Bioidentical progesterone cream causes withdrawal similar to benzo-

[[ci...]]

From my research for my lady I found nothing but positive things as long as you use bio identical and not the synthetic stuff found in birth control. Also assuming you use it properly and dosed properly. good luck and thanks for the congrats!

[[pr...]]

i did a nice slow taper from the estradiol patch i was on. i did a cold turkey from the prometrium when i was trying out another progesterone. but that was when i was about 4-5 months out from the c/t off benzo's so who could tell anything.

 

i'm looking forward to getting my results and i will see all that i need. i know i need more weight. just not gaining right now and don't really have an appetite. i will always use some kind of progesterone after reading this--

 

http://www.willim1.com/95_mbrazel.htm

 

if anything i would taper--slowly from the prometrium now and stay off all hormones that affect GABA until i'm healed from this. thinking about doing that-- don't know when or if i really will? that's would i would probably recommend though. and then use a real bio identical progesterone and i only know of one so far. unfortunately i can't use it right now because i think it's affecting my liver. must cleanse and support the liver and be totally healthy before i use it. can you imagine? i have to be totally to stay healthy. i don't really know about all this stuff and still learning. i think i finally found a good Functional Med Doctor in my area  yay!

[[Co...]]

i did a nice slow taper from the estradiol patch i was on. i did a cold turkey from the prometrium when i was trying out another progesterone. but that was when i was about 4-5 months out from the c/t off benzo's so who could tell anything.

 

i'm looking forward to getting my results and i will see all that i need. i know i need more weight. just not gaining right now and don't really have an appetite. i will always use some kind of progesterone after reading this--

 

http://www.willim1.com/95_mbrazel.htm

 

if anything i would taper--slowly from the prometrium now and stay off all hormones that affect GABA until i'm healed from this. thinking about doing that-- don't know when or if i really will? that's would i would probably recommend though. and then use a real bio identical progesterone and i only know of one so far. unfortunately i can't use it right now because i think it's affecting my liver. must cleanse and support the liver and be totally healthy before i use it. can you imagine? i have to be totally to stay healthy. i don't really know about all this stuff and still learning. i think i finally found a good Functional Med Doctor in my area  yay!

 

Hello prettydaisys-

I decided to go back on the bioidentical progesterone but at a higher dose.. so now i'm on 25mg.  I am going to let this sometime in my system before I make a decision to continue or not.

How much progesterone were you on?

 

I also have bioidentical testerone and I took the dose the doctor told me too and it was too much b/c I've not had a sex drive like that, ever, and although I am married we already have two kids and I we can't handle anymore kids right now, LOL.  I'm sorry I had to share that but that was my experience and it was a little scary b/c I've never experience anything like that!

So my dr said to take half the dose, but I'm not sure if I will.  My levels aren't to too low..

Do you find that testerone helped with muscle growth and weight loss?

 

I hope you are able to gain weight and you start feeling better! :-)

[[pr...]]

i did a nice slow taper from the estradiol patch i was on. i did a cold turkey from the prometrium when i was trying out another progesterone. but that was when i was about 4-5 months out from the c/t off benzo's so who could tell anything.

 

i'm looking forward to getting my results and i will see all that i need. i know i need more weight. just not gaining right now and don't really have an appetite. i will always use some kind of progesterone after reading this--

 

http://www.willim1.com/95_mbrazel.htm

 

if anything i would taper--slowly from the prometrium now and stay off all hormones that affect GABA until i'm healed from this. thinking about doing that-- don't know when or if i really will? that's would i would probably recommend though. and then use a real bio identical progesterone and i only know of one so far. unfortunately i can't use it right now because i think it's affecting my liver. must cleanse and support the liver and be totally healthy before i use it. can you imagine? i have to be totally to stay healthy. i don't really know about all this stuff and still learning. i think i finally found a good Functional Med Doctor in my area  yay!

 

Hello prettydaisys-

I decided to go back on the bioidentical progesterone but at a higher dose.. so now i'm on 25mg.  I am going to let this sometime in my system before I make a decision to continue or not.

How much progesterone were you on?

 

I also have bioidentical testerone and I took the dose the doctor told me too and it was too much b/c I've not had a sex drive like that, ever, and although I am married we already have two kids and I we can't handle anymore kids right now, LOL.  I'm sorry I had to share that but that was my experience and it was a little scary b/c I've never experience anything like that!

So my dr said to take half the dose, but I'm not sure if I will.  My levels aren't to too low..

Do you find that testerone helped with muscle growth and weight loss?

 

I hope you are able to gain weight and you start feeling better! :-)

 

i too would really love to start gaining some weight. i started the estradiol patch again. i spoke with this Doctor about it and since my estrogen is still very low, he said that could possibly be the reason i'm not sleeping at all at night. so i just started a very very small amount and i'm still taking 200mg prometrium and i will start inserting in vaginally from days 1-12 of the month. so i will see if that brings on my period as it was when i was taking both the estrogen and progesterone together. it was only when i got off the estrogen patch that i stopped having my period and plus i am still only 88 lbs. so no fat, means no way to have a period i think?

 

i haven't tried bio identical testosterone but going to ask my OBGYN about it when i see him next week. doing to ask him about the oxytocin as well.

 

hope you are doing well Coralashley!

[[Co...]]

Hi prettydaisys- have you have your vitamin d levels checked?  If you are taking progesteron it is so important to take D3.

See the link and post on it:

http://www.progesteronetherapy.com/progesterone-and-vitamin-D.html#axzz2dCU29Kd0

 

Are you taking bioidentical progesteron?  If not, then you should switch because synthetic hormones can cause more problems then anything.

 

How long have you been benzo free?

 

Hugs!

[[pr...]]

Hi prettydaisys- have you have your vitamin d levels checked?  If you are taking progesteron it is so important to take D3.

See the link and post on it:

http://www.progesteronetherapy.com/progesterone-and-vitamin-D.html#axzz2dCU29Kd0

 

Are you taking bioidentical progesteron?  If not, then you should switch because synthetic hormones can cause more problems then anything.

 

How long have you been benzo free?

 

Hugs!

 

that's an interesting article about progesterone and vitamin D working hand in hand. yes i'm taking Vit K2/D3 by Thorne. i don't take in in my mouth every day. maybe 3 times per week and the other times i use it on my wrist so it absorbs through  my skin.

 

i'm getting a whole panel of blood work done, B serums, Vit D, magnesium, chem panel, etc... so i will find out how the levels are. i am taking bio identical progesterone called prometrium. i was taking the progest+E that Ray Peat formulated but i think it was affecting my liver so i stopped. will try it later. i'm back on the estrogen patch but just a very small mg.

 

actually today is my one year anniversary from my last 'rescue benzo' in the ER--ativan which definitely set me back some. but i did the c/t about 17 months so i count it from that.

[[Co...]]

Hi prettydaisy-

I hope all is great! How much progesterone r u on? Or where u on originally? And what were ur levels when they 1st tested u before they put u on progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone.

And how old we're u when u 1st started them?

 

Thanks so very much! :-)

[[pr...]]

Hi prettydaisy-

I hope all is great! How much progesterone r u on? Or where u on originally? And what were ur levels when they 1st tested u before they put u on progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone.

And how old we're u when u 1st started them?

 

Thanks so very much! :-)

 

coralashley,

 

i think i had written in a few different places that i've been on 200 mg progesterone for about 3 years now. i don't know the exact levels but will actually find out tomorrow as i have a OBGYN appt.  i would have to look at all my tests to know what all my levels were but they considered in periomenopausel and i'm only 41 years so i know it's from year of tolerance to benzo's and the benzo withdrawal. i mean--i understand that some people can be perio but the fact i've was in tolerance withdrawal and have also been on a lot of opiates makes me think it's mostly from the drugs, tolerance and withdrawal.

 

i will get all my numbers tomorrow and let you know what they are.

 

pretty

[[pr...]]

hi all,

 

i received my hormone results today. not good i am very low in both estrogen and progesterone. very upset about this. i am not ready to be full on menopausal.  but the numbers sure make me so. i need to get my own hormones back up a bit and don't know what to do?

 

i am starting the vivelle got estradiol patch again in very low amounts only because a few doc't'rs and a naturopath said it would help with my sleep and the sleep at night is bad bad bad so that's why. i will continue the prometrium vaginally days 1-12 and the doc says that could help with sleep too.

 

yes, i did speak with Ray Peat about this. (i know how much all of you love and adore him) not, well, there are a few people on here who do and lot's of other people out there who call him mentor-- but anyway, he did tell me some good news from a 2 women he just spoke to.

 

he said "one woman is 52 years who didn't have a period for two years, menopausal and just had 2 regular periods by changing her diet-- and a woman who supposedly had had "ovarian failure" for seven years carefully supplemented with hormones and nutrients, until her blood tests looked normal, and quickly got pregnant, had a baby in her early forties".

 

i realize this will bring up some controversy and different idea's with people on this thread. maybe just the mention of Peat's name will do that oh well.

 

i do hope that this is all from the benzo w/d since i am in my early forties. that would be nice. i feel like i've missed out on so much already--i don't want to have things now that i'm supposed to have a little later on in life. so for now, it's HRT time with the "bio identicals" vivelle dot and prometrium until further adu

 

oh and i am still only 87lbs so that could have a lot to do with why i am menopausal for now

[[Di...]]

Hi Pretty

 

I honestly feel you have made the right decision to try the oestradiol patch with the Prometrium. This is as natural as you can do it. You are using trialed, tested and regulated bioidentical hormones. The only more natural way of doing it is to find a time machine that can send you back to when your hormones were at normal levels. Wouldn't we all love that..lol.. I'm confident you will feel the world of difference quite quickly. However, give yourself a good couple of months to gain the full benefits of the patch.

 

Sadly you are quite young to be peri or meno, but it's certainly not that unusual.  Your body has made up its own mind that you have entered menopause, and there's really not much you can do to reverse the clock. All you can do is take advantage of modern medicine and use the regulated bioidentical products that you are using.

 

I'm not sure if I've ever given you a link to this video, but it's of Dr Elizabeth Vliet explaining all about bioidentical hormones. Just scroll about half way down the screen and click on the video under "The Buzz on Bioidenticals: on-demand webinar". It's about 30 minutes long, but very interesting.  If you also search for her on youtube you will find some other very interesting videos. http://www.thebuzzonbios.com/contents/web_videolist.asp

 

I'll just add - make sure you monitor how you are doing on the patch. When I first went on to HRT I was also put on a low dose. That is the standard procedure doctor's use, but it's quite common for your hormones to take a further nose dive later on, and you may need to go to the next level. It's perfectly normal, and nothing to be worried about.

[[...]]

Dr Elizabeth Vliet is really has so much knowledge about hormones. Her book Screaming to be Heard is fantastic!  I would highly recommend every woman who is peri menopausal to post menopausal read it. That is where I found out about how bad progesterone withdrawl is. She really knows her stuff.  I would certainly watch her videos. She has helped me a great deal. I am almost 60, post hysterectomy 16 years ago and still learning about getting the right balance with bioidentical hormones.

[[Di...]]

Ah Ha!!  Another Vliet fan!!  I love her. She puts everything so simply and it makes sense. I wish more people knew about her or used her a reference source. It might help women understand how they can benefit from using regulated bioidentical HRT, instead of the compounded stuff - and what the difference is between the two.

 

I have never read her book, but it's on my list of things to do..lol... I regularly watch her videos though, and I've watched them numerous times, and I always seem to pick up something new each time.

[[pr...]]

i put up a new post on 'other meds' that didn't get any replies. so i am aksing again about this.

i've got severe breast soreness all of a sudden. and i am wondering if the estradiol patch can cause breast soreness and tenderness? i also have a little lactation going on in the left breast but i know that is a WD symptom from what my brain has been doing because it happened a lot early out when i was not on the estradiol patch.

 

anyway, do you think the estradiol transdermal patch can cause breast tenderness and soreness?

 

[[ho...]]

i put up a new post on 'other meds' that didn't get any replies. so i am aksing again about this.

i've got severe breast soreness all of a sudden. and i am wondering if the estradiol patch can cause breast soreness and tenderness? i also have a little lactation going on in the left breast but i know that is a WD symptom from what my brain has been doing because it happened a lot early out when i was not on the estradiol patch.

 

anyway, do you think the estradiol patch can cause breast tenderness and soreness?

 

Hi PD,

I love your new avatar!

 

I thought yes and looked it up:  (second symptom)

 

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a605042.html

 

How have you been doing?

[[pr...]]

i put up a new post on 'other meds' that didn't get any replies. so i am aksing again about this.

i've got severe breast soreness all of a sudden. and i am wondering if the estradiol patch can cause breast soreness and tenderness? i also have a little lactation going on in the left breast but i know that is a WD symptom from what my brain has been doing because it happened a lot early out when i was not on the estradiol patch.

 

anyway, do you think the estradiol patch can cause breast tenderness and soreness?

 

Hi PD,

I love your new avatar!

 

I thought yes and looked it up:  (second symptom)

 

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a605042.html

 

How have you been doing?

 

thanks Hope! i want to taper off of the estradiaol patch again one day when i a better from the benzo crap. i've already tapered to a much lower dose and the breast tenderness is subsiding a little bit but still kind there.

 

also, i spoke to the nurse practitioner and my doctor's office today and she said about the prometrium i've been taking that as long as i take it 1-12 days out of the month i will get a period a week after that.

 

i asked her if i should take it days 12-25 like a few other women mentioned that is the best time to take it to get a regular period but she said that it didn't matter if i took the prometrium days 1-12 or days 12-25. i don't understand? when is the best to take the prometrium to get regular periods? when is the progesterone the lowest during a cycle? i always get confused?

 

i am doing all right. had a little window this morning which if course it now gone. but brain symptoms are a little better. how are you doing Hope?

 

pretty

[[ho...]]

Hi PD -- I don't know the answers to your questions.  It is so difficult to manage hormones in addition to wd...  I feel like I've been flying blind.  I'm down to 7.5 progesterone.  I've been holding here for months.  Scared to drop down.  I'll wait to January -- after the holidays.  Last December is when I had my tsunami wave that put me back down for months. 

I'm doing much better.  Almost at 25 months.  A very long time in this "healing"

 

I'm very happy to hear you are doing better.  Hang in there.  Stay strong!

XOX

[[Co...]]

Hello everyone, I'm on bio identical progesterone cream 35 mg and bio identical progesterone pill 50 mg. But I don't think I'm going to have any problems with it do you? I've been on it for five or six months. And I haven't had any problems.

Thanks!

[[ho...]]

Hi Coralashley,

I have no idea!!  I've read conflicting information.  I'm tapering off as I don't want to be on anything going forward.  I have no idea if the prog I'm on is keeping me in wd sx or if it's good for me.  No idea.  And no help from doctors. 

Good luck!

[[pr...]]

bump

[Guest [ga...]]

Just found this thread. Just want to share my experience with natural progesterone cream. I have been off and on it since perimenopause. I did quick tapers off and on with no trouble. I recently read a Q&A article by a naturopath who told one of her readers that a small percentage of women react badly to starting progesterone. She said sensitive women should indeed do a very slow taper up and that the symptoms would go away. Months later, the woman wrote back saying she did that and was feeling much better. I would think that perhaps a slow taper off would also be beneficial.

 

I would like to add that I am a super-reactor to other meds and need to taper them very slowly. Just didn't react much to the progesterone.

 

 

[[ca...]]

Can the progesterone cream increase benzo withdrawal symptoms?  I'm not so worried about getting off of the cream as much as making my current symptoms worse.

[[pr...]]

i had shared my experience with prometrium (progesterone) on the mentrual support thread. i had been using it for years but only on my legs and NOT internally or vaginally. i thought i would try it orally and i took it three days in a row and everything seemed fine. i didn't seem to react to it at all. but yesterday i took it orally again and was knocked out. totally sedated and fell asleep during the day which i never do and had a hard nap.

 

and it made me kinda groggy and sedated all day. this morning i woke up after having grueseome 'themed' nightmares all night and the head pressure is much worse today. i had done some more research last night after re-reading Perseverance's thread on "progesterone and benzo's" in the 'other medications section and i had found a few other links about the cross tolerance between progesterone and benzo's that i had posted on the 'menstrual support thread'

 

suffice to say i won't be taking this bio-identical prometrium orally anymore and maybe not until i am way more healed from the benzo withdrawal. i feel it could possibly halt the healing process and complicate matters. i am going to allow my body to try to come back into balance naturally for now as much as i would like to be taking this bio-identical.

 

i may possibly onlyl use the contents on my labia and legs for now. just because i really would like to be taking this, but too afraid.

[[re...]]

 

I would love current insight on this

 

Anyone using bioidenticals?

 

How about the pellets?

[[pr...]]

i am now having trouble with progesterone and trying to get off it. been on it for about a month. so i am bumping this thread.

[[Li...]]

Just wanted to tell you all what I'm experiencing now.  I've been on Librium for 19 years...it didn't help much for my TMJ so I just dealt with the pain..it did help me sleep tho. A few years later I got on BC pills and then my jaw pain slowly started to go away so always thought it was a hormone issue since my hormones pretty much went outta wack 19 years ago after giving birth. 

 

I have been on BC pills sine I was 33 and I'm now 50.  Doc took me off BC Pills for almost a month to check hormone levels...of course they were depleted.  He then put me on Bio Progesterone and Estradiol/Testosterone Pellets.  200mg of Prog. made me feel drunk and I questioned the safety of taking this with my Librium but everyone said it was okay.  I then suffered my first ever anxiety attack 4 weeks after starting Bios.  I then went down to 100mg of Prog.  I did fine for 4 1/2 months and then got on Estradiol gel...I then started having lightheaded episodes which is usually a withdrawal symptom for me.  It was off and on...freaked that it was the Prog reacting to my Librium so CT'd off all hormones and now I'm paying big time for it.  Feel like crap.  Just like Benzo WD almost...which I experienced a little of that 13 years ago trying to get off Librium.  Boaty feeling in my head, head/eye/neck/trap tension, brain zaps, now my TMJ pain has come back.  Had some anxiety issues but they are gone but I'm very tired, off in the head, and still lie down at night feeling slightly fish bowl head.  I'm sure I've bottomed out on my Progesterone and estrogen. 

 

I believe I have made a big mistake doing this.  I don't produce my own hormones so dropping the BC pills has totally messed me up.  I know of a woman on here who reinstated her BC pills to get through her withdrawals so I guess I'm gonna try the same as I need to get stabilized on hormones before weaning...I simply cannot function on 0 hormones.  I did very well on the BC pills for years but for some reason the Bio Progesterone was too potent for me.  Plus I was taking it every day.  I hear that taking it orally affects the Gaba more than a cream and that something about the metabolites when taking it orally can cause extreme drowiness, drunken feeling.  I did okay with it at 100 mg but the I just don't know what happened. 

 

I have read over the thread about the cross tolerant effect is has with Benzos.  I can only hope that starting back on BC pills for just a few more years will help me out like it did for another woman on this forum.  She eventually was able to get on Bio's but going very slow and very low...they are very potent in comparison to my BC pills.

 

I will post what I go through once I get stabilized.  It's all very confusing and it's a hard decision to make on what to do.