progesterone cream

[monica583]

Dr. Heather,
i have had pcos for the last 5 years. we are now trying to have a baby and have read that progesterone cream has helped women to conceive with pcos. how should you use the cream? i started using it 4 days ago and have already stated spotting.should i keep using it thru my period or stop using until i have stopped my period?

[drheather]

Dr. Heather,
i have had pcos for the last 5 years. we are now trying to have a baby and have read that progesterone cream has helped women to conceive with pcos. how should you use the cream? i started using it 4 days ago and have already stated spotting.should i keep using it thru my period or stop using until i have stopped my period?

Hi,

Thanks for writing in. I hope that the forum is providing you with some good information

Progesterone cream can be useful for many women with PCOS. Many women with PCOS are found to have lower progesterone levels. However, keep in mind that not every woman has decreased levels and it is important when considering using hormones, to know if your levels are low. If they are your doctor may prescribe progesterone cream to help increase the level which can help with conception and help to maintain a pregnancy. They can also be used to bring on your period or to stop excess bleeding. Depending on the reason it is being used, the directions for use may change.

Because I am not your doctor and do not know your history, I can not make any recommendations on how to use the progesterone cream. I would contact the prescribing doctor and ask how they recommend it to be used, for how long, and what type of follow-up is needed as you try to conceive.

Also, the hormonal imbalance is one part that can be addressed. Other important aspects to address include nutrition and exercise. We understand that not all women with PCOS are overweight but if you are losing weight can help to restore your cycles. Eating a low carbohydrate diet can help with weight loss as well as helping to address the cause of PCOS, insulin resistance. Even if you are not overweight, research supports a low carbohydrate diet with a focus on a more whole foods diet. Exercise is important in addressing insulin sensitivity regardless of weight.

If you are interested in reading more about a non-pharmaceutical approach to PCOS, please visit http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/. Insulite Labs has developed a comprehensive holistic approach to addressing the cause of PCOS and the accompanying symptoms.

I hope that this helps. I understand that I did not answer yoru question but it is important that the person who prescrbed it address how it should be used for you. If it was not prescribed, having testing done to see if its use is appropriate can be useful.

Please let me know if I can answer additional questions or concerns.