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Last Updated:
Jan 3rd, 2010 - 00:09:53
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Question
Hi there, I have had IVF, and have done a home pregnancy test which shows positive. Would taking Cyclogest show a positive pregnancy any way, even if you are not pregnant? I had the implants 10 days ago, and am going for a blood test in a weeks time to confirm a pregnancy. I don't think it does by reading the information, but wanted to know for sure in case it can give a false reading due to this progesterone.
Answer
Cyclogest is a natural progesterone supplement which comes in a pessary form for insertion into the vagina. It is most commonly used to help prevent miscarriage in patients undergoing IVF. Progesterone in secreted by the corpus luteum following ovulation in the normal menstrual cycle. The corpus luteum secretes this hormone for approximately 14 days, then it degenerates and the level of progesterone in the body falls off. This loss of progesterone causes the sloughing of the inner lining of the uterus (which is the menstrual period). If a woman becomes pregnant, then the hormone hCG is secreted by the newly formed child. The hCG stimulates the corpus luteum to continue secreting progesterone, which allows for the continued support of the lining of the uterus and allows the embryo to implant and survive.
By the end of the first trimester, the placenta begins secreting its own progesterone, and the corpus luteum is no longer needed. A common reason for early miscarriage is inadequate secretion of progesterone by the corpus luteum. This is why progesterone supplementation is commonly given early in pregnancy to woman who are at high risk for miscarriage. It is the hCG that is detected by pregnancy testing, not progesterone. Use of Cyclogest would therefore NOT cause a positive pregnancy test. I would recommend that the progesterone levels in your pregnancy be measured and supplementation provided according to whether and how much is needed. This is an integral part of NaPro Technology, the new science that is ordered towards diagnosing and treating problems associated with a woman's menstrual cycle and fertillity.
John Gisla, MD, NFPMC, Board Certified by the American Academy of Family Physicians,
and Certified as a Medical Consultant for Natural Family Planning and NaPro Technology
by the Pope Paul VI Institute, is in private practice in the Sacramento region.
© Copyright 2005 by CANFP
The information on this page and web site is for informational purposes only,
and is not a substitute for medical diagnosis and treatment by a physician.
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