Sarendipitous

***Disclaimer***

There may be potential health risks when using any herbal remedy. Please be sure to do your own research, talk to your doctor, herbalist or other qualified healthcare provider and ask lots of questions. Furthermore, information provided on this thread is intended only to give basic information and is NOT intended to diagnose, prescribe or coerce anyone into using a method she may not be comfortable with. This information has not been evaluated by a doctor or healthcare provider and may contain inaccuracies.

What is progesterone and what does it do?
The links below have some great information. You can also Google progesterone and find more information on your own.

http://www.natural-progesterone-supp...ogesterone.php
http://www.wdxcyber.com/nmood11.htm
http://www.project-aware.org/Managin...rone_FAQ.shtml

What Does Bioidentical Really Mean?
http://www.hormoneprofile.com/Librar...caldefined.htm
Bioidentical means "IDENTICAL". Bio-identical does not mean "similar". Bioidentical means the hormone molecule in the product is EXACTLY like the molecule produced by the human body. Bioidentical means "exactly the same", "identical".

* The Bioidentical Hormones:
Natural hormones are the hormones the human body normally produces. They include estrone, estradiol, and estriol, progesterone, testosterone, androstenedione, and dehydroepiandosterone (DHEA). Natural hormones can be derived or synthesized outside the human body from wild yams and soy plants. They can be converted using the Marker Method in laboratories to hormones, which are identical (bioidentical) to those made by the human body. They must, however, be converted and synthesized properly. We all know, for instance, that wild yam cream is NOT progesterone. "Bioidentical" simply means the hormone molecule is EXACTLY like the molecule found in the human body. It also means the resulting hormone molecule is not just "similar" to the human body hormone molecule. A bioidentical hormone acts in the body exactly like your own hormones. They are metabolized in the same way. Bio-identical hormones serve as precursors for making other hormones. They function in your body naturally and normally.

* Naturally occurring substances are not patentable.
Patents cannot be obtained for estriol, progesterone, testosterone, estradiol, or any of the other human body natural hormones. Patents are only obtainable for the base, or mixture, of the cream, the dosage, the formula, or for the delivery mechanism by which the bio-identical hormone molecule is delivered into your body. No patents possible means no big money for the huge pharmaceutical companies. Big money was possible only through the "patented hormones" or the "synthetic hormones." All those health care provider's orders for "hormone replacement therapy"! All those Premarin, Prempro, Premphase health care provider's orders that proved so risky that on July 9, 2002, a government study was halted 3 years early because of the dangerous health risks!

* The Synthetic Hormones
So an entire drug industry was born for Hormone Replacement Therapy pills, shots, health care provider's orders, drugs and pharmaceuticals with confusing and misleading names like Premarin, PremPro, Premphase, Provera, Estratab, and many more: patented synthetic hormones. They have names that have a lot of "pro's" or "est's" in them. These are artificial hormones that have been altered from the original hormone molecule and do not act or look like natural hormones. They look "similar" chemically, but they are NOT bio-identical to the natural hormone molecule.

What Are Progestins?
*Synthetic hormones which have an effect similar to that of progesterone.
www.climodien.com/glossary/glossar.htm

*Synthetic analogs of progesterone that have some of the properties of natural progesterone.
www.aboutzonediet.org/glossary.htm

*A progestin is a synthetic progestagen. These particular synthetic hormones are most often used in the production of contraceptives.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progestins

http://www.well-again.com/progesterone-info.htm
Progestins is the name given to a class of compounds created and patented by various drug companies that resemble Progesterone - but are actually NOT Progesterone. Not only do Progestins not react like Natural Progesterone but instead the body actually treats Progestins (Provera for example) as it does a foreign substance. As a result the body often suffers many adverse reactions. The the rather large and significant adverse reactions can be found listed in the PDR (Physicians Drug Reference Manual) for the various Progestins. They make sober reading.

Basic NPC information:

* NPC should contain at least 20mg of progesterone per 1/4 tsp or at least 480mg per ounce, so be sure to check the label before purchasing.

* The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) is the official public standards-setting authority for all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, dietary supplements, and other healthcare products manufactured and sold in the United States. USP sets standards for the quality of these products and works with healthcare providers to help them reach the standards. Be advised, it has come to our attention that the Rexall brand available at Wal-Mart does not say USP on the label, so be sure to do your own research before you decide whether or not to use that particular brand.

* Virtually all progesterone cream is derived either from soy or wild yam. There are some studies that show wild yam has in the past few years been found to be the best source of natural progesterone cream. This is not to say that plain Wild Yam Cream is a source of progesterone - there is a difference. That means that, like soy, wild yam has been synthesized into progesterone cream - soy is not progesterone, either. Creams derived from either are okay to use.

* NPC may be more readily absorbed than oral progesterone pills because with oral medications, large amounts can be filtered out through the liver. If you are concerned about low progesterone, you may want to discuss other options with your doctor, such as oral pills or suppositories.

More on USP Natural Progesterone:

USP natural progesterone refers to the progesterone substance that is exactly the same hormone that is made by the human body. USP natural progesterone is not the same as the 'progestins' that are synthetic versions of progesterone sold by the pharmaceutical companies.

For example, progestins are associated with birth defects while progesterone is necessary for a healthy pregnancy. Since progesterone is a natural hormone, the body is able to produce it, use it and get rid of it as needed. Progestins, on the other hand, are not processed very well by the body and often create undesirable side effects.

The term 'USP' refers to the grade or purity of the product and is the shortened form of the term 'United States Pharmacopia'. There are three different grades of raw materials used in products - 'USP pharmaceutical grade', 'food grade' for human consumption and 'feed grade' that is for animal consumption.

The difference between grades is one of quality and purity, and a substance that is labeled USP pharmaceutical grade will be of the highest quality and purity. The USP natural progesterone used for hormone replacement comes from plant fats and oils, most often a substance called 'diosgenin', which is extracted from a very specific type of wild yam that grows in Mexico.

Uses

To bring on AF:
Use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon (just use a regular kitchen measuring spoon or buy a bottle with a premeasured pump) once daily or as otherwise directed on the package. Use it for 14 days or until AF shows, whichever comes first. If AF isn't brought on in 14 days, stop using the cream and the withdrawal of progesterone should bring on AF. (You may or may not get AF before the 14 days are up.) If AF doesn't show up about 7-10 days after stopping the cream, begin the 14-day regimen again.

After O:
Start using the cream once you have confirmed ovulation with OPK or sustained temp rise on a BBT chart. Use it until pregnancy is confirmed or denied for sure. If you're positive that you're not pregnant, stop using the NPC and AF should show up in a few days. If you are pregnant, keep using it until you see a doctor. (If you stop using it, the withdrawal of progesterone could cause a m/c.) Also, your doctor may want to prescribe another form of progesterone.

To help sustain PG until another form of progesterone can be prescribed:
During "normal" ovulation, once the follicle releases the egg, it starts to break down and becomes the corpus luteum, which produces progesterone naturally in case pregnancy should occur. If no pregnancy happens, the corpus luteum stops making progesterone, and the drop in the prog level signals your body that it's time to have a period and start all over again. However, most women with PCOS either have small follicles to begin with or they have "weak" follicles. This means that when many PCOSers ovulate, the corpus luteum is either too small or too weak to produce enough progesterone needed to sustain a pregnancy. That's why so many PCOSers have early m/c due to low prog. That's also why so many of us use Clomid or other follicle-stimulating drugs...to make bigger, stronger follicles to increase our chances of having a good ovulation. So basically with the cream, all you're doing is giving your body a little extra boost of prog so that in case your corpus lutem isn't working properly, you can still sustain a pregnancy should one occur. So you have to make sure you've already ovulated before you start using it. If supplementation is needed, doctors will usually keep us on progesterone support for the first 12 weeks (first trimester) until the placenta begins to take over production of progesterone. It is important to remember that if pregnancy occurs, DO NOT stop using the NPC because it can actually cause a miscarriage.

Where to apply:
The cream can be applied anywhere that the skin is thin, so it's readily absorbed. Thin skin means the neck, chest, inner arms, inner thighs, stomach, face, breasts, backs of knees, inner wrists, or the soles of your feet. Make sure to rub it in thoroughly for optimal absorption. It may be a good idea to use it after a shower when the skin is warm because the pores of the skin and capillaries just under the surface of the skin are more dilated from the heat of the shower and can absorb it more quickly. It can be used at any time, however.

Some links to manufacturers/retailers of NPC:
If you know of any others, please post them and I'll add them to this page.

* Emerita Pro-gest https://www.emerita.com/pages/menopa...5Fpart%5Fdesc= (The entire 2oz. tube contains 900mg of USP progesterone.)

* Prolief balancing cream from Arbonne: http://www.arbonne.com/products/balance/prolief.asp (480 mg progesterone per ounce)

* Progesta-care: http://www.life-flo.com/progestacarewomen.html (Each ounce contains: 480 mg (20 mg per pump) of Natural USP Progesterone) http://www.energeticnutrition.com/vi...progcream.html Can be found at Vitamin Cottage.

* Products of Nature "Natural Woman" progesterone cream: https://www.prodnature.com/pages/pag...terone%20Cream (Can be found at GNC. A 2oz jar contains 990mg of natural progesterone. Each 1/4 teaspoon of cream contains 20 milligrams of progesterone.)

How Long Does a Bottle Last?
Most NPC comes in 2-4oz bottles, tubes, containers, etc. with 2oz being the most common. For a 2oz bottle, it should last you about 48 days (per the calculation below.)

2 ounces per bottle
6 tsp. per ounce
1/4 tsp per application x 6 tsp = 24 applications per ounce
Times 2oz is 48 applications per 2-oz bottle
So it would last about 48 days. Obviously, if you use 1/2 tsp applications, it would only last about 24 days.


EXCERPTS FROM THE SEMINAL WORKS ON WOMENS HEALTH, MENOPAUSE, PERIMENOPAUSE, OSTEOPOROSIS & HORMONE BALANCE
BY THE NOTABLE JOHN R. LEE MD - HARVARD
http://www.well-again.com/mpt-info.htm

* NATURAL VS. SYNTHETIC HORMONES (ERT)
Not too long ago Dr. Lee was confronted at a conference by the owner of a large herbal products company who claimed that Dr. Lee was incorrect in referring to the progesterone used in the creams as "natural" because it was manufactured or synthesized in a laboratory, and that made it synthetic. This is a confusion in semantics that we hear frequently. In fact progesterone is far more natural to your body than any plant is because your body actually manufactures the identical substance. The progesterone manufactured in the laboratory has the identical molecular configuration of the progesterone that your body makes. It does not matter if the body makes the hormone, or a chemist makes it from a plant extract or from anything else. If it is the identical molecule, it is the identical hormone.

The source of the progesterone is unimportant in this context. We usually think of the word synthetic as meaning something that is produced artificially, and is not found in nature, such as plastics and pharmaceutical drugs. For example, the "hormone" Provera is made from the same substances that natural progesterone is made from, but the molecular configuration of it is changed in the laboratory so that it is not identical to anything found in nature.

But natural progesterone made in the laboratory is identical to that made in the human body. In other words, what makes a substance "synthetic" or "natural" in this context is whether or not it can be found in nature.

The same distinctions apply to estrogens. The two types of estrogen in Premarin taken separately are natural (found in nature) and not synthetic, but not all of the estrogen in Premarin is natural to humans. About half of it is human estrogen, and about half is horse estrogen -- a molecule not found in the human body. It's ironic that the manufacturer of Premarin has tried to advertise it as a natural product. Since about half of the estrogen in Premarin is estrone (which is natural to humans) and the other half consists of a different estrogen that is natural only to horses and is extracted from pregnant horse urine, it is natural, strictly speaking, only if you are half horse and half human!

It's unfortunate that so much of estrogen research has been done with Premarin, so we don't have a truly accurate knowledge base of the effects of human estrogen versus horse estrogen. Natural estrogens extracted from wild yams or soybeans that are identical to those made by the human body are easily available by prescription in the form of creams, tablets and patches. These are estrone, estradiol and estriol, so there is no reason to take horse estrogen.

Plants do not make human hormones, but some plants make compounds that have some hormonal effect. These, in their natural form, are called phytohormones ("plant-based" hormones). Although they are not the same as our hormones they may have some hormonal activity. We'll cover those in more detail shortly. Some plants make substances that are quite similar to animal cholesterol or animal hormones, but they have no hormonal effect. Such compounds, called sterols, are easily chemically modified so that they become identical to human hormones. An example of this is the diosgenin that is extracted from wild yams and soybeans to make human hormones in the laboratory.

**Saren's Notes:
Hopefully, this thread will continue to grow as more and more people become interested in the benefits of NPC. Please feel free to post any questions, experiences, information or concerns you may have. Thanks!

Please watch for updates and/or corrections to the above information. I will be sure to post about any inaccuracies as soon as they are discovered. If anyone has any other information, please PM me and I'll add it to this page.

Welcome!

ETA: To give credit where credit is due, much of the above information was originally compiled by Rebecca527. Other cysters who contributed are Pipit, DollFin511 and myself. Thanks for the great info, everyone!

**Please be advised that attacking of other cysters or their opinions will NOT be tolerated on this thread. I will have a moderator delete any such posts.