Suffering from infertility, miscarriage, PMS, insomnia or mood swings? Figuring out if you have progesterone deficiency is the first step to correct these hormonal imbalances.
If you experience PMS, irregular periods or infertility, low progesterone may be the reason behind your menstrual disharmonies – and the physical and emotional discomforts that accompany them.
Luckily, it’s a relatively easy issue to address if you correctly identify the cause.
In this post, I’ll help you understand how progesterone affects your menstrual cycles, whether you have signs of progesterone deficiency, what cause low progesterone, and what you can do to increase your progesterone naturally.
What Does Progesterone Do for a Woman
Progesterone is very important for women during the reproductive years. It helps regulate the menstrual cycle, facilitate and sustain a pregnancy, counter balance estrogens, and promote a feeling of calmness and contentment.
1. Facilitate and sustain a Pregnancy
Progesterone means “pro gestation” in Latin. And its name pretty much sums up its most important function – helping a woman to conceive and sustain a pregnancy.
It does so by raising the basal body temperature, providing blood supply and nutrients to the uterus, and increasing immunity to protect the development of the fertilized egg.
2. Balance Estrogen
In addition, progesterone acts as a great harmonizer to balance estrogen levels. Without this counterbalance, there can be too much estrogen in the body – which not only creates irregular cycles and PMS, but also increases the risk of infertility, fibroids, PCOS, endometriosis, and even cancer.
3. Calm Emotions
On an emotional level, progesterone is a “life is good” kind of hormone. It’s calming, relaxing, and has a sedative quality. It gives you a sense of contentment and helps you sleep.
4. Regulate Menstrual Cycles
Progesterone is produced immediately after a woman ovulates (as shown in the graph below). The level peaks about one week before the next expected menstruation and falls when no fertilization takes place.
If there is a fertilized egg, the body continues to produce a large amount of progesterone to support the development of the fetus during pregnancy.
As you can see, progesterone plays a dominant role in the second half of the menstrual cycle and is crucial for maintaining its regularity – and harmony.
Source: Armand Grimshaw, M.D.
How Do I Know if I Have Low Progesterone
The most common signs of progesterone deficiency are related to its most important functions:
- Maintaining the regularity of the monthly cycle,
- Counterbalancing estrogen,
- Providing emotional comfort, and
- Supporting pregnancy.
Your progesterone levels may be low if you have one or more of the following symptoms:
1. Irregular Periods
Because progesterone determines the timing of the menstrual cycle, irregular periods will be the first sign that your progesterone may be low. These irregular periods include:
Amenorrhea (no period)
When there’s no ovulation there will be no period and the ovaries only produce a bare minimum amount of progesterone.
Oligomenorrhea (infrequent periods)
In this case, ovulation may only happen every few months, and so does the period.
Heavy and frequent periods
Estrogen helps thicken the endometrial lining. When there’s a prolonged progesterone deficiency and excessive estrogen level, there may be tissue buildup in the uterus that results in heaving bleeding and frequent periods.
Spotting a few days before period
Here, progesterone levels drop rapidly and prematurely during the menstrual cycle, causing period-like bleeding.
2. PMS and Estrogen Dominance
The appropriate estrogen and progesterone ratio is crucial for a harmonious cycle – one free of emotional turmoil and physical discomfort.
When progesterone is low and fails to counterbalance estrogen, it leads to strogen dominance and produces various PMS symptoms.
Here are a few examples:
- Because progesterone helps release excess fluid in the body, low progesterone can cause water retention and weight gain.
- Due to its role in raising the body temperature and promoting metabolism, low progesterone can make you feel tired and sluggish.
- It may also cause digestive issues such as bloating and sugar cravings.
- And when there’s excessive estrogen due to progesterone deficiency, there may be signs of estrogen dominance such as tender and painful breasts, headaches, irritability, anxiety, anger and insomnia (which we’ll discuss in sign #3).
3. Poor Sleep, Anxiety, Irritability, and Mood Swings
Progesterone stimulates GABA receptors. GABA is a neurotransmitter that sends chemical messages through the brain and nervous system.
The role of GABA is to inhibit or reduce the activity of the neurons or nerve cells, which have a sedative effect on the moods.
This perhaps explains why many women feel their best during the second trimester of pregnancy when progesterone level is high.
Correspondingly, if progesterone is low due to menstrual disharmonies or during perimenopause and menopause, one tends to feel irritated and anxious, have lower tolerance for stress, and sleep poorly at night.
4. Infertility and Miscarriages
One of the manifestations of low progesterone is a luteal phase defect (LPD), which occurs when the corpus luteum fails to produce enough progesterone during the two-week period spanning ovulation to menstruation.
You may be diagnosed with LPD when the second half of your menstrual cycle is 10 days or less, or if you have low progesterone on day 21 of the menstrual cycle, or both.
LPD is found in about 10% of women with infertility, and 35% of those women who experience recurrent miscarriages.
This makes sense, considering one of the most important roles of progesterone is to support fertility and sustain pregnancy.
Take a Progesterone Test
If you have one or more symptoms discussed above, it helps to get your progesterone and other key hormones tested.
Our friends at True Health Labs provide female hormone imbalance test that you can take at the convenience of your own home.
After you take the test, you can also schedule a consultation with Dr. Brady Hurst and his colleagues to explain the results to you.
Standard Reference Range for Progesterone
For your info, here’s the standard reference range for progesterone:
- 0.2 – 0.8 ng/ml during follicular phase (the first half of your menstrual cycle)
- 4.1 – 23.7 ng/ml during luteal phase (the second half of your menstrual cycle)
- 0.1 – 0.6 ng/ml for post-menopausal
So if your progesterone level during the luteal phase is lower than 4.1 ng/ml, it indicates an insufficient level of progesterone.
What Are Symptoms of Low Progesterone in Perimenopause
Starting in our mid-to-late 30s, progesterone begins a journey of gradual decline – a phase called perimenopause. It’ll drop to a minimal level (along with estrogen) when we reach menopause and begin a new chapter in our life.
So the symptoms of low progesterone can become more pronounced during perimenopause.
For example, you may notice that your periods become sporadic and your PMS symptoms get worse. You might begin to develop severe headaches or have trouble sleeping, or your moods may start flying all over the place.
Unpredictable Periods
Perhaps the most important sign of perimenopause is irregular periods. As the ovarian reserve diminishes over time, the ovaries may not produce a mature egg (ovulation) each month despite the increasing attempts of the FSH (follicular stimulating hormone).
Note: Lack of regular ovulation further reduces the production of progesterone, which exacerbates the various symptoms of low progesterone.
When there’s a mature egg in the making (on speed dial), you may have higher levels of estrogen and experience heavy periods.
And when there’s none, you may miss your periods or have light bleeding.
The length of the menstrual cycle also fluctuates. It may take a longer time for the egg to mature, despite the trying attempts of the FSH, which results in a longer follicular phase and a longer cycle.
But other times the FSH may succeed in producing a mature egg quickly, leading to a shorter follicular phase and a shorter cycle.
My cycles used to be very regular. But since last year, they‘ve become quite sporadic. I may go without a period for 2 months. Then I’ll get a light period, followed by a heavy one in less than a month.
What about you? Have you notice any changes in your cycles?
This change is natural and inevitable, and there’s not much you can do about it. However, it’s important to pay attention and learn to differentiate unusual signs from normal changes.
Insomnia
Progesterone is considered a soothing hormone. It stimulates GABA receptors, a neurotransmitter that helps reduce stress, increase relaxation, balance moods, alleviate pain, and promote sleep.
When our body produces the right amount of progesterone, we feel relaxed and levelheaded – and we sleep better. But when progesterone levels take a dive during perimenopause or in the week leading up to menstruation, we may become more easily agitated or anxious, and have trouble sleeping at night.
If you used to sleep well but begin to experience sleep disturbances as you get older (for example, you’re in your late 30s, 40s or 50s), low progesterone could be a cause of your insomnia.
Migraines
As it turns out, estrogen and progesterone not only regulate our menstrual cycles, but may also affect headache-related chemicals in the brain, according to Mayo Clinic.
Having steady estrogen levels may improve headaches, while experiencing a dip in estrogen levels can make headaches worse. As we know, estrogen levels drop around menstruation, as well as during perimenopause and menopause.
So it’s no surprise that many women experience headaches and migraines during these times when significant hormonal changes are occurring. Or they may find that their headaches get worse (more intense or more frequent) in perimenopause.
Worse PMS (Estrogen Dominance)
As progesterone levels decrease during perimenopause, estrogen levels may appear to be higher relative to progesterone. This causes a pattern of hormonal imbalance called estrogen dominance.
Estrogen dominance underlies various menstrual disharmonies, such as PMS, irritability, anxiety, and mood swings, etc. So during perimenopause you may notice worse PMS symptoms.
Perimenopause is a period of big changes for women. This is understandable, because it’s an important life transition for women to move from the archetypes of Maiden and Mother to Crone (the Wise Woman).
There are things you can do, however, to make this process as smooth and as graceful as possible. For example, you may not be able to control your periods from becoming irregular, but you can certainly do something to improve other signs of low progesterone in perimenopause such as PMS, insomnia, and headaches.
What Are the Possible Causes of Low Progesterone
There are 7 common reasons that can cause progesterone levels to be low:
1. Lack of Ovulation
After ovulation, the dominant follicle is transformed into a corpus luteum, which releases progesterone to supply nutrients to the uterus for a potential implantation. If ovulation does not occur, the progesterone level will remain low.
2. Estrogen Dominance
When estrogen levels are too high, progesterone level will become relatively low. And there may be signs of estrogen dominance, as well as symptoms of progesterone deficiency, even though the serum level is normal.
3. Adrenal Fatigue
Although progesterone is mostly made in the ovaries, a small amount is produced in the adrenal glands, where it can be converted to other hormones, such as cortisol – the main stress hormone.
When there is a high demand for cortisol, the body will take pregnenolone (the precursor hormone for progesterone) to make cortisol, resulting in low progesterone levels.
See if you have any of the 7 most common signs of adrenal fatigue.
4. Aging Ovaries
When we get older, our ovaries make fewer ripe eggs and ovulation may not take place every month. This will cause a gradual decline of progesterone production during perimenopause.
5. Progesterone Resistance
If there is an increased amount of cortisol in the body, it competes with progesterone for progesterone receptors. When progesterone cannot bind with a receptor because it’s blocked by cortisol, it cannot enter the cell to perform its functions.
6. Low Thyroid
The body needs adequate thyroid hormone to produce pregnenolone (the mother hormone) from cholesterol, which then makes progesterone. If you have an underperforming thyroid, your body may fail to produce enough progesterone as well.
7. High Prolactin
Prolactin is a hormone in the pituitary that controls lactation in women. High prolactin suppresses the ovarian function, which reduces the secretion of progesterone and estrogen.
For more detailed explanantion, read my post the 7 most common causes of low progesterone.
How Can I Increase My Progesterone Levels Naturally
Ovulation is the key to the regular, monthly production of progesterone during the fertile years.
This is because ovulation triggers the release of progesterone. If ovulation does not take place, your progesterone level will remain low.
Here’s how you can increase your monthly production of progesterone naturally:
1. Eat Foods that Promote Ovulation
In addition to stress and poor health, nutritional deficiency is a primary cause of infertility – and lack of ovulation.
Researches have shown that folic acid, vitamin B 12 and B6, vitamin C and E, zinc and magnesium are all helpful in promoting ovulation and increasing progesterone levels.
So make sure you get all the important nutrients your body needs. Start with these 10 best foods that promote ovulation and the ABCDE of essential ovulation vitamins.
2. Take L-arginine
L-arginine is an amino acid that helps widen and relax arteries and blood vessels, increasing blood flow in the body.
At a dose of 6 grams per day, it’s been shown to improve the blood supply to the corpus luteum (the egg follicle that releases progesterone after ovulation), which results in improved progesterone levels.
3. Try Vitex
Researchers believe that vitex increases the release of LH (luteinizing hormone) from the pituitary, which raises progesterone and normalizes the second half of the menstrual cycle. It may also reduce prolactin, which suppresses the production of progesterone.
Even though the exact cause is still unknown, viex has been proven to help treat low progesterone in more than 60 years of clinical research, including 5 randomized trials. And in Germany, it’s an approved remedy for menstrual irregularity, PMS, and breast pain.
If you want to give vitex a try, consider a vitex supplement or Fertility Blend, a proprietary formula of viex and agnolyt (one of the best-known exacts of chasteberry). Dr. Sara Gottfried, an expert in women’s health, recommends this formulation after years of testing products, following studies, and experimenting the benefits for her patients.
Learn more about vitex’s fertility benefits and how to use vitex.
4. Check out Bio-identical Progesterone Cream
Progesterone cream is made from plant steroids found in the wild yam, which is identical to that produced by a woman’s ovaries. Because it’s a bioidentical hormone, it supports the body’s progesterone level with minimum side effects.
It can help balance the estrogen level, reducing the symptoms of estrogen dominance such as PMS, irregular periods, infertility, cystic breasts, PCOS, fibroids, endometriosis, and even cancer.
Learn how to use progesterone cream to support your progesterone levels.
Low progesterone levels can also be caused by other factors other than lack of ovulation, including estrogen dominance, adrenal fatigue or an underactive thyroid.
To learn more, read my post natural supplements to increase progesterone.
Maintaining adequate progesterone levels is one of the keys to solving the hormone puzzle. So, please take your time to digest this information and come up with a plan to improve your hormonal and overall health. A small but right action can make a noticeable difference.
And as always, please leave a comment to share your questions and experiences.
Boost Progesterone
Vitex (proven to help treat low progesterone and regulate menstrual cycles in more than 60 years of clinical research, including 5 randomized trials)
Vitamin B6 (one of the best vitamins to boost progesterone)
Progesterone Cream (bio-identical hormonal support)
Reduce Estrogen Dominance
Liver Cleanse Detox and Repair Formula (support liver functions)
Dim Plus (improve estrogen metabolism)
Support Adrenal and Thyroid Functions
Adrenal Health Daily Support (promote overall hormone balance)
Thyroid Support Complex (support energy and metabolism)
Balance Nutrition
Once Daily Organic Whole Food Vitamin Supplement (provide essential nutrients for health and hormone balance)
Liquid Iron (support healthy blood)
Recommended Reading
The Hormone Cure, by Dr. Sara Gottfried
Cooking for Hormone Balance, by Magdalena Wszelaki
I am really struggling. My legs are so severly fatigyed and my jaw is barely able to open. I do have both low progesterone and also low estrogen too. I am not well at all. I was just given a pacemaker. My heart rate became severely low too. I have not tried the meds yet. Severly afraid. I react so hard to medicines. Do I go ahead and try the progesterone pills and estrogen too? Maybe it is another imbalance? know. Should I try b6? My body is burning up and my jaw is severly almost shut. It hurts with fatigue. I am scared. My phone number i 702-737-6068. Have you heard of any of this? Sincerely, Jan
Hi Jan, I’m so sorry to hear that you’re suffering. Based on your description, your symptoms are beyond hormonal imbalance. I highly recommend that you see a holistic doctor (e.g., a Chinese Medicine practioner) who can look at your body as a whole system and take steps to rebalance it. Are you living in Northern California? There should have good practioners there. My friend Jason Moskovitz practices in Oregon area. He is an excellent doctor who may be able to help you. You can reach out to him and see what he says. http://www.newharmonyhealth.com/about/
Great information but I’d love some ideas of food to eat…instead of food I can’t..and can’t afford organic
great information but I do hve cycle for almost 2month,ihve alot of lower back pain n sometimes abdominal pain n hoping vry much 2 conceive but i do not know weather ma horminal drop.Any information pliz .thnxs
Bek,
I’ve been diagnosed with Cyclical Vomittiting Sydrome and the cycle seems to be a few days before my periods. From what I can tell, maybe when my hormones drop? I’ve not figured it out yet, but want you to know you aren’t the only one with this symptom. Diet and some natural hormone supplements helping by also Zofran for when it is bad.
Best, K
Hi Jing, I am a litle unsure of what is going on at present….I get to about day 20 in my cycle (normally a 28 day cycle) and I start to feel quite nausea (like I want to vomit), and I am defintiely irritable. I sleep like a baby and really have not trouble getting to sleep. My diet is great, full of fresh fruit/vegies + protein, minimal breads. I’m 34yrs old, non-smoker and non-drinker, we had miscarriage about 3 months ago now (at 11weeks) and we’re still trying with not much luck. Blood tests were taken prior to us falling pregnant in May and all seemed normal. Could I possibly have a deficiency or an over abundance? Appreciate your help!
Hi Bek, looks like you have a pretty healthy lifestyle and your menstrual cycle is normal. But you experience premenstrual symptoms such as nausea and irritability. I wonder if these are stress-related, emotional stress or other stress in your life. Perhaps take some time to reflect on this and identify the major stressors in your life as well as ways to reduce them. Sorry about the miscarriage. It must have been very difficult. Take your time to heal my friend, and give yourself permission to process your emotions. Your body just had a shock 3 months ago so take extra care of it and rebuild it in order to conceive and sustain a new life. Blessings to you my friend…
Dear Mamta, i am so sorry to hear about your irregular cycles and need for medication to get your period. Getting a period every 10 days is definietly out of the ordinary, and i would encourage you to keep consulting your doctor and other professionals about this. You may also find this article and the links helpful: https://cycleharmony.com/irregular-periods/three-tips-for-ladies-with-irregular-periods?view=article. Our cycles are often good indicators of our state of being; physical, mental and emotional. When they start acting up, they are very often trying to tell us something. It is said tgat the womb is where our inner voice resides, the gentle, graceful feminine. One thing I do which you might appreciate is – just before I go to bed – to place my hands on my womb and ask her how she is? This moment of taking stock gets me back in touch with myself. As mothers, we are called upon to look after others; I would encourage you to take some time out for yourself each day, as a discipline…as little as 5 mins just to spend time in nature, meditate or drink a cup of rosebud tea. Follow your intuitions, and let them lead you. In the long run, think about what habits you can change to improve your sense of well being – there are lots of ideas in the blog and on the forums. It’s not easy, but we are all on a journey together and the Cycleharmony community is here to share your ups and downs along the way.
My Periods are not regular since the day it started.
Earlier these used to come in 2-3 months time frame. I am overweight and Got all tests done in the past, but seems all came fine.
Sometimes doctor suspected PCOS but couldn’t conclude. After My Son is born , I am not able to reduce my weight. After delivery, I have put 10kgs more.
Now I don’t get my periods without medicine. This time I have taken medicine to get my periods and after that every 10 days I am getting my periods. Don’t know what to do now?
Is there anyone else who faced similar issue. If yes, please share the details.
I am having almost uncontrollable anxiety attacks. Mostly due to an erratic heartbeat issue that seems to defy diagnosis. It gets worse as I approach my cycle. (Two days out right now and basically I’m chewing on my fingernails and my husband has to drag me to work in the morning because the anxiety is so bad.) I am 45 years old and wound up in the ER last weekend because I thought I was having a heart attack. All tests were normal. Can’t shake the doomed feeling though. My Dr. put me on anti anxiety meds while we try to figure this all out. I have never been able to take birth control because it makes me nuttier than a fruitcake. I am hypothyroid and a celiac. For the past two months, I have about 3 days that I feel good. Then the heart thing starts again and gets progressively worse as I get closer to menstruating. My periods asre still pretty much 28 days apart… although they have begun to fluctuate a bit. they have gotten quite a bit lighter though.
I’m having similar issues, though no doctor has been able to tell me anything more. Not sure how it is related to hormones. I do seem like mine is getting worse and I am only 37. Yikes. It just seems like this last year has been a year of intense stress in my life and I feel overwhelmed with family, work etc. So this might be part of the reason you are having panic attacks and anxiety attacks.
I could be wrong. I seem to be fluctuating in my periods since March of 2013. In april I skipped a month of a period. Doc had to put me on a pill to help me have my period. It has been fine with NO hot flashes but again this month I am 4 days late and NO period and I am having the beating heart and panic attacks.. Not sure how it is that this happens but like you it is before my period starts and ends usually a few days after my period ends. BTW I only have 1 tube and 1 ovary.. I have had my hormones tested 3 different times with 3 diff. results; so don’t rely on those test. Your hormones change too often during the month to see any type of pattern unless your doc is willing to test you every month on a day that co-insides with the 3 day of your period over a time frame of 6-8 months. Then you might see a pattern develop. I like this site because it can show you healthy ways to combat some of the nasty stuff that gets in our bodies. but I do think stress and lack of exercise can do this to you..
I seem to have weird symptoms like the above and also memory lapse, major bloating, aging lines in my face, cravings for sweet stuff (I didn’t have this last year), spacing of my period, feeling like I have prolapse if I don’t get my period (heavy feeling), increase in healthy discharge, body lower back pain, fatigue, headaches etc. but I did recently go through sinus surgery and my mother told me that it is possible to skip a period if you are under too much stress or pressure in your life. The doc told me if they have to induce my period again they will try hormone therapy so rather than do that I am trying this. Maybe my diet is part to blame although I am a really healthy eater thus far (except for the sweet thing)..
Hope you find out what yours is about.. if you do; let me or us know .. thanks.
Dear Sarah,
looks like you’ve been through a lot in the last months!
Indeed, stress is responsible for more than it’s share when it comes to our health… You are down right when you talk about exercise and nutrition. Those elements are at the base of our being and play a large role when it comes to stress. Have you tried the Qi Gong exercise Jing posted? https://cycleharmony.com/mindfulness-practice/video-a-simple-qi-gong-exercise-to-release-stress?view=article Such a wonderful instant stress reliever!
Also, do you know the benefits of angelica root tea/tincture? This great plant is a bountiful ally of women’s health; PMS, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, hormonal imbalance, irregular periods…
Hope this will help! 🙂
Be well my dear…
I hv recently started Dim into my third month, everything was improving lighter less painful period, headaches eased, no spotting between periods, fatigue less. Thou this month after ovulation time for several days i hv been in constant fatigue aches in joints, thighs heavy feeling and bad breast pains. Should i continue with dim. I take 200g a day and one flaxseed cap and take ep first half of cycle. Also hv been diagnose with a polyp which am waiting for removal.
I suffer from severe PMS which includes depression, fatigue, brain fog, headaches and dizziness. A specialist prescribed me progesterone pills (2mg) called Visabelle. However, these pills have made me feel even worse, as now I feel like I have PMS every day, including extreme water retention. Does this mean my progesterone was actually fine to begin with and doesn’t need to be raised?
Thanks so much!
Sharon, have you had your hormones tested? I think to find the right solution, you want to know what your hormone levels are, don’t you? You can get a blood test at a doctor’s office, or order a saliva test at home. Check it out: http://www.testcountry.com/products.html?product=1896&SSAID=537034&utm_source=SAS&utm_medium=affiliates&ref=affiliates
I am concerned about the brain fog I live in about middle of my period to about 10 days afterward. My cycle is regular-30 days,usually to the day,so I just don’t know. I feel my best when my progesterone levels are highest. My thinking is so clear I feel like a superhero right before I start my period, but right now, I am wondering how can I keep that clarity going for me? Would progesterone cream really help?
From the middle of the menstrual cycle to about a week or so afterwards is when both estrogen and progesterone both take a dip. Do you have any other symptoms besides mental frog? How’s your diet? Give me some ideas. Thanks!
Hello to everyone! Has any one tried the natural progesterone cream? If so, how did it help? ….thanks .
I haven’t personally tried the progesterone cream. I understand that it helps balance estrogen if you have relatively high level of estrogen in your body – which underlies many of the PMS symptoms. However, I don’t think it addresses the underlying causes of high estrogen though, which can be addressed by making certain dietary and lifestyle changes. I hope this helps and I hope you’ll join our community of women for inspirations, tips and support by signing up for a free account. Hope to see you inside at our private social media page 🙂
I’m 26, have no health insurance, no sex drive, thinning hair at the temples, developing chin hairs (3-4 hairs), painful, cystic breasts (I DID have that checked out–definitely not cancer), anxiety and extreme fatigue. I also have a strange period, although regular: it starts heavy for 2-3 days, stops all together, then re-starts on the 5th or 6th day.
I recently bought some progesterone cream and just tried it out (my period should start on the 12th or 13th). If the cream doesn’t work immediately, how long should I give the cream a try (how many cycles) before I start looking for another answer to my health problems?
p.s. If it is a hormone imbalance, could my unhealthy lifestyle in my early 20’s (heavy drinking, smoking, fast food) have contributed to this, or is it more likely to be caused by something genetic or environmental?
I would like an opinion. I got my bloodwork done this past Thursday and started my period this past Sunday. My periods are irregular the past year or so, but usually seem to be a long cycle of about 31 days. My blood results are as follows. Estradiol is 23, Progesterone is 0.4, LH is 12.6 and FSH is 15.0. I am 44yrs old and suffering a lot of symptoms that could fall into either category of estrogen deficient or progesterone deficient. Considering I was in the luteal phase of my cycle, some of these numbers don’t fall into normal range. Yet the nurse practitioner I have seen tells me all looks well. I tend to lean on the side that my progesterone is low and am really wanting to try a natural cream. Opinions please. Thank you.
Andrea, given your age it’s quite normal to have lower levels of estrogen and progesterone. You may be experiencing the perimenopause phase of your cycles. Check out these natural supplements to increase progesterone as well as estrogen deficiency natural treatment.