Can anyone tell me about progesterone supplements?

[turtlewomyn]

I saw my FP today and told him about my miscarriage (I was only seeing a midwife for it). I asked him to retest my thyroid (he had tested it before and my TSH was a 4.06 so he told me it was normal, post miscarriage the midwife tested it again and it was a 3.8. From what I have been reading optimal fertility is between a 1 and 2, and definitely below a 3).

He prescribed progesterone supplements to be taken at bedtime 4-10 days post ovulation (of course, when I start TTC again I would continue to take them. He was recommending a total of three cycles, but I told him I may try earlier, I have already completed one cycle post miscarriage).

I have a normal LP (12-14 days) so I was surprised by this, but he does this for all his patients with miscarriages. I know absolutely nothing about progesterone so if anyone has experience or informative websites to point me to, I would really appreciate it.

[WeasleyMum]

I take progesterone supplements: vaginal suppositories, 50 mg/ twice a day, from a few days after O-day until AF or until miscarriage. Or (hypothetically) until the end of 1st trimester, I suppose. My progesterone tests low, even though my LP is normal-length, but my AFs have historically always been short and light and started with spotting/staining. Those tend to be signs of low prog.

A lot of doctors will do what yours is doing, that is prescribing the stuff without testing, for patients who have already miscarried. From what I understand, progesterone is one of those things that can help, can give a "boost" even to women with normal/borderline levels, without having negative or dangerous side effects.

For me the only downsides (besides the fact it hasn't helped me hold a pregnancy yet) are the cost, and having to lay down afterwards. There is a lack of good information about progesterone/ LP defect/ miscarriage out there; for some reason every medical site talks more about menopause than miscarriage IRT prog. This is the link to my doctors' info on it:

http://www.rmscva.com/fertility-drug-progesterone.html

HTH.