Can progesterone cream be used at any stage of a woman's life?

Yes. Natural progesterone is safe to use across all phases of a woman's life: pre-pubertal, reproductive, peri-menopause, menopause, and post-menopause.

Pre-pubertal & puberty:
Progesterone is the only hormone that does not adversely affect a male or female baby or child. During puberty, when oestrogen and testosterone are rising but progesterone production has not yet begun, symptoms such as mood swings, skin outbreaks, and behavioural changes can be eased with 100mg/day, applied daily, half the dose in the morning and the other half at night, until a cycle begins.

Reproductive years:
Progesterone should be used during the luteal phase — the last 12–14 days before bleeding, starting from ovulation. Importantly, this is not always day 14. Cycle lengths vary from 21 to 35 days, and ovulation always occurs 12–14 days before bleeding regardless of cycle length. Use 100–200mg/day, half the dose in the morning, the other half at night. You can increase the dose to 400mg if symptoms are severe.

Peri-menopause:
This phase typically begins 5–10 years before menopause, as progesterone levels drop due to increasingly frequent anovulatory cycles. Use 100–200mg/day, splitting the dose between morning and night. Once cycles become erratic and impossible to follow, it is safe to use progesterone daily, through any bleeding.

Menopause:
After menopause, ovarian production of progesterone ceases entirely. However, fat cells continue secreting oestrone (the menopause oestrogen) until death, with no compensatory progesterone production. Daily use of 100–200mg/day, splitting the dose between morning and night, is recommended, with no need to take breaks. Women beginning progesterone for the first time after menopause may experience one or two periods — this is normal and simply the body clearing the uterine lining.

Post-menopause:
Many women assume their hormonal health concerns end at menopause — but
oestrone secretion from fat cells continues indefinitely, completely unopposed by progesterone. This ongoing oestrogen exposure, combined with environmental oestrogen mimics, means post-menopausal women can still experience symptoms of oestrogen dominance including weight gain, mood changes, poor sleep, and increased cancer risk.

Use 100–200mg/day, splitting the dose morning and night. There is no need to cycle or take breaks.

If you are experiencing spotting and you are post menopausal seek medical care to rule out pathology.

For more detailed information see our home page or visit our dedicated page on how to use progesterone cream.