Should I take my break every time I get a period?

Should I take my break every time I get a period?

No, only when the period is a ?true? period. What we mean by this is that often while the body is adjusting and while the hormones are regulating themselves with the introduction of progesterone or the alteration of progesterone dosage, periods can sometimes become haywire and erratic (see our sections on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Endometriosis).

We suggest you not break from cream every time a period or spotting appears if it?s within the 28-32 days, or what you would consider your normal cycle. If another bleed occurs inside your regular cycle, simply chart it, and work through it continuing on with progesterone usage, taking a break from progesterone cream on your normal cyclic bleed (5-12 days break depending on your situation, problem, time on progesterone therapy, and status of symptoms being treated).

Often women don?t know where their real cycle is, so again, we suggest choose the period that is the heaviest, if this is the case, and work on that being the regular cycle. It is imperative you maintain two weeks of progesterone from day 12 to 26 approximately if you are having regular cycles, and have established balance and you are relatively symptom-free.

If you are menopausal it is not relevant. Basically, a woman needs at least two weeks or fourteen days progesterone in her system every month to mimic nature and periods (menstrual cycles).

Stopping and starting cream will not only confuse your body’s natural rhythm, but will lead to further progesterone deficiency and subsequent estrogen dominance.

It may also compound existing problems such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome, both of which may present with irregular cycles. Stopping and starting cream can also increase fertility as two of our women have discovered.

In conditions such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome where fortnightly bleeding suddenly reoccurs, it is best for these women to return to 3 week progesterone dosage regime to restore their normal cycle or increase dosage usually by 2%. It’s evidence that a 2 week progesterone dosage regime often doesn’t provide that holding threshold, particularly if they are on lower doses and have had a period of stress (physical or emotional).

Once stabilised, reduce dosage gradually or reduce back to fortnightly regime, both ways have worked effectively.