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 Hormonal Health 30 Jun 2009 |
Symptoms of Low Progesterone
- Understanding the symptoms low progesterone can help you find out if are suffering from a hormone imbalance
- If your estrogen and progesterone levels are not balanced you may need hormonal imbalance treatment
- Correcting progesterone imbalances is important because of the many functions of this hormone
Progesterone is produced in the ovaries as well as adrenal glands, and along with estrogen, plays a fundamental role, in conception and pregnancy. Sometimes, hormonal imbalance occurs in a woman’s body and symptoms of low progesterone become apparent. Following is a discussion on the functions of progesterone and why low progesterone should be addressed as a medical condition.
Functions of Progesterone
Progesterone plays a critical role in the second half of the menstrual cycle where it prepares the uterus lining to nourish the fertilized egg should conception have occurred successfully. In the event that there is no implantation, both estrogen and progesterone levels decline and the uterus lining disintegrates, resulting in menstruation. This monthly shedding of the uterus lining is thought to play a role in reducing the risk of uterine cancer. When pregnancy occurs, the placenta produces progesterone and throughout the pregnancy, the progesterone levels remain high.
During pregnancy, progesterone facilitates the growth of milk-producing glands. It is quite often used in birth control pills to suppress ovulation or thicken cervical mucus, causing it to be unwelcome to the sperm and restricting entry to the uterus.
Besides primarily reproductive functions, progesterone plays a key role in facilitating the growth of new bones and warding off osteoporosis. It is a basic component in the composition of many of the other hormones in a woman’s body. Progesterone works to combat stress. When stress afflicts us, during which process the adrenaline glands release cortisol, the body summons progesterone and directs it to combat cortisol. Should too much progesterone get diverted in the process, there will be too little left available which is required for a woman’s healthy sexual desire and this is translated to low interest in sex when under stress.
Progesterone is also an active agent in the metabolism of glucose, conversion of fats into energy and facilitating numerous other functions of the body’s cells.
Symptoms of Low Progesterone and Effects
A woman with low levels of progesterone may experience some of, although not limited to, the following symptoms: irregularities in menstrual cycle, infertility, depression, anxiety, vaginal dryness, painful intercourse and reduced libido.
Research has determined that low progesterone levels play a role in infertility in women as well as miscarriages, sometimes recurrent miscarriages. Progesterone creates an enabling environment for the fetus. During pregnancy, after the first trimester, the placenta continues to produce progesterone which facilitates the development of tissues in the uterus that will nurture the fetus. When progesterone levels are agreeable, this delays the shedding of the uterus lining that would otherwise result in menstruation. Should the levels of progesterone be low during the first weeks of pregnancy, it is likely to cause a miscarriage.
Correcting Low Progesterone Levels
Menopausal hormone therapy may make use of either estrogen therapy on its own or sometimes combine with progesterone to offer an effective strategy as a relief for menopausal discomforts. Progesterone and estrogen are also often used in combination as a hormonal imbalance treatment strategy in women who have reproductive disorders associated with hormonal imbalance.
The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.
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Mind plays a key role and stress, worry and anxiety are major passion killers.
Hormonal changes such as PMS and the Menopause can cause low libido.
I am experienceing vaginal dryness in the past 2weeks and used the OTC applications but haven’t worked. Now my menstrual cycle is usually like clock work and it seems not to want to start. I am 43… What should I do?
I am 22 years old and for 2 years since I started birth control (I’ve taken time off from BC and had to change to from the ring to yaz due to extremes when it came around time for my period) But no use, even with a 5 month break, my symptoms are the same.. Extremely low libido, to the point I can go for months without a thought of sex–but since I’m married, I force myself to at least think about it so my husband doesn’t feel neglected… anxiety, mood swings, painul breasts during my period, very irregular and heavy periods (unless on Yaz birth control), vaginal dryness, bladder infections/difficulty controlling bladder, intense irritibility, hypoglycemia, intense allergies, easy weight gain, etc… Much of the time I have to experience these symptoms all the time and not only during “my time of the month”…
I took an online hormone imbalance test and it says I may have either: excess estrogen or estrogen dominence… Does this sound close? I’ll be going to the doctor soon to get my hormone levels tested.
Hey Jayme
It definitely sounds like you have a hormone imbalance. I would definitely agree with that diagnosis. If you would like to call or speak to one our hormone pharmacists give us a call.
865-986-8633
I’m 29, married and want to fall pregnant. I would liken my behaviour to being depressed, angry and sad. My menstrual cycle ended on the 18th of July. My cycle is never constant and is somewhere between 28-31 days. I always spot before my menstruation (4-5days and it has become somewhat of the norm together with breast tenderness). I’ve been spotting for the last 5 days now. First it was brown, then pinkish and slimy and I’ve been feeling nauseous and dizzy in this time and even before spotting. This is the first time that apart from the spotting that I feel so out of sorts. On looking at your list of low progesterone, I seem to fit the bill in many of those instances. I think the disengaged feeling of not wanting to be sexually active is also true when I think about it…I guess because of wanting to fall pregnant is the reason behind participating.
I am 38 and started feeling unwell about 18 months ago, but this year things have really gotten bad. I have most of the perimenopause symptoms. The worst of it is that I am constantly tired, terribly forgetful (even forgetting names of close family members & having to look it up in my contact list), my migraines have gotten worse, my head almost always feels weird deep inside, dizziness, a strange off balance feeling like I’m going to fall, have lost approximately 50% of my hair (others frequently comment on this) and am struggling to lose as little as 2kgs. My cycle has gone from 7 days to 2-3. Recently I have started to wake up early in the morning and struggle to get back to sleep. I used to get heart palpitations, but oddly enough it’s not much of a problem anymore. I’ve been celibate for many years and have no interest in changing that. Lately I’ve developed an intense hatred towards men, even seeing men on television angers me for some reason.
I recently tested my insulin resistance and that’s fine. A year ago I had my thyroid checked and it came back normal. This month I went to a doctor (my former long time GP has relocated) and requested that my progesterone be checked. It was a VERY short consultation, I might add. No more than 5 minutes. Didn’t even get to tell her 20% of my symptoms. When I mentioned my hair loss, she replied that she doesn’t know me and can’t tell if my hair has always been thin or not! Is my word not good enough? I only discovered afterwards that she ordered a FSH test instead of the requested progesterone. Unreliable test from what I’ve read and the doctor never even asked where in my cycle I was.
The doctor seems to think that I am somehow irrational for requesting a progesterone test. When I asked for this test, she wanted to know if I think I have the swine flu as well! After a week I finally got her to call me back about the results. The FSH was 4.9 and I believe it was on D5. The doctor still didn’t ask about it. When I asked why she didn’t test my progesterone, she explained that the test is “really very expensive”. I went to pathology and asked about the cost. It is the exact same amount as for the FSH! I am mad as hell that the doctor showed no interest in what I am going through. The moment I mentioned the word “hormones”, her attitude changed.
I am at my correct weight medically. Exercise 5 hours ever week. Am a very healthy eater. Have never been preganant and have no interest in that at all.
Why is it so hard to find a doctor who takes this stuff seriously? I don’t have medical aid and will never go to a doctor just for fun! I have decided to complain to the practice manager, and to HQ if need be, but at this point I am so angry that I worry about losing it completely and killing someone (seriously).
I don’t know what to do. Is there a way that I can test my hormones without having to work with a damn doctor?
I go through ZRT Labs. It does not require a doctor to get the test done. It is a saliva test which I have found to be very accurate for myself. They are in the west coast in Washington, I believe. Call them up and they will send you a test for free and they can recommend a pharmacist in your area that will do compounding for you. I don’t use a doctor for this, but work with my pharmacist and the ZRT labs.
I started having the *exact* same symptoms as you at age 38. The dizziness, fatigue and memory problems became so great I could no longer work or participate in daily life. I thought I had a brain tumor or something. I couldn’t remember MY name sometimes! My doctors told me it was complications of mono – though I think they were guessing because they ran every test and all was normal. It lasted about 2 yrs.
I have recently started to recover after doing a fasting program called “The Master Cleanse” which is a program where you don’t eat for 10 days… only drinking a special lemon drink and flushing your system. Some people use it for weight loss but it was designed to cleanse the body of imbalances and toxins. It is very important to do it correctly so research it or read the book before you try it. It’s also best (but not required) if you can just rest for the 10 days to give your body maximum healing time. For me, it was a life saver. My insomnia and dizziness are all but gone, my energy level is better, headaches gone, and my moods are better too… though my hair continues to fall out more than normal.
Two more things I did: I started seeing a Rolfer (somewhat like a chiropractor) to work on spinal alignment. My axis and atlas (top two vertebrae) were twisted, which can cause dizziness too. I also started taking Prenatal vitamins (by advice of docs since we’re trying to have another child) and this seems to boost my health a great deal too.
I’m not sure if any of this will work for you but it has worked for me and I wanted to share it. Six months ago, I could have been the one writing your post… it sounds exactly like what I was going through. I feel about 70% back to normal by doing those three things… which is saying a lot because I felt so awful I had written goodbye letters to my family because I was certain that I was terminal. goodluck