117: Everything you need to know about progesterone and PCOS with Dr Samina Mitha

The PCOS Nutritionist Podcast

Recurrent miscarriages?
Sore boobs?
Long periods?
Anovulatory cycles?
Spotting for more than two days before your period?
Mood all over the place?
Getting PMS in the week before your period?
Struggling with weight gain?
Libido on the floor? Feel like you’re retaining a heap of water?
Struggling with hirsutism?
Noticed you struggle with getting a good sleep in the lead up to your period?

There’s something in common with all of these — progesterone. Specifically, not enough of it.

A symptom of PCOS that’s rarely talked about is low progesterone and as you can see from me asking all of those symptom questions, it’s intertwined with a lot of frustrating symptoms that many people with PCOS experience.

You MUST ovulate in order to produce progesterone. Your doctor may have tested you on Day 21 of your cycle and said you don’t have anything to worry about or they’ve given you some progestin medication to use – but there are some major pitfalls here, especially when it comes to PCOS

Because I’ve had SO many questions about progesterone since Samina and I recorded our original episode waaaay back in January 2021, I thought what better way to answer all of your juicy questions than bring back the progesterone queen herself! In this episode we dive deep into the world of progesterone and talk specifically about it as well in relation to PCOS — an area that we both work in and a condition that we know well, because we both have it!

If you resonate with any of the symptoms I listed, this is an episode you’re definitely going to want to tune in for!

This episode is for you if:

• You know or think your progesterone is low via a blood tests or symptoms
• You’re struggling to ovulate or don’t think you are ovulating
• You want to know how you can improve your progesterone naturally
• You’ve come off hormonal birth control recently
• Your doctor has suggested or prescribed you provera
• You’ve been having recurrent miscarriages

Some things we cover in this episode:

• Why progesterone is often low in people with PCOS
• Do you ovulate later if you have low progesterone?
• Progesterone and pregnancy
• Progestin vs Bioidentical progesterone
• Bleeding when taking progesterone — is it a withdrawal bleed or a true period? How can you tell?
• How to use progesterone if you have had no period post pill
• Symptoms of low progesterone
• Can progesterone worsen acne?
• Can you have too much progesterone?
• Ways to support progesterone production with nutrition
• How can you improve progesterone naturally

Resources and References:

• The other episode I did with Dr Samina — 68: All about Progesterone: why it may be low, why it’s important and how to improve your levels with Dr. Samina Mitha
• Dr. Samina’s website
• Dr. Samina’s Instagram
• Cyclical Progesterone Therapy
• Dr Jerrilyn Prior
• My Book: Getting Pregnant with PCOS

Links to our programs:

• The PCOS Protocol
• Eggducated

Links to our social media:

• Instagram