Who Needs Hormones?

Question: I’ve been taking progesterone 250mg / biest 1.25mg, and I talked to my pharmacist to ask what the liquid in my capsules was. It was soybean oil! He gave me the option of whiching to canola oil. I am not thrilled about, but it has to be better than soybean.

Answer:

I agree that soybean oil isn’t what I’d want to be using – and canola isn’t my favorite either. The Compounder uses safflower or olive oil when we make hormones in oil. In fact, we rarely make hormones in an oral oil base. Our preference is for the transdermal creams. The oils seem to be responsible for rapid absorption and spiking of blood levels, with a rapid fall shortly thereafter. When capsules are ordered we prefer to make a slow release formulation – using a methylcellulose filler. It seems to afford a much smoother absorption/elimination profile.

I note that you mentioned “prog250/biest 1.25″. It suggests that you have the estrogens and progesterone mixed in a single capsule.  That doesn’t allow you to use progesterone according to a cycle, while taking estrogens every day. We find that using progesterone according to a cycle to actually mimic the normal rise and fall of that hormone is best. We suggest a small amount daily on days 1 through 12, double that amount on days 13 to 26, then stopping until the first of the month – or day one of the period. Women who have had bad experiences with daily progesterone doses tell me that this cycle system works much better.

Regards,

Larry J. Frieders, RPh
larry @ thecompounder.com  http://www.thecompounder.com
340 Marshall, Unit 100 ~ Aurora, IL 60506  Tel 630-859-0333
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