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I just found out that my progesterone level is in the single digits (I don't know the exact number yet). What does anyone know about low progesterone levels? what should I be concerned about? What are the treatment options for this?
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Hi Dawny - Yes, by all means, get another opinion. You seem to be very informed and involved with your health, and of course it is your body and baby that's at stake here. Let me know what happens, and good luck!
January 5, 2011 - 5:19pmThis Comment
Hi Pat
January 17, 2011 - 9:19amI was asked by my specialist to have my blood pressure chcked and a glucose test done to make sure i was not hypertensive or diabetic? these results have come back fine so i am hoping he will prescribe clomid next time i see him. I aksed him if i would be able to conceive on my own bearing in mind my progesterone level was 7.8 when taken 7 days after ovulation test predicted positive and his answer was i don't know? this really confused me as my own gp said no yet a specialist couldn't answer this? what do you think?
Many thanks Dawny
This Comment
Hi Dawny - It can be very frustrating when you're seeking clear answers and don't get them. I would take it as a positive sign that the specialist did not give you a definitive "No" as an answer. When there is something that depends on a lot of variables and is not a definite 100% possibility doctors can be hesitant to give a clear "Yes" as an answer because it can be harmful to the patient to answer that way. This is due to being trained in the sciences where they look for definitive proof to solve problems. It can make it hard for patients to understand what they mean when they do this or to read other things into the answers.
Don't get your hopes down. While his answers may be confusing he is continuing to work with you and is looking out for your health through the tests. I would not read into this that he's being negative, it's more that he is being cautious. Keep your spirits up and keep advocating for your own health.
January 17, 2011 - 5:22pmThis Comment
Hi Pat many thanks for your positive answers it made me feel a lot better, i have since been waiting for my period which was due 11 days ago now? i have had the signs and menstral cramps etc for the last 18 days but no period just clear discharge? i am very confussed as i have done a pregnancy test and it said negative yet i have tender breasts and lower backache etc. I spoke to a nurse about this and she said that i have to wait to see if my period is just really late as it may be too early to tell? Do you think i may be pregnant although the test said negative as i was told that the hcg may not be igh enough due to my low progesterone levels? Many thanks Dawn
January 30, 2011 - 5:30amThis Comment
Hi Dawn - I think your nurse gave good advice and you should keep working with her. Hang in there!
January 30, 2011 - 2:41pmThis Comment
Hi Pat
Thanks for your response i received my blood test results today and they were negative although i am still feeling sick on a morning and i have lower backache etc which is really confusing. I asked my doctor if the results are not showing because my hormone levels are low and he said i don't know its hard to say so i am still not sure if i am pregnant really and need to know what to do for my holidays? I would appreciate your help on this matter many thanks again Dawn
February 2, 2011 - 1:12pmThis Comment
Lowengail, here's what Dr. Christiane Northrop says about the function of progesterone:
"Progesterone comes primarily from the ovaries both before and after menopause, but it is also produced in both the brain and the peripheral nerves. Its main job during the childbearing years is to prepare and maintain the uterus for its most important function: pregnancy. It also is a uterine muscle relaxant, preventing premature contractions. Progesterone levels rise in anticipation of pregnancy and stimulate the uterine lining to thicken with rich, well-vascularized tissue to support an embryo, then fall precipitously if pregnancy does not occur. This abrupt drop-off in progesterone is what signals the shedding of the "nest" (that thickened uterine lining) in the form of menstrual bleeding."
Progesterone deficiency can cause migraine headaches, PMS-like symptoms, irregular or excessively heavy periods, insomnia, mood swings, anxiety and nervousness, weight gain and increasing cholesterol, among other symptoms. And of course if you're trying to become pregnant, it's going to affect your cycle.
Here's a page that discusses progesterone and how it functions in fertility and pregnancy:
http://www.natural-hormones.net/progesterone.htm
Treatments differ based on what stage of life you're in. There are creams, oral medicines and natural treatments; if you can let us know a little more about your situation, we'll track down some more specific material for you.
January 16, 2009 - 11:28amThis Comment
I have had thyroid levels tested and my TSH is in normal range but a little high. Everything else has been normal. I just found out that my progesterone level is at a 3. I am 37.
January 16, 2009 - 11:26amThis Comment
Lowengail, while I'm doing some research for you, can I ask if you had your other hormone levels tested? And how old you are (is this a fertility issue, or a perimenopause/menopause issue, for instance?)
January 16, 2009 - 10:41amThis Comment