Progesterone Question :-)

Hi all,

Just thought I'd introduce myself. My husband & I live in Florida and are trying to "simplify" using Ray Peat's recommendations. (I am 48, he is 53). It is going well, but I have a progesterone question... I started taking Progest-e 3 years ago and besides initial drowsiness, I have been very happy with the effects on my overall state of emotional and physical health. Arthritis/swelling/night sweats/mood swings all seem to have vanished while supplimenting, as well as increased bone density, muscle tone, and a 1-inch (stable now) gain in height (we also drink raw milk regularly).

I switched recently to pregnenalone (which he is taking) and seemed to spaz out, LOL, so I went back on the progesterone. I know you are supposed to cycle it, but I had my period stop abruptly around 44 during a period of intense stress, and when I started the progesterone, I just took it consistently. I'm not sure if I'm peri- or post-menopausal and I'm kind of trepidatious about not taking it -- it helps so much! But I would like to see if my period would start back... Someone once told me to "watch out" because some people taking it had late-in-life-babies on it. My new husband has never had any children so I was wondering if anyone knew anything about anyone re-starting menstruation after progesterone usage. I am in otherwise good health, no real problems (just solved my seborrheic dermatitis problem by swimming in the Atlantic Ocean) and am realtively active. I had three prior full-term healthy babies in my previous marriage.

Is the usual dosage two weeks on/two weeks off?

Thanks & blessings to you all!

:-D

Hi and welcome yahwehslilgirl!

I have heard of progesterone bringing menstrual cycles back. I have also heard of women taking it continuously to sort out their health issues, and then switching to 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off to echo a cycle and allow for a possible restart of it. I'm sure others more knowledgeable will help you out here (I have not taken progesterone myself yet). One resource that might be worth checking out is any books by Katharina Dalton.

That is great you got such amazing results. Did you take the same dose of progest-e every day, & how much did you take? Do you think the height increase was due to the progest-e?

edited to add: I have also heard stories of vitamin E helping with women restarting menstruation, might be something you could look into.

Welcome yahwehslilgirl!
Congratulations on your improvements. It's nice to hear that someone about my age has gained an inch in height too.
Certainly there are forum members with a menstrual cycle and using Progest-e who can answer your questions better than I can. I'm currently awaiting some lab results which I hope will help me know if I'm menopausal (I think not) and if not possibly begin to pinpoint where I am in my cycle. In a way I'm in the same boat as you but I do not have a uterus so it complicates things.
If it is your wish to conceive I do hope that this can happen for you!

yahwehslilgirl

Bluebell said:

Hi and welcome yahwehslilgirl!

I have heard of progesterone bringing menstrual cycles back. I have also heard of women taking it continuously to sort out their health issues, and then switching to 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off to echo a cycle and allow for a possible restart of it. I'm sure others more knowledgeable will help you out here (I have not taken progesterone myself yet). One resource that might be worth checking out is any books by Katharina Dalton.

Click to expand...

This sounds like a possibility.
I'm around 50 and have been taking progest-e continuously for a year and a half, and didn't stop menstruating - who knows what my fertility is doing, but let's say I wouldn't count on not conceiving with this regime. I too am reluctant to stop taking it, but am thinking of trying to drop back to 2 weeks on 2 weeks off.
I reckon that's worth a shot for you. I think it is the drop in progesterone that sets the cycle off. Then wait till after ovulation to resume progest-e - maybe wait a bit more than 14 days if you are not sure when it is. (I think those who are using it for contraception just take 5 days off - enough to kick off menstruation, but then getting the progesterone high enough to prevent implantation. )

Thanks, girls

I will check out Katharina Dalton's book.

Bluebell, I took Progest-e twice a day, about 3 drops and also (thanks to a caring, loving man who came into my life and convinced me that my health was more important than fitting into a certain size), I ate according to hunger& had lots of grass-fed beef and milk and fruit. I had gone on a strict diet at 16 and think I actually halted my growth; seems like I am now finally the size I was meant to be. My son had told me about progest-e & I think it was definitely what caused it... He also told me that my view of what a woman should look like was wrong -- and showed me some of Ray Peat's artwork.

Blossom, nice to meet you & making me feel welcome.

Thanks, Tara. I'm going to stop on the 26th and re-start on the 5th. I'll let you know how I do. I may just take vitamin E during the down-time, I love the way that the progest e makes my lips soft and don't have a need for any moisturizers or lip balms, so I'm gonna miss it.

I can't wait to hear how it goes for you yahwehslilgirl! I'm about to try cycling Progest-e very soon myself. I loved reading about how the special men in your life help you heal.

Wow, how time flies! I ended up not "cycling" like I had hoped --- life became very stressful & I just stayed "steady" on my progest-e for quite some time. I then was inspired to cycle with the full-moon, that is to go off my usual dose of progest-e starting right around Christmas-time this past year, during the moon's full phase. Interestingly, I was awoken one night with an intense pain in my right ovary. It has happened quite a few times over the last few months. Very interesting...