The great Progesterone debate.

[lady amarant]

There is a LOT of varying opinion on the pros vs. cons of adding progesterone to your HRT regimen, and it can be quite confusing to the endos, let alone us! I read extensively, and I've come across a few articles and studies that say progesterone is worth having, and I'm kinda convinced. Am I wrong though? What's your opinion, and that of your doctor?

Here's the general opinion I've gotten from reading around:

Natural, bio-identical Progesterone counters some of the effects of Oestrogen, granted, but it has a number of beneficial effects (as opposed to synthetics, called progestins, such as Provera, which are REALLY nasty)

Benefits:

• Improves cardiovascular health.
• Improves skin, nail and hair health.
• Improves bone-density by targeting progesterone-specific receptors called osteoblasts.
• Somewhat counters the carcinogenic effects of oestrogen.
• Has the same effect as DHT suppressants like Finasteride or Dutasteride.
• Promotes the growth of alveoli (glandular tissue) in the breasts. While actual breast-growth is temporary, the development of these tissues will lead to the growth of a fuller, more naturally shaped breast. Oestrogen only targets fatty and fibrous tissue.

The Downside:

• Excessive levels of progesterone may depress libido and mood.
• May cause slight levels of insulin insensitivity, affecting blood-sugar.
• Again, excessive levels of progesterone may increase the risk of certain types of breast-cancer forming.

All in all, I am definitely pro-progesterone, and will be making sure I get onto it after about a year on Oestrogen-only HRT.


~Simone.

[taru]

For me progesterone is very beneficial for mental health.

Whether it is worthwhile seems very invidual. Here the official system refuses to prescribe progesterone due to them thinking that the breast cancer risk is unacceptably high.

[Keira]

Men also produce a bit of progesterone, which is has some T like effects (only a few of them).

Progesterone is a low risk add in (bio progesterone has very few side effects and risks
and none really important), the only thing is that it slightly counters E's effect so you
need to boost the E dose a bit. Also, women have it, why not us?

[gothique11]

I've tried it both ways, with and without. My E levels doubled, and are higher each time I see the doctor... meanwhile, the P that I was taking before seemed to balance my system. After P, I lost weight especially on my waist, but my breast shrunk also shrunk a bit (but now are back up to where they used to be). That's pretty much all that I've noticed.

I think I'm going to bug my doctor again for P, although, 'cause I figure it would be good to balance out my E since it seems to be crazy without the P, and I've been getting headaches, hot flashes, and a bunch of other not-so-fun things happening associated with my E levels being wonky.

[Tanya1]

^ Your metobalism could be slow or/and you could be very receptive to HRT.

Suggest you lower the does a bit b/c I heard your body can't use that much E and I also heard that hormone levels aren't really a effective measure towards feminization.(except t levels)

I could be wrong, check with your doctor because too much E isn't beneficial according to what I read.

[Hypatia]

I was trying progesterone last year in the hope it would give me better breast growth. I couldn't tell if it made a difference or not, or whether I was on too small a dose-- or even which dose would be optimal for me.

How do you ladies obtain it? I bought an OTC transdermal cream with natural progesterone from a health food store. The transgender clinic where I get my HRT refuses to provide progesterone. I stopped taking it because I wasn't sure if it was doing anything, or what dosage to take, and I read in Susan's forums that it increases appetite and I was gaining too much weight. Now that I've dieted and gotten my weight down, I'm wondering about starting progesterone again.

How do you know how much to take? In what form do you take it?

[Lisbeth]

How do you ladies obtain it?

For me the answer is simple.  My doctor prescribes it.  After you have been on estradiol for a appropriate amount of time to have significant breast growth, she does a breast exam, orders a mammogram, and adds progesterone to your HRT regimen.

[deniz]

this is my experience.

Great for boobs(really great)
Great for hair(not a single hair falling)
Good for curves.
Bad for mood
Bad for face(it gets masculised and it is not just in my head.Other people have commented as well.)
so the choice is yours.(remember to cycle it)

[Hypatia]

For me the answer is simple.  My doctor prescribes it.  After you have been on estradiol for a appropriate amount of time to have significant breast growth, she does a breast exam, orders a mammogram, and adds progesterone to your HRT regimen.

That's so strange to think your doctor prescribes it, I had never imagined that, since at the clinic I go to they refuse to allow it. They talk about risk of blood clots and phlebitis if you're a smoker. Well, I don't smoke. If that's what is the hangup, they should allow it to nonsmokers and only forbid it to smokers.

[lisagurl]

For me the answer is simple.  My doctor prescribes it.  After you have been on estradiol for a appropriate amount of time to have significant breast growth, she does a breast exam, orders a mammogram, and adds progesterone to your HRT regimen.

That's so strange to think your doctor prescribes it, I had never imagined that, since at the clinic I go to they refuse to allow it. They talk about risk of blood clots and phlebitis if you're a smoker. Well, I don't smoke. If that's what is the hangup, they should allow it to nonsmokers and only forbid it to smokers.

My doctor prescribes it based on the blood tests. Smoking is a sign you do not that your health seriously why should your doctor?

[April221]

Also, women have it, why not us?

Men don't menstruate. Progesterone helps to regulate the monthly cycle.

[gothique11]

p-cream sounds interesting. Although, when I took the pills I was always hungry. I'll probably try that after GRS, since now it's kind of late in the game for me to start doing different HRT doses, since I'm going off HRT in a few weeks.

[Hypatia]

For me the answer is simple.  My doctor prescribes it.  After you have been on estradiol for a appropriate amount of time to have significant breast growth, she does a breast exam, orders a mammogram, and adds progesterone to your HRT regimen.

That's so strange to think your doctor prescribes it, I had never imagined that, since at the clinic I go to they refuse to allow it. They talk about risk of blood clots and phlebitis if you're a smoker. Well, I don't smoke. If that's what is the hangup, they should allow it to nonsmokers and only forbid it to smokers.

My doctor prescribes it based on the blood tests. Smoking is a sign you do not that your health seriously why should your doctor?

No, no, no, Lisa, you totally missed the point. My clinic doesn't allow it for anyone, including nonsmokers, they have a blanket rule that no one can have it, but they reason they give is the risks to smokers, and I just think that's unfair to someone like me who does take good care of her health.

Posted on: April 30, 2008, 07:02:30 PM

Men don't menstruate. Progesterone helps to regulate the monthly cycle.

Oh yeah, I'll have a side order of PMS with that, great idea.

[lisagurl]

I realize you do not smoke. I was wondering about your clinic. It does not seem they can about your health. They should be monitoring you levels and adding progesterone if needed. I would seek better medical care.

[Lisbeth]

Men don't menstruate. Progesterone helps to regulate the monthly cycle.

Oh yeah, I'll have a side order of PMS with that, great idea.

Well, now, there's the odd thing.  I've always had a monthly cycle, even before HRT.  PMS included.

[Hypatia]

I had a monthly cycle (of depression) before I started HRT, but now it's all evened out, since I take the same dosage of hormones every day.

[Lisbeth]

I had a monthly cycle (of depression) before I started HRT, but now it's all evened out, since I take the same dosage of hormones every day.

Same here.

[Kate]

There is a LOT of varying opinion on the pros vs. cons of adding progesterone to your HRT regimen...

Which should tell you something.

No one questions that E works. There's no debate. Well OK, I can think of a person or two who claim it does nothing, but... you know what I mean. WE know it works.

But the fact that there is no consensus on P tells me that even if it DOES do something, the results are so insignificant and inconsistent that it just doesn't make the news. I figure if it consistently created noticeable effects, word would spread, and there'd be no debate.

~Kate~

[Tanya1]

^ everyone is different. From some It can be uselss and cause health problems- those are the people who just avoid it.

Others will comment on it helping them, others will report testosorone going up.

-Really depends on the person not on some bias doctor. Some people said that pills gave better results than injections.-again depends. Maybe they were having a growth spurt and the injections were working fine? Maybe pills were more effective...

Nobody has done a lot of studies on this to begin with, very little indeed. So holding a grudge on something or applauding it without trying it out is absurd.

I'm going to try it for a little while since it MAY help.

[Sarah]

"The great Progesterone debate."
What!?