Progesterone Supplementation

Pharma / TRT
1

Anabolics shut down natural steroid production. Is that the production of testosterone, or the production of all steroids, from cholesterol? My guess is that all steroid production is shut down to some extent. Progesterone is one of the first steroids in the chain of hormone metabolism. Progesterone counters the effects of prolactin, in terms of milk production anyway, so maybe it’d help with tren side effects.

The metabolites of progesterone also have mild anti-seizure activity. Supplementing with progesterone so that it’s at a normal level might help with some anabolics’ side effects. Studies have shown that progesterone causes an antiseizure effect because it’s a prohormone to allopregnanolone. I’d worry about taking too much, then stopping, and then having a higher seizure potential, but studies have shown allopgrenanolone does not cause tolerance. It would also be only to normalize hormone levels, since taking anabolics, I’m sure, lowers pregnanolone. Studies have proven it requires metabolization in order to be effective, it’s be tough to push neuroactive hormones over physiological doses through low dose progesterone supplementation.

Progesterone supplementation seems like it’s actually common for women, there are all sorts of inexpensive creams and vitamins, and there haven’t been any serious side effects, serious enough to keep progesterone from being sold OTC. Can it have adverse side effects in men, though? I thought it was a female-ish hormone. It’s marketed to women, but I don’t see why men can’t take it, and if it’s taken with a low dose of letro or proviron, there wouldn’t be an increase in estrogen.

Can progesterone decrease some of the steroid side effects, or is it a bad idea?

2

Progesterone supplementation makes sense for men who, without the supplementation, have low levels.

I don’t have a specific absolute fact on whether steroid cycles suppress progesterone production (I would also expect pregnenolone production) but my expectation is that you are correct, as low LH should result in low production of these hormones.

I don’t think that progesterone supplementation is a bad idea if the dose used is such as is provided in the transdermal cream products. I don’t know what dosage would be appropriate by injection, but coincidentally I am looking into that at the moment.

3

[quote]Bill Roberts wrote:
Progesterone supplementation makes sense for men who, without the supplementation, have low levels.

I don’t have a specific absolute fact on whether steroid cycles suppress progesterone production (I would also expect pregnenolone production) but my expectation is that you are correct, as low LH should result in low production of these hormones.

I don’t think that progesterone supplementation is a bad idea if the dose used is such as is provided in the transdermal cream products. I don’t know what dosage would be appropriate by injection, but coincidentally I am looking into that at the moment.[/quote]

Testosterone supplementation causes decreased allopregnanolone, causing aggression:
http://www.pnas.org/content/102/6/2135.short?related-urls=yes&legid=pnas;102/6/2135

I wonder if pregnenolone would have an anti-anxiety effect like allopregnanolone, or would have the opposite effect. Supposedly pregnenolone is an inverse agonist on the receptors on which allopregnanolone is an agonist. But, pregnenolone metabolizes into progesterone and then allopregnanolone, so, my guess is, a low does would mostly metabolize into allo, causing an agonist effect. With a high dose of pregnanolone the wouldnt be enough enzyme to metabolize the substrate into allo and the pregnenolone would have the overall effect.

If anyone tries progesterone or pregnanolone, I’d like to hear about the effects, if there are any.

From what I’ve read progesterone doesn’t have agonist or antagonist activity on those receptors, but has some other CNS activity, like vasodialation or silly some shit. But, progesterone is not an antagonist on those receptors, and is only one step from allo rather than two. So, I think progesterone would be a better choice. Progesterone only comes in creams it looks like, while pregnanolone is available in capsuled supplement form. I don’t know what the oral absorption rate of pregnanolone is, though. Wouldn’t it be very low, like other steroids, or is it naturally alkylated? I think birth control pills are methylated progesterone. My guess is progesterone is a safer choice, but pregnanolone comes in capsules and I know of a place to buy pregnanolone dissolved in water. There are other neurosteroids, also.

Is pregnanolone okay dosed SQ if it isn’t an oil preparation?

Also, I didn’t mention it in this thread, but I thought allopregnanolone could maybe be a way to counter tren sides. People talk about the efficiency and safety of information here. Insulin and oral steroids are seen as bad. But, I think dopamine agonists are more dangerous. 99% of people are okay taking them, along with their steroids, and have no adverse reaction. But, there’ll always be someone who casually reads the recommendation to take a DA, misuses it, and has a bad reaction. DAs have a wide range of unpredictable effects, even compared to insulin, but I never see anyone caution about their use. Just, oh yeah, pile a bunch of ergots onto the grams of steroids.

4

The former MAG-10 prosteroid product used pregnenolone to counter the side effects of “1-testosterone.” I considered it a necessary addition to deal with the adverse psychological effects (particularly depression) that tend to be caused by that steroid or by any ester of it, such as we used.

The expected mechanism of action (but not proven) by which 1-T could have been causing the problem was allopregnanolone-like effect. Pregnenolone was chosen to counter that effect and was completely effective in making the MAG-10 prosteroid product suitable for use.

The above, incidentally, is a fact which I think may never have been posted, though we did disclose it in a patent application. We did not promote this as a feature of MAG-10, as we preferred keeping it an in-the-open – if one knew to look – trade secret.

On using allopregnanolone to counter trenbolone side effects: I am very dubious of this. Rather I expect it would be a way to cause depression, at least if one overshot the dose. That is assuming that it is orally bioavailable: I don’t know if it is or isn’t.

The oral bioavailability of pregnenolone is low, but sufficient for dosing to be practical.