What is your experience. This is an excerpt fron Newson Health re progesterone intolerance...
What can be done?
Systemic progesterone – absorbed by the whole body
You are less likely to get a negative reaction if the progesterone you take is body identical. Micronised
progesterone (known as Utrogestan in the UK) is a capsule that you swallow and is body identical. It is the
preferable one to take – especially if you are intolerant to progesterone.
Some women may still have a reaction on this type and then it’s worth discussing changing the dose, the way you
take it or the number of days you take it, with your doctor, to see if you can improve any symptoms of
intolerance. Make sure you always discuss any changes to your progesterone regime with your doctor as you may
feel like reducing the number of days you take it, but you need to make sure it will still do the job of keeping your
womb lining thin and healthy. Irregular bleeding can also be common if the progesterone routine is changed.
Local progesterone – released into the vagina or womb
Another way to take progesterone is to insert the tablet vaginally, at nighttime. This then works locally near your
womb, where it is needed, and is not digested or absorbed into your whole body, so there is less chance of side
effects. The dose of using progesterone this way is half the oral dose (so, for example, you can use one 100mg
Utrogestan capsule vaginally alternate evenings). While the drug is not licensed to take in this way, it is perfectly
safe to do so and there is good evidence to support its use this way.
There are progesterone pessaries available, such as Cyclogest or Lutigest, (more commonly used as part of
fertility treatments) that contain progesterone and are specifically designed as vaginal pessaries. Some women
find these preferable to use, instead of the Utrogestan vaginally.
A good alternative to Utrogestan is to have the Mirena coil fitted. This is a small plastic device that is inserted
into your uterus and it stays there for 5 years, releasing a low and steady dose of progestogen straight into your
womb where you need it most. This does a good job of keeping the womb lining thin and healthy (if you’re taking
estrogen) and is also an excellent contraceptive if you need that too.
Some women do react to the progestogen in the Mirena; when it’s first inserted it can feel like you have PMS for
the first few months. Any reaction tends to settle down at around 3 to 6 months and most women do not
continue to have symptoms of intolerance after this.
Surgical intervention for severe cases of progesterone intolerance
If changing the type, dose and the way you take progesterone or progestogen has not helped, and sympto
