Progesterone!

[TSJasmine]

Does progesterone really help with breast development? I'm always trying to convince my doctor to prescribe it to me but he insists that it doesn't aid in breast development & the only breast growth I'll see from taking it will be from water retention rather than actual breast tissue growth. I ask him for it literally every time I see him but he always insists lol I will keep asking every time I see him until he finally gives it to me but I was wondering, for the people who have taken it / do take it; Does it work? Also, did it make you moodier?

Mod edit: no requests for dosage or medication usage info thanks.

[MelissaAnn]

TSJasmine would like to start off by saying that dosages are not allowed in these forums so I would be extremely surprised if anybody give you any dosages that being said, when I spoke to my endocrinologist about progesterone I was told the same thing that it really does not add to breast growth, but it is sometimes prescribed to help get your testosterone down to a genetic female range after you've already been on Spyro. As far is cycling progesterone. I've heard two different camps on this issue. What everything that I have read seems to indicate cycling really doesn't help, and progesterone will make you moodier. The other problem with progesterone is it does have a higher risk of depression and deep vain thrombosis. So as far as I have heard most doctors are very reluctant to prescribe it, and according to the national Endoctrine Society progesterone is not recommended. By asking your doctor every time you see him to prescribe progesterone may lead your doctor to have you see another doctor. Your doctor is following guidelines that have been set forth for a while now. If you check the Internet will find most reputable doctors who treat transsexuals do not recommend progesterone and would more or less prescribe it on a case-by-case basis, so there wouldn't really need to be a need for it. I wish you nothing but the best on your journey. Please be careful and safe travels in May, the Angels always be watching over you.

Hugs,

Melissa Ann

[Tori]

Basically, remember your doctor works for you. If you want progesterone, and there are no high risk reasons for you not to take it, your doctor should prescribe it, if you insist. It is YOUR transition, not your doctor's.

People need to remember this. We give our docs too much power.

[Myarkstir]

There is a HUGE thread about this already somewhere on the forum. You will find everything you need already answered many times over in it 

[Wynternight]

I take progesterone and have, in two months of HRT (the progesterone came a few weeks after starting spiro and estradiol) reached a Tanner II in breast development. The progesterone can cause drowsiness or euphoria (I've experienced both) and generally helps me sleep better. As far as anxiety and depression, I'm not really seeing any change, good or bad, since starting it, I'm still experiencing moodiness so I don't think the progesterone is exacerbating anything.

As always, YMMV.

[Wynternight]

There is a HUGE thread about this already somewhere on the forum. You will find everything you need already answered many times over in it 

True but it's a huge thread and there's a lot of arguing on there. Reading that thread before deciding for myself to request progesterone made my brain hurt.

I think it's 36+ pages now so go read it but be ready for some intense back and forth from the pro- and anti- crowds.

[Brenda E]

Try it.

If it works, cool.  If not, no harm done.  Seems that results are all over the map.

Not wanting to pour gasoline on this thread, but medroxyprogesterone (a synthetic drug similar to progesterone my endo has prescribed to get my T levels down) has literally poured gasoline on my tit development - two weeks, massive changes.  These things hurt before, but now they're on fire.

But the bottom line is that it causes no harm to try.  Nobody's going to force-feed it to you if it doesn't work.  Give it three months and reevaluate.

[Rachel]

I have been on it for 4 months. My boobs got a little bigger with it. I feel calmer too. However, constipation was an issue until I added a lot of veggies.

[Wynternight]

I have been on it for 4 months. My boobs got a little bigger with it. I feel calmer too. However, constipation was an issue until I added a lot of veggies.

Definitely this. I added fiber and it helped (I don't care for veggies).

[HelloKitty]

Anyone have any luck with Prometrium? I'm on that and it's working very well for me so far.

[Wynternight]

Anyone have any luck with Prometrium? I'm on that and it's working very well for me so far.

That's what I'm on.

[Newgirl Dani]

True but it's a huge thread and there's a lot of arguing on there. Reading that thread before deciding for myself to request progesterone made my brain hurt.

I think it's 36+ pages now so go read it but be ready for some intense back and forth from the pro- and anti- crowds.

Thanks Wynternight, I was just going there.  I'm glad this topic came back cause I think I gotta get something off my chest (no anti-pun intended).  I read thru all those pages and the only thing I got was a desperate need to not read any more threads.  Debate is healthy by my oh my that was difficult to get thru.  I did my own lengthy research, only to get zip!  I did find somewhere (lost now in that progesterone cloud) that all these studies are pretty much for the "non" bioidentical form and that due to a law suit the companies that manufacture Prometrium AND any medical oriented site who puts up info on this said subject by law has to do that all cap horrendous and scary warning for the drug.  This is when I turned to other forums to find an answer,  well that provided zip as well, even though dosage discussion was allowed it did not take long to realize the impossibility of knowing who was under doctor care and who wasn't.  So I ended up taking NONE of this seriously.  Now....... I seem to be at that point of thinking I might just have to change doctors. She just sent me a letter stating that she could NOT perscribe any Prometrium due to blah blah blah (my blood workups are all very good). then quoted three doctors I could check with and if any one of them was good with it she 'might' go with it.  Well I checked their links and talk about anti this and anti that, (one of the three even said in all cap sentences "I will never perscribe injectable EV"  as being too dangerous.  It is getting a bit old to have people react to this as if you just asked them to hold a handful of Plutonium for you for a minute. 
Well Jeez, I feel a little bit better for getting that out.  I just wish some truly objective doctors would give us a hand rather than see such a vulnerable segment of society as ourselves finally get to that life saving point in our lives only to see that road to wellness get so blurred once again.

Thanks for putting up with my rant.  Dani    Sorry Jasmine to take this a bit sideways for a moment 

[Kira357]

That's what I'm on.

Same here... no complaints.

[Wynternight]

Same here... no complaints.

The drowsiness is more tolerable now and I haven't had more than one night a week, sometimes less, where I get the euphoric feeling in awhile.

[HelloKitty]

Thanks Wynternight, I was just going there.  I'm glad this topic came back cause I think I gotta get something off my chest (no anti-pun intended).  I read thru all those pages and the only thing I got was a desperate need to not read any more threads.  Debate is healthy by my oh my that was difficult to get thru.  I did my own lengthy research, only to get zip!  I did find somewhere (lost now in that progesterone cloud) that all these studies are pretty much for the "non" bioidentical form and that due to a law suit the companies that manufacture Prometrium AND any medical oriented site who puts up info on this said subject by law has to do that all cap horrendous and scary warning for the drug.  This is when I turned to other forums to find an answer,  well that provided zip as well, even though dosage discussion was allowed it did not take long to realize the impossibility of knowing who was under doctor care and who wasn't.  So I ended up taking NONE of this seriously.  Now....... I seem to be at that point of thinking I might just have to change doctors. She just sent me a letter stating that she could NOT perscribe any Prometrium due to blah blah blah (my blood workups are all very good). then quoted three doctors I could check with and if any one of them was good with it she 'might' go with it.  Well I checked their links and talk about anti this and anti that, (one of the three even said in all cap sentences "I will never perscribe injectable EV"  as being too dangerous.  It is getting a bit old to have people react to this as if you just asked them to hold a handful of Plutonium for you for a minute. 
Well Jeez, I feel a little bit better for getting that out.  I just wish some truly objective doctors would give us a hand rather than see such a vulnerable segment of society as ourselves finally get to that life saving point in our lives only to see that road to wellness get so blurred once again.

Thanks for putting up with my rant.  Dani    Sorry Jasmine to take this a bit sideways for a moment

I was under the impression that prometrium is bio identical and is the good progesterone to be on. It sure does cause drowsiness though!

[Rachel]

That's what I'm on.

Me too

From what I have read here sublingual prometrium (bio identical) has some that does not metabolize and that can cause the drowsiness.

[HelloKitty]

Me too

From what I have read here sublingual prometrium (bio identical) has some that does not metabolize and that can cause the drowsiness.

Aahhhhh, otays. Which one would that be? I'm on the white ones they look like pearls lol These ones, can they be taken sublingually?

[Newgirl Dani]

I was under the impression that prometrium is bio identical and is the good progesterone to be on. It sure does cause drowsiness though!

Yep your right, I was saying my doctor has lumped all past progesterone side effects together into one messy little soup, and then added a partial sentence at the end saying "These side effects are seen with the micronized progesterone as well".  I suppose the nice thing is is that I'm not in any hurry so time is kinda on my side for throwing a few 'facts' her way.  I think my rant was mainly about how transgenders finally getting past that HUGE life hurdle of self acceptance and developing a plan, only to find themselves struggling to sort thru this mountain of info, then having the task of convincing a medical professional.  I think most will agree that we are pretty exhausted physically, mentallly and emotionally at this point and help from a wider spectrum of the medical community would go a long long way.  I suppose that is why the fight continues.  Dani

[Wynternight]

I take the oral prometrium which is a completely round, pink pill that is very hard to swallow (damn thing always gets stuck in my throat). Taking it with spiro decreases the anxiolytic effects whilst taking it with certain foods, high fat or sugary, increases it. I take my first dose about three hours after my morning dose of spire (0500), with breakfast (0800). My nighttime dose is taken around 2100 with my evening protein bar snack and by 2200 bedtime I'm usually good and relaxed and fall asleep faster.

I still have the very occasional bout of drowsiness when I take it during the day but that's fading and I've only had one day of wheeeee, I'm flying! type of feeling recently. This is good since I don't want to be stumbling around at work, no matter how good it may feel.

[HelloKitty]

I take the oral prometrium which is a completely round, pink pill that is very hard to swallow (damn thing always gets stuck in my throat). Taking it with spiro decreases the anxiolytic effects whilst taking it with certain foods, high fat or sugary, increases it. I take my first dose about three hours after my morning dose of spire (0500), with breakfast (0800). My nighttime dose is taken around 2100 with my evening protein bar snack and by 2200 bedtime I'm usually good and relaxed and fall asleep faster.

I still have the very occasional bout of drowsiness when I take it during the day but that's fading and I've only had one day of wheeeee, I'm flying! type of feeling recently. This is good since I don't want to be stumbling around at work, no matter how good it may feel.

Hmmm, well I do like pink better than white. I wonder if those work any differently cause I'd be willing to get my endo to switch me if there's a difference between them and the pink works better. Just want the best I can get is all haha
The ones I have are in pearl-like capsules that have oil of some kind in them and dissolve sometime after swallowing