Progesterone

[JacqS71]

Hello - hoping for advice. I am seeing a private doc for the menopause and am taking bio identical progesterone. My need for thyroxine seems to have decreased, based on me not sleeping so well and feeling slightly over stimulated.

I know I need to do more bloods for an exact answer. However that is not proving easy right now. I am minded to drop my T4 and T3 a little, see if I feeL better and get a blood test in the new year.

Does anyone have any personal experience with this?

Many thanks, Jacqui

[Jodypody]

I’ve overmedicated several times now as I’ve had to s swap brands due to out of stocks/formulation changes. I’d always go for dropping your dose and seeing how you feel it takes around 1-2 weeks to really feel better

[WildDeer]

I took Cyclogest progesterone suppositories for about 6 years , prescribed by Dr Katharina Dalton. It was from being made very unwell by the pill after the birth of my first child, and I continued through my next pregnancy and after that for the return of premenstrual symptoms. I had a goitre and was diagnosed with 'thyroid adenoma' age 19. Many of the PMS symptoms I now know are similar to disrupted thyroid functioning. I think progesterone does part of the job that thyroid hormones do, and that in good health they interact synchronously. So maybe you do need less levothyroxine because you are now also taking progesterone?

[healthfix]

Just to share my experience. Do not have a thyroid so I take the levothyroxine for the complete hormone. Without the thyroid I tried estrogen cream with no relief, then progesterone cream, That did not help either. I began to use Pueraria Mirifica which helps balance hormones but promotes higher estrogen production. Found out that estrogen will increase your need for thyroid hormone. I did have a blood test which confirmed this. Also thyroid hormone makes pregnenolone, the mother of the hormone cascade, in order to make the appropriate sex hormones of estrogen, progesterone and steroids. Too much steroid will cause a diminished thyroid need (I have taken them for asthma and they definitely will make me hyped). So if you are becoming balanced with hot flashes by providing more progesterone you may be depressing the estrogen (which required more thyroid) since these hormones work in tandem. Hope sharing this helps out.

[jendwall in reply to healthfix]

I also don't have a thyroid. Have you tried taking lio/T3? I do, along with progesterone. Currently think I am working through early menopause. Challenging to work through what's causing symptoms and how all the hormones intereact.

[healthfix in reply to jendwall]

I have not used any other thyroid supplement except for the levothyroxine. Take Pueraria 100 mg farm raised to make sure it was true and pure. It helped me a lot but I still have a few hot flashes each day. They are not terrible anymore. I also, less than once a month, take an occasional 1 or 2 milligrams of pregnenolone dissolved under the tongue. Do this to help adrenaline fatigue which can happen with hormone stress and thyroid conversion from t4 to t3. This seems to reboot my system but I learned less is better than an every day dose of this supplement. Some people way over dose on that supplement. I feel good, have energy and can sleep reasonably ok. These issues used to be a big problem for me. Sometimes things get out of whack especially with supplements like calcium and magnesium, vitamin d or too much sunshine. All these effect the levothyroxine. Learned a lot about making things work.

Glad to offer any information. Hope you do well as I know hormone changes can be difficult especially with thyroid issues.

[jendwall in reply to healthfix]

Great observational insight. Thanks so much.

[jendwall in reply to healthfix]

Oh and T3 is the "active" thyroid hormone, which I take along with levothyroxine. It is not a supplement, but rather a prescription just like levo. What delivery method of progesterone do you use? I was on bioidentical cream, now on 100 mcg?micronized progesterone pill daily before bed. Thinking I may still need a little more due to hot flashes, poor sleep, and not feeling calm.

[healthfix]

Wow it sounds like you are taking a lot of things. I know how scary and frustrating it can be but I am sure you will find the right answer. I cannot advise you on what to do but I hope you can work it out with your doctor. Just a recap here. I tried the progesterone in a cream form a long time ago. Not bio identical. I took it for about two months with no help from it. Also tried estrogen supplements from herbs and a cream form. The only thing that worked for me was when I used the Pueraria Mirifica. The old saying of less is more and more is less is very useful with dealing with hormones. Could using two thyroid supplements make things more confusing ? The bio-identical hormone pills work great for many women and since you were diagnosed needing the progesterone I would say that the Pueraria would not work because it tends to boost estrogen more than progesterone. Every woman is different in their needs for balancing estrogen and progesterone.

What I read about the conversion from t 4 to t3 has to do with good gut flora. Pregnenolone may help too but I am not sure, it just seems to work for me. Hope you feel better soon.

[kalieye in reply to healthfix]

Interesting - your ref to Pueraria Mirifica.I had crazy hot flashes ( so debilitating ) plus sleep interrupted for 4 yrs.

Tried lots of things.

This has worked! Phenomenally

I was seeing a Nutritionist and had Dutch test and both Oestrogen and Prog were low prior to taking.

I won't stop it anytime soon

The Nutritionist put me on 2 things too but as I had to wait to hear back I started the Mirifica early.

Thinking it was what the Nutritionist had me on.

Likely helped too.

But I ran out of Mirifica! And they came back

Restarted and they went.

Beyond grateful.

However..

I feel the need for some Progesterone -

But was / have been supersensitive prior.

When I last tried pea size transdermally of Wellsprings Serenity ( Progesterone )

Flashes came back.

I am going to get ProgestE in and see...all being well...

And only trial small amount.

Any pointers most welcome ( if you see this ) or anyone having taken Pueraria.

[jendwall]

Thanks so much and glad you are feeling well. If I don't take the liothyronine/T3 med, my FreexT3 labs drop and I get low thyroid symptoms back

[HornM]

Hi Jacqui, I realise this was posted a little while ago, how did you go? I find myself in a similar situation, feeling sleepless and slightly overstimulated after just one dose of bioidentical progesterone cream (I have always been very sensitive). Didn't realise this could be a thing. Interested to hear if lowering your levo helped!

[WKUK]

I think this is happening to me but I can’t afford a private Dr. Taking Utrogestan was sleeping brilliantly now I sleep but not properly my sleep score has gone from the 70’s to 16 I’m on my knees! I thought it was because they lowered my progesterone (don’t ask) but after reading this maybe this is happening to me 🤷🏻‍♀️