Oral progesterone and TTC « Hellobee Boards

Good morning!

I was wondering, has anyone gotten pregnant using oral progesterone?

My ob/gyn is not a believer that progesterone will help with implantation, but prescribed me oral progesterone to take post-ovulation x 14 days to decrease the prolonged spotting that I get during my luteal phase.

I was really hoping that it would help with implantation anyway, since I've read that many other physicians prescribe it for women TTC with low progesterone. The only thing is, I keep reading that they are prescribed progesterone vaginally. Do you think I'll still have any luck taking it orally?

Also, I am supposed to get cycle day 3 blood work done to check if I am ovulating during my next cycle. FF hasn't given me crosshairs yet, but OPK and CBFM have come back peak, so I should be ovulating soon. I was wondering if I should skip the oral progesterone this month so that my blood work are true values or if I should take the oral progesterone anyway and see how my levels pan out. Any advice?

Thanks!

Thenetexan
apricot / 355 posts

Sep 15, 2014

I took oral progesterone after dr confirmed pregnancy at 4 weeks 1 day. I had a history of miscarriage, though no confirmation that progesterone was a concern. I took it until week 12 and carried the pregnancy to term. Good luck!
Banana330
nectarine / 2317 posts

Sep 15, 2014

@Newbee: I was prescribed prometrium from after O until 10 weeks. You can use it orally or vaginally. My doc said usually the side effects were less if you went vaginally, but it didn't matter. I chose vaginally. It took three cycles, but i'm now almost 10 weeks on it. I never had confirmed low progesterone, but did have two MC so they put me on it and baby aspirin anyway.
ineebee
pear / 1580 posts

Sep 15, 2014

@Newbee: At the beginning of TTC after being diagnosed with PCOS, I was given oral progesterone. After starting IF treatments, they started to give me progesterone vaginally. Same results (holding off spotting and AF), just fewer side effects with the vaginal suppositories.

As for your other question about possibly skipping the progesterone to get true values for your blood test, I'm confused. If it's CD3 b/w, then you should be off your progesterone by then, right? A new cycle can't start unless you go off the progesterone. Am I understanding correctly? I think by the time you stop the progesterone, wait a couple days for it to leave your system, get AF, then wait 3 days til your CD3 b/w, then you should get true values for your test.
mrs. 64
nectarine / 2936 posts

Sep 15, 2014

My OB put me on oral progesterone. I had terrible side effects and didn't get pregnant. My RE put me on vaginal progesterone which had far fewer side effects. The RE also said the suppositories are more effective.
Newbee
coffee bean / 34 posts

Sep 15, 2014

Thanks for the input everyone! That makes sense. I'll try the oral progesterone after ovulation and still get my CD3 b/w done. I guess I'll see if I get a lot of symptoms or not to decide whether I should request taking it vaginally (although not excited about doing that - would much rather take it orally, but I'll do whatever will help us!)
AmeliaBedilia
nectarine / 2192 posts

Sep 15, 2014

I was on prometrium and took it vaginally instead. I did it at night and used a pantyliner. I still had symptoms, but my doc said the side effects are worse if taken orally, and doesn't get in the uterus in as high of concentrations if you take it orally. Good luck!
MaryM
pomelo / 5129 posts

Oct 3, 2014

I found this thread in a search looking for information on progesterone side effects. I'll be taking prometrium from 2-14 dpo starting next cycle.

Does anyone mind chiming in to share what they've experienced?

I've taken it twice in the past, but not for the purposes of TTC.

I think i'm most concerned because the first time I took it (to induce AF because I had a 99 day cycle) I ended up having HORRENDOUS AF...like worse ever. I wonder if that's because of the hormone or because of the long cycle?

I took it again when I was pregnant (perhaps too late because it ended in MC), and it didn't bother me so much then.

Thanks for any input!
Lillybee
coffee bean / 29 posts

Oct 6, 2014

I took Progesterone last month to stop heavy bleeding and start a new cycle. It was prescribed for 12 days, but I started my perod on the 8th pill. On the third day I started the Clomid. I am now 12 DPO and have my labs done today. My doctor said the Progesterone was to help me regulate and create an environment that would be suitable for an egg. Of course in my case I had some help with the egg too. I am having some possible pregnancy symptoms and my period is due in 6 days. I am hoping that this is my month and I will surely keep you posted on how it works out! If I am pregnant, I should be able to get a BFP soon. If not, my period will come. Either way, I will do an update. Good luck to you.
Lillybee
coffee bean / 29 posts

Oct 12, 2014

@Newbee: Any update lady? I just wanted to let you know that I got a BFN this morning and I am pretty far along so I think it's accurate. I have a follow up in two weeks and had labs taken to check my Progesterone. We will discuss the next steps then. I do hope to hear some good news from you though.
Newbee
coffee bean / 34 posts

Oct 15, 2014

Hi Lillybee! Thanks for your update and post. I took 200 mg of progesterone orally starting 3 dpo. I started spotting at 6 dpo which was even earlier than I would have without progesterone. The spotting got heavier and heavier, that I stopped taking the progesterone at 12 dpo and my period came 2 days later.

I also got day 3 labs done to check my ovarian reserve and everything came back normal *whew*!

My OB wasn't sure why I started spotting earlier on progesterone, but wondered if my u/s missed polyps so her next suggestion was to go into surgery. She told me that the dosage and route of administration for progesterone didn't matter (but she also previously said that progesterone was only to help spotting and that it has no effect on helping with implantation)

We have an appointment with a fertility specialist next week for a second opinion.

Good luck to you Lillybee!
Newbee
coffee bean / 34 posts

Oct 15, 2014

Also for MaryM -

I didn't experience any symptoms from taking prometrium orally (I am not really sure that it did anything to be honest - fertility specialists seems to believe in the vaginal route whereas my ob believes that it doesn't matter and that the dosage doesn't matter).

My AF symptoms were not as severe as they usually are. With endo, my cycles are extremely painful but it was much more tolerable this time around.

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