Keep reading to learn more about progesterone creams, their effectiveness, and how long it takes for them to work. If you have low progesterone you may be wondering what you can do to increase your levels. Luckily there are plenty of options, including progesterone creams! Progesterone is one of the two main female sex hormones. During the first phase of your cycle — the follicular phase — progesterone levels are supposed to be low and estrogen is elevated.
Then, immediately after ovulation , progesterone rises and remains elevated throughout the luteal phase the second half of your cycle. If you get pregnant, your levels should stay elevated to ensure the uterine environment is healthy for the embryo to grow. If you do not conceive, progesterone levels start dropping by the end of the luteal phase, so that your uterus sheds its lining and you get your period. Although progesterone plays a major part in your cycle and conception, it also plays many other roles throughout your body, including:.
When progesterone levels are not adequate post ovulation, you may experience a shorter luteal phase, hormone imbalance sometimes estrogen dominance , spotting before periods, early miscarriages, or infertility. Some of the most frequent causes of low progesterone include:. If you suspect you have low progesterone, we first and foremost recommend testing your levels via a progesterone blood test or PdG testing.
From there, you should consult your doctor on the next best course of action. There are several ways you may try to improve your progesterone levels and luckily, progesterone creams are common and available over-the-counter. Progesterone cream is a form of hormone replacement therapy, intended to relieve menopausal symptoms. It usually contains bio-identical progesterone and is applied on the skin, in hope of:.
Stop when your period is supposed to begin. You do not usually need added progesterone while menstruating; however, a small amount can be used if cramps or migraines are a problem during periods.
Pre-menopause — Symptoms of Estrogen-progesterone imbalance If you have menopausal symptoms and are still menstruating, use one-quarter tsp.
This would be day 8 through day 26 of the usual cycle. Stop using the cream when the period is supposed to begin. Menopause — No periods for months or more —If you have menopausal symptoms and are not menstruating; use the progesterone based on the calendar month.
Use one-quarter tsp. What about vaginal dryness? This condition can occur in women of all ages for various reasons, but it is most common in women after menopause. Using natural hormone cream has been successful in treating vaginal dryness and vulvar atrophy, but estrogen is the most effective. Can estrogen be used without natural progesterone? Estrogen without progesterone can cause endometrial uterine cancer. In unusual situations, estrogen can be used without progesterone, but only under medical supervision.
Do I need a prescription for natural progesterone cream? It depends on the strength and the source. One patient in the case series developed endometrial cancer.
Details, naturally, aren't given. It is clear there are progesterone receptors on bone, and that in vitro, progesterone stimulates bone production Verhaar, Panay , but in humans, studies are not so clear. Do progestins increase bone or decrease it? It depends. Jerilynn Prior is a researcher whose studies have been used to support the use of progesterone to maintain or increase bone. Another study of amenorrheic athletes found that those given 10 mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate Provera for 10 days a month had significant increases in trabecular bone the spongier bone which makes up a high percentage of the vertebrae; leg bones have more of the harder cortical bone Prior Breast-feeding reduces bone density temporarily, and progestin-only contraception such as Depo-Provera DMPA seems to reduce postpartum bone loss Caird.
However, studies of long-term progestin use shows a decrease in bone. Users of DMPA which usually produces amenorrhea in long term users experience decreases in spinal bone that does not return to pretreatment levels Cundy There is some evidence that suggests that estrogen and progesterone may have synergistic effects on bone and that progestin alone may have a mild bone-preserving effect in patients treated with GnRH agonists Panay, Prior a.
A very small percentage 2. More work needs to be done in this area. Estrogen is known to make fibroids grow, and claims are made by John Lee and others that progesterone will make fibroids shrink. However, there is evidence that progestogens actually have a role in fibroid growth. In one study 15 out of 16 patients treated with the synthetic progestin norethynodrel experienced an increase in fibroids; MPA inhibits the ability of GnRH agonists to shrink myomas fibroids ; and the antiprogestogenic drug RIM86 causes uterine fibroids to regress Rein.
It has been thought that progestins might adversely affect lipid profiles in women using combined rather than estrogen-only hormone replacement regimens, but the PEPI study found that adding progestins to estrogen did not significantly affect lipid parameters.
Micronized natural progesterone appeared to result in the most favorable lipid profile of any progestin-containing regimen. Do lipids vary through the menstrual cycle? It's unclear; different results have been found by different researchers.
One study shows a transient drop in total cholesterol TC at ovulation, while others have found that TC falls after ovulation or does not change. These studies are hampered by hormone levels not having been taken and by too few samplings. A careful study of 12 women sampled every other day Wall , found that in the 11 women with normal cholesterol levels.
HDL-C peaked at ovulation, remained elevated to mid-luteal phase, and then fell before menses. But combining progesterone treatment with estrogen can help prevent bone loss in women transitioning into menopause.
Side effects from progesterone cream depend on the product you use. Some women will be very sensitive to the active ingredient; others will not. In certain cases, the cream can lead to moderate weight gain.
It may even trigger mild side effects, like:. Don't assume progesterone cream is weaker than progesterone pills, especially with long-term use. Some women experience side effects after using the cream for several months. These include:. You may experience skin irritation if you regularly apply progesterone cream to the same area.
To prevent this, rub the cream into different areas every time you use it. Be careful if you have a soy allergy. Remember that some progesterone creams contain soy. The soy in these creams is likely highly processed, which means that the soy protein is broken down to the point that it's probably not allergenic. Still, you may want to choose a wild yam-based product instead. The safety of progesterone cream for pregnant or breastfeeding women hasn't been studied.
Progesterone cream should never be used on children. If you are using or planning to use progesterone cream, talk to your healthcare provider first. Talk with your healthcare provider before using progesterone cream.
It may have the same effect on your body as progesterone pills. Some people experience PMS-like symptoms, depression, or anxiety while using the cream. Recommendations can vary based on the brand of cream you're using. Some healthcare providers will suggest applying the cream once a day for six days and skipping every seventh day if you're using it to prevent hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms. You can apply the cream to your neck, inner thigh, forearm, lower abdomen, or vaginal area.
If you are using another hormone on your skin, like testosterone , don't apply the progesterone cream to the same part of the body. Use the progesterone cream only as prescribed. Don't go over the recommended dose. Just like with other types of hormone replacement therapy, more is generally not better.
You can find progesterone cream online and at many retail drugstores. When choosing a cream, only buy one with "progesterone USP" on the label.
However, the same doesn't apply to progesterone cream and supplements. The FDA doesn't test or regulate over-the-counter remedies like progesterone cream. Because of this, the quality can vary between products, including the types of inactive ingredients and plant-based progesterone used.
Although they are becoming more popular, it's too soon to recommend progesterone creams or ointments for health purposes. Speak with your healthcare provider if you're considering using progesterone cream. They can help you fully understand the benefits, risks, and limitations of treatment. Progesterone cream is an alternative hormone replacement therapy.
It may help reduce menopause symptoms and prevent bone loss. Although it seems like progesterone cream is weaker than pills, it's really not. Be wary of using doses that are too high. Talk to your healthcare provider to determine the right dose for you. The progesterone used in creams comes from diosgenin, a plant-based estrogen. This hormone is naturally found in wild yam and soy.
The diosgenin is chemically converted to progesterone in a lab. That progesterone is then used to make progesterone cream. Some companies try to promote wild yam products as natural progesterone "boosters.
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