What Causes Low Progesterone Levels Inspite Of Trying To Conceive?

Posted on Mon, 16 Mar 2015

Question: Please help I have a regular 27-30 day cycle and always have done. I am trying to conceive and in the back of my mind I worry I don't ovulate, hence I went to the doctors and he did a day 21 progesterone, which came back at less than 1, so this means I did not ovulate. I am now on day 33 of my cycle and still have not had a period. I am out of my mind with worry. As the progesterone is so low I don't think I am pregnant but I am worried now my period won't come back. I am also worried that I may be go through Menopause, though I have no symptoms. There is no history of early menopause my mum and her mum were in their 50s. Is pregnancy a possibility?

Answered by Dr. Vjollce Mbiarra (35 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
We can't exclude pregnancy ,even if you have low progesterone

Detailed Answer:
Hi dear and thanks for your query.

If your progesterone level is less than 1 ng/ml chances to be pregnant are very low but there are many cases that women have low progesterone and are pregnant.

Hence take a pregnancy test at home and confirm /exclude pregnancy.

If it is negative and your progesterone level is less than one this doesn't mean that you don't ovulate all the time and you are near menopause. There are lot of variations in progesterone levels taken on the 21st day as even the time of collecting blood sample is very important. Progesterone secretion varies at different parts of day. So generally nowadays they are not taken so seriously to assess ovulation.

But contact with a gynecologist because you may have to be treated with progesterone therapy.

All the best

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Pradeep Vitta