Expert: Rebecca Carte - 4/3/2006

Question
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Followup To
Question -  

Hi Rebecca, Thanks so much for your answer to my question Re: Clomid dosing. You gave a little peace of mind as well as hope. I hope you don't mind me asking anothe question. I was wondering if you know if a person can have positive progesterone withdrawal bleeds but then suddenly get a negative one? The reason I ask this is because I am now taking the Provera 10mg for 10 days to trigger a period then start my Clomid at a 100mg. But I had the negative withdrawal bleed on the Prometrium in February. I have had 3 positive Provera challenges in the past. I am now on my 4th day of the Provera and so far I have no symptoms. Looking back in my notes, I noticed that the last time I took Provera, I had breast tenderness starting on the second day of taking the Provera. I did not have any breast tenderness with the Prometrium.

Once again, Thank you ever so much for provding this service!
Minh Nguyen

Answer
When you are taking a progesterone challenge, you are measuring hormones.  We as women deal with many hormones in our bodies and they surge and they fall all through out the month, the years, and the courses of our lifetimes.  It's probably fair to say that they aren't going to stay the same at any given time.  As we get older, they change with us, otherwise we would never hit puberty, prepare for motherhood, or menopause.  

It is always possible that you can have a positive withdrawal bleed and then have a negative one.  Your hormone levels can be different from one month to the next.  For several months you can be similar and then change.  Your reaction to the same medications can be different after awhile as your body reacts differently over time.  It's just like a child who takes antibiotics.  They may do great on the first three courses of penicillin and then the fourth course may not work as well and they need to switch to a higher dosage or a different medication all together.  This may be because their body has changed some how or because their condition has changed somehow.  

This is exactly why we always tell people who take fertility medications to never, ever self medicate because you never know from one cycle to the next what you are going to need and only your doctor can help you determine this.  It's great that you take notes on your cycle.  It's going to help you see how your body is changing over time and help you and your physician see what it going on over time.  

I never mind you asking more questions.  Feel free to ask all you like and if I can answer them, I'll always do my best!  I just hope my answers help you in some way.  

~Rebecca