Need some help with dosing Progesterone. Did I over shoot the mark?

[build4life]

Hi Gents,

Have been a long time reader of the forum but this is my first post and just hoping to get some insight and advice around Progesterone supplementation.

It has only been fairly recently I decided to investigate and look into the possible other missing parts of my TRT protocol. I was very much unaware that things such as DHEA, Preg and Progesterone can take a hit because of it.

Libido has always been the one thing that has never quite been right for me no matter what I have done or adjusted with regards to Testosterone or E2. I have ADHD so thought it could also very well be a dopamine issue.

Recently I learned about the importance of Allopregnanolone for libido and how we need sufficient Progesterone levels for us to have sufficient Allopregnanolone.

I decided to have my Progesterone levels checked and the results were as follows:-

0.47 nmol/L (Lab Ref:- <0.5 nmol/L) From the UK so they use nmol/L but ill do the conversion for you.

= 0.14ng/ml

So according to the Lab I was advised that I am actually at the TOP end of the reference range.

Now after reading many other threads from others on this forum and doing my own research I believe this range to be completely wrong and actually with these levels I am very LOW.

I have read the study which is referenced in several threads and shows the mean level @ 1.21 ng/ml which confirmed to me I am low. I have no idea why my Labs reference range is what it is but that is a conversation for another time.

Moving along I decided to experiment with trying to increase my progesterone levels and see what happens. Progesterone is not easy to acquire in the UK without prescription and even creams are not legally sold, however I was able to source a cream from the US to try.

dosed @ 22mg per 1.3g as I am sure most of you are probably aware which brand this is. I applied this at that approx. dose of 22mg assuming that you do not get full absorption of that entire dose. (Trans scrotal application for reference) Applied at night before bed.

Experiance:- within 30 mins or so I was incredibly horny and as I tried to sleep that night all I could think or dream about was sex and I pretty much had an erection the whole night!

I was over the moon with this reaction and thinking this clearly is a missing component that I never realised I needed.

Anyway I have tried to continue this by applying the same amount each day once at bedtime but I am no longer getting the libido increase and in fact wake up extremely tired. I am now wondering if these is due to overshooting with the progesterone which symptoms could be lack of libido and fatigue.

The only thing that is confusing to me about this is that from what I understand generally Progesterone has a short active life within the body and so usually has to be dosed twice a day anyway. If that is the case then surely dosing once every 24hrs means it should be very difficult to have a cumulative overdose? If you catch my meaning...

Or.... is it excessive Allopregnanolone build up that has happened cumulatively and too much of that is the bad thing?

I haven't done any bloods yet since and this will be something I will obviously do at some point but just want to know if others have used Progesterone and had a great result immediately and then subsequent days not? Was this over shooting the mark? Is there a cumulative increase with with daily progesterone supplementation that could take things to high even though the half life is short?

Just need some advice on this. I feel like if I can nail this progesterone thing everything will be perfect!

 

[Cataceous]

There's still a lack of standardization in hormone testing, so you should be cautious when comparing your progesterone measurements to other ranges. If your lab did things properly then its range should reflect their results from a normal population. We have the same issue here, with two of the major labs, Labcorp and Quest, having very different ranges for progesterone, 0.0-0.5 ng/mL and <= 1.4 ng/mL respectively.

My conclusion is that in the absence of additional information you have to rely on the lab's reference range. This makes it questionable for you to be tinkering with progesterone, but you probably won't get into too much trouble with short-term experimenting. My guess is that you experienced a honeymoon effect with that first dose. In TRT guys may spend years trying fruitlessly to recreate the great boost they got when just starting. Don't fall into that trap. With hormones, a fair evaluation of a new protocol requires that you wait weeks for things to settle down.

Regardless of the details, it's highly likely that 22 mg per day of topical progesterone is putting your serum levels above what's physiological. You definitely need to get new lab work to see where you stand. If you're suspicious of the progesterone reference range of your current lab then perhaps you can try a different lab. Or maybe this lab also offers a different assay. Typically the lowest cost test is based on an immunoassay, but there are also tests based on mass spectrometry.

I do think progesterone can be a useful addition to a TRT protocol, but the overall benefits may be subtle, and it's wise to keep things balanced and physiological.

 

[build4life]

My conclusion is that in the absence of additional information you have to rely on the lab's reference range. This makes it questionable for you to be tinkering with progesterone, but you probably won't get into too much trouble with short-term experimenting.

So by relying on my labs current reference range are you saying I should accept that I am in fact not deficient then? @ 0.14ng/ml?

 

[build4life]

 

[build4life]

sorry lab reference was less that <0.47 and my result was 0.5... slightl correction on my original post

 

[Cataceous]

I'm saying that at the moment your lab's reference range is your only frame of reference. You're probably not deficient. However, errors are possible, so you don't need to completely trust these results. Continue to gather data. It would be useful to see what your progesterone is with the current supplementation .

With respect to balance, I'm referring to things like progesterone's opposition to estradiol. For example, if your estrogen were low in range then it could be problematic to raise progesterone when it may already be high.