Teenagers use Progesterone to Successfully Treatment PCOS

March 2007

Last month my two daughters, Cara, aged 18, and Dominique, aged 21 visited their local GP for a follow-up consultation. Both had been diagnosed as having numerous primordial follicles (at least 15 bilaterally), suggesting the presence of polycystic ovaries. And both, for the past six months, have been incorporating progesterone supplementation as part of their treatment protocol.

Ultrasound reports confirmed the girls’ ovaries had fully healed. But did the GP believe the evidence … that bioidentical progesterone replacement therapy actually worked in both cases? Well, no she didn’t. But before I get into that, let’s recap on how my girls came to be diagnosed with polycystic ovaries.

Dominique has always loved physical activity, and had little trouble maintaining her size 12 figure. In recent years, however, she’s struggled to keep the weight off. Dominique contracted Rheumatic Fever when she was quite young, though went on to fully recover and, for the most part, has been healthy ever since. Stress, sugar (Dominique’s addicted to Coke soda drinks and all things sugary!), and generally not looking after herself resulted in pronounced facial acne, intense abdominal pain, a tendency to put on weight around the tummy, and bouts of melancholy in the weeks leading up to her period. A diagnosis two years ago confirmed polycystic ovaries.

Getting through that final year of high school is about as stressful and it can get for a teenager. And this was definitely the case for Cara in 2006. Cara routinely pigged out on lollies, soda drinks, cigarettes, avoided exercise (even walking!) and, no surprise, she ended up overweight with a protruding belly. She hated herself and, according to her school councillor, was talking about leaving home or hurting herself. Every month, around ovulation, Cara would see a show of blood which, I explained, was probably coming from one of her ovaries. Each month in the weeks leading up to her period, she’d complain of sore, lumpy breasts, and we all got to experience first hand Cara’s murderous mood swings.

Cara’s GP, who also happens to be my GP and who, for the purpose of this article, we’ll call “Dr X” explained, during her initial consultation about 12 months ago, that the standard treatment protocol for polycystic ovaries is the Contraceptive Pill. I suggested that I wasn’t going to subject my daughter to potentially toxic drugs (linked to cancer) when bioidentical progesterone could potentially do the same job. Dr X wasn’t satisfied that there was sound medical evidence to back up the claim transdermal progesterone could work or was considered “safe”. She did, nonetheless, consent to writing Cara a script for 3.2% progesterone cream.

I’ve been using, and helping other women make sense of progesterone supplementation for over a decade now. I, like all women in Australia, require a doctor’s prescription to get access to progesterone. And Dr X has been my prescribing physician. Yet she continues to “fob off” the blatantly obvious “coal-face” results I bring to her office. Yesterday, it was my two daughters.

I explained to the girls what they needed to do:

• Apply cream twice a day, morning & night, 3 weeks out of 4 to trick the body into a pheudo pregnancy state where ovulation is turned off. This would allow the ovaries to heal.

• How much cream they used depended on symptom relief. They upped their dose until estrogen dominance symptoms abated. Once progesterone replete, they reduced their dosage to physiological levels (15-30mg).

• Both journaled how they were feeling according to their cycle, paying particular attention to pain relief and vaginal discharge.

• Sugar was eliminated from their diet, perhaps not totally but enough to have a positive impact on their weight and PCOS symptoms. They opted instead for diet drinks, which I wasn’t thrilled with given my appreciation of the dangers of aspartame but, hey, the aim was to get the girls off fizzy sugar drinks asap!.

• The girls needed to exercise more. Cara especially needed to get the excess weight off. She started walking 10,000 steps (using her pedometer) each night then, when she felt confident enough, she joined Dominique at the gym. They paired up to really enjoy their workouts together. And it paid off. Cara dropped a couple of dress sizes. Dominique’s acne cleared up. Both eliminated their estrogen dominance symptoms.

• They were urged to drink at least 8 glasses of filtered water a day, avoiding storage in plastic containers.

• Both girls needed to recognise the importance of stress management in maintaining hormone balance. That long term stress and constant output of cortisol causes nasty consequences to the body.

• Cara and Dominique were taught to appreciate how xenoestrogens (foreign hormones that mimic estrogen in the body that are present in animal fats, particularly red meat and dairy fats, plastics, herbicides, pesticides, industrial by-products) can affect their reproductive organs, and how to reduce the toxic burden / avoid exposure.

• Nicotine, alcohol, and drugs generally are toxic to the body, and my girls needed to be diligent to eliminate exposure where they could (keep out of night clubs, give up the cigarettes & binge drinking!).

• Lastly, I urged them to start their day with a probotic, an assortment of vitamin & minerals supplements (including 4,000 iu of Vitamin D), and a green juice.

After receiving the “all clear” from their GP, both Dominique and Cara have stopped using progesterone and, from this point onwards, they’ll monitor their overall health. They have also adopted safe sex / natural contraception methods (observing cervical mucus, detecting ovulation (Ovu-Tech), and using condoms).

Having learned what’s involved in achieving hormonal balance, I’m confident my daughters will no longer be content to take a passive role in staying healthy.

As for Dr X, well, it highlights the fact that some GPs are good for little more than writing a script for progesterone. However, we may be well advised, where we can, to seek treatment through an integrative doctor actually skilled in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. I’d follow my own advice had consultation costs not put these specialist doctors out of the reach of the average women (like myself and my daughters!).

In light, love & laughter,

Catherine P. Rollins
CEO, Making Plans Pty Ltd
Natural-Progesterone-Advisory-Network.com

“Supporting Women in their Choice of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)”

March 2008

Progesterone supplementation has restored Dominique’s fertility. She’s expecting here first baby in August 08.

In the very early stages of her pregnancy, she dabbed on 20 mg progesterone, morning & night (= 40 mg), breezing through those difficult first few months.

On entering her second trimester, Dominique weaned herself off progesterone every-so-gradually. This was a choice she made after admitting the need to apply cream religiously every day was just too darn nerve-wrecking. However, she’s indicated she won’t hesitate to reintroduce progesterone cream if there are any health concerns for her or her baby in her third trimester.

Dominqiue attributes her success using bioidentical progesterone to help heal her ovaries and subsequently enhance her fertility to my ebook ‘Progesterone & Polycystic Ovaries‘.

Cara unfortunately has had a reoccurrence of bleeding mid-cycle (evidence that her PCOS has returned) and has gone back to applying progesterone the last two weeks of her cycle. She accepts that, right now, her lifestyle and diet are definitely contributing factors.

In light, love & laughter,

Catherine P. Rollins
CEO, Making Plans Pty Ltd
Natural-Progesterone-Advisory-Network.com

“Supporting Women in their Choice of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)”

Progesterone & Polycystic Ovaries

PCOS affects an estimated 5-10% of women of reproductive age. It is one of the leading causes of female infertility. Women with PCOS are at a higher risk for a number of illnesses, including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer of the uterus (endometrial cancer). This self-help user guide explains some of the signs & tests for polycystic ovaries, how to use progesterone to prevent future complications, and then steps you through cream dosage & usage techniques.

This is an Electronic item to be downloaded, not an actual physical product. There aren’t any shipping or handling charges.

Cost: $9.95

Recommended Article

Understanding PCOS, the Hidden Epidemic by Jeffrey Dach, M.D.