When should I use less progesterone?

Now that you’ve been on the cream for at least 4-7 months, your charts and your symptoms will determine your dosage. As symptoms are relieved, your dosage should been reduced, working towards the ‘least is best’ principle.

Reduction should be according to the condition you are treating and how you respond.

If women do not adjust dosage accordingly upon symptom relief but instead maintain a high dose regardless, then the benefits of progesterone may actually wear off and symptoms possibly creep back in.

For the uninformed woman, her automatic response might be to increase dosage seeking to reclaim that initial euphoric state she first experienced on progesterone. Or by not adjusting progesterone accordingly she has either accidently down-regulated her progesterone receptors or simulated more estrogen production pushing her body back into estrogen dominance.

Once you are asymptomatic, we recommend you use the LEAST amount of progesterone possible to keep your symptoms under control.

Barometers that may indicate progesterone overuse and the need to adjust dosage:

Some of the ‘hormonal’ barometers reported by women indicating the need to make adjustments are listed below. But of course every woman is unique and will have her own hormonal template once she starts charting. The breast is a good example of how to monitor dosage as we explain:

• Breast changes

Breasts are a fantastic barometer to guide you with your hormonal balancing. In fact, many women use sensations in their breasts to assess their progesterone dosage.

If women are using too much progesterone after they have had a period of balance, they may experience itching, tingling, or soreness of the nipples. Breast engorgement, a feeling of fullness, a dull ache, or general breast tenderness appears to be the first indication to women to reduce their dosage.

If symptoms are relieved upon reduction of dosage after 2 days, then you know you’re on the right track. Don’t confuse these symptoms and reduce progesterone if your period is due.

Clearly, your breasts are extremely responsive to hormone fluctuations, some more than others. If you’re one of these women, allow your breast messages to help you fine-tune your hormones. Learn to listen to your body.

• Other physical barometers of overuse or under use




• Period changes - ranging from heavy, or sign of clotting, slight spotting.


• Sinusitis - women complain of sinus or hayfever-like symptoms, often indicating the reemergence of estrogen dominance.


• Return of headaches - fogginess, tight band around the head, scalp tension


• Fluid retention - puffy ankles


• Reemergence of sleep disorders - waking at 2am - 4am very common


• Hot flushing


• Vertigo


• Unexplained muscle/joint pain


• Sense of uneasiness - apprehension, anxiety, quick to tears, slight depression

Helpful Hints & Tips:

In our experience, because of the need to address so many problems with progesterone, overdosing inside 7 months is very uncommon providing there is a genuine need for progesterone supplementation.

Generally, it takes about 12 months for a woman to really master her hormonal profile and achieve balance. For this reason, we urge women to not pre-judge their results on progesterone inside this timeframe. When we talk about the need to reduce dosage, this usually applies to women who’ve been on progesterone at high levels for 4-7 months and may not have adjusted dosage according to the reduction of their estrogen dominance symptoms.

High doses which might be necessary to oppose estrogen dominance tend to ‘frighten’ some women in their initial stages of progesterone, and subsequently their dosage is inadequate.