Hormone Spigot turned off? Progesterone

Progesterone has many roles:
Precursor to other sex hormones (estrogen and testosterone) and cortisone

Maintains the lining of the uterus
It's a natural diuretic.
Promotes thermogenesis. Fat burning for energy
Acts as a natural antidepressant
Aids the thyroid
Normalizes blood clotting
Helps maintain sex drive
Helps maintain normal blood sugar levels
Helps balance estrogen dominance
Promotes bone building and protects against osteoporosis
Helps patients sleep better
and other benefits....

Common symptoms of progesterone deficiency:
Headache
Low sex drive
Anxiety (how many patients start anti-anxiety meds as they age??? You don't want to know
Moodiness
Food cravings
Trouble going to sleep
Painful breasts
Weight gain
Water retention
Painful joints
Decreased urine flow

Progesterone tends to decline in women at about age 35.  For surgical menopause patients (hysterectomy), the decline happens after surgery and especially if the ovaries are removed.

CAUTION!!!  There are many over-the-counter formulations of hormones available through the internet and other avenues.  Talk with your healthcare providers about what's truly going on.  It's always best to test hormones before doing any kind of therapy.

Case in point #1: Patient with weeping spells and depression and a host of other symptoms.  Sent to my office by a doctor to evaluate and recommend a treatment plan.  Discovered that the patient was using an over-the-counter progesterone cream and was 5x outside of normal range on the labs that came back to my office.  The patient was using too much of what she thought was a good thing.  What seems to be too little of something can turn out to be too much.  I've seen this more often than I care to share.  Fortunately we were able to taper her down to a normal lab profile.  It all comes down to testing, dosing, consultation with medical providers, and follow up.

Case in point #2: A 63 year old woman that had new onset of bleeding (2 months by the time she came to me).  She had gone through menopause at 53 and had no problems for 10 years.  An herbalist had put her on progesterone and some other supplements and through questioning I found this piece of information out.  I suggested that she immediately get to an M.D. to evaluate her condition because that was abnormal.  Although progesterone may have been low, the bleeding was a concerning issue to me and could point to very serious health problems. 



It's a great day to be able to provide Creative Medicine!

Dr. Sonja