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Post by hellsbells on May 20, 2012 4:51:12 GMT -5
When I was on Provera my progesterone was very low, without it it was normal.
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Post by loveshoes on Jun 13, 2012 21:24:56 GMT -5
For those who have taken the progesterone, what would you say are the pros/cons of it vs. continual BCP use? I'm really scared to switch but just wanted to learn more about other possible things I could do - my goal is def. to not have a period, I need to continue to keep them stopped.
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Post by Karen on Jun 13, 2012 21:46:58 GMT -5
I couldn't stand BC - I had negative side effects to just about every one I was on - extreme bloating and water weight gain (my worst was 8 pounds in 1 week), severe mood swings, dryness, low sex drive, etc. In addition, my pain came on super strong when I was on it and never went away after switching to a different kind. Since I'm determined to help my body heal instead of just cover up symptoms, I went with progesterone. Progesterone helped significantly reduce my almost daily pain in addition to diet and PPT.
Bio-identical progesterone is NOT the same as BC. It won't prevent pregnancy and won't suppress a period (unless you're on super high doses, which are the equivalent of a tranquilizer and are not healthy, nor can you live that way). BC is a synthetic hormone - it's kinda similar to your own hormones, but different enough to trick the body that it's already pregnant so it doesn't ovulate, which means you never have a true period. Essentially, it over-rides your body's hormones. Bio-identical progesterone is exactly the same as the progesterone that your body normally produces at a molecular level, so it just gives your normal progesterone level a boost so it balances well with the estrogen your body makes on its own. It's generally taken from ovulation to period, which mimics when the body's progesterone levels peak, although there have been times that my doctor prescribed a lower dose for me to take prior to ovulation as well. Since it's often the case that women with endo are estrogen dominant, bio-identical progesterone can boost progesterone levels so the body has the right balance of hormones floating around, the body doesn't react as negatively to the imbalance. I'm speaking in generalities, but you get the idea.
If your goal is to not have a period, progesterone is not for you. If your goal is to try to get your body working how it's supposed to (or at least make it think it is), it's something to consider but ONLY with a very qualified and experienced physician. It can take a while to find the right dose that your body responds to and requires testing throughout and a good physician to understand the test results and how it corresponds to dosing changes. If you read through all the threads, you'll see some ups and downs, though I know now that a lot of the issues I was having were due to my thyroid. There are a lot of doctors that won't even consider it because they don't understand how to dose, test, etc. and because they feel BC is the 'safest' or only answer. Pft.
In my mind, BC covers up the symptoms by essentially putting your body's hormones on hold, while BI progesterone helps your body to work how it's supposed to so it's not as sick. That's just my opinion and my experience, but I'm sticking to it. I'll never ever EVER go on BC ever again after knowing what I know now, and after learning how much more I respond to BI progesterone. I know some people react differently to both BI progesterone and BC, but that's my take.
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Post by loveshoes on Jun 14, 2012 12:20:02 GMT -5
Thanks Karen, I really really appreciate the detailed reply. I have to think about it. I started to read the 1st few pages of the thread but 19 is alot and I'm at work so don't want to get busted being online too much. Ok so you're still taking the progesterone now and aside from the thyroid issues, if you didn't have those, you'd be doing pretty well right? I'm just afraid to have a period again. Mine were so crippling, I just don't know if I want to "go there" ever again. It was a horrible time in my life. What are the bad things that progesterone can do? I have always felt that by bleeding, that is just giving the endo food to grow. I have always thought that by shutting down the bleeding that most times, that also shuts down the endo so everything is quiet again. That's how it seems to be with me. Based on my MRI's, the large visible endo mass in my rectal area did not grow the entire time I was on the pill continual. I don't want to be ignorant and just want to learn more about other options. Aside from the pill, this is the only other rational one I can see. I still don't quite understand Lupron, if it only works for 6 mths, what is the point? I never got that about those drugs. My husband thinks with all my diet changes, working out daily and that IF I were to go off the pill and try again to get pregnant that it might be different this time around but I'm just so scared, and I have everything so well managed now with no more breakthru, I feel like I"m just asking for trouble if I mess around with anything. I have been so happy this past year, I'm very protective of that now so I'm just not sure if making a change is the best decision for me at this point in my endo journey. As far as side effects go, I don't have water retention or anything else, just my stupid endo 3 mths pregnant belly ( it goes away if I suck in, does that count? LOL ) I think the only complaint I have is that I work my ass off working out and the ass just isn't falling off ( or so I think anyways ). I read all about this drastic weight loss from going GF etc plus giving up coffee and all the extra white sugar I'd dump in, you'd think I'd be way thin now but nope. I don't weigh myself, just don't want to get upset but I can tell how clothes fit and though they are not getting any tighter which is a good thing, they aren't getting any looser either. Ugh. Annoying. It's got to the the pill. The last pill I was on, I had no issues with weight if I wanted to work out harder, I could loose it quickly but it seems this one is slightly different. I switched types b/c the other one made me very cranky and the dr. said this one would keep me much more even keel, I guess there are trade offs to everything but that's my only notable side effect on this pill is that it's very hard for me to loose any weight. Don't get me wrong, I don't need to loose, I just want to get rid of the belly and working out in my mind is the best way to get rid of the endo belly issue so that's why I'm so obsessed. I hoped it was wheat/gluten or the sugar that was causing this belly to stick out but after 7 mths on this diet, that doesn't seem to be the case though I am enjoying feeling better in other ways due to the diet.
Thanks Karen!
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Post by JC on Jun 14, 2012 13:18:49 GMT -5
I think the only reason you should ever consider coming off of a treatment that works so well for you is if you are considering trying to get pregnant again.
I tried progesterone cream and I had a REALLY hard time with it. I'm guessing the reason why my body reacted so negatively to it is because I didn't need it in the first place. It was too much. I felt drugged, almost like I was sedated and I barely had enough in me to walk I felt so drugged. If your body doesn't need to be supplemented then there's no reason to use them because it can be too much. But honestly, being on birth control was WAY worse. Birth control was the worst decision I ever made for my health and I'll never touch them ever again.
Just like with any treatment, bioidenticals are a trial and error. You never know how you're going to react until you try it. That's the best option we have with this disease unfortunately. There are no guarantees. It sucks but until something better comes along, this is all we can do.
Are you thinking about trying for a baby again? Is that why you're considering changing your treatment?
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Post by loveshoes on Jun 14, 2012 14:57:32 GMT -5
I think I have answered the question for myself, I have zero issues on the pill, I might as well not mess with a good thing. As far as the baby thing, we had a talk reflecting on where I was health wise a year and a half ago and now that I’ve been back on the pill for just over a year continual and now well I am doing/feeling. He was just saying knowing now about the endo diet and me actually doing it and disciplined enough to follow it, his point was wondering IF I went off the pill again to try how I’d fair and I basically said I’m just too scared to try that again. I don’t know, maybe it would be ok but it was a year and a half of pure hell, I couldn’t go anywhere or do anything because I was always feeling bad and this past year has been great. I love working out daily and doing all the other things I enjoy so I’m just not really wanting to mess up a good thing. I know there are pros/cons to all of the treatments out there but I guess for me, I’m lucky that the pill works so well in my body and if it causes something down the road, so be it. I can’t control everything and there are risks to just leaving the house and getting into a car so that’s pretty much where I’m at with that right now. Thanks for the replies Ladies – I really appreciate it!
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Post by redwood on Jun 14, 2012 16:35:53 GMT -5
I have put my comments in earlier pages (many of them). I took bio-identical progesterone for 1.5 years and took it in troche form and it took a few months until it was making the pain less and in the beginning actually increased it, so I went from taking 100mg to 200mg and finally that seemed to work for me. Originally I was taking it every day and then when I moved to Canada and started seeing a naturopath, she had me break for 5 days for my period and that never seemed as good as taking it every day for me. The progesterone DOES decrease your period and make it lighter, so that is similar to BCP. But I still got my period even when I took it every day. With a break, the period was a little heavier. But it stopped working as well for me and my NP didn't want to increase the dosage and then I ended up having to stop the troches and switch to cream and that just set off a lot of pain and I went from having pain a few days a month to 12 days a month! I have no idea why, but it just didn't agree with me at all. There was also the confusion about how much cream was equal to the troche. I was just sick of it all and then found out about Visanne from my women's health GP, which is new in Canada and that has worked for me a lot better than the bio-identical. It's a progestin pill, but is a different type of progestin than the other POP's out there. It made my period go away too and for me that is good also. But today I am having cramps like I'm getting my period and that worries me. Also 2 weeks ago I had ovary pain like I was ovulating. I haven't had a period in 3 months and it's not guaranteed to not have one on this drug, but it's a common side effect (good one!). I was mighty happy about it too! I hope I don't get a period. It scares me as I associate it with the pain....
Like you, Loveshoes, I have a growth that I worry about. It's in my side and I worry about it getting bigger. It's an inch now and it grew bigger while I was on the progesterone. I think it probably grew more slowly than it would have if I had taken nothing. The Visanne decreased the pain right away during the first month on it and then it was gone basically, although sometimes I've felt some sensation there. So I think it's still there but I'm wondering if it has shrunken some.
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Post by JC on Jun 14, 2012 17:03:59 GMT -5
Loveshoes, it sounds like you really have thought it through. I just want to clarify, I was by no means trying to talk you out of being on the pill. I would never do that. I know it has worked really well for you and that is seriously awesome. I just wanted to share my experience. I wish there was an easy solution for all of us! What works for one, could give hell for another. It's quite weird actually how different we all react to things.
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Post by redwood on Jun 14, 2012 19:56:45 GMT -5
yeah, that's so true! Everyone seems to react so differently to various treatments. Although based on what I've read on here, seems no one likes the mirena! There must be some people that tolerate it though, otherwise it wouldn't exist anymore.
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Post by loveshoes on Jun 14, 2012 20:10:03 GMT -5
Loveshoes, it sounds like you really have thought it through. I just want to clarify, I was by no means trying to talk you out of being on the pill. I would never do that. I know it has worked really well for you and that is seriously awesome. I just wanted to share my experience. I wish there was an easy solution for all of us! What works for one, could give hell for another. It's quite weird actually how different we all react to things. Jenaya, you're so sweet, no worries at all, the though never crossed my mind that you were trying to sway me either way so please don't give it a second thought! Hugs!
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Post by loveshoes on Jun 14, 2012 20:13:59 GMT -5
Redwood - thanks! I'm a fellow Canuck relocated to the USA 10 years ago. I completely agree that what works for some, doesn't for another. My mass is between my vagina/rectum but more rectal in nature though thankfully it's never given me pain with pooping or sex or anything and the doctors that I have seen all seem to agree that my endo was fast growing in the start but has been dormant for the past 10 years that I was on the pill. I'm just so scared to mess around I think I'm just going to leave things as they are and not look to mess with a good thing. I'm happy, I feel good, I have lots of energy for the most part so I just have to keep up on the endo diet and working out and hope that the positives continue. Thanks so much for the replies!
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Post by Karen on Jun 14, 2012 20:37:27 GMT -5
I agree - no sense in changing what works for you. I went to BI progesterone because BC wasn't working for me, and I knew there had to be something else besides lupron. I have a very good doc and I've learned a lot myself in order to get the best treatment that works for me and my body. There have been times where BI progeterone didn't seem to be doing much, but after going off it for a bit, I realized how much it was working. I plan on staying on it for as long as I need to.
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Post by loveshoes on Jun 14, 2012 21:02:39 GMT -5
I think it's so interesting how 1 thing can work so well for 1 person and then you talk to another member and it's the total opposite - just goes to show how unique and complex our bodies are. One thing is for sure, I'm so glad I went GF and on the endo diet for the most part - that has been a major game changer IMO. Have a great night ladies!
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Post by Karen on Jun 14, 2012 21:29:56 GMT -5
[quote author=loveshoes board=alternative thread=4028 post=80138 time=1339725759One thing is for sure, I'm so glad I went GF and on the endo diet for the most part - that has been a major game changer IMO. [/quote] Glad you came around to that conclusion!
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Post by chibineko717 on Jun 14, 2012 21:37:18 GMT -5
I'm trying to decide what to do now after my surgery. I have been on continuous BCPs since my surgery last year, but was told to stop 6 weeks before my surgery. Dr. M said I can choose to go back on them if needed, but she doesn't think that I need them since I am not sexually active. Even though I was on the BCPs, it seems like it did not do much to control the growth since so much came back after my lap last year. But it was nice to not have a bleed. I was on lupron before the BCPs and it seemed that my endo came back faster while I was on that.
Maybe I'll try to ask for progesterone cream when I go in for my next post op.
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