PROGESTERONE - FOR WOMEN (Progesterone can be used effectively in men for a variety of ailments, though this is not the focus of this article.) ... BACKGROUND: When an influencer tells you women to "balance their hormones," what it really means is to increase progesterone. Virtually all symptoms that are associated with "unbalanced hormones" can stem from an estrogen excess. Progesterone is estrogen's natural antagonist. ... THE BENEFITS: The jist of progesterone, to not waste your time, is that it is - pro-energy, - anti-stress, - pro-healing, - anti-cancer, - anti-aging Everything good, rarely anything bad. Dr. Ray Peat has done a much better job over his career explaining the benefits than I ever could, so I put some literature at the bottom of the page. ... THE RISKS: Progesterone has no known toxicity even at very high doses, though it may not feel as good. It is very rapidly cleared from the body -- within a day. It will not mess up your hormones long-term. Some studies even say that it's cleared within 5-10 minutes, though using the ProgestE formulation topically would offer an extended release. Too much oral use could make clearance occur more rapidly. Synthetic progestins (birth control) do not have the same effects as progesterone, despite marketing. Be careful. ... HOW TO TAKE IT: 1. Prescription progesterone monotherapy: Raena.com is a good site for this and walks you through the whole thing. I trust the founder. 2. Kenogen Progest-E: I'm copying this from the info provided alongside a Progest-E order, though I think it's useful to have pre-purchase: --------------- Product Information • Progest-E Complex Directions: Drops: A 60 mg drop contains 6 mg of progesterone. (An unpopped kernel of popcorn looks the same size as a 60 mg drop of Progest-E and can be used as a reference if you don’t have a scale for measuring drops.) A 16th of a teaspoon contains approximately 25 mgs of progesterone. For PMS in menstruating women: Begin use after ovulation—usually day 14 or 15 of the menstrual cycle. Use 2-3 drops daily; may repeat every 2-4 hours if needed to alleviate symptoms. Stop using on day 28 of the cycle, or once menstruation begins. For perimenopausal symptoms: Same as above. For menopausal symptoms: Use 2-3 drops daily; may repeat every 2-4 hours if needed to alleviate symptoms. May be used either 2 weeks per month, or for 3 weeks per month according to symptoms. Discontinue use for at least 7 days every month. Storage and Dispensing Tips: Natural vitamin E can be damaged by exposure to natural light and/or to excessive temperatures. To get the most benefit from the vitamin E in Progest-E, store the product refrigerated, or in a cool dark place. Natural vitamin E is also more viscous when cold. To facilitate dispensing drops when storing refrigerated, use the following procedure: With the cap on, put your bottle of Progest-E upside down in a small juice glass to store in the fridge. Remove the glass containing the bottle of Progest-E from the fridge approximately 20-30 minutes before using. This will allow the solution to get to room temperature making dispensing the drops easier. Storing the bottle upside down also ensures that the solution is always in the dropper tip ready for use. --------------- ... MY EXPERIENCE: - Progesterone had rapid anti-depressant effects for my girlfriend. - I've seen many women use it liberally for all sicknesses, stress, and ailments, and it seems to work very well. - It seems to be similar to low dose naltrexone in ailments that it improves: fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, migraines, etc. - I'll use it, as a man, if I become sick or get a migraine. It seems to help. - Progesterone, like thyroid, pregnenolone, and baking soda completely stabilized my sleep metrics on whoop -- reducing overnight stress. - I've heard of cases of post-menopausal women using it and becoming pregnant, so be careful if you're in that situation. - It may make you tired, though this is from its anti-stress effect, and the rest is likely what you need. - It may make you bleed excessively upon cessation, though I've seen this issue resolve over repeated use. Women sometimes report a worsening of estrogenic symptoms at the beginning -- Bro(sis-?)science says that it sensitizes estrogen receptors before downregulating estrogen. - Progesterone will not make you outrun a bad diet. Sufficient calcium, salt, sugar from fruits, and protein from dairy are the first things I'd recommend if trying to mitigate estrogenic symptoms. See: https://longestlevers.com/anabology-top/good-foods.html ... LITERATURE: https://raypeat.com/articles/aging/aging-estrogen-progesterone.shtml https://raypeat.com/articles/articles/epilepsy-progesterone.shtml https://raypeat.com/articles/articles/three-hormones.shtml https://raypeat.com/articles/articles/estrogen-progesterone-cancer.shtml https://raypeat.com/articles/articles/cancer-progesterone.shtml https://raypeat.com/articles/articles/progesterone-deceptions.shtml https://raypeat.com/articles/articles/progesterone-summaries.shtml https://raypeat.com/articles/articles/ru486.shtml https://raypeat.com/articles/articles/ms.shtml https://raypeat.com/articles/aging/coronaryprogesterone.shtml (hint - you can go to raypeat2.com and get a better formatted version of these articles) https://wiki.chadnet.org/ray-peat https://wiki.chadnet.org/ray-peat-interviews (ctrl-f and look for progesterone here for more content) ... -- anabology