Progesterone Questions, Answered: Your Follow-Up Q&A
Our last webinar, Missing the Mark on Progesterone: What Most Menopause Doctors Get Wrong,” sparked incredible discussion, and more questions than we could possibly answer in one session.
So we decided to host a special follow-up Q&A where Dr. Phyllis Bronson, Carol Petersen, RPh, and Jill Chmielewski, RN, tackled your top questions about progesterone. Whether you attended the first session or are joining us for the first time, this webinar will provide even deeper insight into the hormone that’s often misunderstood but is essential to women’s health.
About Phyllis Bronson, PhD
Phyllis Bronson, Ph.D., holds a doctorate in biochemistry. Her ongoing research involves studying the biological impact of molecules on mood and emotion. Dr. Bronson works with women who have hormone-based mood disorders, utilizing her original research on human identical hormones. She lives in Aspen, Colorado, and is President of Biochemical Consulting and The Biochemical Research Foundation. Dr. Bronson is the author of Moods, Emotions, and Aging: Hormones and the Mind-Body Connection, and has authored many articles, which can be found here.
About Carol Petersen, RPh, CNP
Carol Petersen is an accomplished compounding pharmacist with decades of experience helping patients improve their quality of life through bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy and is a Certified Nutritional Practitioner. Her passion for optimizing health and commitment to compounding is evident in her involvement with organizations including the International College of Integrated Medicine and the American College of Apothecaries, the Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M), American Pharmacists Association and the Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding.
She was also the founder and first chair for the Compounding Special Interest Group with the American Pharmacists Association. She chairs the Integrated Medicine Consortium, an umbrella group for complementary medicine organizations. She cohosts a radio program, “Take Charge of Your Health,” in the greater New York area. She is on the Medical Advisory Boards for the Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research (CeMCOR.ca) and the Institute for Bioidentical Medicine (IOBIM.org). She also writes and edits for A4M’s website www.worldhealth.net and is a co-producer of “Immortality Now” podcasts. She offers personal consultations at www.thewellnessbydesignproject.com.
Video Timestamps
[00:00:06] Welcome and Introduction
[00:02:48] Introduction to our Guest Experts
[00:05:17] When Noise Drowns Out Knowledge: Why the Loudest Voices Aren’t Always the Wisest in Menopause
[00:10:41] Beyond Good and Evil: There are Shades of Gray in Hormone Science
[00:13:31] Question: Are there any progesterone protocols related to transitioning a patient off an SSRI? So an antidepressant, even if her progesterone levels on Dutch look adequate.
[00:19:10] Question: Is it true that oral progesterone more than 200 mg causes breast inflammation?
[00:21:45] Question: How do you know if you are getting enough progesterone? And is there a certain ratio of progesterone to estrogen?
[00:24:34] Setting the record straight: Progesterone and Progestins Are Not the Same Thing
[00:26:20] Contrary to What You’ve Heard: Transdermal Progesterone Does Get Absorbed—Even If You Can’t Measure It
[00:31:31] Question: Why do some women experience excessive grogginess or experience when using progesterone?
[00:34:39] Question: Is it true that too much progesterone will downregulate estrogen receptors and cause symptoms of estrogen deficiency? Why do some women experience symptoms of progesterone intolerance?
[00:39:03] Question: We see some women who have an instant positive response to higher doses of progesterone. They say it's life-changing when they start it, and then after a couple of months, they start to feel like it's not working. Do you know why this happens or what we can do about it?
[00:46:44] Question: I can't afford compounded vaginal progesterone. Is absorption a problem using the Prometrium capsules vaginally?
[00:50:32] Challenges in Accessing Hormone Therapy
[00:51:09] Question: When using transdermal application, does the concentration and size of the skin area of application matter?
[00:52:50] Question: How important is it to rotate the site of application when applying hormones to the skin?
[00:56:32] The Progesterone, Cortisol, and the Inflammation Connection
[01:00:48] Question: Does low estrogen in a menopausal woman mean progesterone doesn't work sufficiently?
[01:04:02] Question: I was on Prometrium for about 7 years, 100mg and 200 mg, and struggled with getting less sleep, so she stopped it, and her sleep has gotten better. Why might that be?
[01:04:58] Question: Does progesterone make you more insulin resistant?
[01:06:49] The truth about transdermal progesterone and endometrial protection
[01:10:40] Tip: When you've been progesterone-deficient for a long time and not cycling, and you put progesterone in for the first time, and you have enough progesterone, it will cause a bleed.
[01:14:06] Question: Can progesterone cause uterine fibroids to grow? We expanded the discussion to the topic of meningiomas.
[01:19:10] Discussion of hormone therapy for different age groups (teenage girls and women in their older adult years)
[01:23:40] Progesterone for colicky babies, children, and adults with ADHD
[01:25:03] Progesterone for Men
[01:32:15] Wrap-up
Links mentioned in the webinar
Evidence-Based Deprescribing SSRIs (on Carol’s website)
Progesterone Deficiency Symptoms (on Carol’s website)
Knowing what is in your HRT - Link to download my FDA-approved HRT Ingredient list.
Bioidentical Hormones 101 by Dr. Jeffrey Dach - An incredible and well researched book with a brilliant chapter on breast cancer and HRT
The Institute of Bioidentical Medicine (IOBIM) was founded by Dr. Daved Rosensweet.
Ona’s Naturals - offers over-the-counter topical progesterone
Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It by Dr. David Brownstein
For more information on this topic, see our other webinars:
Missing the Mark on Progesterone: What Most Menopause Doctors Get Wrong
Disclaimer: This webinar is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to replace personalized medical advice or individualized care. It is meant to help you understand your physiology, explore evidence-based options, and make informed choices about your health and wellness. Healthcare should be a partnership, not a permission slip, and proactive care is just as essential as treatment. Use this information to engage in open, collaborative discussions with your provider or to make empowered decisions that align with your own values, goals, and comfort level. You are the ultimate authority on your body.