Progesterone During Pregnancy

[Madsa]

Hello,
I had been trying to conceive for 8 months. I was told that I wasn't ovulating, My doctor prescribed Clomid for the next cycle, and I took Clomid for 6 months and didn't get pregnant. My doctor gave me Pregnyl injection and I concieved the same month. On day 23rd after my conception (5th week of pregnancy)I started bleeding, It started with brown discharge. My doctor prescribed progesterone suppositories, Cyclogest 400mg twice daily until 12 weeks of my pregnancy and after using the Cyclogest my bleeding is stopped. I have taken ultrasound scan on 6 weeks 4 days and My Doctor told me that feutal Heartbeat is seen and is fine. One more scan is scheduled at 12 weeks. I am extremely worried whether my pregnancy is going to be continued to term. My questions are: is there a risk of miscarriage in my case? What symptoms should I be aware of as danger signs?
Is there any success story of using progesterone suppository ? Please give me complete information on this and also any care I need to take to protect my pregnancy.
Thanks,
Madsa.

[anamri]

OK, there seems to be some misunderstanding and/or argument about this.  Here is what I have gathered... Progesterone is sometimes used in high risk pregnancies - NOT to be confused with Progestin (synthetic Progestagens, which is the class of hormones that progesterone belongs to - they are NOT the same thing).  PROGESTIN is VERY harmful to an unborn baby (especially the first trimester)!

******Going off Progesterone (that's the natural one, if you're still with me LOL) during the first 3 months of pregnancy is highly NOT recomended, as it can signal your body to abort the fetus!!!!******

I have copied some sources I found online:



"If you think you maybe pregnant and want the pregnancy, do NOT stop the progesterone until you have done a pregnancy test, as a sudden drop in progesterone levels would signal the body to shed the uterine lining, possibly inducing an abortion. While the urine pregnancy tests you can buy at a drugstore are reliable after day 28 of your cycle, a blood pregnancy test is reliable within several days of conception. (You usually do not need a doctor's prescription to get a blood pregnancy test at a local medical lab.) If it is positive and you want to remain pregnant, you should continure to use progesterone cream to prevent the scheduled menstrual shedding and to protect the developing fetus from early miscarriage. Progesterone should be continured at least until the third month of pregnancy, when the placenta becomes the major producer of progesterone, at which time you can GRADUALLY taper your progesterone supplementation. If blood progesterone levels remain good, you can discontinue it altogether. By the third trimester, the placenta will be making hundreds of times more progesterone than you would be getting with the cream alone."



Here is a link to another similar thread on medhelp:

http://www.medhelp.org/perl6/FamilyPractice/messages/47a.html



Here is an exerpt from Wikipedia:

"Medical Applications:
Progesterone is poorly absorbed by oral ingestion unless micronised and in oil, or with fatty foods; it does not dissolve in water. Products such as Prometrium, Utrogestan and Microgest are therefore capsules containing micronised progesterone in oil - in all three mentioned that is peanut oil, which may cause serious allergic reactions in some people, but compounding pharmacies, which have the facilities and licenses to make their own products, can use alternatives. Vaginal and rectal application is also effective, with products such as Cyclogest, which is progesterone in cocoa butter in the form of pessaries. Progesterone can be given by injection, but because it has a short half-life they need to be daily. Implants, for a longer period are also available. Marketing of progesterone phamaceutical products, country to country, varies considerably, with many countries having no oral progesterone products marketed, but they can usually be specially imported by pharmacies through international wholesalers.
In some countries "natural progesterone" products are heavily marketed, often said to contain extract of yams, with extensive claims and without need of prescription. If they contain any actual progesterone the strength is always considerable lower value than the pharmaceutical products.
Progesterone is used to control anovulatory bleeding. It is also used to prepare uterine lining in infertility therapy and to support early pregnancy. Patients with recurrent pregnancy loss due to inadequate progesterone production may receive progesterone."

..................

I hope this information helps!  If still unsure you should get a second opinion from an ob/gyn.

[1twinmom]

Hi, I've been pregnant twice now via Invitro. and with that I've had to have progesterone injections until week 12. As long as you use the suppositories and they check your progesterone level everything should be fine ( as far as the hormones go).Good luck to you and your baby.

[Lea2001]

My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for over a year and I just finished my 3rd cycle with clomid (1st cycle 50 mg, 2nd and 3rd 100 mg).  I am ovulating fine and went on the clomid because we have "unexlained infertility".  Well yesterday I had cramps like cycle was coming, but today my doctor said my progesterone level was over 70 (last month it was 40 and the month before 28).  So, I can't tell if this good or what?   Does this have any indication of pregnancy?  I am not due until Wednesday, but I fear with the increased PG, that will be late and get my hopes again, but does anyone have any info on this?

[Sher218]

I have also been on clomid for the last 6 cycles and wanted to share my experience.  I started on 50mg, then 100mg, then 150mg and I finally ovulated.  My progesterone was 19.7, then the next cycle on clomid (150mg again) my progesterone was 64!  Last cycle it was only 6.3 (150)??  Not sure why.  Then, on my cycle this month they put me on 200mg and my progesterone was 90! So, I'm not sure what would be considered too high.  But we are still trying to get pregnant.  I will find out in about a week if I am.

[Lea2001]

Well i was not pregnant that time, but I was referred to an RE who was not concerned nearly as much as my doctor was about the increased progesterone levels-- in fact she said is was not uncommon that her patients have levels over 200.   that frightens me a little, but she knows more than I do.  Good luck!

[shanna q]

I had to take the progesterone suppositories also.  The doctor took me off at 12 weeks also.  At 12 weeks the fetus  produced its on progesterone.  It no longer needs you to.  After 12 weeks the suppositoties don't help.

[Rushi]

Hello, i'm 32 weeks pregnant and have had a normal pregnancy so far, however in my last appointment the doctor told me that my uterus was too stiff (I had told her that I was getting those braxton hicks). She checked for dilation and bleeding, there was none, then she told me to start using progestrone (cyclogest pessaries 400 mg) once daily.

Can anyone explain how this will help at this stage of pregnancy? I have not had any complications so far and conceived normally too.

My doc told me that she will be less worried once i've passed 34 weeks.

[faitho2]

just so you know I had conceived and gave birth to a beautiful baby bow who is now 15 without any help but after him I had a miscarriage and it as assumed to be a progesterone issue. I had another pregnancy and my levels were low so I was given progesterone suppositories immediately and had a normal wonderful healthy baby boy. He is now 11 years old. I then had another pregnancy but miscarried quickly and it was labeled a instantaneous abortion. After that I got pregnant in 2005 and again my levels were low so I was put on progesterone suppositories and wound up with another baby boy who is now turning 4. SO YES!!!! Progesterone therapy worked out for me and everything was fine. I will tell you that my Dr. at the time said it is not a guarantee but I am a believer. I stayed on it til about 4 months when the placenta takes over. Now my Dr. left my state and I am with another Dr. I have had four miscarriages as this dr. does not believe in giving me the progesterone until my numbers look viable to her. My question is how can the numbers be viable without the added help? I am thinking about switching dr.s...ANyway, if your dr. is giving you this help take it and think positively. I have had alot of success on progesterone suppositories...