On the basis of hormone testing, my nutritionist has recommended that I take a progesterone supplement. I've just looked up the one he recommends and it lists contraindications as: current or past history of thrombophlebitis, thromboembolic disorders. Would that mean as someone diagnosed with APS that I can't have it? I don't really know what those things mean! I was diagnosed with APS on the basis of bloods and miscarriages, I've never had a DVT/stroke.
Thanks!
Morning
I wouldn't take it and I would change your nutritionist. We have to be very careful when it comes to hormones.
Where did you find your nutritionist ?
Always good to read the contraindications.
Is it not a good idea to take any type of progesterone when you have an APS diagnosis?
I can only vouch for my own experience here. There is a huge difference between synthetic progesterone and natural progesterone cream. Certainly I would be wary of starting on synthetic progesterone, not a good idea without very very detailed APS guidance. I myself, use natural progesterone cream rubbed onto the skin, but this suits me, and has helped me immensely. Natural progesterone used to be prescribed on the NHS years back.. but now.. they tend to make patients have the synthetic version, which is not the same. You need to talk this through with your GP! Mary F x
Thank you Mary! It is natural stuff. I might ask my nutritionist about the cream instead as I have used that in the past. Is it ok to use the natural cream (I know the one you mean), will I need to get GP guidance on that as well? Thank you so much. I had my sex hormones tested privately as I'm getting headaches with my period every month, which even the GP said must be hormone related rather than APS and they're extremely severe (week long, very painful). But the only tests that the GP would do on my hormones came back 'normal' so the nhs won't treat me. My nutritionist is very experienced in this sort of thing so I do trust him, but clearly need to get it right with everything else!
The NHS does probably not recognize the merits of such creams.... as big pharma tried to patent it years back and were not allowed to, so since that time it has been institutionally rubbished... I can't advise you to use it.. I can only advise myself, however if your nutritionist is qualified they can advise the GP: You need to check re all the medications you are on, as I am just on two aspirin a day and LDN, so cream is fine for me! However years back, I was actually prescribed the natural stuff on the NHS, they knew of my history of clotting at the time, and the natural stuff was deemed safer for me than synthetic! Sorry I can't advise you what to do..I can only say what I do myself!! Best wishes. Mary F x
I used the compounded, natural progesterone cream for a few years -- and I felt wonderful while I used it: more energy, more energy and . . . more energy! Then my doc decided I needed to take a pill form with some added DHEA, estridiol and -- some other estrogen version I can't recall. I immediately fell back into my former fatigue. and my hip pain increased dramatically. I tried to get him to understand that the estrogens were making me feel horrid and couldn't I please go back to the progesterone cream? But he mansplained that my blood work indicated I "needed" the estrogens. When I pointed out that I was nearing menopause and perhaps it was time for me to be running low on estrogens. He returned with a manspaination about how I was going to get a wrinkly face and avoidance of same SHOULD be very important to me. (Sigh.)
8 years later, after many subsequent saliva tests (which always resulted in an increase in the estrogens and a decrease in the progesterones) I left his practice when i realized he was never -- ever! -- going to listen to my explanations of how the DHEA and estrogens actually made me feel!
But progesterone cream? The natural, compounded kind?
My body loved it!
Gina
I would be very careful with any type of hormone as it was the pill that triggered my clotting episode back in 2010. I have had to have the marina coil fitted as it doesn't contain any harmful hormones. The word 'hormone' freeks me out now!!! I would definately get a second opinion before taking anything!! X
I've taken natural bio-identical progesterone for many years, the cream that one rubs in. Without it I feel lousy and my tests show I need it. There is a vast difference between this type and the synthetic kind, but mainstream doctors and thinking has unfortunately swayed too many against it. Testing has shown that natural progesterone is safer than synthetic, for one article see: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/191... (there are others, but PubMed is tops, in my book).
Hope this helps you make whatever you feel is the best decision for you.
Leigha
I've written many blogs, because I have many questions! here's another. Can anybody please interpret this for me?
Diagnosed with Obstetric APS back in 1999, is it the case once past child bearing, there is no need to refer to lupus unit for APS flares? 
Do I really need a medical tag?
New diagnostic criteria? 
APS and cluster headache/migraine
