Ok Dear Aussie Mom,

When I got the book, it's 500 pages, I zipped to the 'how to use the progesterone cream' chapter, slapped on my cream and went out like a bike ride, like I told you. Again, most of the creams you order on line or in the store will have directions for use as well. You can also reach me on facebook for questions...
https://www.facebook.com/karen.sharp.35
Just send a message.

Even those doctors that will give you progesterone cream (prescription), they like to give you the pill. (Dr. Lee recommends the cream because there is less wear and tear on the liver.) See Frequently asked questions, "Wouldn't it just be easier to take the pill?"
http://www.johnleemd.com/store/faqs_progest_crm.html

And you're not considering HRT, Dear Aussie Mom, you're merely considering BHRT, biodentical hormone replacemement therapy Not many studies on it here in America 'cause that's not where the money is, but supposedly there have been some in Europe. I never bothered to research 'cause I told you where my anguish was, I was just willing to try it on myself. Oh heck, it's made from wild yams. How the heck can a wild yam hurt you, really?!!! (Just my opinion as a sufferer and nothing else.)

Again, don't forget about the diatomaceous earth, "the mud." I've come here before and mentioned progesterone, which I am betting will take you a long way towards you goal, but don't forget there is something else beyond that. Particularly when you get further into menopause, when the estrogen levels drop to that menopausal level - don't forget KarenEVP told you about something else 'cause it's important.

And about those heel spurs; Plantar Fasciitis feels like you are walking on a screw that is in the bottom of each shoe, if that's what you have. If your feet feel just hot - that could be PN 'cause I've had something similar. One time I took my shoes off and my feet were bright red. They felt hot as heck. I believed that was PN, not menopause, but who knows, you could be right and I could be wrong!

But I was teaching school and got Plantar Fasciitis really bad - no insurance at the time, so I went to Doctor Google. I found that coconut oil can relieve that... and actually, it went away. But for anyone with Plantar Fasciitis, they could try three of these a day, the brand I used
http://www.swansonvitamins.com/sourc...FSqXOgodCS4AwA
I was hardly able to walk to the mailbox, then after three days, I was out mowing the lawn! This was early 40's, long before PN. Again, this is just something I googled and tried that worked for me, no other claim to expertise here either.

When my knees became worse near this past Christmas, I started just walking instead of biking. Next thing I knew, back came the heel spurs and now I can't take coconut oil because of the PN so thank God for the mud (Diatomaceous Earth) has had the same effect!

And sounds like you're all set to get started on hormones! Never let anyone give you estrogen without progesterone. If GP wants to prescribe progesterone, he'll give you the oral pill. In my humble opinion, if you're not having menopausal insomnia, go with the over the counter cream. When they give you the oral progesterone, it only lasts the night, gone in the morning. Doc's claim it lasts 24 hours, it doesn't. He's never going to take it so he won't know. Doc's like to give you the oral progesterone because that way they are in control of the dose that you are taking, the milligrams. Dr. Lee says you should control the dose (use the cream) so that you can use the lowest amount that relieves your symptoms. Taking too much can just cause greater hormonal imbalance and more problems. You are gonna' be the one who figures out how much cream you need, not your GP.

Don't ever let anyone prescribe you estrogen without progesterone to balance it out. That is a mistake per Dr. Lee's book that I told you about. That would mean your GP doesn't know a thing about what he's doing. Go to a gynocologist at least that is friendly to hopefully bioidentical hormones and get them to give you help.

Or do what I did, just get the book and the over the counter cream!

Also if you do get the progesterone pill and it wears out by morning like I told you it will, my doctor friend told me I could still take the 1/4 teaspoon of cream in the morning, the over the counter progesterone. Your doc won't tell you that because again, they want to be the one to control the dose you take, not you, the patient, like Dr. Lee's book explains.

Most sources say you can't take the oral progesterone pill and the over the counter cream; doctors, you'll see it on websites, etc. I'm just telling you what I was told by a doctor I knew as a personal friend as I've already mentioned.

Also, if you are still perimenopausal, you may only need 1/8 tsp. of over the counter cream to start, not 1/4. If that doesn't stop your neuropathy pain or greatly reduces it, then go with 1/4.

This are just some tips to get you started.

Go back in time Aussie Mom, back before you had PN and good luck to you.