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Original poster

will natural progesterone help pnd?

28 replies

arwen · 12/05/2004 21:01

I suffered v. badly with pnd with ds which went completley unoticed by all health professionals. Had thought I was doing really well with dd (3 months) but am now noticing lots of sypmtons and am realising am not as well as I should be. Bad days have become bad 2 weeks. I need to put the brakes on this as it took so long to recover last time. Am trying St Johns wort but only for 4 days and apparently it will take 3 weeks ish to work. I don't want to have become a paranoid recluse by then and have heard natural progesterone might help but all stuff I have found is conflicting and unclear. Has anyone used it for pnd? Did it work and how do you know how much to use? REALLY don't want to turn to ads as I feel I might have an addictive personality if such a thing exsists. Would just rather not go down that route unless absolutley necessary. I now alcohol , choclate and caffeine don't help but they are all I crave currently!

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Original poster
arwen · 13/05/2004 12:50

please can anyone help......

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Branster · 13/05/2004 12:55

so sorry to hear about your situation arwen. although i have no knowledge of natural products that my help you, i just wanted to pint out to you that taking any kind of hormones (being them derived from plant sources or synthetic) might interfere with contraceptivees. i don't know if you are taking the pill, but St Johns wort apparently affect the efficiency of pills too. Apologies if you knew this already.

teabag · 13/05/2004 12:58

Arwen,

I really think you should you talk to your Dr about it. Going on Ad's has to be your decision but you shouldn't try and deal with this alone. I didn't get diagnosed until ds was 18 mths and by then I was in a terrible state.
Please speak to your Dr of your HV. They won't make you do anything you don't want to.

kizzie · 13/05/2004 21:02

Arwen. Im really sorry you're feeling so bad. I agree with the others. Think you should go and see your GP - even if you deide to stick with the St Johns Wort to see if it helps at least they'd be aware and could give you some support. Have you spoken to your health visitor.
Re. the progesterone cream - I think as far as I know that the evidence is inconclusive.
Keep in touch and let us know how you are feeling. There are so many people on the site who have had pnd so please dont think you're on your own.
Also look up the association of post natal illness - they might have more info on progesterone and I think they offer telephone support.
Kizziex

midden · 13/05/2004 21:10

arwen - can't help you here but I would be really interested to find out what info you have already and anymore you might come upon. I too suffered with my ds (unnoticed and unrecognised by me)and have been a bit worse since birth of dd, know what you mean about bad days stretching out into weeks. I am also not keen on ad's as my father and sister are both on them both for a good number of years and have been unsuccessful in their attempts to get off them. I am pretty sure I have an addictive personality! Will do a search on google to see what I can find but would be interested to chat more about this if you want to - I have not really chatted to anyone with pnd before, and certainly not somone who is likeminded about ad's. Is there any local support groups for pnd in your area? at the moment this is how I am coping - they are giving me weekly counselling which has been a godsend.
I would also love to hear you you get on with st j's wort. Hugs to you though - its hard and so frustrating - you will get through this!

midden · 13/05/2004 21:20

forgot to ask -how old is your ds now?

Original poster
arwen · 13/05/2004 22:18

Hi Midden (and everyone) thanks for all your kind words.
I have seen both the gp and hv. Hv is lovely, really supportive but there seems to be little she can do other than offer an ear. GP was crap. With ds (now 23 months) I saw 4 different gp's and not one noticed anything amiss or offered help. I saw some of my notes from that time and the classic' mum very weepy, over tired not coping well' should have given them some inkling to investigate further don't you think!!
This time I started to get really down whilst pregnant and my fab midwife sorted out some monitoring but when she went on maternity leave and signed me off it is all down to the hv.
I didn't have much luck on the web. Everything seems to be inconclusive re progesterone and I don't know where else to look. Apparently mustard Bach remedy might help but I need to find out if it will mix with St John's wort. Also I have only just had a period after 14 weeks even though I only breastfed for 10 days so maybe that will help now?
I just want to help myself before I lose my sense of reason and get beyond recognising I need help. It was a long haul recovery with ds and I don't want to be put of having more babies.

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Original poster
arwen · 13/05/2004 22:25

Have just looked up association of postnatal illness (thanks Kizzie) no info online, last newsletter dated 2000,but a leaflet is available and they do progesterone cream so I will ring them tomorrow. wish me luck!

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midden · 13/05/2004 22:52

let me know how you get on tomorrow arwen, sounds really hopeful. Didn't realise progesterone was in cream form, interested to find out more. return of periods has helped me immensely, hope you find this too. I now find I have at least a couple of weeks a month when I feel my old self again.

Original poster
arwen · 14/05/2004 20:13

I rang the postnatal illness association and they are sending me a leaflet. I'll let you know what it says. A much better day today, maybe the sun helps?

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Original poster
arwen · 14/05/2004 20:13

I rang the postnatal illness association and they are sending me a leaflet. I'll let you know what it says. A much better day today, maybe the sun helps?

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Original poster
arwen · 14/05/2004 20:14

I rang the postnatal illness association and they are sending me a leaflet. I'll let you know what it says. A much better day today, maybe the sun helps?

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Original poster
arwen · 14/05/2004 20:14

Sorry brain doesn't work, imagine what I'm like on a bad day......

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midden · 14/05/2004 20:22

glad you are getting somewhere arwen and that you had a good day, I had a good day too but dh in london till sunday so I will probably need to escape by then for some time to myself!

kizzie · 15/05/2004 18:17

Arwen - sorry meant to ask you in the earlier note. Just wondered if you think the st johns wort is helping?
I have just stopped AD's after nearly 5 years. Was prescribed seroxat for anxiety based PND but unfortunately had a lot of difficulty coming off it. Eventually got off it by switching to prozac.

Now im struggling a bit - think my body has got so used to the extra serotonin - doesnt know what to do without it.

If at all possible want to avoid taking SSRI's for any longer so was wondering about maybe St johns Wort to help with the transition.

Would be really interested to hear what u think about it.
Kizziex

Original poster
arwen · 15/05/2004 19:48

Kizzie,
I am defineitly having more good days at the mo but I don't know if that is down to the St John's wort. Apparently it takes about 3 weeks to build up enough to work properly and I've only been taking it about a week but if you can wait I'll let you know! My mum swears by it but bear in mind you can't take it with quite a long list of things including the pill. Go into boots and look at the list in the packet but if it seems ok what have you got to lose?
Midden, Excellent if a bit technical leaflet from postnatal illness association.(020 7386 0868) All symptons of lack of progesterone fit me, esp. bit about needing regular starchy foods. I am very down if I am up doing a night feed and really struggle in the morning before breakfast. Too long and complicated to abbreviate without missing something vital so ring them and get a leaflet asap! Let me know what you think.

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kizzie · 15/05/2004 20:22

Thanks for replying so quickly Arwen.
I dont take the pill so dont need to worry about that.
I AM using 2mg of valium which I needed because of bad reax to the prozac (sorry my experience of AD's isnt typical - just a bit of a nightmare.)

Aim is to come off that over next few weeks but have already asked dr and she said I could take that and SJW at same time.

Im going to try and wait another few days if possible unless really go downhill just to give the prozac a bit longer to get out of my system - then think about the SJW. If you dont mind might ask you in another few days how you are finding it.

Reassuring to hear that your mum thinks its good.

Glad you managed to get the info about progesterone. The starch thing is really important for pnd and depression in general. Try and eat something (not sugar based) every 2 - 3 hours.

Really glad things starting to get better for you.
Sallyx

midden · 15/05/2004 23:21

arwen - thanks for that number I will ring on monday to get the leaflet and hope to chat to you more once I have read it. Didnt realise starchy foods were important - will give this a go in the meantime. I feel like you my bad days are becoming outnumbered by the good now but will do anything to speed up this process of getting better and minimize the likelyhood of relapse. So glad I found mumsnet and people like me ! Hope you have more good days next week too.
xxxx

midden · 15/05/2004 23:32

kizzie think you are amazing coming off ad's you are doing so well. I really admire you. I was a bit of a coward about them due to family history - know i would have got better quicker if I took them but so scared of becoming dependant. You sound so strong about it - keep posting let us know how you are and also about the SJW, if it is worth it I might come off the pill in order to give it a go. take care XXX

Original poster
arwen · 16/05/2004 10:56

Honestly ladies I think we are all doing magnificently!One of the traits of pnd is to deny yiu are suffering and try and just get on with it. If we are all acknowledging we need help and support we are already winning the bottle. At the risk of sounding like a daytime tv guest my heart leaps when I read these supportive messages. I'll kep you up to date with my progress but can already notice an improvement after a starchy meal. At the risk of sounding stupid, what is high in starch but not sugar? (and can be prepared in 30 secs with crying baby in arms and toddler clinging onto leg whining?) is it any wonder I get stressed! Well done Kizzie, hang in there.
I also saw recommened Bach's rescue remedy Mustard?

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Original poster
arwen · 16/05/2004 10:57

spellinh not my strong point....

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Original poster
arwen · 16/05/2004 10:57

as you can see...

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midden · 16/05/2004 21:36

arwen - thinking pasta here - quite often the only thing I manage to prepare with two moany children clinging to my legs! didn't realise it might be helping my pnd! I guess pasta and bread are obvious starchy choices but I will have a look and see what else I can think of. your right - half our battle is won and we are all doing well. Did you check out whether there is a pnd support project in your area? I really feel that without the help I've recieved from the one I go to I would not be sitting here typing today. Aside from the counselling they also provide creche facilities, art therapy, couples therapy, and loads more. Well worth it even on the road to recovery. hope you are well and you too kizzie.

kizzie · 17/05/2004 16:58

Thanks for the messages! Lovely to see someone saying 'well done'. Getting off the seroxat HAS been a bit of a bloody nightmare - but there you go.

Arwen/ Midden- the food thing is important so that you keep your blood sugar levels even. Bananas / pasta etc etc. Something really quick is a bowl of noodles - the ones you can get that only take 2 mins to boil. Even a piece of wholemeal toast. I know its so hard when you're trying to sort out a baby at the same time.

I really hope things get back to normal for you both soon.
I sort of feel like Im starting again - even though Im 5 yrs down the line - because of the hassle with the AD's but am going to try and give myself some time.

Anyway - thanks again for your positive messages.
Kizziex

kizzie · 17/05/2004 17:02

Midden - what AD is your dad and sister on. If its seroxat - a lot of other people struggle to get off it too. They need to do it very very slowly. Ive got more info on it if you think it would help at any point.

If I really needed to and nothing else worked then I would take AD's again. But I really would have to be desperate to use seroxat again.
Kizziex

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