The following symptoms and diseases respond to progesterone therapy, if they are hormone related. It is important to remember that progesterone is not a drug, it is a hormone vital to our well being.

Please click a letter to show symptoms and diseases begining with that letter (if you cannot click a letter, it means that section is empty):

SAD (seasonal affective disorder)

This depression is caused by the long nights experienced in high latitudes. Normal treatment is to make the sufferer extend the daylight hours with artificial lighting. Researchers have found that long nights cause a drop in the level of progesterone in the blood. One is tempted to speculate that SAD is not caused by the long nights but by the drop in progesterone. People have lived for centuries in high latitudes without suffering SAD, why now? Again it is tempting to draw a correlation between the incidence of SAD and the rise in environmental oestrogens.

Prevention : SAD responds to between 20 to 200mg/day of progesterone (see depression).

Skin disorders

These are: acne; facial pigment; erythema; herpes simplex; urticaria; psoriasis; neurodermititis, rosacea; seborrhea; keratoses; dryness; early aging; excessive bruising. The preceding list of problems can occur due to a lack of progesterone. Omega 3 also plays a large role in keeping the skin healthy. Progesterone receptors have been found in the skin, which explains why the skin responds to daily applications. It also explains why some of the symptoms become worse in women during the premenstruum. As progesterone strengthens collagen and increases the turnover of cells, the skin becomes softer and stronger. 70% of the skin is collagen, as is 20% of the entire body. Oestrogen on the other hand accelerates the aging of collagen which thins the skin. It also causes water to be retained in the cells thereby plumping them up and giving the appearance of youth by ironing out the wrinkles.

Prevention : The above problems have in many people responded to progesterone therapy. 20mg/day is usually enough, more might be needed if the problems are severe. There are many nutrients needed to keep skin healthy. The cell membranes are made from the essential fats Omega 3 and 6. Vitamin C is involved in the making of collagen. Vitamin A controls keratin accumulation which would result in thickened skin. A lack of zinc results in poor healing, leading to such problems as acne. The skin is exposed on a daily basis to an increasing level of free radicals so the anti-oxidants are essential for skin health.