Before using progesterone cream for the first time, please
read these pages - First Time Users, Estrogen Dominance, Vitamin D3 and Magnesium
NOTE: The strength of progesterone creams vary from 1.5% to 10%. This means a 1.5% cream contains 15mg progesterone per gram (g) or millilitre (ml). A 10% cream contains 100mg per gram (g) or millilitre (ml). So dependant on the amount of progesterone required, the amount of cream must be taken into account. Natpro is a 3.3% cream, or contains 33.3mg per gram or ml. All information here is based on Natpro.
One of the first things to understand when first using progesterone is that it is not an overnight fix, it can take anything from 2-6 months, possibly longer, before positive results are achieved. Time and patience are needed!! One must expect all sorts of 'strange things' to take place as the body adjusts, only once progesterone has become the dominant hormone will things start to improve. Most of these 'strange things' are Estrogen Dominance symptoms.
So many progesterone creams and advice suggest using 20-40mg of progesterone cream daily, this is INCORRECT. Nothing less than 100mg/3ml per day is needed using a 3.33% cream. This will avoid adverse symptoms, more if symptoms are severe. Usually when first using progesterone cream more than 100mg per day is needed. If the amount that you are using is not working, or symptoms are worse, use more. Experiment, use the cream to suit you and your particular symptom. With some use, adverse symptoms often get worse before they get better!
PROGESTERONE MUST BE USED NO LESS THAN TWICE A DAY. NEVER USE IT ONCE A DAY!
Let's face it, we are all interested in progesterone because other conventional methods and treatments have not helped us and will NOT help us and in many cases, have caused severe problems. We are all here because we have had enough, we want to take charge of our own hormonal issues and health and quite rightly so.
Most people researching progesterone do so because they have adverse symptoms:
The list goes on and on. For these reasons, and in order to balance our hormones, I suggest using progesterone for 2-6 months, possibly longer depending on how severe your symptoms are. Why? Because it is essential to make progesterone the dominant hormone. Estrogen is usually the dominant hormone in all of us, unless supplemented with progesterone. Making progesterone the dominant hormone will create balance, you can not expect results if your body is not balanced! Once this has been achieved, progesterone can be used by following a regular cycle if you have one. If not, progesterone should be used every day with no breaks at all. I am into my 14th year of progesterone therapy and I have used it every single day with no breaks at all and I will continue to do so.
Personally, unless conception is the aim, I would prefer it if everyone used progesterone with no breaks at all. Stopping causes levels to drop and then it is a battle to get levels up again as stress destroys progesterone. Estrogen now has a chance to make its presence felt again. That choice would be entirely up to you, but I can assure you that there is nothing wrong in using it every day if you have a cycle.
Those wanting to conceive, or want to use by following their cycle must use as suggested in the instructions below. Day to start using depends on what day cycle you have i.e. 28 day or 30 day etc etc, see charts below. Please ensure that you read First Time Users.
I am often asked, "my cream has just arrived, when I can start to use it"? The answer is IMMEDIATELY unless you want to use by following your cycle, but as mentioned, when first using progesterone it really should be used every day for 2-6 months.
Measuring Natpro Progesterone Cream:
Learning how to use progesterone cream is not difficult for a woman once she understands it in relation to her cycle. For men it is even easier, any time, anywhere!
A woman's cycles can vary from as little as 21 days to as long as 36, the average being 28 days. This is the reason why manufacturers of The Pill and HRT pack their product in 28 day batches.
The following guide is also based on 28 days, but please bear in mind that if your cycle is longer or shorter, follow that, rather than the average.
To give you some idea, all women, irrespective of the length of their cycle, should start ovulating 14 days before they start bleeding again.
This means that you should start using the cream either at ovulation, if you know when it happens, or 14 days before your next period is due. If you don't ovulate or have a period, stick to the 28 day cycle, choosing any day to start.
Many advise to start using progesterone cream on day 14, this is totally incorrect!
The cream should only be used from ovulation (Luteal Phase) for the last 14 days of the cycle
This is the key to understanding how to use progesterone cream. If used earlier than ovulation, it will prevent ovulation. The idea behind the cream is to supplement the low level of endogenous progesterone i.e. what your body makes during the luteal phase.
The first day of the cycle is the first day of bleeding. There are some women who have what is known as a defective luteal phase, which means that they start bleeding again before the 14 days are up. A defective luteal phase is often the cause of a failed conception or miscarriage. If this is the case, using progesterone can help to lengthen it.
Supplemental progesterone usually stops food and alcohol cravings, depression, painful breasts, cramps, tiredness and anger that occur just prior to bleeding.
Please be aware that heavy bleeding/spotting/clotting could take place during the first month or two when first starting the cream. Don't be alarmed, as it's the progesterone cleaning out the lining that has built up in the uterus.
The cycle can also be disrupted when first using progesterone. If spotting should occur, please ignore and continue using the cream. If a full period should occur early, discontinue the cream counting the first day of bleeding as day 1. Bleeding may also be delayed for a few days. When this occurs, count the first day of bleeding as day 1. Start using the cream again at ovulation or for the last 14 days of the cycle.
Please note: Stress drops progesterone levels sharply, so if you find symptoms returning it could be you're going through a particularly stressful time. The reason for this is cortisol, the stress hormone, is made from progesterone. The stress response is a survival instinct, so the body will use any available progesterone and convert it into cortisol to overcome the stress, be it acute or chronic. You should increase the amount of progesterone you are using if symptoms return and then reduce it once the stressful period is over.
Progesterone cream is the best delivery method - see here. Oral progesterone is wasteful and costly as approximately 96% is destroyed as it passes through the gut and the liver and the dose has to be high which causes drowsiness. Injections are painful, buccal drops or pills are very bitter and suppositories are not much fun!
The amount of progesterone to use depends on symptoms and the severity of them.
For contraceptive purposes, deduct 5 to 8 days from the date of ovulation to start using progesterone. Please also read the Pregnancy and Contraceptives pages.
Approximate date of ovulation
Cycle Length | Day |
---|---|
21 day | 7 |
22 day | 8 |
23 day | 9 |
24 day | 10 |
25 day | 11 |
26 day | 12 |
27 day | 13 |
28 day | 14 |
29 day | 15 |
30 day | 16 |
31 day | 17 |
32 day | 18 |
33 day | 19 |
34 day | 20 |
35 day | 21 |
Menstruation should start within a day or two of stopping the progesterone
Conversion Chart - Natpro Cream Tube and Dispenser
One of the key benefits of understanding how to use Natpro progesterone cream is that the cream can be applied anywhere - in the vagina or nose for dryness, on piles/hemorrhoids, painful or achy areas, burns (its amazing on burns), insect bites and is wonderful on the face .
Important to remember is that progesterone in the form of drops and tablets do not work as 96% of it is destroyed by the gut and liver. The best application is by using cream, injections or suppositories!
Please note:
All the successful studies done on progesterone indicate between 100-200mg should be used each day. This equates to 3-6ml of a 3.33% concentration cream such as Natpro per day. Some studies used 400-600mg/day. As much as 1200mg per day is used on patients suffering Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) see here. The late Dr Kittie Dalton used to give her patients suffering from psychosis 2400mg per day and 800mg for nausea.
In answering the question 'how to use progesterone cream' it must be made clear that there is actually no right or wrong way as it depends on what your adverse symptoms are. The more severe the symptoms are, the more progesterone is needed until one feels stable enough to reduce.
Menstruating
Peri or post Menopausal, Hysterectomy, Oophorectomy, Pre-pubertal, Pubertal
Severe symptoms
I regularly receive messages from women who have been using progesterone for some time, stating that their symptoms have returned. A lack of or a drop in vitamin D3 levels, even if a missed dose has taken place, or if lots of time has been spent indoors and not getting enough sun, affects our vitamin D3 levels, which in turn, affects progesterone levels. Stress destroys both progesterone and vitamin D3, amongst many other vital nutrients.
Some Main Reasons that could cause Progesterone levels to drop:
Diet is so very important. Wheat is particularly bad as is sugar, in fact all carbs should be avoided as much as possible.
When choosing a progesterone cream it is vital that it has the correct progesterone concentration. The strength/concentration of many progesterone creams vary from 1.5% to 10%. This means a 1.5% cream contains 15mg progesterone per gram (g) or millilitre (ml). A 10% cream contains 100mg per gram (g) or millilitre (ml). So, depending on the amount of progesterone needed for symptoms, the amount of cream must be taken into account. Natpro is a 3.33% cream, or contains 33.3mg per gram or ml.
It is also extremely important that you look at the ingredients in the cream, many contain estrogenic properties i.e. grapefruit seed extract etc, and many although it states that the cream is natural, contains chemical preservatives.
Just a word on compounded creams. Make sure that they are totally natural if you choose to use them. They tend to come mixed with estrogen and or testosterone, parabens or chemicals, not what any woman needs. Often the commonly incorrect amount of between 20-40mg is prescribed. They often do not contain the correct progesterone concentration.
When Natpro is not available, the following 5 creams are recommended. They are the best alternative progesterone creams but please adjust the amount used as they all vary in concentration. You will need to double or slightly more than double the amount used with these cream, please adjust accordingly.
Please see Hormone Testing to find out exactly what your hormone levels should be for both men and women.
How to reduce NATPRO Progesterone Cream
"You can slowly start to reduce the amount of cream used once you feel stable enough to do so and ALL your adverse symptoms have cleared. It is vital that this is done SLOWLY - if too much is reduced too soon, your symptoms will return. Should this happen, simply increase the amount of cream until you feel stable again and then try again by slowly reducing. It is essential to reduce over a few weeks to prevent adverse symptoms returning.
How to Reduce - reduce by no more than 16-20mg at a time. Stay on that reduced amount for a week, then reduce again by another 16-20mg and so on. Symptoms will return if you reduce by too much and too quickly. NEVER reduce to less than 100mg/3ml per day as all adverse symptoms will return.
Please Note: Progesterone will help if there is a deficiency, or if excess estrogen is present. However, there are many other factors involved too. A lack of Vitamin D3 reduces the benefits of progesterone, it is vital that you have a test done. Large meals, dark gloomy days, winter, high adrenaline levels, excess blood glucose, high phytoestrogens in the diet, HRT and the contraceptive pill, all affect it adversely.
Disclaimer: Although this web site is not intended to be prescriptive, it is intended, and hoped, that it will induce in you a sufficient level of scepticism about some health care practices to impel you to seek out medical advice that is not captive to purely commercial interests, or blinded by academic and institutional hubris. You are encouraged to refer any health problem to a health care practitioner and, in reference to any information contained in this web site, preferably one with specific knowledge of progesterone therapy.
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