartz, Anne Louise Gittleman, Jesse Hanley and even Suzanne Somers. I wanted to do a saliva test but couldn't because I live in NY and it's against the law for some reason. I had my hormones tested via blood but found nothing out of the ordinary. They say the blood tests are always inconclusive because your hormones are constantly changing every minute, hour etc..and unless you are in actually Menopause they can't tell you much with blood tests.

So, I tried the Pro-Gest and felt wonderful almost immediatly. My irregular periods because regular for the 1st time ever! No PMS and I didn't even feel my period coming, only knew it was there because I went to the bathroom..., was happy all the time, my sex drive came back, felt wonderful (like when I was 18!!).

After 3 months, I was a little scared because it was REALLY WORKING and I wanted to be seen by a MD. I wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing. Time went by, life got in the way and I just couldn't find one that believed in and prescribes natural hormones.

Three years later and I still have not found a doctor, but will continue in my quest. My peri symptoms have gotten worse (especially the anxiety) so I decided to try Pro-Gest again. Instead of 1/4tsp 2x's a day I take 1/8th (starting day 8) and then when I feel my PMS kick in then I will do the 1/4tsp. This way I am taking less than prescribed.

All doctors should be able to prescribe (and understand) natural hormones. But most don't or won't.

The big pharmacutical companies cannot make money off something they can't patent - natural hormones. They put pressure and influence the powers that be within the medical community and basically tell them - NOT TO HELP US WITH NATURALS because doctors and the pharmacutical companies would not make any money off of women if they (doctors) helped us get better with naturals.

If every peri and post menopausal woman had access to natural hormones (instread of synthetic) doctors wouldn't be seeing women patients for various conditions that all could & probably lead to peri and pharmacutical companies woudn't ne making money giving up high blood pressure pills, anti-depressants, muscle relaxors, anti-antiety pills, sleeping pills etc....

I can only tell you that I have had only positive things happen to me while on natural progesterone. The possibility of having my estogen "unchecked" is scary enough for me to start up again. I will continue to look for a MD who undertands peri and naturals. Until then, I will use my Pro-Gest on and off to make me feel better when things get bad. From what I understand it can't really hurt you (like estrogen only) and will continue to listen to my body to make sure I am doing what is right.

Good luck to you. Knowledge is power. Keep looking for answers and don't give up trying to make yourself better....And always remember that THEY don't care about you, they care about their pockets. It's up to YOU to push for what is best for you and never let up.....

I didn't know that about the nausea it can cause...interesting although I can deal with it if it keeps the array of other stuff at bay somewhat. My husband ,poor guy, is super also. If I am not feeling well he is usually the first to know, but he is very supportive and I'm thankful for that. From some of the stories I have heard some men aren't so understanding so I count myself blessed.
My Gyno. started me on pro-gest when she realized I was NOT going to take BCP for peri and she told me with my symptoms to take it all mo. even through my period so I have a steady amount throughout the mo. Good luch wiht it and I hope it helps mIkki

Livetolove thanks for sharing your story and easing my worries about starting the pro-gest. Mikki it sounds like it's working for you too. I've got to give it a shot - I'd love to feel happy and healthy again, get rid of the pms and other bizzare symptoms and actually have an interest in sex once again. I can't believe how quickly my body changed! I envy my friends who haven't noticed a single perimenopausal symptom yet!

I've been using Progest for over 5 years now. I look forward to Day 8 when I go back on it. I use 1/8 tsp every night at bedtime, sometimes at ovulation I rub it on my breasts when they're more tender and it helps a whole lot.

I was a basket case 5 years ago, and I believe its the "happy" cream that's made things livable for me, don't get me wrong, I still have symptoms, dizzies and foggies are the worst but the anxiety is pretty much gone and at the time, that was the worst.

Good luck, don't be scared and keep us posted.

Ladies, I have a few questions you may be able to answer. Actually I live in the UK where bios are practically unheard of and you're more likely to fly to the moon than get anything off your DR, but...

1. If you are not having periods any more - or maybe just 1 every 6 months, how do you know when to start the cream?
2. Do you use it constantly, or just for 3 weeks then 1 week off, or how?
3. Is it something you would use for the rest of your life?
4. If you stop using it, do your symptoms come back as bad as before?

Hope you can help, sorry about all the questions

I have been using Progest for 11 years, religiously during peri and about three times a week during post meno. I personally think being estrogen dominant is not a good thing. It was during our baby making years - but not now. And because progesterone is the firt hormone to take a hike during peri, I felt I needed to add it. And add it I did. Wonderful! My mood evened out - but it is not to say I didn't have any problems. I did - primarily anxiety, but then I didn't up the dose of Progest - weathered through it. I do take L-Theanine for the anxiety combined with Valerian. It seems to do right by me. But then I AM five years post - and perhaps things have slowed a bit. Not willing to go off anything just yet.

I just started using the progesterone cream last Sunday so I am too new to give any practical experience but I do understand your reluctance to start. I don't like to put anything in or on my body unless I am pretty darn sure that it is needed and that it will do more good than harm. I am starting slowly at half the recommended dose and I will see how it goes for a while. The peri symptom that bothers me the most is the insomnia and I have to say even at half the dose I do feel a relaxing effect from the cream. I may get braver with the dose as I get closer to period time when I usually experience my worst insomnia.

I just wanted to share with you (thunderhill) what has happened to me while using the cream.

I started using the cream on the 8th of this month (I chose to use it as per the directions for perimenopausal) but I think I made a mistake because although I have definate peri symptoms I don't have any cycle changes yet. I think I used it too early. But as I said in my last post, I used this cream a few short years ago with great results and I even used more of the cream 1/4 and for 3 weeks at a time.

This time I used:

I used 1/8th tsp on day 8, 2x's.
I used 1/8th tsp on day 9 & 10 only 1 time each day.

In the evening of day 10 I started to feel a sharp pain on my right ovary. Could I be ovulating so early was my thought?

The next morning (today) when I went to the bathroom and wiped I saw blood. Nothing major. It was gone in one wipe and I guess you would call it spotting, but I never had this happen before. I didn't use any cream today. The blood freaked me out enough to stop it the cream....so frustrating!!!!!!!

Tonight I felt the same pain and within a few short hours I wiped and there is was again.

Now I am scared because I have never spotted, and feel that I did this to myself and feel guilty and my anxiety is at an all time high.

I don't want to scare you with my story. I just think that being guided and looked after by an MD when taking this hormone is very important. It's not something to take lightly because it really works!

thunderhill,

I understand this is a very confusing and scary time for you. Please know that we have all been thru it, or something similar and that's why we're here at Power Surge to support each other.

I took Pro-gest for several years, and had no serious problems with it. I had not had nausea symptoms; however. I hve them now that I'm skipping periods.

Of course, I'm not a doctor, and none of us are. .jst trying to get thru this stuff with a little help from them, don't offer much, do they?)

I was afraid, too, to do anything new. You might want to start with a less=than recommended dose and every other day for the cycle. I always got confused about what day I was on, but it worked well for me.

I'm now on stronger stuff, and look back fondly to the days that the cream took care of my symptoms.

Just my 2 cents!