Hi H., I know you from FNL.
Ooooo, I've never heard of progesterone shots, I've had a couple of docs who wanted to prescribe me progesterone cream, but I turned it down because I don't want my cycles back & I'm afraid to mess with my hormones.
I had my progesterone level checked (via blood) & it was .5, less than a post menopausal woman's. Unfortunately, there is no "normal range" for a lactating woman who is without cycles.
A bit OT: I also had my DHEA checked & it is reeeeaally low, so I did a saliva test last weekend (an ASI - Adrenal Stress Index) to measure my cortisol levels.
I'm suffering from adrenal fatigue (& now that I've read about it, I wonder how any mother *isn't* in the same boat.)
The adrenal glands manufacture pregnenelone, cortisol, DHEA, etc, which are the precursers to the sex hormones, like estrogen, testosterone & progesterone. If the adrenal galnds aren't functioning properly because of stress, both physical (lack of sleep) or emotional (worry, etc) it will directly affect your hormone levels.
Adrenal fatigue is also an illness that feeds off its own symptoms. The adrenal glands are what help us deal with stress, both physical & emotional. If they're not working to their fullest capacity, we can't handle every day stress (neith physical nor emotional.) What happens when we "can't handle" the stress is, we become anxious or depressed over what would normally be "little things." The depresion/stress/anxiety that we feel, further deplete out adrenals.
The biggest issue is reducing stress. Then, getting more sleep & cutting out caffeine (including cofee.) Ds, who just turned 1 yesterday! is still EBF & nurses 4-6 times a night, so, I hear ya! The only way I can try to remedy my lack of sleep (in my AP way, without nightweaning) is to simply go to bed earlier, like 8am & to try to nap whenever I can. It's really hard because there are a million things I could be doing, but I know that I have to make healing my #1 priority. I have had zero caffeine for 3 weeks! (I have snuck a few bites of chocolate, but I'm reeeaally trying.)
ANYWAY, I've been taking adrenal cortex extract, but I think my doctor is going to use a multi-glandular approach when we get my saliva test results back.
I do know someone who had tremendous results supplementing with a low dose of DHEA.
