Jess’s progesterone experiences

[ChrissyRyan]

This was all interesting reading.  It seems that Progesterone may not necessarily be of help, but it may help with providing results of more of the desired body changes and better sleep, bones, and cardiac condition.  However, it may work against estrogen, which could mean that progesterone suppresses some of the desired body changes. 

This makes me wonder if the dose of estrogen that your doctor has you on matters when you also use Progesterone, and if the dosage of Progesterone should be somehow proportional to the dose of Estrogen used.  This I leave up to the physicians who should know what to do when prescribing Mtf HRT.

Also, it seems that micronized Progesterone is the type to use.

It is unclear to me if Progesterone should be used in monthly cycles or throughout the month.

It is clear to me that talking about using Progesterone when meeting with the doctor who manages your mtf HRT is worthwhile to do at least.

Did I miss any important considerations for using or not using Progesterone? 

Chrissy

[Jessica]

@ChrissyRyan

This was all interesting reading.  It seems that Progesterone may not necessarily be of help, but it may help with providing results of more of the desired body changes and better sleep, bones, and cardiac condition.  However, it may work against estrogen, which could mean that progesterone suppresses some of the desired body changes. 

This makes me wonder if the dose of estrogen that your doctor has you on matters when you also use Progesterone, and if the dosage of Progesterone should be somehow proportional to the dose of Estrogen used.  This I leave up to the physicians who should know what to do when prescribing Mtf HRT.

Also, it seems that micronized Progesterone is the type to use.

It is unclear to me if Progesterone should be used in monthly cycles or throughout the month.

It is clear to me that talking about using Progesterone when meeting with the doctor who manages your mtf HRT is worthwhile to do at least.

Did I miss any important considerations for using or not using Progesterone? 

Chrissy

Were you able to visit my Progesterone Is Important for Transgender Women's Therapy thread?  That gives a new vision in the use of Progesterone.

I have to say that you have a very good thought about the balance between Estradiol and Progesterone, I have had the same idea.

[ChrissyRyan]

@ChrissyRyan

Were you able to visit my Progesterone Is Important for Transgender Women's Therapy thread?  That gives a new vision in the use of Progesterone.

I have to say that you have a very good thought about the balance between Estradiol and Progesterone, I have had the same idea.

@Jessica


Jessica,

I will read through your thread you mentioned, thank you for pointing it out.  I have been busy for a number of weeks now and have not been that thorough with my reading here for awhile, with a lot of of me quickly popping in and out online.

You have a nice figure. Thanks for helping out here on Susan's.  It is appreciated, as is all the work the rest of the staff does.   

Hugs,

Chrissy

[Jessica]

So after about 5 weeks of adding Progesterone I've gained 1/2" to my bust!

Hugs and smiles 🌸🌸🌸

[Myranda]

So after about 5 weeks of adding Progesterone I've gained 1/2" to my bust!

Hugs and smiles 🌸🌸🌸

I don't rember, were you cycling Progesterone, or taking it daily?  I had been cycling it 10 days on January through March, then April 1st, I switched to daily (well technically, April 1-10 was the days on, but April 10th, my Dr. switched me to daily, and my prescription was ready April 11th).

I too have noticed an increase in my bust, but I don't know exactly how much, as some days it was 1/2inch ot 3/4inches, other days 1/2inch or less.

[Jessica]

@Myranda

I don't rember, were you cycling Progesterone, or taking it daily?  I had been cycling it 10 days on January through March, then April 1st, I switched to daily (well technically, April 1-10 was the days on, but April 10th, my Dr. switched me to daily, and my prescription was ready April 11th).

I too have noticed an increase in my bust, but I don't know exactly how much, as some days it was 1/2inch ot 3/4inches, other days 1/2inch or less.

Hi Myranda, I do not cycle and take it daily before I go to bed.
I do see fluctuations in the apparent size of my areolae, but I haven't seen that happening with my breast size.

[Myranda]

Well considering it has been 17 days now that I have been taking it every day, I can't that the daily regimen is behind the flucations, it was probably  the cycling, which I think would be normal to some extent for Women.

[ChrissyRyan]

So after about 5 weeks of adding Progesterone I've gained 1/2" to my bust!

Hugs and smiles

That is impressive.  Congratulations Jessica. 

Chrissy

[Jessica]

@Myranda

Well considering it has been 17 days now that I have been taking it every day, I can't that the daily regimen is behind the flucations, it was probably  the cycling, which I think would be normal to some extent for Women.

Hi Myranda, daily doses were determined by my endocrinologist after I supplied him with a new paper from the Endocrinologist society.  Here is a link to my thread that includes this.

Progesterone Is Important for Transgender Women's Therapy

And here is the paragraph in it about that.

That cyclic P4 is necessary for ciswomen's fertility is well recognized (9); it is less well appreciated that within regular, normal-length cycles, P4 levels and ovulation are quite variable between cycles within-woman and between women (10). This variability provided the opportunity to "see" the adverse health effects (e.g., on changes in bone density) of subclinical ovulatory disturbances (anovulation or short/insufficient luteal phases within regular cycles) (10, 11). Perhaps because of cumulative and daily life stressors, approximately one-third of regular, normal-length menstrual cycles in ciswomen, ages 20 to 49, are without sufficient P4 (12). Normal ovulation and regular menstruation during the premenopausal years in ciswomen are necessary to prevent bone loss, based on a meta-analysis of prospective observational studies (10) and are associated with a decreased incidence of heart disease within 10 years of menopause onset (13) and with potential breast cancer prevention (14, 15). Progesterone "area under the curve" levels across the menstrual cycle exceed those of integrated menstrual cycle E2 levels in ciswomen's ovulatory cycles because progesterone is produced in nanomoles per liter and E2 in picomoles per liter quantities (15). For metabolic and antiandrogen effects [to suppress LH and gonadal testosterone (T) and inhibit the conversion of T to dihydro-T (DHT)], I suggest that transgender women's progesterone be given daily rather than cyclically, at least until orchiectomy and always at bedtime, because of its sleep-enhancing effects (as subsequently discussed).

Hugs, Jess

[Jessica]

@ChrissyRyan

That is impressive.  Congratulations Jessica. 

Chrissy

Thanks Chrissy!  I'm pretty happy about them.

[Myranda]

@Myranda

Hi Myranda, daily doses were determined by my endocrinologist after I supplied him with a new paper from the Endocrinologist society.  Here is a link to my thread that includes this.

Progesterone Is Important for Transgender Women's Therapy

And here is the paragraph in it about that.

Hugs, Jess

Yaah, after I showed my doctor that paper they switched me to daily progesterone as well.

[Myranda]

Jess, I feel like I grew a 1/2 inch last night.  Yesterday I measured and I was 41 under, 42.5 over, and today while I was brushing my teeth, they looked noticably large and more defined, so I measured, and I was 41 under and 43 over, with very distinct shape and contour

[ChrissyRyan]

One other thing I'm anticipating is better sleep.  Even though I average between 6-7 hours every night, I feel it could be more. 
Progesterone is recommended to be taken at night due to the effect of making you feel sleepy.

Jessica,

Have you found that you have been getting better sleep too now with the Progesterone?

Chrissy

[Linde]

Jessica,

Have you found that you have been getting better sleep too now with the Progesterone?

Chrissy

When I mentioned the better sleep to my endo, he barked at me what a poor way to try to get better sleep!

[ChrissyRyan]

Linde,

Well you did not take Progesterone solely for better sleep, but better sleep was a by-product, and bonus.  But this makes me wonder if guys who are not transitioning would get better sleep with by taking P.  Perhaps they would not get breast development unless they also took Estrogen. But that is just a random thought.  I doubt this is a prescribed use of Progesterone for men unless there were use-affirming bona fide medical studies on this use of progesterone!

Jessica said she had good sleep before taking Progesterone.  I am wondering if it improved any, that may not be possible with existing good sleep.

Were you getting your better sleep from a pill or a cream, I think you said you used a cream, but it resulted in you having little or no noticeable breast changes.

Chrissy

[Myranda]

When I mentioned the better sleep to my endo, he barked at me what a poor way to try to get better sleep!

This guy sounds like a real piece of work.

[Linde]

Linde,

Well you did not take Progesterone solely for better sleep, but better sleep was a by-product, and bonus.  But this makes me wonder if guys who are not transitioning would get better sleep with by taking P.  Perhaps they would not get breast development unless they also took Estrogen. But that is just a random thought.  I doubt this is a prescribed use of Progesterone for men unless there were use-affirming bona fide medical studies on this use of progesterone!

Jessica said she had good sleep before taking Progesterone.  I am wondering if it improved any, that may not be possible with existing good sleep.

Were you getting your better sleep from a pill or a cream, I think you said you used a cream, but it resulted in you having little or no noticeable breast changes.

Chrissy

Any physician can prescribe any medication for it's side effect.  Sprio was not meant to be a T blocker, Finasteride was not meat to grow hair. etc.
The sleep benefits was a last ditch effort I tried to make to get him to prescribe the P pill for me.  Did not work either.
I am in the 4th week of using OTC micronized progesterone cream, applied to my breasts.  I will likely stop with this, once this dose is gone.
If there i any effect to be seen, it is very minimal at best, and i do't now if it is because of the increased E after the orchi, or because of P, or because of both of them!  anyway the outcome is in no relation to the cost of $20 per month.

I do not feel any other influence either, no better sleep, or anything one could think of.  To correct this, one outcome is nice and soft skin on the boobs, but I can have that for a lot less money!

To summarize this experiment, I wasted about $100 for nothing, it would have been a better investment, to buy a few bottles of nice wine for it!

I cannot recommend to spend money for any OTC  topical progesterone cream!

[Linde]

This guy sounds like a real piece of work.

He is absolutely full of himself.  It came down to an act I normally don't like to do, to pull my PhD.  Now when I check in, I say Dr. XX to see Dr. YYY.  That seems to work a little!

[Jessica]

Update!  Still not sure if the progesterone has been the cause for any changes, or if it is how it would have gone anyway.
But in the last two weeks I've experienced weekly the breast growth spurts I experienced every three months before starting Progesterone. My areolae during the same time increased from 2" to 2 1/4" and the nipples are a vivid pink!
I also have noticed my breasts getting more in the way and I can't cross my arms across my body the same as I used to.

Hugs and smiles from a California girl

[Bea1968]

I am very much interested in a progesterone addition to my HRT.  Thank you for sharing your experience and the link to some good resources.


Bea