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Progesterone

Belmar Pharmacy offers bioidentical micronized progesterone compounds. This hormone is crucial during the reproductive years and can benefit perimenopausal and postmenopausal women particularly in areas of endometrial protection, sleep, and mood.

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What is progesterone?

Progesterone is a member of steroid hormones called progestogens. In women, it is mainly secreted by the corpus luteum in the ovaries during the second half or luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Progesterone is also made in smaller quantities by the adrenal glands and the placenta during pregnancy

Progesterone plays an important role in the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and lactation. It serves as a precursor to other significant hormones like cortisol, estradiol, and testosterone; these hormones are critical for central nervous system and cardiovascular system activities. Additionally, progesterone is a neurosteroid with brain protective features thought to positively affect stress tolerance, sleep, memory, and mood.

Men have progesterone produced by the adrenal glands and testes that aids in spermiogenesis (sperm production) and sperm maturation. In addition to its neuroprotective effects, progesterone balances androgen activity and helps with the steroid hormone synthesis of testosterone.

Who May Benefit from Progesterone Therapy?

Menstruating women with low progesterone levels

Low levels of progesterone can cause abnormal periods or infertility. Levels of progesterone in premenopausal women at the beginning of their menstrual cycle are typically 1 nanogram per milliliter (ng/mL) or less. Expected levels for women in the middle of their menstrual cycle range from about 5 to 20 ng/mL. Supplementing women with progesterone may help restart menstrual periods that unexpectedly stop (amenorrhea), address abnormal uterine bleeding due to hormonal imbalance, and combat severe symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). The causes of low progesterone levels can include a natural aging, dietary deficiency of vitamins B and C or zinc, stress, or irregular ovary function.

Perimenopausal and postmenopausal women

Postmenopausal women generally have low progesterone levels of less than 1 ng/ml, an expected result of the ovaries ceasing to function after menopause. Progesterone therapy can help perimenopausal and postmenopausal women experience better sleep outcomes and improved mood stabilization. And progesterone can offer endometrial protection for women initiating hormone replacement in the form of estradiol, estriol, or biest (estriol/estradiol) as well as limit estrogen dominance. Progesterone dosage for menopause will vary depending on individual biology.

Men with low hormone levels

Progesterone is not considered routine hormone replacement for men, as their typical amount of progesterone is less than 1 ng/mL. However, men need some progesterone to produce testosterone, the hormone necessary for sex drive, sperm production, muscle mass/strength, fat distribution, bone density, and red blood cell production. Testosterone replacement therapy can sometimes cause estrogen dominance in men, because some testosterone is naturally converted to estrogen in the body. Low doses of progesterone may limit the effects of estrogen dominance like fatigue, low sex drive, erectile dysfunction, mood swings, and increased belly fat.

Men and women with central nervous system conditions

Progesterone has been shown to protect nerve and brain function by producing a calmer mood, improving midlife insomnia, and stress tolerance.

What are bioidentical hormones?

Bioidentical hormones, predominantly isolated from plant materials, have the exact chemical and molecular structure as hormones made in the human body. Bioidentical steroid hormones like micronized progesterone are designed to bind to the same receptors and undergo similar enzymatic breakdown. Dose and delivery route are essential to activity, which is why compounded bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) offers distinctive options that maximize therapeutic use.

Synthetic hormones with a different chemical makeup that are structurally similar (but not identical) to those made by the human body can have different downstream effects. For example, progestins are a synthetic version of progesterone that differ chemically and structurally from the endogenous hormone. Because of this, progestins bind to other steroid receptors too, producing different metabolites that can increase the potential for side effects. Bioidentical micronized progesterone behaves like natural progesterone, created to bring out the body’s essential response. The two are not considered interchangeable.

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Progesterone

Commonly Asked Questions

Progesterone is a sex steroid hormone that plays an important role in the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and lactation for women. It is also a precursor hormone that is used to make other hormones, like estradiol and testosterone. As a neurosteroid, it has brain and nervous system effects for both men and women.

Yes, progesterone therapy is often used to help with difficulty sleeping. As a neurosteroid, progesterone’s metabolite allopregnanolone affects GABA receptors that induce relaxation and sedation. This effect is most common when taken orally versus applied topically or vaginally like with progesterone cream.

Supplementing pre-menopausal women with progesterone may help restart menstrual periods that unexpectedly stop (amenorrhea), address abnormal uterine bleeding due to hormonal imbalance, and combat severe symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Progesterone therapy can also help perimenopausal and postmenopausal women experience better sleep outcomes and improved mood stabilization in addition to endometrial protection.