I’ve started taking progesterone and I feel awful. Should I stop using the cream?

Progesterone therapy is complex. Not every woman reacts in the same way.

Every woman’s biochemistry and ability to absorb and use cream is different. Most, however, fall into two categories. Those who experience an incredible response almost immediately - they feel fantastic and cannot get enough progesterone cream. Then there are those who feel absolutely dreadful and believe the cream is actually making their condition worse.

If you’re feeling euphoric, this will begin to taper off once your body has adjusted to the higher than usual progesterone levels in your body.

Conversely, progesterone can actually ‘wake up’ your estrogen receptors, initially exacerbating various degrees of estrogen dominance (reports of feeling like a “beached whale”, foggy, throbbing head, unable to get going).

Be mindful that progesterone and estrogen are a ‘pigeon pair’. One compliments the other. Remove progesterone from the equation and you leave estrogen to dominate the hormonal environment. Eventually your estrogen receptors will compensate by ‘tuning down’. This blunted response to estrogen is ‘heightened’ when progesterone is added back into the body. Progesterone restores estrogen sensitivity resulting in what appears to be exacerbated estrogen dominance symptoms (the Natural-Progesterone-Advisory-Network.com website refers to this activity as estrogen dominance wake-up crisis. This is perfectly normal, a good sign in fact that hormone imbalance is being treated.

Unusual things can happen when you start using progesterone and we suggest you journal it. Take notes (journal) because these signs and symptoms will be idiosyncratic to your hormonal profile.

There have been various reports of itchy ears, breakthrough bleeding, tingling nipples, sore breasts, headaches, fluid retention, heavy periods, sore sinuses, phlegmy throat and more. Anything is possible when progesterone levels are being restored to normal physiological levels. Even accelerated aches and pains can indicate estrogen receptor wake-up symptoms. Give it at least ten days for the symptoms to subside. It can take some women two to three months to restore receptor sensitivity.

Be warned that every woman has her own unique receptor ‘wake-up’ episode. You might be one of the lucky ones who suffers very little. If, however, the whole experience is becoming quite trying, hang in there. You’ll turn the corner very soon … and your body will definitely thank you for it in a few months time.

Another reason why women may feel awful on the cream is because many women fall into the trap of stopping their cream because they feel great or they forget to take it. They then find themselves back with the recurring symptoms because they haven?t taken their cream consistently nor have they incorporated precautionary or maintenance steps to control their environmental estrogens and reduce their own estrogen impact on their body.

To maintain themselves on a stabilised level they need to continue to take their cream on physiological doses according to nature and cyclic events as nature intended, so they have progesterone always in their body to get the full benefits. Otherwise they end up with inconsistent levels and progesterone deficiency. There are certain aspects we can?t control such as the impact of our environment. We can, however, control our dose and application of progesterone. Stopping and starting, or random dosage is not the way you use this hormone. It will confuse the body, and may make you feel awful.

Hormone imbalance is not about adding more progesterone and more estrogen. It is about balancing the hormones as nature intended. We are referring to physiological doses here. If you body already has high estrogen levels then you need to address your estrogen dominance separately to the issue of progesterone deficiency. In many cases, women are already ovulating and producing normal physiological progesterone levels that would be enough to keep them well … if they weren’t estrogen dominant! Simply adding more cream can sometimes be a cop out for taking some personal responsibility.