Low progesterone levels

[Tiny Sue]

Hi girls -

I've been doing a little reading about low progesterone levels. I have wondered recently if my heavy periods and failure to conceive had been an indication of some kind of deficiency.

Look at this...

Low progesterone causes
anxiety and irritability, xxxxxx
breast tenderness, x
carbohydrate cravings, xxx
early miscarriage ,
infertility/not ovulating
insomnia , x
irregular periods ,
lower body temperature , x
menstrual cramps, xxx
mood swings, xxx
ovarian cysts,
fibroids,
puffiness/bloating, xx
water retention , x
weight gain - hips/middle xxx

I've x-ed all the ones I have...

Then again, I could just be a moody fat b****!

Sue

 

[katyk]

You've just written that you are female hun

Might be worth checking out but try not to worry too much

 

[babydust]

i agree with katyk most women have most of these symptoms, but if you are worried you should go to your gp and ask to be tested as its only a simple blood test and if it turns out to be it can be easily treated and if it turns out not to be you will have piece of mind, dont wait till the dr comes up with the idea, you should go and ask him.
good luck.

 

[Squiglet]

Hi Tiny Sue..

I've got really low progesterone levels... I've been taking Utrogestan pesseries all through the first tri of this pregnancy because I had a progesterone level of 14 when I got pregnant and started bleeding.

I have quite a few of the symptoms that you mention; anxiety and irritability, breast tenderness, carbohydrate cravings (I live on Pasta), early miscarriage , insomnia , irregular periods but they are also incredibly light , lower body temperature, even when I'm sick it's never that high, mood swings, ovarian cysts which I've had a few off, puffiness/bloating, water retention which I have to take meds for as I loose the feeling in my fingers and thumb , weight gain all around the hips, which means I cannot get trousers to fit as my waist is very small, but my hips enormous. My hips are size 14 my waist is a 10, which is also water retention.

With my periods, the hormone that makes the lining build up sufficiently enough to let an egg implant is progesterone. When that's not sufficient, the egg can't implant, and you start to bleed. Also a drop in progesterone, tells the body to start bleeding, which is why when I have been pregnant I have bled on and off.

I was diagnosed when I was 17 because my mum was worried. My periods were really light and I could have two periods in a month then none for 3 months. I was told that low progesterone would cause light periods because it the hormone that builds up the lining, which it wasn't doing, but back then nothing was done... this time I have had progesterone pesseries...which is a natural form of the hormone, and I honestly believe I wouldn't have reached this far in my pregnancy without them. Every time I would stop taking them, I would start bleeding again, right up until around week 16/17.

A lot of women will have the symptoms you describe above regardless of the reason because they are symptoms of progesterone and post ovulation, when the progesterone in your body drops anyway if you are not pregnant.

You will probably have to pay for it privately, but a simple blood test will confirm if you have low progesterone rates. I've heard it described that the pesseries are a last ditch chance to save a pregnancy, but if you look on the internet so many women have kept their pregnancies because of them.. Which has led to the new study into early miscarriage being low progesterone.

 

[Becs]

Hey Hon,

I have diagnosed low progesterone and as squiglet above, my periods have always been very light. As she explains progesterone is what hekps build the lining so a heavy period should indicate good progesterone levels. However if you are really concerned ther eis no harm in gettin git checked out. I found it almost impossible to persuade my gp to do a blood test even after a m/c so paid to have all my hormones checked by a fertility clinic. I now take cyclogest pesseries after ovulation to help my levels. As with squiglet I will need to take these throughout first tri if I manage to fall pregnant. I highly recommend paying a little money to visit a fertility clinic. It meant for me that I was diagnosed and treated very quickly and simply. My medication is cheap and I don't pay them to do repeat prescriptions.

Becs of luck,
Becs

 

[katyk]

I was diagnosed when I was 17 because my mum was worried. My periods were really light and I could have two periods in a month then none for 3 months. I was told that low progesterone would cause light periods because it the hormone that builds up the lining, which it wasn't doing, but back then nothing was done... this time I have had progesterone pesseries...which is a natural form of the hormone, and I honestly believe I wouldn't have reached this far in my pregnancy without them. Every time I would stop taking them, I would start bleeding again, right up until around week 16/17.

Hi Squiglet I was just wondering, with your 8 year old, were you preg with her and successfully carried her, without using any pessaries etc?