FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
RE: Natural Progesterone Cream

Below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions about natural progesterone, in general.  According to experts, in order to be effective, a cream must have at least 400-500 mg of natural progesterone per oz. 

Renewed Balance has  750 mg of progesterone per oz  (1500 mg in its 2 oz jar).

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Frequently Asked Questions About Natural Progesterone
And Natural Progesterone Therapy

WHAT IS A HORMONE?

    Hormones are substances secreted directly into the bloodstream and are produced by several glands and organs in your body such as the ovaries, testes, thyroid, pancreas, pituitary, liver and others. They travel through the bloodstream from where they are produced to where they interact with receptors to do the work for which they were intended. They initiate reactions in the body, whereas enzymes usually help to facilitate them. Hormones regulate fluid retention, mineral metabolism, sexual function and libido, reproductive functions, growth and development, aging and numerous other functions.

WHAT IS PROGESTERONE?

    Natural Progesterone is an important hormone manufactured by the adrenal glands in men and women and in the ovaries in women. Extra amounts are manufactured by the placenta during pregnancy. Progesterone is responsible for numerous functions taking place that are necessary for optimum health.

WHAT IS ESTROGEN?

    Estrogen is a hormone produced in the body. Estrogen is to a woman what testosterone is to a man. However, both women and men have some of each, but women have more. It is the basic female sex hormone and is responsible for the development of female characteristics. It is balanced in healthy individuals by progesterone.

WHAT ARE XENO-ESTROGENS?

    These are synthetic compounds that occur as a result of petrochemical industries and environmental pollution. When ingested or exposed to our bodies, they act like estrogen and can cause the same negative effects such as the unopposed synthetic estrogen that is prescribed by physicians.

WHAT ARE PROGESTINS?

    Progestins are synthetic compounds that are intended to mimic the actions of natural progesterone. However, they actually cause numerous side effects and should be avoided.

WHAT IS HORMONAL IMBALANCE?

    Hormonal imbalance is a term that has become popular to describe an incorrect relationship that exists between levels of progesterone and estrogen. It occurs in nearly every instance where synthetic hormones are prescribed by physicians.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN "HORMONE CYCLES"?

    During the first half of a woman's monthly cycle her body is prepared for accepting a fertilized egg. As estrogen levels increase during the first half of the cycle, water and nutrient storage takes place. At this point, progesterone begins to become the dominant hormone for the second half of the cycle. If fertilization occurs, progesterone levels increase to very high levels for several months. If fertilization does not occur, levels of both estrogen and progesterone lessen, but progesterone remains dominant.

WHAT IS HRT?

    HRT is an abbreviation for Hormone Replacement Therapy. Several years ago it became popular for doctors to prescribe the hormone estrogen for women with menopausal symptoms. They thought they were replacing the hormones lost with the advent of menopause. Contemporary physicians now know that estrogen is not the hormone needing to be replaced. They are becoming increasingly aware that it is progesterone that is desperately in need of replacing. So, when synthetic estrogen is given, it actually aggravates the symptoms all the more. Later, these synthetic estrogen products were formulated to include synthetic progestins to offset some of the bad effects of estrogen dominance. This vicious cycle is just now beginning to be understood with the advent of natural progesterone.

WHAT BENEFITS CAN I EXPECT FROM NATURAL PROGESTERONE?

    There is much evidence that men and women, especially women, suffer from reduced levels of progesterone. Keeping progesterone levels to optimum levels can help fight depression and anxiety, increase sexual libido, prevent bone loss (osteoporosis), fight aging skin, wrinkles and brown spots, help oxygenation of cells, alleviate sleeplessness, control acne, reduce premenstrual discomforts, protect against breast fibroids, reduce hair thinning, reduce hot flashes etc.

WHY NATURAL PROGESTERONE ONLY?

    Synthetic progesterone (progestins) simply do not perform the same functions in the body. They can even lower your levels of progesterone.

Natural progesterone is also a precursor to many other hormones in your body, so it is imperative that it be used in its natural form.

WHAT ABOUT MY EMOTIONS?

    Most women notice a leveling off of their emotions when they get their progesterone levels up to where they should be, especially if they have been a victim of estrogen dominance. Some women actually report a feeling of well-being or euphoria. Thus, it has been dubbed 'the happy hormone.'

SHOULD I USE PROGESTERONE IF I AM ON BIRTH CONTROL PILLS?

    Birth control pills usually contain synthetic progestins. It is not recommended to take them together. Birth control pills have been known to cause many health problems when taken over a long period of time.

DO POST-MENOPAUSAL OR HYSTERECTOMIZED WOMEN STILL PRODUCE HORMONES?

    The best way to describe a hysterectomy is "instant menopause." What is not really understood by most doctors is that the body continues to produce about 40% of the estrogen it had been producing before menopause or hysterectomy, even through the ovaries have been removed. However, progesterone levels decrease more severely. The symptoms usually attributed to low estrogen are really due to a lack of progesterone.

Women who are in this category seem to notice the benefits of natural progesterone much quicker than those who are still menstruating.

CAN I DISCONTINUE HRT?

    Many women now taking estrogen or estrogen combined with progestins are able to discontinue their HRT. Please consult with a medical professional before doing so. It is possible that if adequate natural progesterone levels were present, any needed estrogen could be made from it. Because progesterone sensitizes estrogen receptors, it makes sense to supplement with progesterone rather than estrogen. If you are taking hormone replacements and begin applying progesterone and do not lower your estrogen dosage, you may experience symptoms of estrogen-dominance, so with your doctor's permission, lower your estrogen dose. Continue replacing your HRT with progesterone and after a while you will have discontinued your HRT.

HOW CAN I TELL ABOUT MY PROGESTERONE LEVELS?

    A woman can usually tell by how she feels. However, blood or saliva testing is recommended. (Dr. John Lee recommends only the saliva test.)

WHAT ABOUT ESTROGEN AND CANCER?

    There is no question that estrogen can be linked to certain cancers. For instance, it has been shown to contribute as much as a 30% increase in breast cancer. It has also been shown that as many as two thirds of women taking estrogen develop uterine lining abnormalities. Also, evidence shows that estrogen can be associated with cancer of the bladder, pancreas, cervix, endometrium and brain.

WHAT ABOUT OSTEOPOROSIS?

    It is known that as much as 75% or more of women living in the United States eventually develop osteoporosis. Fortunately, progesterone can stop it and even reverse already existing bone loss.

WHAT ABOUT PMS?

    Estrogen dominance is usually associated with PMS. In the earlier parts of the cycle and just before it begins, progesterone levels are usually low while estrogen levels are beginning to increase. Applying progesterone is one sure way of balancing out the estrogen dominance. Numerous benefits can occur by using a progesterone cream during the month. It is usually recommended to use it each day, except the days of menses.

SHOULD I USE PROGESTERONE?

    It is highly recommended. Due to faulty diets, decreased nutrients in our foods and the stress that we experience, most women have reduced levels of all hormones, but especially progesterone. We are exposed to numerous xeno-estrogens (certain chemicals in the environment that have effects on the body similar to estrogen). Keep in mind that health problems arise from not only the estrogen itself, but from imbalance resulting from a deficiency in progesterone.

IF NATURAL PROGESTERONE IS SO WONDERFUL, WHY ISN'T IT USED BY MY DOCTOR?

   This is the question most frequently asked of Dr. Lee during his more than 30 years of active clinical practice. To quote from Dr. Lee: "The medical-industrial complex refers to the close knit association of organized medicine with the pharmaceutical manufacturers and governmental medical regulatory agencies... The system taken together is neither necessarily corrupt nor evil, but, like any human agency, is subject to the frailties and faults of humankind. Medical research is dependent on the billions of dollars of grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the private pharmaceutical industry. The two are closely interlocked.

   Any given pharmaceutical company, like any private enterprise, must make a profit to stay alive. Profit comes from the sales of patent medicines. The system is not interested in natural (non-patentable) medicines, regardless of their potential health benefits. Thus the flow of research funding does not extend to products which cannot be patented.

    Few people know that the definition of malpractice hinges on whether or not the practice is common among one's medical peers and has little (usually nothing) to do with whether the practice is beneficial or not.  A doctor willing to study, to learn the ins and outs of an alternative medical therapy, and to put what he has learned into practice in helping patients is potentially exposing himself to serious charges of malpractice.

    But what does all this have to do with natural progesterone? The answer is quite simple, really. Ample medical research regarding progesterone was carried on from the 1940's through the 1960's, and amply reported in mainline, recognized medical literature. Since the early 1970's, however, medical research has become much more expensive and the grants subsidizing progesterone research, (or any unpatentable medicine or treatment technique), have dried up and been blown away by the contemporary trade winds of synthetic drugs, particularly the progestins. The potential market for patentable progestins is vast--contraceptive pills, irregular menses, osteoporosis--literally every woman through the age of puberty on is a target for a sale. Do you think the prevailing powers wish to see this lucrative market left to an over-the-counter natural product not in the hands of physician prescribers and not controlled by the pharmaceutical industry?

    Thus, when he (the physician) hears of the use of natural progesterone, he wonders why none of his associates know about it. If it is not commonly know, 'it must in some way be false and/or unproved.' Having given lectures on the role and medical uses of natural progesterone, I have observed numerous instances wherein perfectly fine physicians will inquire about obtaining product for use by their wives or mother-in-law but not for their patients.

    What can account for such behavior by professionals? I suspect that it is fear of alienation from the flock that is paramount in their minds.

    If progestins were the equivalent of natural progesterone in effect and safety, the argument would be moot. But progestins are not the equivalent of natural progesterone and never will be. --Dr. John R. Lee, CA, USA

WHY IS A PREMIUM QUALITY PROGESTERONE CREAM SUPERIOR TO CAPSULES OR SUPPOSITORIES?

    Nature did not intend women to put hormones into their stomachs. Consequently, about 80% of orally administered progesterone is intercepted by the liver and passed out of the body, unused. Progesterone in suppository form is also intercepted by the liver and bound up by the wax vehicle. In either case, because there is no sound basis for putting an extra burden on the liver, informed women have chosen to use a transdermal cream which is almost 100% biologically available, as shown by salivary hormone assays.

WHY PROGESTERONE? ISN'T MEXICAN WILD YAM ENOUGH?

    A component of yam (diosgenin) was, at one time, thought to be converted in the body to progesterone but that has been proven to be unsubstantiated. In fact, while it has certain health benefits, there are no published studies that would allow one to conclude that Mexican Wild Yam will increase progesterone levels in humans or animals. Only supplemental natural progesterone has been demonstrated to increase serum and saliva progesterone levels in women, a fact that is verified by ample clinical and published scientific research.

ARE THERE ANY REPORTED SIDE EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH PROGESTERONE?

    There are no reports of any significant side effects or health problems associated with natural progesterone. However, the Physician's Desk Reference has a long list of side effects and contraindications for what is commonly referred to as progesterone, but which are really synthetics.

SHOULD NATURAL PROGESTERONE BE USED DURING PREGNANCY?

    In his book, Premenstrual Syndrome & You, Neils H. Lauersen, MD, from the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, states that natural progesterone may be helpful to maintain pregnancy. However, synthetic progestagens should not be used because they may adversely affect the developing fetus.

    No adverse effects on fetal development have been reported when natural progesterone was used during pregnancy. Dr. Lauersen says studies on the offspring of women who used natural progesterone during their pregnancies have given birth to especially well-adjusted children. Dr. Dalton summarized her 1968 research of 90 children whose mothers received ante-natal progesterone compared with matched controls. She noted that more children of mothers who had received ante-natal progesterone were still being breast-fed at six months; more were standing and walking at one year; and at nine to 10 years of age, more had demonstrated superior performance, compared to the control group, in academic subjects such as verbal reasoning, English, arithmetic and craft work. Both groups were equally developed in physical education. None of the ante-natal progesterone mothers experienced toxemia during the pregnancy; in the control group, more than half experienced toxemia.

    The natural progesterone cream is not only safe for use during pregnancy, but is also recommended. It is suggested to be used from conception to delivery, applied primarily to the abdomen, breast, lower back and upper thighs (where it will tend to prevent the skin from stretching). For the first 2 trimesters of pregnancy (the first six months), use an average of one-half to three-quarters of a teaspoon, 2-3 times a day (NOTE:  this is not with AIM's Renewed Balance!  You should only use about 1/8 of a teaspoon 2 times per day 3 at most during hard times in the first 3 months - BUT ALWAYS ease down over a week or two when you are discontinuing so that you do not cause a sudden drop in progesterone). During the last trimester (if you decide to continue after the first trimester), apply one teaspoon 2-3 times a day. Discontinue at delivery and resume again at one-quarter teaspoon twice per day beginning one month after delivery. NOTE:  The natural progesterone cream is also useful for post-partum depression which many women experience after childbirth.

WHAT CAUSES UNNATURAL FACIAL HAIR, ESPECIALLY ABOVE MY UPPER LIP?

    This is a condition called 'hirsutism' (defined as excessive growth of facial and body hair). It indicates that there is a hormonal imbalance between estrogen, testosterone (dominant male hormone), and progesterone. As explained previously, progesterone acts as a regulator for the entire endocrine system. A woman who has the hirsute problem probably has PMS too. Both menopausal and menstruating women have reported that abnormal facial hair (and body hair) decreased or completely disappeared after three to six months of regular application of the natural progesterone cream twice a day.

I ALWAYS GET A YEAST INFECTION AFTER I TAKE ANTIBIOTICS OR WHILE I AM ON BIRTH CONTROL PILLS. I HAVE HEARD THAT HORMONES AGGRAVATE YEAST INFECTIONS, IS THIS TRUE?

    Because of the general use of antibiotics given for a variety of conditions without accompanying acidophilus, Candida Albicans, the primary yeast fungus, has become a serious health problem for many women (and men). Candida also aggravates premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Natural progesterone supports all hormone activity in the body, so it acts to strengthen the body's defense (immune) system. However, the synthetic progestagens tend to weaken the immune system and in general should be avoided. The progesterone cream, which contains natural progesterone, can be safely used because it supports the immune system and thereby helps to correct the yeast fungus problems.

MY HANDS AND OTHER JOINTS ARE SWOLLEN AND PAINFUL. I CANNOT MAKE A FIST OR GRASP ANYTHING FIRMLY. WILL THE NATURAL PROGESTERONE CREAM HELP?

    There are reports from people (men and women) who experienced this problem. They claimed that after applying the natural progesterone cream several times a day for five consecutive days and less frequently thereafter, there was a noticeable reduction in swelling and joint pain, and increased hand flexibility occurred.

CAN THE NATURAL PROGESTERONE CREAM BE USED ON ABRASIONS, MUSCLE SORENESS, CUTS AND SKIN ULCERS?

    The natural progesterone cream is reported to alleviate aches and pains from cuts, bruises, lacerations and skin irritations. It has been used to rapidly heal skin ulcers and in some cases has been reported to benefit skin graft operations. People who have muscle fatigue have reported relief from rubbing the natural progesterone cream on the affected area. Incidentally, there have been reports from pet owners that application of the natural progesterone cream is also beneficial to animals with lacerations or skin ulcers. 

INGREDIENTS OF RENEWED BALANCE AND BASIC INFORMATION

Purified Water, Stearal Konium Chloride, Vitamin E, Natural Glycerin, Avocado Oil, Soy Plant Extract, Mexican Wild Yam Root, Aloe Vera Oil, Vitamin A Palmitate, Methylparaben, Carrot Oil, Oil of Lemon Grass.

AIM International uses a 3 step conversion process whereby the ingredients are converted into natural progesterone. There is no progesterone added.

Renewed Balance contains 750 mg. of natural progesterone per ounce. You only need to use 1/8 tsp., preferably at night as it may make you drowsy (and it will make you sleep like a rock!). Rub it into areas of thin skin such as neck, arms, wrists, chest area, face, inner thighs, and stomach. Rotate where you use it for better absorption.