Verdict On Progesterone Cream: Yay!

In September, I published a post titled Can Progesterone Be The Solution? I had no idea I'd get so many hits to it - but I did, and therefore felt it necessary to write an update on my experience.

My post had been because I'd started using progesterone cream the end of August 2009 to see if it would help with menstrual cramps, mood, and headaches. At first I didn't know how successful it would be. One month I'd go without cramps but feel my mood drop prior to my period, the next I'd be in a great mood around my period but have cramps. However, I gave it time and now I'm in my sixth cycle. The verdict: It works!

Do I feel perfect? Of course not. But have I had to turn to Hydrocodone which I previously used because my cramps were so bad? No, in fact I haven't even had to take ibuprofen! Have there been months that I have felt cramps? Yes -- in fact, several times they've started to fall under the "moderate" category and so I will literally be on my way to the medicine cabinet to get some ibuprofen -- but they suddenly disappear before I take off the lid. Previously, my cramps were "severe" and lasted all day, every day (often for 10 days or even occurring not around my period). No matter what tip I followed, they didn't improve in the slightest.

(FYI, I wasn't able to use the cream during my period for cramps because, even though it did make the cramps go away completely, it kept stopping my period.)

Have I felt my mood drop prior to my period for no reason over the past six months? Yes. But have I been depressed? No. I'm sure anti-depressants have better results when it comes to depression for those who struggle with it, but for me I just wanted to feel more stable than not using the cream. Because, prior to having Logan, I would find myself crying the week before my period almost every month. The rest of the days of the month I'd be positive and upbeat, but then one week each month (always before bedtime) I'd mope around the house or with my head in a pillow, finding all of the negatives in life. I went the entire time I was pregnant and breastfeeding without ever feeling like that. But once I stopped producing milk, for the first time in my life I experienced that EVERY day for an entire month (last February - so exactly a year ago). Not only that, but it was to the maximum degree that I'd ever experienced. I didn't really cry because thankfully my son was the only thing that made me smile. But I was prescribed LexaPro. After three days of feeling incredibly sick, I stopped taking it. I made some changes in my life and things improved, but I also think that my hormones started balancing out once they got used to me not breastfeeding anymore. I went back to just feeling my mood drop the week prior to my period.

Since I'd lived 18 months having been on a natural and healthy high, I wondered why I couldn't feel like that every day forever?! Although the progesterone cream isn't as high as the amount I had in my body due to pregnancy and breastfeeding (so therefore I think that will be the only way to feel that way again), my "down week" turned into just a "down day." So, I'd even stay on it without the cramp problem -- just because having one down day a month (or two at the most) is better than even a week.

But what did it take care of completely for me? Migraines! That's right, I haven't had a single migraine since September. Considering I had one nearly every day during the month of August, but none over the past five months, I don't think it's a coincidence that the changing factor was progesterone cream. One day I even forgot to use it in the morning (you're supposed to use it when you wake up and before you go to bed, approximately days 14-28 of your cycle) and I started getting a headache. I was like, wow, it's been a long time since I've had a headache! I put on the cream and it went away!

One of the other benefits from progesterone is weight-loss. While using it hasn't made me lose weight, it has allowed me to lose it. What I mean is that when I stopped pumping (i.e. producing milk) last February 1st, I gained weight obscenely quickly. I'm not sure if someone had sat on their butt all day eating bon bons they could have gained faster than me. I was chasing around my active 9.5 month old son and hardly having time to eat, so talk about feeling depressed - I was so horrified at how fast I gained 10 lbs (two weeks) so one day I ate only a couple of bites of food and that was it all day. When I stepped on the scale the next morning I had gained an additional 5 pounds (which stayed on so it wasn't just water weight)! Can you say messed up?! Needless to say, I just ate normally after that and exercised when I could, but although I didn't gain anymore, I didn't lose any either. I could tell losing weight was going to be harder than it ever had before - I could literally feel that my metabolism had slowed down and was fighting against me. But in October, I felt like my body was on my side again and, sure enough, I lost 7 lbs. easily by eating healthy & exercising regularly. I'm still working to lose the rest of the weight that I gained a year ago, but I actually feel it's possible now and have no doubt I will if I "follow the rules."

In my post Can Progesterone Be The Solution?, I gave a link to a website that gives signs to know if you're low on progesterone: http://www.hormone-healthy.com/Symptoms_of_low_Progesterone.htm

I have searched and searched for anything negative regarding progesterone cream but can't find anything. The only side effect reported for someone who might have "too much progesterone" is being too relaxed/tired. So, if you're experiencing anything on the above list, I recommend you ask your doctor to test your progesterone levels to see if you are even a tiny bit low. Remember (for those who read my previous post about progesterone), there could be factors why the cream may not work - so get everything tested to make sure you give the progesterone cream a fair shot. Because, I tried it for a brief couple of months several years ago and it didn't work. The recommendation is to give it at least three months, but I say six months. Organic cream is most successful - it can be bought over-the-counter at any pharmacy or purchased online (I bought mine from the website, Emerita). Price is $29-39, depending on the size of bottle. . .for me, the $29 size lasted 4 months and the $39 size lasts 8 months, so budget is roughly $60 a year ($5 a month - worth it to eliminate pain)!

*I was NOT paid to write this post - this is my own opinion