bioidentical progesterone side effects

[kbutton]

I have been in perimenopause for several years (currently am 43). I have had super heavy periods for several years (with a little irregularity, but mostly it was the "new normal"). Bad stuff was ruled out a couple of years ago via biopsy and an ultrasound with my regular OB/GYN. No hormones because we have blood clots galore in the family. At the time of the ultrasound, I had a very small fibroid that was already dying off and had not been big enough to cause the levels of bleeding I was experiencing.

Fast forward a couple of years...have had some other weird stuff that indicated maybe thyroid, but that's been a dead end (am taking some supportive supplements to optimize things, but nothing treatable even by functional standards). I got some hormone testing, but that coincided with a big change in cycles--they are getting longer, and my periods are light, and I was feeling more like "me" again.

Well, the NP (functional med) asked me to try bioidentical progesterone after the hormone testing because my progesterone is post-menopausal, and my estrogen, by comparison, is higher. Since it's the estrogen that's primarily associated with blood clots, her thinking is that the progesterone would potentially lower my clot risk rather than having the estrogen going nuts all alone. The high estrogen seemed to explain the previously heavy periods, etc., though they were getting better.

Well, I took the progesterone cream for four terrible days. Lots of symptoms, including migraines, crabbiness, heart palpitations, etc. Day five, I forgot (it was a day that I had a somewhat new out of the house commitment, and I just plain forgot). I felt so good that day after four days of terrible that I opted to stop the progesterone.

When it came time that I could maybe be ovulating or having a period, my period came, but it was preceeded by hot flashes, the likes of which I've not had in years--the really unpredictable kind that come with fight or flight anxiety. And it's a flood--maybe heaviest period ever. The last few cycles, when I got to "maybe ovulate, maybe have a period," it was a small blip, nothing happened, and I would get a light period a couple of weeks later. That had lasted 3 or 4 glorious cycles.

Anyway, I keep reading that progesterone should be fixing the heavy cycles, not provoking them.

I am so frustrated. Anyone have experience with bioidentical progesterone that can interpret this ridiculousness? Mine is made from yams. 

 

[kbutton]

The cream also seemed to make me itch. A lot. I have histamine issues we're trying to sort, and I was itchy with hot skin more than usual taking that cream.

[PeterPan]

Are you reacting to glycerine in the cream? I know someone who reacts to glycerin. You can have the cream compounded by a compounding pharmacy so it doesn't have the glycerin or whatever is causing your reaction. 

 

[kbutton]

1 hour ago, PeterPan said:

Are you reacting to glycerine in the cream? I know someone who reacts to glycerin. You can have the cream compounded by a compounding pharmacy so it doesn't have the glycerin or whatever is causing your reaction. 

It's from a compounding pharmacy that took all my weirdness into consideration. 

[kbutton]

It wasn't a local itch where the cream was applied. It was my "histamine" itch where my face, head, and ears get hot, and my head gets really itchy. 

[Rebecca]

I take bioidentical progesterone and have for awhile. I am currently taking it in trochee form which dissolves under my tongue. I also take estradiol via a patch. I am menopausal (and young).

I had a lot of symptoms with the cream. They were physical not mood/hormone related. I also had a lot of symptoms with micronized progesterone pills. So far, the troche is the only thing I can handle.

Please feel free to PM me!