Does Clomid Address Low Progesterone?
Question
I have been charting for about a year, the Creighton Model of Natural Family Planning/NaProTechnology and from these charts, it would appear that I am low in progesterone. I have not yet been able to get pregnant. My luteal phase is short. I asked my usual OBGYN to give me a progesterone test on P+10 and found out that I am indeed low on progesterone. The doctor wants to start me on Clomid, but what I wonder is why not Clomid AND progesterone together, so if I do conceive, I would have a lesser chance of miscarrying? I am 39 years old. Does Clomid automatically have an effect on progesterone, and if so, is it sufficient to help the progesterone issue?
Thank you for considering this question.
Elena
Answer
Last Updated: December 13, 2014
Dear Elena,
Your concerns are reasonable, and if your progesterone levels are low, that needs to be addressed. Clomid alone would provide inadequate protection against an increased risk of miscarriage due to low progesterone. On our website, www.canfp.org you will find several responses by NaPro trained physicians which explain the recommended protocols for evaluating progesterone levels, and supplementing with a bio-identical progesterone. You can find these responses by looking under the appropriate category, or searching by a keyword, such as progesterone.
You mention you have short luteal phases, but I wonder how short, as you had the levels drawn on Peak plus ten. A normal range for the luteal phase is 9-17 days, and so yours is within the normal range, though if they are consistently only 9-10 days, for instance, they would be on the shorter end of normal, to be sure. You also only had the level checked on one day, and it was rather late in the luteal phase. One can get a more complete picture of the progesterone levels if several measurements are taken during the luteal phase, and Pope Paul VI Institute would check the levels on Peak plus 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11. If you are only checking the level on one day, Peak plus seven would be preferable to Peak plus ten.
If you have access to a physician who is trained to interpret your Creighton Model charts, you most certainly would benefit from a consultation. Another possibility is consulting directly with the Pope Paul VI Institute. You will find their contact information on our links page at www.canfp.org and your FertilityCare Practitioner can assist you in accessing this service. Or perhaps your physician will be open to consulting Dr. Hilger’s protocols for evaluating and treating inadequate luteal phases for enhancing fertility and reducing risk of miscarriage, as found in his book “The Medical and Surgical Applications of NaProTechnology”.
I wish you well!
Sheila St. John
Your concerns are reasonable, and if your progesterone levels are low, that needs to be addressed. Clomid alone would provide inadequate protection against an increased risk of miscarriage due to low progesterone. On our website, www.canfp.org you will find several responses by NaPro trained physicians which explain the recommended protocols for evaluating progesterone levels, and supplementing with a bio-identical progesterone. You can find these responses by looking under the appropriate category, or searching by a keyword, such as progesterone.
You mention you have short luteal phases, but I wonder how short, as you had the levels drawn on Peak plus ten. A normal range for the luteal phase is 9-17 days, and so yours is within the normal range, though if they are consistently only 9-10 days, for instance, they would be on the shorter end of normal, to be sure. You also only had the level checked on one day, and it was rather late in the luteal phase. One can get a more complete picture of the progesterone levels if several measurements are taken during the luteal phase, and Pope Paul VI Institute would check the levels on Peak plus 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11. If you are only checking the level on one day, Peak plus seven would be preferable to Peak plus ten.
If you have access to a physician who is trained to interpret your Creighton Model charts, you most certainly would benefit from a consultation. Another possibility is consulting directly with the Pope Paul VI Institute. You will find their contact information on our links page at www.canfp.org and your FertilityCare Practitioner can assist you in accessing this service. Or perhaps your physician will be open to consulting Dr. Hilger’s protocols for evaluating and treating inadequate luteal phases for enhancing fertility and reducing risk of miscarriage, as found in his book “The Medical and Surgical Applications of NaProTechnology”.
I wish you well!
Sheila St. John
Answered By:
Sheila St. John
Sheila St. John is the Executive Director of the California Association of Natural Family Planning, coordinating the non-profit’s education and advocacy efforts throughout the state. Initially attracted to NFP as a healthy, effective method for planning families, drug, device and surgery free, her passion for NFP has grown over the last 42 years as she has journeyed with the over 900 couples she has personally instructed in its use, and been privileged to witness its role in overcoming infertility, women’s health, and the transformation that occurs in lives of men, women, and families, when we embrace God’s design for love and life.
