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760797 tn?1303264540

Progesterone/prometrium

I went to an RE for the first time yesterday. She was a great dr, seemed knowledgeable and willing to let me take the lead on how quickly I would like to get things going. Some bw was done to check my progesterone level and it came back at 13. The nurse called and said the dr would like me to take prometrium 200 mg sup. 2 times a day. I picked the prescription up and was a little worried when I started reading through the info that accompanied my prescription. The side effects don't bother me as much as the possibility of stoke, heart attack or blood clots. Also I'm in the tww and may possibly be pg. I know the RE would not prescribe anything that she didn't feel necessary but I am still nervous about taking it. Has anyone had any negative outcomes from taking this? I kind of wish I had never read the leaflet but I wanted to know what the possible side effects were. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
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760797 tn?1303264540
Thanks and I will make sure the Dr checks my bw while I'm on it. I guess I'm still confused as to why she wants to put me on progesterone. Mine is 13 on a non-medicated cycle. I could see if I were pg but since I don't know yet, probably not, what's the point???
Helpful - 0
685595 tn?1262279076
Hi-- don't worry about taking the progesterone, it can be a lifesaver for your baby!  Do challenge the Dr though to check your progesterone levels after a week -- my Dr. assumed I'd absorb enough of the suppositories but I pushed her for a blood test and sure enough, my progesterone levels were not as high as she thought they would be.  We made a small adjustment and tested again after a few days and the blood levels had a huge improvement.

Good luck!
Helpful - 0
760797 tn?1303264540
Thanks for all of the responses. I do feel more comfortable about taking it now. I did talk to the nurse today and she said to go ahead and take it that the risk factors outweigh the benefits.

Jen, my RE said she likes to see the number at 20 before pregnancy.

Miranda, that is encouraging about your ob/gyn. I did have a mc in Feb. but the cause was not determined. Maybe this will help.

Heather, I'm going to test tomorrow or Sunday if af doesn't show. I feel so up in the air right now being at the end of this tww. I'm 10dpo and since af is due tomorrow, I feel like the test will be accurate. I had some early pg signs the last few days but today nothing really. I try not to read anything into early symptoms but this time they were really there...sigh.
One more question though, what is the point of being on progesterone b/4 you are pregnant? Since I don't have low, low progesterone, I wonder why I am taking it this late in my cycle?

Thanks again everyone, I appreciate it!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Natalie,
Just agreeing with the other women here.  I, too, am on Prometrium, 200 mg twice daily.  My Day 21 Prog test came back great at 56, but my RE still prescribes the progesterone as a precaution.  I was really concerned about taking unnecessary medication but my regular Dr., who happens to also be an OBGYN, reassured me that it's OK to take and encouraged me to do so.  She shared her own experience with me of having multiple miscarriages in her late 30s; she took progesterone and had a healthy baby girl.

LOL I am exactly like you when it comes to reading those scary pamphlets!! I am also taking fragmin injections - a blood thinning medication - and the pamphlet explicitly stated not to take if you're pregnant! Totally goes against my RE's instructions!  So..I threw out the pamphlet...I agree with Gail, ie, most pharma companies do want to legally cover their behinds.

I'm hoping for a BFP for you soon!
Helpful - 0
254689 tn?1251180040
I just wanted to echo Heather's post, natalie.  Remember that drug companies will put every single thing under the sun to cover their hiney - even the most remote symptoms.  Does your re like to see a higher number than 13 for pregnancy?  Mine liked to see the number at 20+.

I wish you the best of luck on this cycle - we'll all be pulling for a BFP for you!
Helpful - 0
958842 tn?1266512599
Yeah Natalie, Heather's right don't worry.  & 13 is totally fine in early pregnancy!  But it's always nice to get that number even higher w/supplements.  
Hope you get your BFP!!!!
Helpful - 0
318181 tn?1336443496
No problem ;-) And yes, a 13 should be enough to sustain a possible pregnancy, so no worries! Will you be testing before then? Or just wait and see of AF shows?
Helpful - 0
760797 tn?1303264540
Thanks so much for the advice. I am a worrier when it comes to meds. My DH tells me not to read the pamphlet whenever I pick up a prescription...lol. I did o and I'm not on any meds at the moment. So if I were pg, then 13 doesn't mean my progesterone is too low to sustain a pg? I'm at the end of the tww so I should know by the end of the weekend.
Thanks again :)
Helpful - 0
318181 tn?1336443496
Lots and lots of women on here take or have taken progesterone while TTC or pregnant, so no need to worry about that. As a matter of fact, it's often prescribed to help prevent a possible miscarriage. I know what you mean, though, about the warnings. I had to call the pharmacist the first time I picked up my prometrium and ask, since it says not to take while pregnant. But it's totally fine. As for the stroke/blood clot warning, I wouldn't really worry about that either. I believe the chances of either of those two are higher on a regular birth control pill than they are on prometrium.

13 is not really a bad number, though. It means that you have already ovulated this cycle, and they're usually looking for anything over 10 in an unmedicated cycle and over 12-15 in a medicated cycle.

Best of luck with everything!

:-)
Helpful - 0
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