QuestionQUESTION: Hi Norman. I am back for another question. I used Provera to bring on a period which it did which point to the fact that I'm not ovulating and therefor have low progesterone levels (effect of stoppping birth control pill months back). Does B6 help raise progesterone levels by acting on the pituitary gland? I want to raise my levels without having to take provera every month. Is Provera meant to "jumpstart" my cycle so that hopefully i will ovulate on my own next month? Should I try B6? Thanks again so much.
ANSWER: Hi Cat,
The cause of the low progesterone is that you're not ovulating (progesterone normally starts rising due to ovulation). The cause of not ovulating is sometimes hard to know (stress, weight gain or loss, thyroid problems). I'm not aware of studies showing B6 will help, but I'm sure it wouldn't hurt. I don't think the ovulation problem has anything to do with stopping birth control pills in the past. Provera won't jump start your system, just replace the progesterone your ovaries aren't making. We don't know how to jump start it, unless we find a reason and can treat that. If you want to get pregnant you can use Clomid each month to cause ovulation, but that's a month by month thing. If you stop you're back where you were. If you don't want to get pregnant now, you could take the Provera every 2 months or so to bring on a period. Not ovulating temporarily is fairly common and not a serious problem. Good luck.
Norman
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QUESTION: Thanks Norman once agian for the helpful answer. Do you know anything abnout the benefits of taking Vitex to help with low progsterone levels? I've dont a lot of research and it seems to be good for acting on the pituitary gland to aid in progesterone production. Any insight? I'm not trying to get pregnant just yet, but am just trying to get my body on a regular cycle again after being on the pill for 4 years so I'll be ready for when I want to get pregnant. Thanks again.
AnswerVitex is an herb that has been around for hundreds of years. I'm not aware of any controlled studies to show that it works. It is said to act on the pituitary to help progesterone production, but the only way that could happen to my knowledge is if it acted to produce ovulation. It is ovulation that causes progesterone production, not the other way around. You may want to ask a naturopathic physician, since this is really out of my expertise. I think it's safe to take, but I have no idea if it will do any good. In general I would say stay as healthy as you can (eat well, exercise, deal with stress) and the rest will take care of itself. Good luck.
Norman
