Why do women need progesterone?

[soyfulliving]

Why do women need progesterone?

Progesterone is needed in hormone replacement therapy for premenopausal
women for many reasons, but one of the most important roles is to balance or
oppose the effects of estrogen. Unopposed estrogen creates a strong risk for
breast cancer and reproductive cancers.

In the ten to fifteen years before menopause, many women continue to have
regular menses in which they make enough estrogen to create menstruation,
but they don't make progesterone, which sets the stage for estrogen
dominance.

Women begin to have non-ovulating menstrual cycles in their mid-thirties.
Any month that you do not ovulate you don't make any progesterone (although
you will still have a menstrual period). Without progesterone you cannot
maintain good estrogen receptor sensitivity, so even when there's plenty of
estrogen available, your cells cannot use it as effectively. Treating the underlying progesterone deficiency first to reduce the overall hormone fluctuation allows you
to take advantage of the estrogen you have.

Also PMS can occur despite normal progesterone levels when stress is present. Stress increases cortisol production, when this happens cortisol competes for progesterone receptors. To overcome this blockade additional progesterone is required.


Why do pre-menopausal and menopausal women need progesterone?

Estrogen levels drop only 40-60% at menopause, which is just enough to stop
the menstrual cycle. But progesterone levels may drop to near zero in some
women. Because progesterone is the precursor to so many other steroid
hormones, its use can greatly enhance overall hormone balance during menopause. Progesterone also stimulates bone building, which helps protects
against osteoporosis.


How long does it take for a woman to see a change in her symptoms after starting a good progesterone cream?
Most women see a noticeable difference within three months of being on the
cream, some as soon as days or weeks.


Why don't our doctors tell us about natural progesterone?
Unfortunately, many conventional doctors are not familiar with the benefits
of natural progesterone. Dr. John Lee often points out in his seminars that
the benefits of using progesterone is not covered very thoroughly in medical
schools, if at all.

Unfortunately, profit comes from the sales of patent medicines. The system
is not interested in natural (non-patentable) medicines, regardless of their
potential health benefits. Thus the flow of research funding does not extend
to products, which cannot be patented.


Information taken from books by Dr. John Lee

Yannah

Simple. Natural. Pure. Mineral Makeup Group Owner
Balanced Hormones Naturally Group Owner
Broken Arrow Moms Group Owner

[jeffsmom1989]

I have a high estrogen level that has caused a dozen fibriods to grow over the past 6 years, one is the size of a grapefruit. 

In the month that I turned 50, I skipped my first period and thought hurray! the end is near.  But no.  The next month I got a period that lasted 22 days.  This month I bled for 30 days.  My doctor wants to put me on progesterone to regulate the bleeding because otherwise we won't know if the bleeding is caused by cancer (so she says). 

I would like to do something about the migranes and mood swings.  I can deal with the bleeding, but I want to go natural. My sister was diagnosed with non hormone receptive cancer at 64, had a mascetomy and is doing fine now at 67. 

I'd like to try the progesterone cream and would like to hear from folks out there who have tried it and if they tried it with their doctor's approval and where they purchase it.  I see some available on the Internet but am not comfortable going that route.

Thanks for your help. 
Mary

[soyfulliving]

I have used progesterone cream for almost 4 years.  I used to use one from Arbonne called Phytoprolief, but switched to another brand this Feb called Endau.  Phytoprolief has phytoestrogens in it.  The Endau does not and I am finally getting back to myself after almost 6 years since my hysterectomy.  You can view the product at www.ineways.com/livingnaturally .  Just click on products.  My husband will not let me be without it.  If anyone else uses any other brand or has any experience with the progesterone cream, please let us hear your comments.

Yannah

Simple. Natural. Pure. Mineral Makeup Group Owner
Balanced Hormones Naturally Group Owner
Broken Arrow Moms Group Owner

[jeffsmom1989]

Thanks for the info, being new to cafe mom, I double posted this query as I didn't know how to find a reply.  Sorry about that.

Funny you should mention arbonne because I started using the line of face products about 2.5 years ago.  After reading your awesome posts I looked for ingredients on the Arbonne products and none were listed.  I'm hoping to find them on the Arbonne site.  The eye product from Elizabeth Grady, (that cost me sixty bucks!!) had paraben of some type in it, which is a known xenoestrogen.

Thanks again for starting this group.

[soyfulliving]

I was actually an Arbonne consultant for 5 years.  They do use parabens in most of their products.  I love the products, but got really uneasy about their unwillingness to post their ingredient lists.  I will say this, Arbonne gave me a start for researching and learning more about natural products.  There are companies out there that do not use parabens, and actually do not use any toxins in their products.  I've learned what to look for.  Thanks to Arbonne, I became more aware of it all and that eventually led me to start my own  makeup company so that I can ensure the ingredients are natural.  Another thing to look for in a progesterone cream is to make sure it has USP progesterone to make sure you getting the correct dosage.  Let me know if I can help in anyway.

Yannah

Simple. Natural. Pure. Mineral Makeup Group Owner
Balanced Hormones Naturally Group Owner
Broken Arrow Moms Group Owner

[lovemyarbonne]

I replied to the other post. I'm an Active Arbonne Consultant. I'm currently using ProLief.  If you would like I can send you a product knowledge sheet on both the PhytoProLief and the ProLief so you can see what is in them and your doctor can see what is in them.  You can also use them to compare to others. 

Pepper

Want to find out more about Arbonne International go to: http://allnaturalbeauty4u.myarbonne.com

[emme-t]

What about pre-menopausal women who still have a cycle and can still get pregnant?  (At least I think I still can - I just had a baby 7 months ago and  I am 37) Is progesterone supplementation still recommended?  

I always think I am imbalanced, somehow!  I know that everything is connected in some way, so it is hard to determine what is the initial cause of imbalance, but for women (I suppose) hormones are the key.  

Have you felt better after taking fish oil?

What about reducing the amount of sugars and yeast encouraging foods. . . . I always struggle with that too.

Yipes, I feel old.

m

[soyfulliving]

You most definitely can use progesterone supplementation as long as you are not breast feeding.  Hormonal imbalance can kick off a long chain reaction to other things going out of whack.  I also recommend avoiding soy products as they interfere with the estrogen receptors.  There are so many xenoestrogens in our society that by avoiding them you can also notice a big change.  One of the big keys is to avoid anything with parabens in them.  Let me know if I can help in anyway.  Have a wonderful day!

Yannah

Simple. Natural. Pure. Mineral Makeup Group Owner
Balanced Hormones Naturally Group Owner
Broken Arrow Moms Group Owner