Anyone here taking progesterone?

[Gman86]

Absolutely. Mood and sleep are the last hurdle in my journey to feeling great. I have no trouble falling asleep and I do not even wake much but my deep sleep is always very low. And I never feel rested. i think trt has also added to my depression. In a different way. Brings out more of the mental sides that I had before starting. I have oral Prog on hand but maybe I will run the injectable by defy during my next consult. I know my pregnenolone runs low on serum now. I have t tested Prog in a while but it was usually on low end of normal.

im trying to stay away from ssri and was considering Wellbutrin however I would really like to hit this from a more natural way if I could.

Ya man give the injectable a try. It ends up being dirt cheap. I forget what a bottle costs, but it must be made for women, cuz with the doses we take, one bottle will legit last you multiple years. And I don’t remember the bottle itself even being that much at all. So money wise it basically costs pennies to try. And it’s a super easy injection. An extremely tiny amount of oil subq before bed every night. When I was using prog it was my preferred method/ route

 

[Gianluca]

Ya man give the injectable a try. It ends up being dirt cheap. I forget what a bottle costs, but it must be made for women, cuz with the doses we take, one bottle will legit last you multiple years. And I don’t remember the bottle itself even being that much at all. So money wise it basically costs pennies to try. And it’s a super easy injection. An extremely tiny amount of oil subq before bed every night. When I was using prog it was my preferred method/ route

You not longer use Prog? What do you do now to raise Prog levels?

 

[Charliebizz]

You not longer use Prog? What do you do now to raise Prog levels?

Are you using Prog ?

 

[Forty2]

For sure. Significantly decreased social anxiety (present since starting TRT), decreased generalized anxiety, significantly decreased high E2/DHT symptoms (essentially more balanced feeling), and outstandingly reduced joint pain (comparable to nandrolone). My mood has also been much more stable (less up and down feeling).

Being cautious not to over-deify any one medication, I would say that progesterone is not likely to be the ‘end all to be all’ for everyone’s symptoms on this forum. But for me, and presumably others, it is the missing link I’ve searched for for years.

Pregnenolone decreased anxiety to some degree, but it’s overall contribution was moderate.

Do you also take hCG? If so what is your dose and frequency?

 

[Gman86]

You not longer use Prog? What do you do now to raise Prog levels?

Ugh, I‘ve had have the opposite problem for about a year now. I can’t figure out how to get my prog level down! Haven’t used exogenous prog since last august. For about a year now I’ve been on a mission to try and figure out why my prog level keeps coming back so high. I cant figure out what’s keeping it so elevated. I’ve tried a process of elimination with everything I’m taking, and even when I remove things it still comes back elevated. Usually around 1.4-1.6. Reference range being (0.5-1.0)

 

[Gianluca]

Are you using Prog ?

I used to, but considering it again since for some reason I have been starting having some trouble with the Pregnenolone for the past year or so, not sure why.

 

[Gianluca]

Ugh, I‘ve had have the opposite problem for about a year now. I can’t figure out how to get my prog level down! Haven’t used exogenous prog since last august. For about a year now I’ve been on a mission to try and figure out why my prog level keeps coming back so high. I cant figure out what’s keeping it so elevated. I’ve tried a process of elimination with everything I’m taking, and even when I remove things it still comes back elevated. Usually around 1.4-1.6. Reference range being (0.5-1.0)

Are you still using HCG?

 

[Charliebizz]

Ugh, I‘ve had have the opposite problem for about a year now. I can’t figure out how to get my prog level down! Haven’t used exogenous prog since last august. For about a year now I’ve been on a mission to try and figure out why my prog level keeps coming back so high. I cant figure out what’s keeping it so elevated. I’ve tried a process of elimination with everything I’m taking, and even when I remove things it still comes back elevated. Usually around 1.4-1.6. Reference range being (0.5-1.0)

Is it causing any perceived issues ?

 

[Bmac]

Ugh, I‘ve had have the opposite problem for about a year now. I can’t figure out how to get my prog level down! Haven’t used exogenous prog since last august. For about a year now I’ve been on a mission to try and figure out why my prog level keeps coming back so high. I cant figure out what’s keeping it so elevated. I’ve tried a process of elimination with everything I’m taking, and even when I remove things it still comes back elevated. Usually around 1.4-1.6. Reference range being (0.5-1.0)

Have you tested by lc/ms Methodology? I believe quest offers this now

 

[Gman86]

Are you still using HCG?

I am. Was just looking back at my years of blood work, and I don’t think it’s due to the HCG tho. HCG used to raise almost all of my downstream hormones. DHEA, prog, E2, prolactin. But a few years ago HCG just stopped increasing these downstream hormones, and doesn’t do a lot in regards to increasing testicular size, like it used to when it used to increase downstream hormones. Now it’s like injecting water, as far as downstream hormones go. Even when using Pregnyl, which is the brand that used to noticeably increase my downstream hormones when I would take it. I’m still currently taking pregnyl, and have for a long time now.

Back when HCG used to increase downstream hormones, I was using between 800-1000iu’s/ week. On those doses back then, my prog would range from around 0.7-1.0. 1.0 being the highest I ever saw HCG increase my prog level. And that was when I would use 1000iu’s/ week. For a while now I’ve been using doses below 500iu’s/ week, and my prog is higher than ever. For example, on 425iu’s/ week my prog level came back at 1.6 (0.5-1.0). So I don’t think it’s the HCG that’s causing this, but now u got me thinking, and even tho I’m not confident the HCG is what’s doing it, I see no harm rn in cutting it out for a while and checking my prog level to see if it comes down at all. So that’s what I’m gonna do starting today

After eliminating almost every variable I can think of, and narrowing down what could be the cause, my last hope is the lugol’s iodine that Ive been taking for a long time now. I cut it out for a few months, and my prog level didn’t come down at all. But my thyroid levels didn’t come down at all after the 2 months of discontinuing lugol’s iodine either. So I’m thinking maybe the half life of lugols is longer than I thought, or the iodine is trickling out of my tissues at a slower rate than I thought, or something along those lines, and I just need to give it more time off of the iodine to see my prog levels drop, if in fact thats what is causing it. So I’m hoping that if I see my thyroid levels drop back down to baseline, my prog levels will drop back to baseline as well. And I’m hoping the lugols iodine is responsible for both. I know for a fact it’s what increased my thyroid levels, and dropped my tsh to basically zero, but time will tell in regards to it being responsible for the increased prog level as well

if my prog level does end up coming back to baseline during my next set of labs, i‘ll simply add HCG back in, retest in a month or two, and see if prog levels shoot back up or not. That will then tell me of the HCG had anything to do with it obv

 

[Gman86]

Is it causing any perceived issues ?

Not that I can tell. Although I do find myself struggling with fatigue and brain fog most days. Some days worse than others. So it could very well be. It’s just so hard to pinpoint one thing tho, as far as what’s causing the fatigue and brain fog. I work a ton, have a gf and kids, have the gf and her dog and cats in the bed with us every night, and the kids don’t always sleep throughout the night, and/ or wake us up at the crack of dawn. So theres a lot of variables that could be causing me to feel tired and brain foggy. Ive had some level of brain fog the entire time I’ve been on HRT. It’s one of the things that led to me getting my levels checked in the first place. Hrt improved my brain fog quite a bit, but I still always have some level of it. Think it might stem from living in a house with a ton of mold for years. But that’s a whole different can of worms lol

I mainly just want to figure out what’s causing my prog level to be high, whether it’s causing issues or not. I don’t like the idea of one of my hormones randomly going high and above the top of the range without me knowing the reason for it

 

[Gman86]

Have you tested by lc/ms Methodology? I believe quest offers this now

I have actually. But the range is different, and my results came back different I feel like. I keep trying to attach pics of the differences on my labs with the lc/ms version and the non sensitive version, but excel isn’t allowing me to upload images recently. Not sure what’s going on

Bur basically with the non sensitive version my prog level had been coming back above 1.0. Around the 1.4-1.6 range. And quest’s range for the non sensitive prog test is <1.4. With the sensitive version, my prog level came back at <0.1, with a range of < OR = 0.2. Both the sensitive and non sensitive prog tests used ng/ml as their unit of measurement. So I went back to the non sensitive prog test after getting it done that one time. I just didn’t know what to make of those results. So it was basically a waste of a test. Only benefit from doing it is that I now know to never get the LC/MS version ever again lol

 

[Charliebizz]

Not that I can tell. Although I do find myself struggling with fatigue and brain fog most days. Some days worse than others. So it could very well be. It’s just so hard to pinpoint one thing tho, as far as what’s causing the fatigue and brain fog. I work a ton, have a gf and kids, have the gf and her dog and cats in the bed with us every night, and the kids don’t always sleep throughout the night, and/ or wake us up at the crack of dawn. So theres a lot of variables that could be causing me to feel tired and brain foggy. Ive had some level of brain fog the entire time I’ve been on HRT. It’s one of the things that led to me getting my levels checked in the first place. Hrt improved my brain fog quite a bit, but I still always have some level of it. Think it might stem from living in a house with a ton of mold for years. But that’s a whole different can of worms lol

I mainly just want to figure out what’s causing my prog level to be high, whether it’s causing issues or not. I don’t like the idea of one of my hormones randomly going high and above the top of the range without me knowing the reason for it

Well what is your full protocol ?

 

[Gman86]

Well what is your full protocol ?

It’s been the same for a while now. Test enanthate, deca, primo, HCG and selegiline. And added in Ipamorelin and CJC 1295 without DAC, as well as some GHK-Cu less than a week ago. Oh, and I actually stopped taking HCG 2 days ago. Based on previous labs I don’t think the HCG is what’s raising my prog, but want to rule it out just to be sure

Stopped taking lugol’s iodine a bit ago, and stopped taking Oxandrolone preworkout like 2-3 weeks ago

 

[Charliebizz]

It’s been the same for a while now. Test enanthate, deca, primo, HCG and selegiline. And added in Ipamorelin and CJC 1295 without DAC, as well as some GHK-Cu less than a week ago. Oh, and I actually stopped taking HCG 2 days ago. Based on previous labs I don’t think the HCG is what’s raising my prog, but want to rule it out just to be sure

Stopped taking lugol’s iodine a bit ago, and stopped taking Oxandrolone preworkout like 2-3 weeks ago

Quick google search shows some of the compounds your taking can raise progesterone!!!

 

[Gman86]

Quick google search shows some of the compounds your taking can raise progesterone!!!

Really? Other than HCG, which ones?

I’ve done a process of elimination with everything other than testosterone. But I know it’s not the test, since I obv have a decade worth of labs using test and no significant increase in prog

I eliminated the primo for a month and retested, and prog didn’t drop even a little bit. I dropped the deca for a while and again, didn’t see any drop. Plus, I’ve been on deca for a long time now, way before my prog level shot up. So I doubt it’s the deca. I also cut out the selegiline for at least a month or two, and again didn’t see any drop in prog levels. Plus, @BadassBlues reports that he doesnt remember his prog level ever being elevated while using selegiline

and the ipa, CJC, and GHK are all very new additions, so I know they have nothing to do with it

Which compounds can supposedly increase prog levels, from what u saw?

 

[tropicaldaze1950]

Really? Other than HCG, which ones?

I’ve done a process of elimination with everything other than testosterone. But I know it’s not the test, since I obv have a decade worth of labs using test and no significant increase in prog

I eliminated the primo for a month and retested, and prog didn’t drop even a little bit. I dropped the deca for a while and again, didn’t see any drop. Plus, I’ve been on deca for a long time now, way before my prog level shot up. So I doubt it’s the deca. I also cut out the selegiline for at least a month or two, and again didn’t see any drop in prog levels. Plus, @BadassBlues reports that he doesnt remember his prog level ever being elevated while using selegiline

and the ipa, CJC, and GHK are all very new additions, so I know they have nothing to do with it

Which compounds can supposedly increase prog levels, from what u saw?

Hormone exposure in food? I recall you told me you were eating meat, vegetables and fruit. We all live in a chemical soup; xenoestrogens and other persistent substances that take up residence in our bodies.

 

[Gman86]

Hormone exposure in food? I recall you told me you were eating meat, vegetables and fruit. We all live in a chemical soup; xenoestrogens and other persistent substances that take up residence in our bodies.

You absolutely ain’t wrong! lol. I’m open to all possibilities, but I’ve been eating the same things every single day for years. It would be so random for my prog to jump so high from the foods I’m eating. But u never know! Lol

Im thinking that it could very well be the lugol’s iodine. My thyroid levels have remained the exact same as they were on the iodine, even after 2 months of cessation from it. If my thyroid levels end up coming back down to baseline, and prog stays elevated, I then know it wasn’t due to the iodine in any way. But I’m hoping that once my thyroid levels return to baseline, my prog levels follow

 

[tropicaldaze1950]

You absolutely ain’t wrong! lol. I’m open to all possibilities, but I’ve been eating the same things every single day for years. It would be so random for my prog to jump so high from the foods I’m eating. But u never know! Lol

Im thinking that it could very well be the lugol’s iodine. My thyroid levels have remained the exact same as they were on the iodine, even after 2 months of cessation from it. If my thyroid levels end up coming back down to baseline, and prog stays elevated, I then know it wasn’t due to the iodine in any way. But I’m hoping that once my thyroid levels return to baseline, my prog levels follow

Doing your own differentials. It's the only way. You'll figure it out. It might drive you nuts but you'll get there, LOL.

 

[DS3]

Do you also take hCG? If so what is your dose and frequency?

Yes I do. 300 IU EOD is my current dosage.