# Can oral progesterone lighten periods?



## delightedbutterfly (Oct 5, 2006)

Just started oral progesterone from days 10-21 last month and also started taking half a tab of metformin twice a day. The last year my periods have been off and weird so my Dr wanted me to try and regulate them before we started trying.

My periods have always been really heavy. Like soak through pads type heavy and after having my kids add in tampons don't stay in and blood clots. Because they are so heavy I've been too afraid to try a Diva Cup even though I know they would lessen them. I do use cloth pads at times and they are definitely less but not enough that I fully feel comfortable with them 100% of the time.

However this is my first period since being on the progesterone and it's so light I don't even need a pad at ALL! I have one just in case as I keep expecting it to get heavier but besides a bit of spotting in the morning and one small amount of "flow" into the toilet in the afternoon it's almost like I don't have it.

Is this from the progesterone? The rest of my PMS symptoms have been less too. I'm less angry, way more emotional and have only had a few cramps.


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## pokeyac (Apr 1, 2011)

I would think the progesterone could be causing the change in PMS symptoms for sure, but I don't know how it would affect the thickness of your lining. Estrogen is responsible for building up the lining that is shed. A lot of people take progesterone to start a period if they haven't had one. You take it for 10 days or so and then your period starts whent you stop the medication. So it seems like you should be having your normal AF. Metformin also changes your hormones, but I haven't heard of that side effect.


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## delightedbutterfly (Oct 5, 2006)

Neither has my doctor... She handed me a cup the minute I said it to pee in it, she's pretty sure it's because I'm pregnant... Of course the pregnancy test was negative... I had a raging UTI that I didn't know about though! I had felt fine until later last night... Good thing we caught it because last time I didn't (I don't seem to notice them) and it turned into a really bad kidney infection!

Of course I think it's highly unlikely I'm pregnant. I was also temping and my temp dropped right around the time of the "period" like normal and none of the dates line up... of course what does that really mean







... So I have to go for blood work next week to check for pregnancy and I went to the dollar store and loaded up on tests... I highly doubt it's it, but those are the times it usually is!


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