Taking Charge Of Hormone Havoc: The Progesterone Connection

I couldn’t have made it through perimenopause without natural progesterone.

If there was ever such a thing as a single natural remedy for the widest number of conditions, bio-identical progesterone would lead the pack. It is by far the most deficient hormone found in salivary hormone testing—whether the issue is PMS or postpartum depression—or perimenopause, menopause or beyond.

I have always wondered why progesterone levels seem to be so universally low. As I discovered in Before the Change, progesterone – not estrogen – is the first hormone to decline during the perimenopausal years (often beginning at 38 years of age and lasting until 50 in some women). Perhaps it is the lack of precursors like zinc in the diet or not enough B-6 or too many antidepressants—all of which take their toll on healthy progesterone levels. But whatever the reason, the signs of progesterone deficiency can’t be ignored. They include:

* The inability to lose weight
* Pain
* Inflammation
* Depression
* Lack of libido
* Insomnia
* Anxiety
* Mood Swings
* Nervousness
* Osteopenia and Osteoporosis

Bio-identical progesterone has the same biochemical structure as the progesterone a woman makes naturally in her body. The physiological dose of 20 mg per day (that is dispensed with one pump of ProgestaKey) can help improve libido, enhance the immune system, increase hair on the scalp, elevate the metabolic rate with resulting weight loss, act as a natural diuretic, boost the thyroid, and stimulate the production of bone while relaxing smooth muscles and promoting the strength of the myelin sheath.

Since hormones can be tricky, it is best to take a salivary hormone test and measure—at the very least—the ratio between progesterone and estradiol (one of the most potent forms of estrogen). The ideal ratio is about 300:1 according to my late friend, the brilliant Dr. John Lee who taught me so much about this magical hormone.

ProgestaKey was the formula I developed over twenty years ago. It is preservative free with a delightful lavender scent. Depending upon your age and stage of life, there are different protocols, but in general the topical crème should be applied to the face, hands, chest, abdomen, inner arms, thighs, and thyroid area. Rotate these as much as possible so that the receptor sites will all have a chance to be well nourished.

For Menstruating women – Apply once or twice a day starting on the 12th day after the first day of menstrual flow through the 26th day.

For Perimenopausal women – Apply once or twice a day starting on the 7th day after the first day of menstrual flow through the 27th day.

For Menopausal women – Apply once or twice a day for a maximum of 25 consecutive days. Resume after a five day break.

To evaluate your body’s bio-available Progesterone levels (and 5 other hormones), consider UNI KEY’s Salivary Hormone Test.

-Edge On Health, Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman