In my post Progesterone, I talked about my own experience with taking the hormone progesterone. Fertility specialists often prescribe progesterone supplements a few days after possible conception until either early in the pregnancy or a negative pregnancy test result. The progesterone supports the embryo until the umbilical cord is formed.
While I was sharing my story, I did not get into the different types of progesterone supplements that are available. During the course of my fertility treatments, my doctors prescribed progesterone to me in three different forms. I also include a fourth type, which I did not use.
Oral Tablets
My first experience with taking progesterone was as oral tablets. I had a hard time taking progesterone this way. The drug made me feel very depressed, and the last thing I needed was to feel more depressed at this time in my life. As much as I disliked the clomid, it preferred it to the deep depression of progesterone. I do not know how common this side effect is, but it was a problem for me.
Vaginal Creams
My doctor switched me over to a cream version of progesterone. I do not know if this version is still in use or not. It was similar to a cream for yeast infections. This version did not affect my emotions, so I definitely preferred it to the tablets. However, the cream was kind of messy, which was not a lot of fun.
Vaginal Suppositories
When I saw a different fertility specialist, he switched me over to the suppository type. He was clear that these were vaginal suppositories, even though they are shaped just like the traditional ones. Like the cream, it did not affect me emotionally, for which I was grateful. However, it was somewhat messy as well. (If you use this type of progesterone, be sure to wear a mini pad.)
This type of progesterone needs to be refrigerated because of the wax in the suppositories. This made for an interesting business trip during my infertility days. I had to lug a cooler onto an airplane and request a refrigerator for my hotel room.
Oil Injections
According to FertilityCommunity.com, progesterone is also available as an oil injection. I never took progesterone in this form, so I cannot speak to any side effects. No injections are fun because…well, they are shots, after all.
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