The Progesterone cycle

[Apples Mk.II]

I've been wondering. Reading a lot about it, there are a lot of variations. Some people will do 8, others 12 or even 16 day of a cycle or month.


What I wanted to ask, for the people that take it: Do you start taking them to match with the last days of the month (meaning that if a month has 30 days and you want to do a 12 days cycle you should start on day 19), or do you skip the syncing with the month and calculate exact 28 days cycles independent of the month (meaning 16 of no progesterone, 12 days of taking it)?

[Kaylee]

I just take a constant dose, from what I understand P levels fluctuate in cis women to protect/repair the uterus during a portion of the menstrual cycle.  As that isn't something that we deal with there isn't any reason to cycle.

I did originally do a 2 week on/2 week off cycle, ignore the date and just go by the number of days since start/end of the cycle.

[Apples Mk.II]

Right now I'm on my first pill (taken yesterday night), and be it placebo effect or not, the calmness is being great for somebody that has been having suicide ideations every morning for some weeks. Can't wait to see how I study on it.

I mapped the starts and stops on a calendar, and for now I plan to stick with cycling. Since all my meds are oral and I have more non trans stuff to ingest, I don't want to put more pills so ofter. I should consider changing to E shots...

[KayXo]

Progesterone increases in the second half of a woman's cycle to prepare the body for pregnancy, for implantation of the fetus. Without progesterone, pregnancy is aborted. Progesterone also offsets the proliferative effect of E on the uterus, thereby preventing uterine/endometrial cancer.

One needs not take it cyclically as there is really no apparent benefit. But, if your doctor says you should, then do as instructed and ask perhaps why he/she prefers this approach.

Progesterone has a calming/sedative effect that results from the effect of one of its metabolites, allopregnanolone, especially when taken orally, and with food (especially fatty). It helps improve sleep in some and reduces anxiety. This is what you are experiencing. Pretty cool, right? Best to take it before bedtime but I also take it during the day to keep levels steady as half-life is quite short.

[Eva Marie]

My endo wants me to cycle it. I always start on the 16th of the month and go for 12 days. My endo has been working with trans patients for a very long time and seems to know what he's doing so I trust him. Both my butt and my boobs are growing so it must be working.

[Jill F]

I'm with Eva here.  Same endo, btw.  And yes, I love what it's done to my body in just 7 cycles.

[KayXo]

If you could both, ask him why he prefers giving it in cycles vs continuously. I'm just curious to find out his reason why. Could be interesting for all of us. Thanks.

[Jill F]

I find it gets cloying after a week or so and am usually happy to get off that ride.  Cis girls cycle as well and my endo found it best to mimic one as well as you can for best results.

[Eva Marie]

Today is day 12 for me and I'll cycle off for about 18 days. Jill is right - it's gets cloying. I love what it's doing to my butt and boobs, but I also constantly have a low grade headache, I'm irritable and a little moody, I'm tired, and I just don't feel at 100%. I am glad that I'm not on it full time.

By the time the next cycle rolls around I will be wanting it again..... I think I must not be right in the head! 

[Joan]

My endo has me on an IM every two weeks, one with added progesterone and one without.  The progesterone definitely gives me more growth, but it also gives me the headaches you talk about and a bit of emotional 'instability'. I get irritable and it gets me down after a while.  I'm kind of glad when that two weeks is over, but I'm pretty pleased with the boost it seems to give to my breasts and hips.

[teeg]

Does the growth you girls experience with the addition of progesterone stay permenantly throughout the half of the month when progesterone isn't present? My biggest concern with cycling is (probably due to how little I know about progesterone) for example body builders who take testosterone gain a lot of muscle - but once they stop taking that extra testosterone, their bodies cannot naturally sustain the amount of muscle they gained and it decreases back. Are there any similar effects to this when you start/stop that you all have noticed?

[Eva Marie]

Does the growth you girls experience with the addition of progesterone stay permenantly throughout the half of the month when progesterone isn't present? My biggest concern with cycling is (probably due to how little I know about progesterone) for example body builders who take testosterone gain a lot of muscle - but once they stop taking that extra testosterone, their bodies cannot naturally sustain the amount of muscle they gained and it decreases back. Are there any similar effects to this when you start/stop that you all have noticed?

My growth stays teeg.

[Joan]

Mine certainly aren't getting smaller.

[KayXo]

I find it gets cloying after a week or so and am usually happy to get off that ride.  Cis girls cycle as well and my endo found it best to mimic one as well as you can for best results.

So, from what I understand, you don't really like it after awhile but you'll keep on taking it since it helps with feminization, butt and breast growth, etc. Gotcha

Yes, progesterone comes in cycles in women BUT that's only because women don't become pregnant...nature intentionally increases production of progesterone for pregnancy, to prepare for fetus...progesterone is not intended by nature to come and go every month and I don't know how healthy it really is to have cycles since really, it's not natural, not intended to be that way. Even some scientists have started to speculate that one factor contributing to breast cancer risk may well be the constant cycling in hormones that ciswomen experience that is clearly not natural. That's why, personally, I wouldn't want to cycle my hormones, be it estrogen or progesterone BUT if your doctor deems it safe and instructs you to do so, then you should. Was just my 2 cents.

[KayXo]

Today is day 12 for me and I'll cycle off for about 18 days. Jill is right - it's gets cloying. I love what it's doing to my butt and boobs, but I also constantly have a low grade headache, I'm irritable and a little moody, I'm tired, and I just don't feel at 100%. I am glad that I'm not on it full time.

By the time the next cycle rolls around I will be wanting it again..... I think I must not be right in the head! 

Interesting about the symptoms you describe. Have you told your doctor about them? What does he say?

I've also come across these symptoms occasionally on progesterone and some of these seem very much like pms symptoms or low estrogen. But, yea, I know what you mean about the boobs (butt, haven't noticed anything YET!), they really swell up, the areola becomes more prominent and I also like how progesterone relaxes me. There's good and bad that comes with it.

Do you take your progesterone once or twice daily?

[KayXo]

My endo has me on an IM every two weeks, one with added progesterone and one without.  The progesterone definitely gives me more growth, but it also gives me the headaches you talk about and a bit of emotional 'instability'. I get irritable and it gets me down after a while.  I'm kind of glad when that two weeks is over, but I'm pretty pleased with the boost it seems to give to my breasts and hips.

If bio-identical progesterone is given in injectable, then it will only last 1-2 days as it has a very short half-life. So, it's probably not progesterone. I'm thinking it's probably Depot-Provera, a progestin, (medroxyprogesterone acetate) which tends to cause depression and irritability in some OR, less likely (but still possible), 17alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate (Proluton-Depot), another progestin.

It's very important to make the distinction between progesterone and its analogues for others who read us. There is a significant difference between these compounds. 

[Eva Marie]

Interesting about the symptoms you describe. Have you told your doctor about them? What does he say?

I've also come across these symptoms occasionally on progesterone and some of these seem very much like pms symptoms or low estrogen. But, yea, I know what you mean about the boobs (butt, haven't noticed anything YET!), they really swell up, the areola becomes more prominent and I also like how progesterone relaxes me. There's good and bad that comes with it.

Do you take your progesterone once or twice daily?

Yes. I have discussed the way I feel and he did not seem concerned so I quit worrying about it. I take it once a day.

[teeg]

My growth stays teeg.

Thanks for the info. All of you cycle progesterone and all of you are experiencing positive results, those are good odds!

I'd be interested to know which kind of progesterone you all are on, especially so I know which kind I should look for my endocrinologist to prescribe?

[Eva Marie]

Thanks for the info. All of you cycle progesterone and all of you are experiencing positive results, those are good odds!

I'd be interested to know which kind of progesterone you all are on, especially so I know which kind I should look for my endocrinologist to prescribe?

Teeg-

I am taking the oral version of progesterone. It's the bio-identical form called prometrium. Prometrium is available in a generic now and I get mine at Walmart. It just says "progesterone" on the label.

[Ginny]

Teeg,
I get a quarterly subdermal implant, but also suppliment it with Microgest (oral) on a cycle of 14-15 days on and 14-13 days off. Also yes, you want a progesterone and not progestin. Very different molecules.