Dianne-TX Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 I know I'm estrogen dominant and low on progesterone and have PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and think that I need to supplement with natural prog. I've done it in the past, but just didn't have a good experience. I had just gotten off the BCP and was struggling with acne and wacky mood swings and just reeling from the effects of getting all that synthetic stuff out of my body. So, when I was told to try natural prog., I did, but soon gave up because I thought it was making my acne worse. Fast forward 3 years later and my acne has cleared and I've been taking good supplements to balance my hormones. But, I am definitely suffering from low progesterone because my symptoms match those of low prog. I would love to find out for sure with a saliva test (not dr. ordered blood test because of their "ranges"), but just can't do that financially right now. So, I would like to try the natural prog. cream again that is at the health food store. I believe the brand is Emerita? I would love to hear your experiences with it, or another brand, and specifically how you determined your dosage (what you noticed in you that made you tweak your dosage), when you used it (because I know it's only used on certain days) and whatever else helpful information you would like to share. I think in the past I used 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon. I know I could ask the associate at the health food store and I plan to, but I would love to hear the wisdom of those that actually use it. I appreciate it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dianne-TX Posted April 24, 2009 Author Share Posted April 24, 2009 just trying to get this back on top. :) thanks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 Hi Dianne, I'm sorry I don't have experience with the progesterone cream you mentioned, or any advice about that at all. I learned that I have low progesterone by charting my fertility signals (http://www.gardenoffertility.com/index.shtml). I decided to try the methods in the book for increasing progesterone (taking cod liver oil, using "lunaception", etc.) and have seen remarkable improvement. Just thought I'd throw that out there in case you are interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dianne-TX Posted April 24, 2009 Author Share Posted April 24, 2009 Hi Dianne, I'm sorry I don't have experience with the progesterone cream you mentioned, or any advice about that at all. I learned that I have low progesterone by charting my fertility signals (http://www.gardenoffertility.com/index.shtml). I decided to try the methods in the book for increasing progesterone (taking cod liver oil, using "lunaception", etc.) and have seen remarkable improvement. Just thought I'd throw that out there in case you are interested. I didn't know about this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 Have you read Dr. Lee's books? He wrote What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Premenopause and What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Menopause. He is a big proponent of using natural progesterone. Here is a link to his website. For a long time, I used it every day except during menstruation. After my shower, I would take 1/4 teaspoon and rub it in to the thin skinned areas of my body (inner arms, br*asts, abdomen, inner thighs - rotating the spot everyday to improve absorption.) It has helped me regulate my severe PMS symptoms. I now take it for only 2 weeks in the month. I have had to adjust the dose. My doctor recommended twice a day, but I found that the once a day regimen worked better for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dianne-TX Posted April 24, 2009 Author Share Posted April 24, 2009 Have you read Dr. Lee's books? He wrote What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Premenopause and What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Menopause. He is a big proponent of using natural progesterone. Here is a link to his website. For a long time, I used it every day except during menstruation. After my shower, I would take 1/4 teaspoon and rub it in to the thin skinned areas of my body (inner arms, br*asts, abdomen, inner thighs - rotating the spot everyday to improve absorption.) It has helped me regulate my severe PMS symptoms. I now take it for only 2 weeks in the month. I have had to adjust the dose. My doctor recommended twice a day, but I found that the once a day regimen worked better for me. That helped me to read your experience and your dosage amounts. Minimizing the pms symptoms is something I really need! They aren't just happening a week or so before my cycle, but all the time! I'll look at the link you sent too. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paz Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 Emerita has been around for a long time. It is a great product. From what I know, much of the studies on natural progesterone cream were done with the Emerita product. I use around 1/4 tsp. I am very sensitive to just about any product so 1/4 tsp. works for me. It has evened out my moods and I don't even get sweet cravings anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muffinmom Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 I use Restored Balance (buy it at a local health food store). I take 1/4 teaspoon at night, and I love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
April Walker Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I am taking a prescription compounded progesterone cream and would love to know how I can switch to an OTC version. My doctor says I won't be able to go off it until I reach my goal weight. It costs me $30 a month. How much are the different options? Does Dr. Lee's book tell how much to take? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Dianne, I went for a thermogram several months ago and they highly recommended Emerita. I love it and haven't had any negative effects since starting it in November. Lately though, I have been a tiny bit neglectful. So, thank you for the reminder. :D Here is what they told me. Also a mixture of notes that I've gathered. Oftentimes, estrogen dominance is due to a lack of progesterone. Balancing out estrogen with progesterone is important. Progesterone is the brake pedal for estrogen. Consider progesterone cream if your thermogram shows that you have too much estrogen in your breast tissues. Not all progesterone creams are alike. Make sure to get one that is natural, organic, bio-identical and not synthetic. Emerita is a very good one. Ann Louise Gittleman also has one called ProgestaKey. I don't know much about it. Please keep in mind natural does not imply organic. Many of these creams have not only the main ingredients based on phytoestrogens, but also have the toxic xenohormones, parabens and mineral oil too. They are far from organic. So be aware and ask questions about your creams! Apply ¼ to ½ teaspoon of the progesterone cream directly to your breasts morning and evening. More progesterone is absorbed into breast tissues when it’s applied to them directly, and that’s ultimately where you want most of the progesterone to go. Do not apply it to other areas, even if the instructions tell you to do so. Progesterone receptors are only found in the breasts (and ovaries), so apply directly to the breasts to decrease vascularity. Repeated thermograms prove this is the only correct application method to reduce vascularity and risk. Or to explain this easier, if you cut your thumb and you apply Neosporin to your elbow how effective is that? Apply the cream directly to area that it is needed. It can reduce some signs of menopause when applied indirectly, but when you move it to the breasts you will see a greater decrease in menopause issues and more importantly you are reducing the vascularity in the breasts. For those who turn up their nose at progesterone creams, do know that that Prempro is very different from progesterone. The former is a synthetic, the latter natural. The effects on the body therefore are much different. Also, many women who took Prempro also took Premarin, which aggravated everything. Beware of synthetic progesterone (progestin), which won’t work the way natural or bio-identical progesterone does. Your body has difficulty breaking down the synthetic form, used in birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy, so this altered form creates a potential for toxic effects. In fact, after progestin was added to HRT, women’s cancer risk increased! Many do not feel comfortable taking even bio-identical progesterone indefinitely. They may use it for, a year or two, and then find that it is no longer as helpful as it was initially. Progesterone creams can be helpful for a short period of time, but over time the progesterone may build up in the fat layers of the body and is continually released over time from these cells. So, it’s possible that it loses its efficacy over time. They also recommended the Dr. Lee books that Ellen recommended. I haven't yet gotten around to that. I have lots and lots of info on other ways of reducing estrogen levels. If you are interested, let me know and I will post them here. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Wow. I just realized that this thread was originally posted almost 2 years ago! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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