I went to my doctor and requested natural hormones in place of the synthetic ones.
Hi Catherine,
I went to my Doctor and requested natural hormones in place of the synthetic ones I have been taking for over 10 years. He prescribed 100mg of Prometrium and .5mg Estrace. You keep mentioning a cream and I’m wondering if I am taking the wrong medication or too much. Would the Doctor prescribe this cream or is it something I can purchase myself? I live in a small town, North Bay, Ontario, and I’m not sure where I would go to purchase this cream if I could. Please advise.
Thank you,
Deanna
Dear Deanna,
Prometrium and Estrace are natural-to-the-body hormones!
Prometrium is a form of micronized (finely ground) bioidentical progesterone that is taken orally (by mouth) and is available only on prescription from your doctor.
Whilst Prometrium capsules (that contains peanut oil, so anyone allergic to peanuts should not use this!) and transdermal progesterone cream both contain bioidentical progesterone, a cream that is rubbed directly onto the skin is up to 80% more bioavailable than equivalent doses administered by mouth.
In practical terms, an oral dose of 100 mg progesterone (in capsule form) is roughly equivalent to 20mg progesterone cream when delivered transdermally (through the skin).
At least 80% of any hormone you take orally is going to be thrown out by the liver (while, into the bargain, overloading the workload of the liver) so it makes sense to use a low dose transdermal cream that is absorbed directly into the blood circulation before it gets to the liver.
Prometrium can also be used as a vaginal suppository which would deliver a much higher dose. We know that high oral doses can cause drowsiness and sleepiness. Therefore, low dose transdermal delivery systems like progesterone cream tend to be safer and more natural, and kinder on our liver and gall bladder.
Women who have liver disease, or who have known or suspected breast cancer, or pregnancy shouldn’t take Prometrium capsules.
Some common side effects of Prometrium medication are breast tenderness, dizziness, abdominal bloating, and vaginal discharge
Estrace is considered a “natural” estrogen. This means its active estrogen component estradiol is “naturally occurring” and is the same as the estrogen our ovaries make before menopause.
But there’s a need to be cautious here, Deanna. Among the three major natural estrogens made by the body (estrone, estradiol, estriol), estradiol is the most stimulating to breast tissue, estrone is second, and estriol by far the least.
We know now that high levels of biologically available estradiol is a risk factor for the subsequent development of breast cancer.
Treatment with Estrace may also increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and blood clots in the lungs or legs. Because of these risks, Estrace should be prescribed at the lowest effective dose, for the shortest amount of time necessary.
It is now believed that the two major hormones present throughout pregnancy – progesterone and estriol – could may well offer us relief from debilitating symptoms AND protection against breast cancer.
I’m wondering, Deanna, if your GP has, at any time during the past 10 years, ordered appropriate tests to monitor your progress and risk on hormone replacement therapy?
Yes, you are wise to select bioidentical hormones over the artificial variety. But we must also ensure we keep our levels relative to that which our body would have produced naturally. In other words, we don’t want to be bombarding our body with excessive doses of hormones. This isn’t natural, and it spells trouble.
We want to adopt a dosage regime that approximates the ovaries’ normal expected production of progesterone and estrogen. This will ensure we do not suppress whatever function of the ovary still remains.
When it comes to recommending cream, we prefer not to push one particular brand in favour of another. Nor do we sell cream from this website. We do, however, provide a comprehensive listing of cream suppliers that meet our guidelines.
Understandably, some doctors do not feel comfortable prescribing a progesterone cream that doesn’t show up in his/her drug manual. Particularly given that you are on estrogen replacement therapy and therefore carry a degree of risk of developing endometrial cancer if your uterus is not adequately protected by the incorporation of progesterone.
Having said that, you can refer your GP to the recent Bassett Healthcare Study which proved to the medical world that 2% over-the-counter progesterone creams (in this case study Pro-Gest cream was used) can deliver the same progesterone into our bloodstream as Prometrium pills.
Like I stated above, Deanna, just make sure your GP keeps a close eye on things for you.
A Guide to Using Bioidentical Progesterone to Facilitate Fertility and Support Pregnancy
A 60 Day User Guide
A 60 Day User Guide
This publication is a MUST HAVE consumer guide to purchasing and using bioidentical progesterone.
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