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I am nearly 8 weeks pregnant. My doctor says that my progesterone levels are at 13.5 and should be at 18-20 to avoid miscarriage. I started taking progesterone and had a ichy reaction. I am conserned because on the box, it says do not take if pregnant or think you are. My doctor says it is natural prog. and that I shouldn't be worried, but why would it say it on the box? If I don't supplement, am I in great danger of losing the baby?

Cole, The warning label can be very alarming and misleading and is a very common concern of pregnant women who have been perscribed the supplement by their doctors, but this warning label does not apply to you, under the circ_mstances, and should be considered a perfectly safe and effective treatment for preventing early miscarriage. Once the placenta developes (usually around the end of your first trimester), it will take over the production of this life giving hormone and the supplements should no longer be necessary. Some women can safely go off of the supplements much sooner, but this is a decision that only your doctor can make. A lot of women, including myself, have noticed some adverse effects while taking the hormone supplements such as dizziness, nausea, fatigue, and very swollen and sore b___sts. Most of these symptoms are quite typical to pregnancy, anyway, and should not be cause for alarm. The alternative is much worse. If you're experiencing any other adverse reactions to the hormone, you may want to speak to your doctor about possibly changing brands, but it is very important that you remain on the supplements until your doctor says otherwise. Your body cannot sustain a pregnancy if your progesterone levels are not brought up to an adequate level. Also, in answer to your question, the warning label was designed for women who are trying to become pregnant or who think they may be pregnant, but have not discussed it with their physician. I hope this has been helpful. Good luck and keep us posted.

Thank you for the information. I just have one more question. I was doing some research online and it said that normal levels for progesterone are 11-90. If mine are 13.5 and I have been on progesterone sups for one week. They don't seem to be rising. I bought some prog. cream. Is the cream as effective. I am hoping to stop these adverse reactions to taking prog pills. I am super ichy and nauseated. What is your opinion on the cream?

Cole, I have not personally tried the cream so I cannot comment one way or the other, but I've heard there is an excellent cream you can get that is made out of yams and is all natural, which may be preferable to some. I liked the suppositories as opposed to the pills, but every woman is different. Itchiness is a very common symptom in pregnant women and you may even experience overly sensitive skin and rashes. I had to change body lotions and was unable to even shave without breaking out, but my doctor said it was nothing to worry about, but once again, each woman is different. If the itching becomes unbearable to the point where its interfering with your sleep, or if the palms of your hands or the soles of your feet begin to itch, than it may signal something more serious such as ICP (Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy). There are tests that can be run to rule this out. Talk to your doctor.

Cole - I read the same statistics you did, and my doctor actually goes along with them, although at 5 weeks I had some light spotting and my progesterone was at 11.9 (my HCG was a healthy 5000) and he gave me the progesterone supplements at my request. I think some women can carry to term with progesterone towards the low side of that range, but for others, it's still too low and they spot. Some doctors say 15 or better, others 20. Hard to say. I miscarried anywat at 10 weeks (after seeing heartbeat) despite being on supplements.

From everything I have read creams and suppositories are much more effective than pills. That being said, I'm on pills, and just never switched. Have felt extra nausea at times, but as I said before this type of discomfort is well worth it in the long run, and you get to stop taking them around 12 weeks or so. I too got nervous when I read the prescription label that said, don't take if you're pregnant. I asked the pharmacist and she said, I can take and it won't be a problem. Hang in there!

For what it's worth, I had the same miserable nausea with my one successful pregnancy (for which I did NOT take progesterone supplements) and the one where I did, which ended at 10 weeks after seeing heartbeat...

My last question was regarding progesterone and cream. It appears like I am having a severe reaction to the progesterone itself. I have tried pill, cream, and the suppositories. I have hives from head to toe. Mainly around concentrated lymph areas. Has anyone else experienced this. At first they said I was allergic to the peanut base, but I have tried cocoa b___ter base and the same reaction occured. I went back to the doctor this morning to have an US. The baby has grown twice its size and the heartbeat appears normal. My doctor said that I shouldn't take the prog anymore due to the rash. They say this is highly abnormal to be allergic to prog itself. Is it possible that I have an a-typical kind or chemical make up of prog?

Cole, you're probably having an allergic reaction to the synthetics. You might try eating yams; I've heard they're a very good source of natural progesterone. I had a similar reaction to the prometrium tablets, but never seemed to have a problem with the suppositories. Did you, by any chance, find out what your progesterone levels are currently? Maybe you no longer need the additional progesterone and this is just your body's way of letting you know. It's good to hear that your baby is doing well... Hang in there!

Hi, I'm new to this.Been trying for a long time to get pregnant, however not succeeding.I have just started tests and my luteal phase progesterone is only 1.6, normally should be above 10. Also my periods are really irregular. Really want baby : ( and finding all of this very stressful -anyone have any similar experiences.

have all the pregnancy signs and symptoms. Day 28 and no period. Can you still be pregnancy if you have low BBT after ovualtion?

You DEFINATELY have Luteal Phase Defect. This is a GOOD thing to know. You are one of the lucky women that progesterone supplements are proven to help. Make sure you start taking them on day 18 of your cycle (get your Dr. to give you prescription). Then you take a pregnancy test on day 28. If it's positive you continue taking the supplements until about 12 weeks. If it's negative, you stop the supplements and your period starts within a week. If you have no other problems and are not unlucky and have a "bad luck" one time chromosomal misfire, you have an EXCELLENT chance of having a healthy baby.

You DEFINATELY have Luteal Phase Defect. This is a GOOD thing to know. You are one of the lucky women that progesterone supplements are proven to help. Make sure you start taking them on day 18 of your cycle (get your Dr. to give you prescription). Then you take a pregnancy test on day 28. If it's positive you continue taking the supplements until about 12 weeks. If it's negative, you stop the supplements and your period starts within a week. If you have no other problems and are not unlucky and have a "bad luck" one time chromosomal misfire, you have an EXCELLENT chance of having a healthy baby.

Dear Erin, THANKS SO MUCH for your mail. It was so nice to read your mail. I hope what you say is true. I went to see the doctor on friday, she wasn't very helpful and is resisting referring me to a specialist. She says that women don't ovulate every cylce(as you get older-i am 31) and if you don't ovulate your progesterone will not go up. My cylcle this month was 45 days long! my temp peaked at day 37 but the test was done on day 29. do you still think it may be lpd?

Leah, I am 38 and pregnant with my 3rd child and my doctor said that as a woman gets older her body begins releasing more than just one egg at a time during ovulation in preparation for menopause (since we are born with all of the eggs we'll ever have). If you're having a period each month, then you're probably ovulating each month. You're still very young and well within what is considered to be your "child bearing years". Maybe you should remind your doctor of this and tell him to quit treating you like you're forty-something and trying to get pregnant.

Leah, yes I do... My LPD tests have not come back yet, but my doctor doubts that I have it because my periods are regular 30 days... Irregular cycles are more likely to have it... Although I know a woman (37) who did have it and had regular cycles. She tested at 5 at 21 dpo....