OTC progesterone?

[slylives]

Hi - I am about 5 weeks pregnant. I have had two miscarriages within the last 8 months. One ectopic, one uterine. With the uterine one, my progesterone was around a 2, which of course is very low. But this was taken about 4 days after I had started bleeding. I also had a successful full-term pregnancy.

I had a blood draw yesterday and the results were due back today. They did not arrive and the NP at the clinic didn't even have the courtesy to call me to tell me (I called 3 times and was told on the third call that she had left for the weekend.)

I am very concerned that I have low progesterone, and I will not find out until Monday (then I can get a prescription if need be.) I am so concerned that I thinking of rushing to a natural foods store to see if I can get an OTC cream to use for a couple of days.

Has anyone else had a similar experience? Is it dangerous/unwise/absolutely necessary?

[MaerynPearl]

With the ectopic there is obviously no reason to suspect progesterone as a problem.

With your progesterone check being taken after bleeding started, there is no way of knowing if the other one was.

Are you having any symptoms of low progesterone at all? I really see no point in starting it if you don't need it and they do not seem concerned enough to be putting a rush on the results... and I would be worried this soon into the pregnancy that if you start it and do not need it that stopping it may cause something to happen. (I do not know this for a fact, it is just something I would be worried about myself)

[turtlewomyn]

Slylives, I don't know what to tell you. I had a miscarriage and then an ectopic in 2008 within three months of each other. My FP put me on prometrium (oral progesterone) as a precaution after the miscarriage and I was taking it during the ectopic. I haven't been able to get pregnant again (I am glad to hear you have!). A lot of the information that I read says that the progesterone creams are not as effective as prescribed progesterone, although there are many women who use them while TTC. If you do start on progesterone it should be continued throughout the first trimester.

Originally Posted by MaerynPearl

With the ectopic there is obviously no reason to suspect progesterone as a problem.

I am curious as to why you say this? I have done a lot of searching on progesterone and ectopics and I have found some sources that say that low progesterone may actually impede the ability of the egg to travel through the fallopian tube and can cause an ectopic.