Progesterone supplements: experiences and side effects?

So... I haven't had my period for about a month now, and pregnancy is definitely off the table.
My private OB-GYN prescribed me Utrogestan, but since I didn't want to pay out of pocket, I called my other doctor at the local community clinic to see if she could write me a prescription instead. When I explained the situation and mentioned the specific medication, she just brushed me off. She claimed that whatever the first doctor gave me was "for women in menopause" or some nonsense like that, and told me I'd need to come in for an appointment so she could prescribe something else...

I did a little digging on Google and actually found several uses for it, but nowhere does it explicitly say it's used for a missed period...

Has anyone else here taken this, and for what? Honestly, I’m feeling pretty confused right now. I tend to trust my private doctor more (she's actually my cousin, after all) than the one at the community clinic... but I don't get why she would suggest a medication meant for menopause? Is it possible she just got mixed up?

ironsurfer10 said:So... I haven't had my period in a month, and pregnancy is definitely off the table.
My private OB-GYN prescribed Utrogestan for me. To avoid paying out of pocket, I called my doctor at the local community clinic to see if she could write me a prescription instead. When I explained the situation and mentioned the specific medication, she just scoffed. She claimed that whatever the first doctor gave me was meant for women going through menopause, blah blah blah, and told me to just come in for an appointment so she could give me "something else" instead...

I did a little digging on Google and actually found that it's used for various things, but nowhere does it explicitly state it's for a missed period...

Has anyone here taken this, and for what purpose? Honestly, I'm completely baffled right now. I tend to trust my private doctor more (she's actually my mother's cousin, after all) than this woman at the clinic... but why on earth would she suggest a medication for menopause? Is it possible she actually made a mistake?

I took it when I had some spotting during a pregnancy to help prevent a miscarriage. Perhaps the clinic doctor was thinking of Duphaston? That's typically used when a period is late or absent due to hormonal imbalances.

Sandra Martin72 said:I actually took it when I had some bleeding during my pregnancy to help protect the baby and prevent a miscarriage. Maybe she was thinking about Dabron, which is usually prescribed when your period is late or irregular due to hormonal imbalances.

Oh man... now I'm stuck wondering who to actually listen to.😕
I feel pretty silly whenever I'm caught between two different doctors giving conflicting advice...😵

I'll admit, I'm a little nervous about starting this progesterone, but then again, I assume they wouldn't prescribe it if it wasn't absolutely necessary, right?🤷

ironsurfer10 said:Good grief... now what am I supposed to listen to?😕
I find myself in a similar state of intellectual paralysis when faced with two PhDs...😵

I find myself hesitating before taking this progesterone; there is a certain trepidation that comes with introducing another chemical into one's system. Then again, I suppose a physician wouldn't prescribe it unless it were absolutely essential to the course of treatment. One doesn't typically take medication just for the sake of having something in their stomach.🤷

I honestly can't say for certain, but since both Utrogestan and Dabraston are hormones, I find it hard to believe they’ll cause any real issues for you. That said, if I were in your shoes, my advice would be to check in with your insurance provider or whatever social services agency handles your coverage to see what they’re willing to approve. There's a good chance they'll cover the Dabraston—and frankly, it's an excellent option.

So, one time a private doctor prescribed me Utrogestan, and when I went to see my primary care physician later, they told me it’s typically given to women during pregnancy because it’s such a gentle option. They actually suggested it might be a much better choice for younger women dealing with missed periods too. Anyway, it worked fine for me—my cycle came back, and I didn't run into any issues for months afterward.

stormyjackal46 said:I actually had a private doctor prescribe Utregestan to me once, and when I followed up with my primary care physician at the clinic, they mentioned it’s commonly used for pregnant women because it’s quite gentle. They suggested it might be a much better option for younger women dealing with missed periods... anyway, it worked fine for me. My cycle came back, and I didn't run into any issues in the months following.

Well, I guess that’s the catch here. 😉
I mean, that private doctor is actually my mom's cousin, so I doubt she'd suggest something unnecessary. 😍
Thanks for getting back to me; you've really helped me out. 😉
Now I at least have some solid reasoning to bring up with the doctor at the community health center if they give me any pushback about the prescription. 😉

ironsurfer10 said:Well, I think there's a catch here 😉
She’s actually my mom's cousin, so I assume she wouldn't just hand over something unnecessary 😍
Thanks for the reply, you really helped me out 😉
Now at least I know what kind of reasoning to use with the lady at the local clinic if she refuses to write this up 😉

Honestly... and please don't take this personally... why bother with two doctors?
It seems like you don't fully trust either one since you're cross-referencing everything they say against forums and online searches. My advice would be to simply find one physician you can trust 100%. It's common knowledge that any two doctors will likely have differing opinions, treatment methods, and medication recommendations.
First off, there's a high probability they attended different medical schools and completed their residencies at different hospitals under different mentors—and every mentor teaches based on their own unique habits and experiences.
Secondly, some pharmaceutical companies even offer "incentives" to doctors to promote certain products, which can lead to commissions on specific prescriptions. You follow me?

Pick one doctor and be able to entrust them with your life; otherwise, the whole process feels a bit pointless.

Nicole Parker93 said:Honestly... no offense meant... but why bother seeing two different doctors?
It seems like you don't really trust either of them since you're double-checking everything they say on forums and online. If I were you, my advice would be to just find one physician you can trust 100%. It’s pretty common knowledge that any two doctors are going to have differing opinions, different treatment approaches, and different medication recommendations.
First off, there's a high chance they graduated from different medical schools and did their residencies at different hospitals under different mentors. Every mentor teaches based on their own specific habits and clinical experience, and so on.
Secondly, some pharmaceutical companies actually pay doctors to "promote" their products, essentially offering commissions for certain prescriptions. You know how it goes.

You really need to commit to one person you feel comfortable entrusting with your life. Otherwise, it feels a bit pointless.

I actually use two because I go to a private specialist for urgent matters (for example, her results for a Pap smear come back in a week, whereas at the public clinic, it takes a month), while the other doctor handles my routine checkups and writes my prescriptions.

Besides, I don't fully trust any doctor. I've had enough run-ins with medical errors in the past to be skeptical, so I try to visit them as infrequently as possible.

ironsurfer10 said:I actually maintain two doctors. I use a private specialist for urgent matters since her results come back in a week while the clinic takes a month, plus she handles my prescriptions and routine checkups.

Honestly, I don't trust any doctor blindly because I've dealt with their mistakes far too many times. I try to visit them as infrequently as possible!

I completely get where you're coming from. I went through something similar once during an emergency, and looking back, it was definitely the right call to take matters into my own hands.
I'm not sure how things work in your area, but around here, if a primary care doc finds out you're seeing a private specialist, they might not even give you the time of day—they'd probably report you for "gaming the system." But then again, if you have a job, you end up paying for everything anyway; the only people getting free care are those on government assistance.

It’s such a shame you had that experience. I know exactly what you mean about medical errors. Just last Saturday, I went in for a screening, and after chatting with three different staff members in the same office, I walked away with three conflicting pieces of advice. It was maddening—it leaves you wondering who is actually telling the truth.

...I find myself somewhat perplexed by this... I am aware that these two medications are administered to pregnant women facing the threat of miscarriage, specifically intended to preserve the pregnancy... yet now I see they are also utilized to induce menstruation. How can the same substances function in such diametrically opposed ways? It seems counterintuitive; wouldn't they simply trigger the expulsion of the fetus in those high-risk pregnancies if that were the case? 😕

Sandra Sullivan83 said:...uh, I'm a bit lost here... I know those two medications are given to pregnant women who are at risk of miscarriage to help save the pregnancy... but now I'm seeing they're also used to induce a period... how on earth can they work for such totally different things? Wouldn't they just cause a miscarriage in pregnant women if that were the case? 😕

Look, I actually took it myself to get my period started. I was on it for about 10 days or so, and then my period showed up after 7 or 8 days. It’s pretty obvious that the dosage or the way you take them is completely different when you're using them to support a pregnancy instead. 🤷

Sandra Sullivan83 said:...well, I'm a bit lost here... I understand that these two medications are prescribed to pregnant women at risk of miscarriage to help maintain the pregnancy... but now I see they're also used to induce a period... how can they possibly work for such vastly different purposes? Wouldn't they just trigger a miscarriage in a pregnant woman? 😕

It won't cause a miscarriage because we're talking about hormones. When a woman needs to sustain a pregnancy, these are administered because those specific hormones prevent the cervix from dilating, which prevents a spontaneous loss. It’s simply how they function. On the other hand, when used to start a period, they act as hormonal regulators. If a period is late or missed due to some hormonal imbalance, these medications essentially restore that equilibrium, allowing the cycle to resume. It's all down to the biological mechanics of hormonal balance.

Sandra Martin72 said:It won't cause a miscarriage because we're talking about hormones here. When a woman actually needs to protect a pregnancy, these types of hormones are prescribed specifically to prevent the cervix from opening prematurely and causing a loss. It's just how they work. Similarly, they use them to jumpstart a period, or if a cycle is delayed due to a hormonal imbalance, the medication simply restores that balance so things can get back on track.

I guess I just don't quite follow the logic—if my doctor already knows there's a hormonal imbalance at play, why is her first move to just throw a prescription at me instead of digging into the root cause of why it happened in the first place?
She told me that if these pills get my period started, then everything is fine; but if they don't, then we'll move on to more intensive testing to figure out what's really going on.😕

ironsurfer10 said:I just don't get why the doctor would immediately prescribe medication if she already knows it's a hormonal imbalance, rather than actually digging into the root cause first.
she told me that if these pills trigger my period, then we're fine, but if they don't, only then will we move forward with more testing to see what's actually going on...😕

It’s because a hormonal imbalance isn't always a chronic issue; sometimes it's just a one-off glitch in the system that doesn't require an exhaustive battery of tests right away. I had a similar experience once—my period was this strange pink color and only lasted three days. Panicked that it might be spotting from an unplanned pregnancy, I went to see my OB-GYN, who put me on some hormone therapy. After taking it, my cycle returned to normal, and I haven't dealt with any irregularities since. That's the logic behind the approach: you try the medication to see if it corrects the cycle first, and if it fails to do the job, that's when the deeper diagnostic work begins.

So, I have this question that might sound a little silly, I guess...
I've also been taking Utrogestan because my period was running late.
But then, after being on it for just four days, my period actually started,
and now I'm wondering if I should just keep going with it, like, finish out the full ten days?
Or am I supposed to just stop once the bleeding begins?

Thomas Ward16 said:so, I have this question that might sound a bit silly, I guess...
I've also been taking Utrogestan because my period was running late.
but then, after only four days on it, my period actually started,
and now I'm wondering if I should just keep going with it, like finish the full ten days?
or is it one of those things where you just stop once the bleeding begins?

I'm actually wondering about the exact same thing, so if anyone happens to know the answer, please let me know!

If you're dealing with a late period, the advice is usually to just stop taking them once it finally shows up. At least, that’s what I was told, and honestly, that’s exactly what I did.🙂

Thanks! I suppose that’s really the most logical way to look at it, anyway.

My period was a month late—never happened before. I saw my OB-GYN, and she mentioned PCOS. Later, I noticed on my charts she’d also noted endometriosis under 1cm, though she didn't bring it up during the visit. I asked about birth control, said no, and she just gave me some progesterone. Now, I’m not exactly a pill person. I’ve maybe taken two Advils in my life, used antibiotics twice, and honestly, the only thing I touch is Tylenol if my cramps get bad. I try to avoid meds whenever possible, so I decided to look into alternatives. After doing some digging online regarding the PCOS and endo, I put together my own regimen. 😁 I take a sustained-release Vitamin C, magnesium, and selenium once a day. I cut out dairy (sticking to soy/oat milk), bread (just the occasional whole grain stuff), and sugar—not completely, obviously 😁, but I've dialed it way back. I’ve upped my intake of fruit and legumes. Also, three times a week, I apply castor oil packs to my lower abdomen for an hour, followed by a heating pad. I'm already vegetarian, so meat is off the table anyway. On top of all this, I had to get braces, which actually helped me drop 8 pounds in two months—something my doctor actually recommended. My period showed up a week after I started this routine, and my second one arrived with only a 7-day delay.
I have a follow-up in six months, so we'll see if the cyst count has dropped or what's happening with the endo.

Honestly, your approach actually makes sense to me. I’m really not a fan of swallowing pills either... but look, progesterone actually worked wonders for me pretty quickly, so...