Progesterone cream

[Jins]

Ive seen that a few of you use this to good effect.

I discussed it with my GP today. She said that it was oestrogen that was necessary rather than progesterone and pretty much poo pooed it. It's not going to stop me though :)

So looking at the website there is the standard progesterone cream and the one with oestrogen in it. I'm well into the menopause now with absent periods for over two years and hormone test showing peri menopause over five years ago. Would you suggest going for the standard or the oestrogen one? I just want to sort these flushes ASAP :)

You really, really should not be buying anything with oestrogen in it which is not prescribed by a dr. I can't really understand what it is that is being sold with it in.

Both oestrogen and progesterone can have adverse side effects- especially oestrogen- obviously you will know about breast cancer, heart attack and stroke. Anyone dosing themselves with hormones needs a full medical hisotry taken by a dr, as well as weight and blood pressure monitored.

The likelihood is that the quantity in the product is minute- but that isn't the point.

You can get progesterone from your dr as well as proper , safe HRT if that is what you want to use- so best go down that route.

www.progesterone.co.uk/20-1-cream.htm

This is the stuff

I tried normal hrt and it didn't suit me one bit.

Sometimes you may need to try several different types of HRT before you find the one that suits.

I'll go and see another GP I think. I wasn't getting very far with this one as I'd taken myself off hrt due to periods restarting and weight gain.

I use natural progesterone cream, which I buy through Biovea. I am peri-menopausal and have found it very helpful in reducing breast tenderness & PMT. I use tiny amounts from day 14 to day 28, as I am still ovulating. I've had no adverse side-effects.

There is some very useful guidance in "What Your doctor may not tell you about The Menopause" by Dr Lee.

Make sure you don't buy any wild yam creams though. You need to buy a cream containing mircronized natural progesterone.

I am not a doctor, or in any way medically qualified - I'm just passing on my own experience.

Thanks for that. I'll do a bit more reading I think before I go back to the gp

I find this a bit puzzling really- there is no need to buy these drugs from anywhere as your GP, or a gynae, or a specialist menopause clinic could give you micronized progesterone.

Dr J Lee's stance on this is very controversial and if you google you will see that just as many people poo-poo his ideas as are in favour.

The National Osteoporosis Society did some research into whether natural progesterone helped build bones- one of his claims- and they found nothing.

OP - unless you have tried HRT patches, gels, and lots of different tablets then you haven't given it a fair shot.

I've said I'm going back to see a GP though. I had an allergy to the patches so they won't use them again. I've tried two tablets with no joy. I asked the GP what she thought about cream today and got fobbed off. She could have mentioned alternatives couldn't she?

It's the GP that's been unhelpful so far to be honest as she won't discuss any further options as I took myself off climagest without her permission.

You don't need a drs permission to stop taking your HRT! FGS- what kind of woman is she?

Why did she "fob you off" about gel?

What did she say?

Maybe you'd be better off seeing if there was a menopause clinic in your area and going along there.

She's a menace. Not just over HRT

She said it wasn't worth trying anything else as I'd not been happy with the results of anything so far and I was probably over the worst of it.

I'm 47. 5 years since blood tests indicated peri menopause. 2 years since last period. I was hoping to improve bone health rather than relieve symptoms anyway.

My experiences with my GP have put me off doctors to be honest but I'm registering with a different practice and will try once more

Look at this website for a) info and b) list of clinics near you.

www.menopausematters.co.uk

Interesting site. All you'd expect from medical professionals.

No clinic within 2 hour drive.

Going to hide topic and muddle on.

Hi jins
You really do need prescribed oestrogen in the form of HRT to protect your bones from possible osteoporosis especially as you are under 50.
If patches don't suit you then there is always oestrogel and it is your right to have the treatment you need ie to replace the oestrogen at least until the average age of menopause which I think is approx 51.
Sadly there are a lot of uninformed GPs out there and GPs prescribing the wrong HRT too sometimes!
I know quite a few menopausal women (thorugh forums) who happily use the gel.
Like Ameliagrey I would not go near any of these progesterone creams etc that are manufactured in America where they do not have the same health-care system.

Just seen this. I was all for getting some progesterone cream but am in two minds now? I'm peri-menopausal I think? There's a clinic half an hour's drive from me so I'll see my GP and see if I can get a referral?

Whether you get a referral to a menopause clinic or want to get one depends at first on how your own GP or surgery treats meno-pausal women. My local practice (in SW England) is great and has two excellent female GPs who specialise in gynae matters and women go to them about these. if you read up about it and have an idea about what you want (re HRT) and they are willing to prescribe it - there may be no need to go to a meno clinic.

However if you really get no joy from any GP in your practice and they are going against current recommended practice then ask for a referral. I gather some may refuse but it is your right to get the treatment you feel you need to treat your symptoms - now or potential - due to menopause.

All depends on what your symptoms are and whether you feel you need treatment for them. If you are in need of progesterone due to your cycle then as ameliagray says you can get this on the NHS in various forms - albeit at a higher dose than the progesterone creams (some of which are actually just wild yam and can;t be converted to natural prog in our bodies as Postbellumbugsy says)

There is no evidence showing conclusively that progesterone cream is effective for menopausal symptoms ( using double blind placebo controlled studies).

Many women start by trying out natural remedies and think they work - but often it is just their own hormones fluctuating - giving them relief. Many then eventually go onto proper HRT as meno-proper kicks in!

Thanks Bellaciao. My periods are fairly regular still, it's the symptoms that are worse.

I've heard agnus castus is good for this so may look into it first?

There a lots of herbs that might work and my dr recommends Menopace- from Boots tec.

However, studies have shown that nothing is as effective as HRT.

Complementary remedies have their place IMO - again IMHO- for women who cannot take HRT or who have CI to it.

Thanks ameliagrey.

Sorry for hijack OP if you come back?

I've also read Dr Lee's book and have found it a really useful perspective,. Also provided useful information regarding how our hormones work and the role they play in our body. Is it possible to get our estrogen and progesterone levels checked through the GP, seems sensible to see how balanced they are - whether too low/high in either hormone?

This thead is 8 years old- how come people are searching for this topic?

Dr J Lee was a bit of a quack. His theories are not supported by any menopause specialists. He sold progesterone cream because it was a money spinner for him and his book. It cannot be absorbed into the skin and utilised in the amount in a cream anyway so the whole thing is a con.

Thanks for the feedback, as a woman approaching menopausal age I'm keen to find out more about natural ways of transitioning through the menopause - I don't want HRT, what do you recommend I read up on?

Well, if you did use progesterone cream, that is a hormone and part of HRT ! Except it's not powerful or effective enough in cream form.
How come you came across a thread 8 years old?

Best to start your own if you have general questions about HRT or read the current threads- there is one at the moment on Pros and Cons of HRT.

Thanks for your help on this. Didn't realise the thread was 8 years old! Just stumbled upon it whilst on mumsnet and didn't think to chk out the date. Will check out the current one on pros & cons re HRT thks muchly

Not sure how anyone can stumble on a thread that is 8 years down the forum- you'd have to do a search.
Are you trying to sell the cream for your company ?