Common Questions
Why do women need progesterone?
Progesterone is important in balancing and counteracting the effects of estrogen. If estrogen is not at adequate levels, it could cause breast cancer and reproductive cancers. But progesterone levels may drop to near zero in some women while their estrogen levels drop only 40-60% at menopause, which is just enough to stop the menstrual cycle. Using progesterone therapy can greatly enhance overall hormone balance after menopause because it is the precursor to so many other steroid hormones. It also stimulates bone-building and helps protect against osteoporosis.
Why do men need progesterone?
Men need it naturally to make testosterone and for the adrenal glands to make cortisone. It balances the estrogens that build in a man's body, it helps men with complexion and it increases energy. Men with BPH (swelling of the prostate) and other male related problems will experience a relief with progesterone cream. Adding progesterone back into the body also helps restore normal inhibition of 5-alpha-reductase, thus preventing testosterone from changing into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which stimulates proliferation of prostate cells.
What is progesterone made from?
The USP progesterone used for hormone replacement comes from plant fats and oils. Wild yams from Mexico, soybeans, and yellow ginger provide a substance called diosgenin. Diosgenin is chemically synthesized into real human progesterone in the laboratory. The other human steroid hormones, including estrogen, testosterone and the cortisones are also synthesized from diosgenin.
Will using progesterone cream help me if I have estrogen dominance?
Yes because when you have inadequate levels of progesterone, it causes your estrogen levels to go up. Using a progesterone cream helps balance both hormones.
Will progesterone cause feminine characteristics in men?
No, progesterone has no feminizing characteristics.
Will progesterone cream raise the levels of my other hormones?
No, supplemental progesterone does not raise the levels of other hormones, but it does keep estrogen receptors working efficiently and it will improve thyroid function. Therefore, it is important to also take supplemental testosterone if symptoms of low testosterone are evident.
Should I use both a testosterone cream and progesterone cream at the same time?
Yes, if you have symptoms associated with low testosterone and low progesterone. These hormone replacement therapies, when used together are more effective because they each address different problems of hormone imbalance in your body. It is important to have a good balance of these two hormones, however when you reach your forties or fifties, they drop and estrogen increases. Using a progesterone cream and testosterone cream will bring those levels back up, bringing estrogen dominance to an end.
Why is the cream form of progesterone the best to use?
Using transdermal progesterone is more effective than oral progesterone because about 80% to 90% of the oral dose is lost through the liver, according to Dr. Lee (the leading physician in natural HRT). Thus, at least 200 to 400 mg daily is needed orally to achieve a physiologic dose of 15 to 24 mg daily, which is provided through a cream. Such high doses create undesirable metabolites and unnecessary overload of the liver.
Where should I apply the progesterone cream?
It is easily absorbed through the skin because progesterone is very fat-soluble. Progesterone absorbs through capillary blood in the subcutaneous fat. This absorption is best at all the skin sites where people blush: face, neck, chest, breasts, inner arms and palms of the hands.
Why not just use the progestin Provera as prescribed by most doctors?
Progesterone is preferable to the synthetic progestins because it is natural to the body and has no undesirable side effects when used as directed.
If you have any doubts about how different progesterone is from the progestins, remember that the placenta produces 300-400 mg of progesterone daily during the last few months of pregnancy, so we know that such levels are safe for the developing baby. But progestins, even at fractions of this dose, can cause birth defects. The progestins also cause many other side effects, including partial loss of vision, breast cancer in test dogs, an increased risk of strokes, fluid retention, migraine headaches, asthma, cardiac irregularities and depression.
What is the difference between progesterone and progestogens (synthetic progesterones)?
Natural progesterone therapy has the identical chemical structure to the substance made in a woman's body by the ovarian corpus luteum (gland formed after an egg is ovulated each month). The progesterone also behaves just like the body's natural progesterone once it is absorbed into the blood stream. Although progestogens also bind to the body's progesterone receptors and function for the most part, just like progesterone, they contain progestesterone chemicals that are different than the natural progesterone. Because they are chemically different than natural progesterone, they sometimes have side effects that are different than progesterone.
In contrast to some of the progestogens such as medroxyprogesterone acetate, natural progesterone has no negative effect on blood pressure or mood, does not seem to suppress good cholesterol (HDL), and shows less of a tendency to cause increased male-hormone-like effects such as facial hair growth.
Does progesterone cause mood changes?
The combination of estrogen plus progestogens such as used in birth control pills and menopausal hormonal replacement therapy does not tend to worsen mood because the compounds are neutralizing each other. There are some women who are more sensitive to certain hormones so their doses may need to be adjusted.
Can natural progesterone help with endometriosis or fibrocystic breast disease?
A higher level of estrogen which indicates an imbalance3 of hormones can affect both endometriosis and fibrocystic breast. Progesterone can help with this because it is a precursor hormone which means that it regulates the endocrine system and hormone activity in your body. Progesterone assists to lower estrogen to get rid of these problems.
Should estrogen be used without natural progesterone?
No. Do not use estrogen without progesterone. Estrogen without progesterone can cause endometrial and vaginal carcinomas. Estrogen blocks thyroid production and causes water retention. It can also cause fibrocystic breast disease and even fibroid tumors and cysts in the ovary area.
What causes facial hair, especially above the upper lip?
This is a condition called "hirsutism". This is caused by a hormonal imbalance between estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Progesterone is the hormone responsible for the entire endocrine system so it is the hormone used for this problem. Both menopausal and menstruating women who used the progesterone cream regularly for three to six months reported that facial and body hair decreased or completely disappeared.
Is natural progesterone useful for hysterectomized, oophorectomized and menopausal women?
Yes. Natural progesterone is effective for relieving hot flashes which can result from a hysterectomy, an oophorectomy, and in the beginning stages of menopause. Many women have said that after using the cream for about 3 to 8 weeks, the hot flashes stopped occurring.
Is natural progesterone indicated for osteoporosis?
Most medical doctors say that osteoporosis is unavoidable and will always occur, however Dr. Lee believes otherwise. The results to his study prove that it is untrue. All women who used natural progesterone cream for 6 to 48 months experienced 5 to 40 percent of new bone density. He also proved that it can reverse osteoporosis. An 82 year old patient used the progesterone cream and after 4 years, showed more than 40 percent new bone density.
Will progesterone help men with osteoporosis?
Yes, it will. Progesterone will help build new bone for men in the same way it does for women.
Can I use natural progesterone if there is family history of breast or uterine cancer?
Yes, it is recommended. Breast cancer and endometrial cancer are two cancers that are related in some way or other to gonadal hormones. They occur in tissues sensitive to these hormones. Unopposed estrogen is the only known cause of endometrial cancer though there may be other factors involved. Estrogen, or at least one or more of the various estrogens, are thought to contribute to breast cancer.
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