Progesterone cream anyone tried it for Endo?

[Bethleah]

I've heard good things about progesterone cream but has anyone found it helped with Endo and if so how? I'm looking into what next as zolodex is hot 2 more to go then ???? As no surgery.

[Starry]

There is a lack of robust clinical information about creams, which may be why the NHS is not licensing them. But it's worth remembering that even natural drugs can have side effects and interactions too.

Things to consider: there may be some issues about reliably dosing through skin absorption method (either quantity in the product, or absorbtion rates being too little or too high) and delayed reactions / side effects with other chemicals or phyto-oestrogens absorbed via skin in mainstream toiletries or dietary intake so proceed with the same caution as you would with any medication you decide to take.

The biggest pro is not having it go through your digestive system although to be fair that also applies to the Mirena coil and progesterone arm implant.

Bioidentical means molecular structure is the same as progesterone vs synthetic progestins and should also be a positive. But it's important to be clear about natural and bio identical. Pregnant mares urine (premarin) is natural but not bio identical for example. Other plant based compounds are bio identical, but are still synthesized in a lab so aren't any more natural than a headache pill (aspirin components come from willow bark for example)

This article has a table about which hormones are bio identical ( which lists 2 US regulated approved progesterone products, one a vaginal gel)

health.harvard.edu/womens-h...

patient.info/doctor/progest...

The UK BNF lists a number of progesterones in different applications but none are indicated for endo most for fertility issues. evidence.nhs.uk/formulary/b...

Topical creams are not regulated as medicines are so be clear exactly what you are actually getting, at what potency. There have been reports in the USA of post menopausal women developing endometrial cancer after getting insufficient progesterone quantity from using these types of creams as part of hrt.

europepmc.org/articles/PMC4...

Regarding compounded products and creams, there are both scare it nearly killed me stories and Dr Lee is a hero stories on the web so there is very little truly impartial unbiased info out there, and a fair number of unregulated, in some cases bogus health products exploiting "its natural or bio identical so it must be good" theme making big unsubstantiated cure-all claims. So it's a case of check IMG out any product credentials carefully using independent sources.

A few pro and con links below. All have some bias one way or other.

First is a fairly rounded science based article by Harvard (a medical journal so overall a little biased pro the national licensing regulator) that describes the natural / bio identicals industry created by Lee in the USA

health.harvard.edu/womens-h...

mayoclinic.org/diseases-con...

A couple of naturopathic complementary health websites views (so biased pro the creams)

heartspring.net/progesteron...

clearwoman.com/natural-prog...

This is the UK site for Dr Lee himself

npis.info/howtoobtain.htm

A pro Lee American Doctors commercial site exploring side effects to watch for and why

articles.mercola.com/sites/...

[Bethleah in reply to Starry]

Thanks for this I will look into it more but I'm gettingbto the point where the nhs can't do anymore. I tried cerezzete and had side effects that made many of my other symptoms worse. It was debilitating. The coil isnt right for me given the problems I have. I'm looking for alternatives for when I come off the zolodex, last one will be 4 weeks.

[Starry in reply to Bethleah]

I've just had my coil removed after 5 months as it caused pelvic pain, and bailed on my zoladex #2 so I can well understand and am starting to investigate other progesterone options myself.

Have you also ruled out norethisterone and levonorgestrel based pills which are different drugs to cerezzette ( desogestrel) and the alternative implants/ injection forms of levonorgestrel?

It definitely appeals and is worthy of investigation just remember it is still the hormone so may still have similar side effects.

[Bethleah in reply to Starry]

Will look into it but I do get the side effects and many of my existing symptoms are th same s the side effects so I feel even worse. Thanks

[Starry in reply to Bethleah]

Good luck and do let us know what you try and how it goes. Very interested, it just depends if it's the hormone itself that drives the negative effects or the particular structure of the variant of it I guess.