Your Progesterone Story Is Bigger Than a Lab Test
There are two ways to have low progesterone, and understanding that difference is key to understanding your cycle. The first is an anovulatory cycle, when you don’t ovulate and therefore make no progesterone at all. The second is a short luteal phase, when you do ovulate, but your progesterone window is too brief, and the hormone never reaches its full potential.
Progesterone is not just a lab value. It’s a story told by your cycle, and one of the clearest ways to understand that story is to chart your basal body temperature or BBT.
Could Your Pelvic Pain Be Pelvic Venous Disease?
There are many potential explanations for chronic or persistent pelvic pain, including endometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids, bladder pain syndrome (interstitial cystitis), pelvic floor tension (pelvic floor myofascial pain), and fibromyalgia. There’s also pelvic venous disease (also called pelvic congestion syndrome or pelvic venous insufficiency), which is essentially varicose veins inside the pelvis.
Pelvic venous disease is estimated to explain around a third of “unexplained” pelvic pain, and likely more.
Why Progesterone Is Both Good and Bad for Mood—and How to Treat PMDD
When it comes to mood, progesterone is a paradox.
For most women, it’s soothing, thanks to its calming effect on the brain. But for some, it can trigger anxiety, irritability, or even rage. What’s going on?
💡 Also read: Troubleshooting progesterone and Top 6 natural treatments for premenstrual mood symptoms
High Histamine Can Make for a Tougher Perimenopause
A tendency to allergies or high histamine can contribute to perimenopausal symptoms like night sweats, anxiety, sleep disturbance, fluid retention, breast pain, migraines, and heavy menstrual bleeding.
That’s because histamine increases with estrogen, and estrogen is usually higher than normal during the early years of perimenopause.
Medications That Affect Periods
If your period has become irregular or gone missing, your doctor will need to work through various possible explanations, including whether it’s a side effect of one of your medications.
Some medications affect the menstrual cycle directly, by impairing ovulation or altering hormone levels. Others act indirectly, by affecting appetite, stress, sleep, or weight. And some can even have a beneficial effect, such as antihistamines, which can lighten periods and improve premenstrual mood symptoms.
Guide to Natural Progesterone
Body-identical progesterone (also called bioidentical, natural, or oral micronized progesterone) can be an effective treatment for a range of women’s health conditions, including PCOS, PMDD, migraines, endometriosis, adenomyosis, and perimenopause.
To be clear: progesterone is a real hormone (identical to what the body makes) and usually requires a doctor’s prescription. Depending on your country, brand names include Prometrium, Utrogestan, Teva, and Famenita. In some countries, progesterone cream is available over the counter. Cream can help with mild symptoms, but it’s generally less effective than capsules.