Progestrone---Help!!

Hi Ladies--Hope Y'all enjoyed the 4th...I am post-op 3yrs 3months...I have been taking estrogen only. Noe the problem is--I have had a headache since the day of my Hyst....Also general muscle pain and am in a real fog.. etc ...I have seen quite a few doctors and had several tests....All say nothing is wrong. After reading the side effects of Estrogen--I can honestly say I have most of them...I have asked more than one doctor about Progestrone and all say it there is no Uterus than no need for progestrone....But chatting with other women who are now taking progestrone--they say it helps a lot....
Now I am NOT selling anything--but was told about a product called ------Phyto-Prolief/
Has anyone heard of it????? Any one useing it??? Can anyone offer me help on the subject??? The person who told me about this product is using it herself and awears by it.....
I would appreciate any info y'all have--
I did see a new GYN last Monday and she took blood for hormone levels--but said I may need progestrone with the Estradiol I am now taking....I think I would prefer a more natural hormone.
Any opinions???????
Thanks Toni45

Toni:

First of all, the pull-down menus on the Hormone jungle board here discuss this pretty thoroughly.

Another mainstay in my research on this subject was Survivor's Guide to Surgical Menopause a site that other ladies here have used as well.

As to my own experience, I told my GYN I thought I was estrogen-dominant, and asked her for progesterone to even things out a little and try to kill off the endo faster. I take Prometrium, which is bio-identical (see the resources above for that explanation) and seem to be doing OK (crossing fingers...).

Good luck in your quest. If endo or adeno were found during your surgery (I hope not) there should be no argument.

I would, however not take an over-the-counter product recommended by a friend, without researching things first, including finding a GYN who understands hormone balance or will listen to a well-researched opinion.

Good luck!

Audrey

Hi Audrey,

You've also helped me. I've never seen the Survivors Guide site before. Thank you!

Sister Katie

[color=crimson]Thanks for the reply to my question....I have read sooooo much that I am now really confused...I hope you have not been put through as much trouble as I have with doctors......I have seen 4 Gyn docs who absolutely DISAGREE with info I read and printed from the net..Some from Hystersisters too....They say--No uterus-no Progestrone!!!!!!! Also they dont give a fig if I tell them this headache has been with me since the surgery.....In fact one told me to get used to it!So what I was asking was======A real person's opinion....I just thought maybe someone actually knew a thing or two about progestrone or the product I mentioned.....Which I will not again because I am not trying to sell it ..

So where do I go from here???? After asking (nicely) for these doctors to change my hormone and we (I) can maybe live a normal life free of these pains...I think it's worth a try... I even tried this with pcps 99% don't have a clue about HRT and don't care.......Now how did you get so lucky?????Seems you found a Doc who helped you get on the right hormone..... I also think the biggest joke I ever heard is------Discuss this with your Doctor.....(usually on a commercial)This last Doctor I saw--also recommended for her HRT knowledge-just shook her head when I asked her to let me try Progestrone.Since my symptoms are on the list I printed and caused by estrogen dominance......Oh well--Maybe I do have to get used to the headaches..Thanks any way

Toni!

I'm not familiar with Phyto-prolief, maybe if you type it into a search engine, you will find a web site with info on it? I did just get a book today "Natural Progesterone Cream" and they suggest Pro-Gest, Nugesterone, Life Changes and Aqua Power IV...

I had been having headaches too since I came home from the hospital... then last Friday, I had the first migraine of my life.... Not fun!! So, called the Dr. and after a few attempts and phone calls no luck, out of town.... finally got ahold of my ob/gyn's nurse on monday... told her my issue's and asked if I could switch from Premarin (which is known to cause migraines) to the Vivelle dot and try some progesterone... Well....... She said she would ask, but the Drs. don't really believe in all the progesterone stuff... okay. so, I wait, again. She calls back and says, yes to the patch AND yes to the progesterone! He said to try 1/8 of a tsp once a day.... Well, I live in a small town and had to order the "Pro-Gest" and can't wait to try it. What I have come up with in all the reading I have been doing... Is that if you have too much estrogen (estrogen dominance) one of the side effects is headaches.... and that progesterone kinda helps balance them out... So... I guess it's a little bit of trial and error, a little luck and a lot of patience! I wish you all three!!!!! Joni.

Toni:

Reading your post made me so angry! Please find a new doctor. You have every right to try progesterone if you want to, especially with the symptoms that you are having. No one should have hormone headaches for that long.

I know that searching for a new GYN is a pain but it could be very beneficial to you. You are the patient and it is your place to speak up(again & again) if you are not feeling well. Have you tried a female GYN? I find that some of them are more willing to try other options, especially with hormones.

I use the hormone patch(climara) and I also take a low dose of Prometrium at night. I had a total abd. hysterectomy in 1991 at the age of 36. I am very fortunate that my GYN(a male) agreed to try progesterone when i complained of headaches and just body aches. That worked like a charm!!! You deserve to try it- it may not work for you; but then again-it might.

Don't give up-find a doctor that will work with you. Life after surgery can be sooo good- it's just a matter of finding the right hormones- Good luck to you-keep smiling.

buffy

Joni--Thanks for the reply.....I'm very sorry your dealing with the headaches too...But lucky your Doc agreed so soon after your surgery....My surgery was in 99 and I have been trying since the first day to get someone to admit this constant headache is from the hormone,,,,Funny I didnt have it before, I also have thinning hair----a wacky thyroid--high blood pressure--high cholestrol--etc...none of which I had before---So where did these things come from???I am so angry especially when the docs say it's only me--no one else complains about these symptoms! I call them side-effects!!! But from what I read--it seems Progestrone can Possibly help me.....I think it's worth a try...
I am curious to hear how you make out after you start on your new hormones.....Let me know-OK??
I wish for you to feel better real soon...Thanks again
Toni45

Buffy--Your so sweet--Yes I have had Female Docs..In fact the surgery was done by a female and I have seen 3 others since..This Doctor I saw last Monday(7-1-02) I looked on the net all about her..She is 61 yrs old and only does GYN.and HRT...She is a so called specialist in this field....I was soooo nice and I didn't cry this time!!And I asked her nicely to please help me and change the hormone..I showed her some things I printed about Progesterone...I could tell by her face she wasn't interested..But she did agree to do blood tests and "if" she thought I needed Progesterone,she would call me...If not--she would see me in a year......Now I ask---Is this monitoring a patient?????How do y'all get a Doctor who is interested in your welfare.....I sure haven't found one yet/I even asked my PCP Now my cousin ,who had a hyst last Sept--and also had terrible problems after..told me about the Progesterone product she is usung..She is swearing by it--seems it helped her headaches and other menopause symptoms that she didnt have before her surgery. She also stopped her Estrogen on her own----Not a good idea,I think..
But today I called a few compounding pharmacies in my area to see if they could recommend a Doc..I do intend to find another and another--unless the one I saw Monday comes through for me...I will give her 2 weeks to get back to me....But don't you think this should be watched more closely than once a year.....I do!!
Anyway--I am so glad your feeling ok.Thanks for the advice.... Toni45

Seems as though there are two questions here, how to find a doctor with some interest in working HRT issues and where to get reliable over the counter progesterone to see if it works for you.

I think in your case, I might try the test trial first. You might find that progesterone is not for you. It can be made by the adrenal glands. So, before using that as the test for a doctor, you might check on whether it helps.

So, over the counter brands. I don't know the brand you are talking about, but we researched this early on (and don't forget anyone reading this that at the top of this forum there is an FYI of the archives when we were really bushwhacking our way through the Jungle. There's lots of discussion about progesterone pro and con and how to).

The problem with over the counter creams is that they don't have to contain what they claim to contain and they aren't regulated for consistency. So, even though it's a dated list, I would go with a tested OTC cream that passed on (that is, don't get one that tested for 0 mg)--
http://www.aeron.com/pic.htm

One that a lot of women swear by that isn't on the list is ProGest. At the very least, I would check the ingredients. If USP progesterone isn't even listed, I wouldn't get it.

I hesitate to mention Angel Care only because I don't want to seem to do it because there's a link through the HS store. But if you notice the Aeron Labs list, they tested three different batches and it was quite consistent. HS does a get a few cents back on a purchase made through that link, but the real reason it's there is because it's a reliable brand and women in rural areas were having trouble getting access to one.

You might try the consultation offered by the College Pharmacy. It costs $25 (last I heard) for a full evaluation, but I hear they are very good and very nice and I think they have doctors involved in the consultation. They tried to offer it for free but got swamped by the great word of mouth. The link is to the left of this frame (under our names).
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If you haven't read it yet, you might read www.hormonejungle.com/progest.php
which has more about progesterone, pro and con. There are women who have a lot of trouble with progesterone. It helped me (after a couple of weeks of adjustment), but it was hideously awful for others.

And finally, especially with oral estrogen, making sure that you are getting enough B vitamins, magnesium, and zinc can make a real difference on some of the side effects (which are really deficiency symptoms in some cases), including, for some, helping with the migraine. You can find out more about these--food sources, levels to aim for--at www.hormonejungle.com/supp.php

I hope some of this helps you find your way through the :run3:

I have been using a USP Progesterone cream for a while now. I quit taking my Cenestin completly, and I have had no problems with hot flashes or those dang headaches I was having. Since we can't advertise hear, if you want some info about it, you can e-mail me.