Low progesterone

[bethben]

I have been having severe insomnia and in addition to my adrenal glands functioning at a lethargic level, my progesterone levels are pretty tanked.  The doctor has suggested a natural bio-identical progesterone cream.  She said as an added bonus, if I never stopped taking it daily, I could eventually never have a period again.  Are there dangers to this?  Would it negatively affect bone health?  I'm 48 and no where near to menopause and have no desire for more children, so I would be thrilled obviously.  So, anyone know research about this out there? 

 

Thanks!

[ealp2009]

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Menopause by John Lee talks a lot about bioidentical progesterone.  It has some very interesting information about these issues.  I don't want to summarize it because I can't remember enough to give good info but it addresses these issues

[Liz CA]

It seems to help with insomnia, also if you have any fibroids, it may shrink them.

I went through surgical menopause and have been taking bio-identical prog mixed in with some estrogen off and on. My bone health seems to not have suffered according to bone density test.

[ThisIsTheDay]

I think you are fortunate to have a doctor who recognizes the benefits of bio-identical progesterone cream. I had a doctor that was loading me up on progesterone pills. They caused me to sleep ALL the time but had no effect on my menorrhagia.

I later switched doctors and was on P-cream for many years and was/am not aware of any ill effects. You'll want to read up on it. There are varying opinions about using it nonstop or not, and what works best for you may depend on your reasons for using the cream.

And low progesterone decreases bone density, so you won't have to worry about that.

Make sure you're choosing bio-identical though!