Progesterone therapy options

Progesterone therapy options

Your progesterone therapy choice depends on the reason why you need to start taking progesterone therapy. It also depends on whether you are suffering from progesterone deficiency or Estrogen dominance and what endocrine disorder you have (Endometriosis, infertility, PCOS, early miscarriage, menopause, uterine bleeding etc) – you may find a combination of progesterone therapy and other medication is needed to control or relieve your symptoms.

It can take 4 to 8 weeks of progesterone replacement therapy before you feel the effects of it working. This means waiting 1-2 full cycles before evaluating the results of the progesterone therapy.

Below is an outline of the different types of progesterone therapy available.

Compounded Progesterone

Progesterone creams can be made up in a compounding pharmacy according to your prescription. Topical creams are very popular but you should know that compounding creams are not highly regulated like pharmaceutical grade products made is regulated factories are. This means that there can be variations in the active ingredient and the dosage might not be spot on. Having said this, progesterone creams are highly effective in correcting low progesterone levels.

Bioidentical progesterone creams

It’s best to use a clinically trialed progesterone cream where possible. Use one that has been made to pharmaceutical grade specifications in a pharmaceutical grade laboratory. The dosage and strength is exact and it allows you more control over any dosage changes that may be needed. Also make sure that you progesterone cream is natural bioidentical and not synthetic. Your body will adjust and react to bioidentical progesterone better than synthetic progesterone. Your body feels that the added hormone is the same as the one already being produced naturally by the body. The internal and added progesterones join forces to calm the effect on the Estrogen creating a more successful treatment.

Over the counter progesteornes

Low doses of progesterone are available over the counter without prescription. These lower dose products can be topical progesterone creams that you rub into your body or they can be oral medications. We think that it’s much better to go to the doctor and get a proper evaluation rather than self-treating with over the counter products. You might be taking the wrong medication or the wrong dose and are wasting your money and time.

Oral progesterone

Oral supplements are often prescribed to women suffering from menstrual irregularities like uterine bleeding, irregular periods and PMS. Sometimes these oral supplements are combined with Estrogen so make sure you check what you are taking carefully. Sometimes a combination of progesterone and Estrogen can work well, in some case it does not help. This is popular for women taking a more generalized form of HRT (hormone replacement therapy).

Intravaginal progesterone

This is less commonly used and needs to be inserted into the vagina. Normally it’s only used to treat problems like endometrial hyperplasia, when the uterus lining is thickened and needs to be thinned or when cervical ripening is needed. It won’t help with Endometriosis, PCOS or menopause symptoms.

Progesterone injections

Progesterone injections need to be given by the doctor or nurse. You cannot self-administer them at home. Normally these are reserved for severe cases of endocrine desease or to treat infertility.
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