Missing the Mark on Progesterone: What Most Menopause Doctors Get Wrong
2025-09-10 10:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Online
Featuring Dr. Phyllis Bronson & Carol Petersen, RPh | Hosted by Jill Chmielewski
September 10, 2025 at 10am MST/11 am CST
Introduction (Jill)

Welcome audience, introduce Phyllis & Carol.
Context: After the 2002 WHI study, menopause medicine was largely abandoned. Training stopped, myths spread, and providers were taught incomplete or inaccurate information, especially about progesterone.
Purpose: To shine a light on overlooked truths, answer common questions, and empower both providers & women to make informed choices.

The Progesterone “Bombshell” (Phyllis)
Prompt: “Many women are told that transdermal progesterone doesn’t really absorb, doesn’t impact mood or sleep, and doesn’t protect the uterine lining. What are your thoughts about that?”

Debunk the myth of poor absorption.
Share evidence of therapeutic levels, GABA receptor impact, calming vs. sedative effects.
Discuss clinical use of transdermal vs. oral, or in combination (i.e., what does progesterone prescribing look like in your practice(s) – Phyllis and Carol.

Common Myths & Misconceptions (Carol)
Prompt: “Many women are told that progesterone is only made after ovulation, only needed to protect the uterine lining, or isn’t necessary without a uterus. What are your thoughts about that?”

Clarify physiology: progesterone levels through the menstrual cycle, progesterone-to-estrogen ratios and ranges (ng/mL vs. pg/mL) – Address the “luteal phase only” myth.
Explain the importance of progesterone beyond the uterine lining: brain, bones, mood, and receptors.

Dosing Concerns & Clinical Judgment
Prompt: “Many women are told they only need very low doses, like 100 mg, or that if they don’t have a uterus, they don’t need progesterone at all. As experts, what are your thoughts about that?”

Are women being underdosed compared to physiology?
When to consider higher doses, cycling, or alternative routes.
How do women know if their dose is optimal?

Prompt: Many women say that they feel worse after starting progesterone, such as increased anxiety, achy, reflux, flu-ish, constipation, increased brain fog, or that their symptoms return after a few months. They often are told that they are “progesterone intolerant” and that they should switch straight to a synthetic progestin or a progestin-containing IUD. As experts, what are your thoughts about that?”

Why side effects may occur.
How to distinguish true intolerance vs dose/route issues.

Clinical pearls for managing side effects or intolerance (grogginess, reflux, worsening PMDD) – Differentiating intolerance vs estrogen rebound effects.
Touch on why providers confuse progesterone with progestins.

Prompt: “Many women are told that bleeding after starting progesterone, or even losing their cycles, is abnormal. As experts, what are your thoughts about that?”

Normal vs concerning bleeding.
Does bleeding or spotting always mean more progesterone is needed ot balance estrogen’s stimulatory effects on the uterine lining?
Does progesterone suppress ovulation or cycles?

Hormone Testing
Prompt: “Many women are told that serum testing is the best way to track progesterone therapy. As experts, what are your thoughts about that?”

Limitations of serum testing.
What really matters: receptor activity vs numbers.
When testing may or may not add value, and what type of testing do you recommend?

Special Populations & Clinical Considerations
Prompt: “Many women are told that progesterone has no role in younger women, or conditions like endometriosis, PMS, postpartum, pregnancy, or even after breast cancer. As experts, what are your thoughts about that?”

Endometriosis & endometrial hyperplasia.
PMS, PMDD, premenstrual seizures.
Breast cancer risk & protective evidence.
Other clinical applications for progesterone, such as post-concussion syndrome, post-stroke, etc.

Closing (Jill)

Reiterate why this conversation matters: misinformation harms women by creating fear and limiting options.
Invite attendees to carry this knowledge forward – providers in their practices, as well as women in their healthcare decisions.

Registration Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3e4e0rmbTeGVLWKb4TF2Ew
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Q&A with Carol Petersen
2025-10-10 16:00 - 17:00 | Online
Join us for this engaging live Q&A session, recorded in real-time on Zoom. Carol will be ready to dive into your questions on perimenopause, progesterone, and PMDD—bring them on!

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Progesterone Questions, Answered: Your Follow-Up Q&A
2025-10-17 10:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
Our last webinar sparked incredible discussion, and more questions than we could possibly answer in one session.
Join us for a special follow-up Q&A where Dr. Phyllis Bronson, Carol Petersen, RPh, and Jill Chmielewski, RN, will tackle your top questions about progesterone. Whether you attended the first session or are joining us for the first time, this live event will provide even deeper insight into the hormone that’s often misunderstood but is essential to women’s health.
REGISTER TODAY – ATTENDANCE IS FREE
A replay of this webinar will be available.
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Everything Breast Cancer
2026-04-17 08:00 - 2026-04-19 17:00 | Online
I’m excited to be speaking at **Everything Breast Cancer – CME**, a groundbreaking 20-hour online live CME course hosted by Dr. Devaki Lindsey Berkson, taking place April 17–19, 2026.
This intensive event brings together leading experts to tackle one of the most challenging and controversial topics in modern oncology: the safe and effective use of hormones and integrative therapies for breast cancer patients and those at high risk. With a focus on real-world protocols, case-rich presentations, and cutting-edge insights into estrogen signaling, HRT considerations for survivors, metabolic and mitochondrial approaches, repurposed drugs, nutritional strategies, and more, it’s designed to equip healthcare professionals with practical tools to optimize outcomes.
As Carol Petersen, RPh, CNP—a compounding pharmacist and certified nutritional practitioner with over three decades of experience specializing in bioidentical hormone therapies—I’ll be sharing my expertise on hormone optimization, particularly in the context of breast health, cancer risk, and survivorship. Drawing from years of clinical practice, research, and patient consultations, I look forward to contributing to this collaborative, evidence-informed dialogue that challenges conventional narratives and empowers providers to deliver more personalized, integrative care.
Join us for this transformative course—reserve your spot for live interaction, lifetime access to recordings and resources, and up to 20 CME credits! Use my personal coupon code EBCP100CP for $100 off!
CME Classification: AMA PRA Category 1 or CUE Credit Hours
CMEs for NDs: 7 hours General & 13 hours Pharmacology
Register Today
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