is progesterone important to you?

[deniz]

i would like you to share your experience with adding progesterone to your regimen.
i know the feminization effects are in question but some claim it is great to help you deal with depression.
plz share your opinion or experience

[tinkerbell]

My physician never prescribed it for me.  She considered that it wasn't necessary to achieve feminization, but again, that is just her and how she works.

tink

[Berliegh]

My physician never prescribed it for me.  She considered that it wasn't necessary to achieve feminization, but again, that is just her and how she works.

tink

For some reason I have reasonable high levels of progesterone levels in my blood tests and I don't take progesterone? 

[kimmie]

I started on progesterone six month after starting hrt,and it made  my skin alot better,and the shape of my brest much filler
   jmho be on hrt 6 month be for starting I think it work better that way

              Kimberly

[Sarah]

Uh yeah.
I take micronized.
It helps a lot.
for a week every month.

Helps a lot.
Skin,
Hair,
Nails,
Teeth,
Bones,
Lots of stuff.
-Sara

[seldom]

Progesterone does, without question help feminization.  The thing is it works better for some people then others.  It certianly helped things for me.
My issues were not with testosterone, that was very low to begin with, micronized progesterone is a DHT blocker, and that is why its important.  I mean other then getting better fat distribution and hair. 

The very fact that some refuse to write scripts for it is outragous.  Yes, medroprogesterone should be avoided, but natural micronized progesterone works very well. 

[Hypatia]

I stopped taking it because I read here it increases appetite, and-- coincidentally or not, my eating was out of control and I was getting more and more overweight. Once I have my weight down enough to zip into that slinky dress for the ball, after the ball I'll reconsider progesterone.

[Berliegh]

I seem to already have progesterone in my system even though I don't take it? does anyone one else have sufficient amounts of progesterone in their blood tests even though like me they don't take it?

[seldom]

Berleigh, progesterone is rarely if ever tested in the US.

With regards to it increasing appetite, that has not been the case with me, though I have had occasional oddball cravings for sweet and fruity stuff. 

It has though slowed my metabolism and normalized my sleep cycles.  Two things which I have enjoyed.

As a whole I think my appetite has decreased because of progesterone, but its different for everybody.
Oh, and my hair is growing back. 

[Berliegh]

Berleigh, progesterone is rarely if ever tested in the US.

With regards to it increasing appetite, that has not been the case with me, though I have had occasional oddball cravings for sweet and fruity stuff. 

It has though slowed my metabolism and normalized my sleep cycles.  Two things which I have enjoyed.

As a whole I think my appetite has decreased because of progesterone, but its different for everybody.
Oh, and my hair is growing back. 

I assumed all blood tests were to include testing for progesterone. I had a sufficient amount of progesterone in my system despite the fact I don't actually take it. So it was a surprising result.

[taru]

I assumed all blood tests were to include testing for progesterone. I had a sufficient amount of progesterone in my system despite the fact I don't actually take it. So it was a surprising result.

The testing varies very heavily between different countries and doctors. Here estro+testo+shbg+lh+fsh are taken before hrt, but during hrt no hormone level testing is done.

[Berliegh]

I assumed all blood tests were to include testing for progesterone. I had a sufficient amount of progesterone in my system despite the fact I don't actually take it. So it was a surprising result.

The testing varies very heavily between different countries and doctors. Here estro+testo+shbg+lh+fsh are taken before hrt, but during hrt no hormone level testing is done.

That is very weird....over here we have more blood tests done while on HRT on a regular basis to make sure our Protactin levels don't get too high and make sure everything else is ok..

[Sandy]

I took progesterone injections for about a year, but I really did not see any difference either in my body or my mood during that time.

I have stopped using it about four months ago and still have not seen any real change either way.

I know for some it is effective, but I think my body was too old for it to really have an effect.

-Sandy 

[taru]

That is very weird....over here we have more blood tests done while on HRT on a regular basis to make sure our Protactin levels don't get too high and make sure everything else is ok..

Here the official requirement for monitoring hrt is once in a year:
* hemoglobin
* liver function
* blood glucose (or whatever that is called in english)
* prolactin

Which can be relaxed after the first few times.


As for the topic progesterone seems to be quite nice for me, although I don't have any definitive results yet since my medication is quite complex and still titrating progesterone into it.

[Hypatia]

The testing varies very heavily between different countries and doctors. Here estro+testo+shbg+lh+fsh are taken before hrt, but during hrt no hormone level testing is done.

Where is "here" for you?

I'm in Washington DC and my endocrinologist orders quarterly bloodwork for me to monitor my hormones and other stuff like cholesterol, liver enzymes, hematocrit, etc. But no progesterone or anything like that. The clinic doesn't believe in using it.

[taru]

Where is "here" for you?

Finland. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Helsinki University Central Hospital.

[Berliegh]

The testing varies very heavily between different countries and doctors. Here estro+testo+shbg+lh+fsh are taken before hrt, but during hrt no hormone level testing is done.

Where is "here" for you?

I'm in Washington DC and my endocrinologist orders quarterly bloodwork for me to monitor my hormones and other stuff like cholesterol, liver enzymes, hematocrit, etc. But no progesterone or anything like that. The clinic doesn't believe in using it.

progesterone comes up on my blood test results but I don't actually take it..

[seldom]

Berleigh, progesterone is rarely if ever tested in the US.

With regards to it increasing appetite, that has not been the case with me, though I have had occasional oddball cravings for sweet and fruity stuff. 

It has though slowed my metabolism and normalized my sleep cycles.  Two things which I have enjoyed.

As a whole I think my appetite has decreased because of progesterone, but its different for everybody.
Oh, and my hair is growing back. 

I assumed all blood tests were to include testing for progesterone. I had a sufficient amount of progesterone in my system despite the fact I don't actually take it. So it was a surprising result.

Not all blood tests include progesterone, in fact it is quite rare when they do.

[Hypatia]

Taru, I'm puzzled that they don't monitor the effect of HRT on your hormone levels. So how do they know to adjust the dosage?

[seldom]

Hypatia, my doctor does not monitor my hormone levels here in DC.  Why, because there is no need to.  I was already in female range with low dosages.  When I later found out with my GP at my current doses I was even lower.  Even when I started progesterone, there was very little reason to adjust.  I am pretty easy to figure out.

Checking hormones outside of the early stage does not really matter.  I am not having my hormones checked because my dosages are fine I am within female ranges for testosterone and estrogen.  So for me there is no need to check, because there is no reason to adjust.  My doses outside of the spiro are already close to peoples post-op doses, and I am pre-op.  My development is fine, which is honestly what my current doctor is more concerned about then my hormone levels and making sure my blood work is fine.  No need to adjust when things are pretty much where they should be.