? about proges. cream...

crcummings · 10-27-2003, 01:03 AM

Do any of you use this? What's it like, etc. what are your experiences with it, good or bad...
Thanks!
Cindy

ava2002 · 10-28-2003, 10:08 AM

bump...maybe you will get an answer from someone

Ange75 · 10-31-2003, 04:34 PM

I was going to use it and I asked my doctor and he said I could try any herb I wanted - but to absolutely NOT use progesterone cream cause it would screw up the timing of everything. Other people I have heard have been successful though.

ava2002 · 10-31-2003, 05:50 PM

hey girl,

I just wanted to let you know that i'm on cd 26 which has now turned into cd 1. I started AF today. I'm sooo excited the NPC is working. This is the closest thing i've ever been to normal. WOOOO HOOOO! just wanted to share.

aprilreneeb · 12-04-2003, 01:04 AM

I have been using the NPC for two months now. The first month, nothing happened and I didnt think it was working, but because I had heard that it could take a few months to work I decided to keep using it. Good thing I did. AF finally showed up today after 6 months. I was so excited. At first I thought I might be pregnant because it was just dark brown spotting, but it later changed! I was disappointed

but at least she showed up. AND MAN AM I CRAMPING! I had forgot how much I hated AF. LOL! But none the less I am glad she showed up!

April

Maureen77 · 12-15-2003, 03:00 AM

I'm convinced that it lengthened my luteal phase and was the final thing that actually got me pg. And I took it throughout my first trimester to ward off m/c.

lilmiwa · 12-15-2003, 05:52 PM

Hi!
For some reason I'm nervous about trying NPC, can those who've used it for their pregnancy share the dosages (did you just follow directions on package)?

Also, I'm assuming that it's safe to use during pg to ward off m/c. Do you change dosage once pg?

I'm on CD 25... should I wait and see if AF comes (I sometimes go 6 months or more without) and take a test or just start taking NPC?

Thanks
lilmiwa

BelleMere · 12-18-2003, 07:23 PM

and here's why - I tried it myself but after two months of using it and it being "successsful" I decided to stop using it because my periods were too light (for me, compared to what they are normally) and it's a good thing I did because for whatever reason, my uterine lining had all that time just been building and building and building . . . . which is not healthy. (and please note that nowhere in any of the NPC literature is there ANYTHING about what to expect if you stop taking it - which is important. Are you supposed to take it forever once you start?) So now I have to either chemically induce a huge heavy period or wait it out or (last resort) go with a D&C. Anyway, that's my story. But as I go through this I was thinking - using NPC is the same, in a way, as using the pill. It's still a way of adding hormones to artificially stimulate AF and even ovulation. So now I think that by far the best thing we can do is find a good doctor who knows about PCOS and is open to us advocating for ourselves (my current doc is not at all good about this, and that's part of my problem) who will work with us on this stuff rather than just going with the old-school approaches. I know that part of the reason I started taking on it was that I was just so frustrated about not being "normal" that I wanted an easy way to create that for myself - but I don't think NPC is that, at least, not if you are premenopausal.

Maureen77 · 12-18-2003, 10:51 PM

What Your Dcotor May Not Tell You About Premenopause
by Dr. John Lee

lilmiwa :

I would recommend you read Dr. Lee's book for dosage information, how to bring on AF, and how using NPC is designed to mimic the actual progesterone in the body. You are not meant to take a static dosage forever. Depending on how you are using it, he describes how you reduce your dosage. However, if your body is unable to continue to produce a normal and healthy amt. of progesterone, such as cysters, or menopausal women, I imagine you would take it forever, depending on how your body is reacting but that would be a question for a doctor who is more knowledgable.

As far as safety in pregnancy goes... most OB's these days prescribe progesterone. Prometrium and I forget the other brand name -- by suppository or by mouth in 100 - 200 gm dosages if a blood test reveals you are progesterone low when you first get pregnant (and have a history of m/c or infertility). I would recommend you get your progesterone tested and tell your OB when you get pg that you are using NPC. I had a good conversation with my OB, who normally doesn't use it, but agreed that it couldn't hurt at such a low dosage (20mg/day) since she normally prescribes so much more for her patients.

BelleMere :

I agree with you that NPC can be a mechanical form of patching up the problem rather than truly fixing it. I think cysters health problems go much deeper than just inducing AF, one needs to find out WHY it's not coming in the first place and deal with that. However, I believe it is MUCH safer than artificial hormones in bcps and other ways of inducing AF. For me it was an important addition once I had already fixed my problem (anovulation).

How and when did you use NPC? It increased flow for me, before my AF was very light because my luteal phase was short. I took it after I ovulated. It's very important to take NPC on specific days according to your cycle, for ex. if you take it starting before you ovulate for the month, it will act like a birth control and prevent O. Also, you can use NPC instead of Provera (which is synthetic progesterone) to induce AF, I believe there are protocols in Dr. Lee's book. I do know that one of his directives, on how to reduce cysts, does talk about stopping taking it.

surfergirl1970 · 12-19-2003, 05:19 PM

Maureen, can you tell me what steps you took to fix you anovulation? Was it just using the NPC or did you do something else with it?

lilmiwa · 12-20-2003, 11:33 PM

thanks maureen and belle!

good luck to all!

Maureen77 · 12-29-2003, 04:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by surfergirl1970
Maureen, can you tell me what steps you took to fix you anovulation? Was it just using the NPC or did you do something else with it?

Sorry this took me so long to get back to you!
I credit losing a great deal of weight and exercising with restoring ovulation (w/ the IR diet). I didnt start the NPC until I was on track with that just because that was when I happened to learn about it

paigettie · 12-30-2003, 04:48 PM

I used it without a break for a while and realized I was using a self induced bc. (you are supposed to take a break from it, but I didn't know it at the time.) Now, I use it from day 3 after o until af comes. That way, it's just a support, and I don't think there is going to be a problem with the lining just building and building, etc.

Paige

lilmiwa · 12-31-2003, 05:41 PM

hi all,
sorry to keep asking so many questions, but i'm really worried since i hear that stopping progesterone cream can create a miscarriage.

since i'm TTC, then do i have to stop BD'ing for 2 weeks to confirm that i am NOT pg before stopping? (i hate to waste time). i'm on CD 41 and started NPC on CD 31. (i haven't been religiously applying 2x day). i have no idea when i ovulate (OPKs don't work for PCOS-ers, right?) and AF never visits anymore unless i'm on Provera.

i really appreciate any help as it has become even more important for me to have a child -- not only for me and DH, but he just told me that his terminally ill mother (whom i love dearly) tearfully asked him for a grandchild.

thank you so much for your help! have a wonderful new year!!

lilmiwa

paigettie · 12-31-2003, 05:57 PM

Sorry to hear she is terminally ill and all, but that was very selfish of her...She has no idea how much heartache and stress you already have trying to do this for yourself. I know how you must love her so I hope that doesn't sound too harsh, it's just hard to hear...

To answer your question, I must ask you a question, although i'm sure it's asked hundreds of times....Do you chart? That would be one way to look and see, but otherwise, if you are concerned about a hpt coming in as a false negative, your best option would be a trip to the dr. for b/w. From what it sounds like, I don't think you need worry much about stopping npc right now if that's what you think you should do. If AF doesn't visit without help, that means you are not o'ing, and you can't get pg without o'ing...

Not bd'ing won't really help you know much of anything, so I wouldn't give that up....

Paige