Progesterone Puzzle: Could your levels be too low or high?

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Progesterone is a hormone that could be thrown off just by everyday life. Without knowing the symptoms of high or low progesterone, complications can occur. 

Estrogen is the hormone that regulates the menstrual cycle while progesterone is the hormone that supports pregnancy. Both are necessary for a normal, healthy lifestyle. If these are thrown off, you could see symptoms such as abnormal bleeding and even facial hair growth.

One major contributing factor could be the birth control you’re taking. 

It is not uncommon to be prescribed birth control for a wide variety of reasons besides contraception. If you’re using birth control for something other than family planning, and you are having symptoms, you should consider possible causes. 

“Going off birth control is the top thing that I would recommend for women to do,” according to Jennifer Woodward, a local functional diagnostic nutritionist and hormone specialist.

“It really is a detriment to your hormones and to your health.”

This would coincide with optimizing your diet, your stress management, and your rest.

Progesterone raises your metabolism levels, too. Without it, it could be harder to lose weight. 

“If you’re using the pill for contraception, just know that there are other options available to you,” Woodward said.

There are only six days a month when a woman can be pregnant within a regular menstrual cycle. Because of this, lots of women are ditching the everyday pill for other methods, such as the Basal Body Method. This is where the temperature of the body gauges if a woman is ovulating or not. 

“So in the luteal phase, after the body starts producing progesterone, you are raising your body temperature about half a degree. And if you can track that and realize most of the time you’re at 98 degrees and then in your luteal phase, you’re at 98.5 degrees, you can tell ovulation has occurred that you are having a normal menstrual cycle and you can use that information to now prevent pregnancy or to optimize fertility in the next couple of cycles,” Woodward explained.  

It all surrounds your symptoms– if you find that you’re thriving on the plethora of birth control prescriptions available- wonderful. If not, and you have symptoms, you’re not alone. Contact your OBGYN and conduct a hormone panel as soon as possible.