Progesterone Therapy Benefits and Side Effects

If middle-aged sleeplessness, weight gain, bone loss, forgetfulness, depression, hot flashes, hair loss, muscle mass decline, or low libido are getting you down, it may be time to familiarize yourself with progesterone therapy benefits and side effects.

Natural, bioidentical progesterone is not the same thing as synthetic progestin, and the information below is solely about progesterone, not progestin.

Natural progesterone is available as commercial progesterone creams as well as micronized progesterone USP that provides a steady and even medication absorption. To get micronized progesterone, you will need a doctor’s prescription.

Both males and females alike can look forward to significant progesterone therapy benefits during times of andropause and menopause.

The body needs many hormones, including progesterone, testosterone, and estrogen to keep bones and muscles strong, brain functions sharp, and sexual desire revved up and active. However, if progesterone levels are low, chances are there will also be problems with estrogen and testosterone, along with some other hormones since progesterone is the source material that makes up these essential chemicals.

Most people will never experience any progesterone replacement therapy side effects as it is one of the safest of all forms of hormone replacement. That means you can enter treatment without worrying about the downside – although potential side effects of progesterone therapy will be covered in the final section.

Benefits of Progesterone Therapy for Women

Many females fear the risk of breast cancer and other health concerns during menopause, so they shy away from hormone replacement and suffer with symptoms that can span from mild to debilitating. Some women have hot flashes so severe that they can barely make it through the workday.

Progesterone replacement therapy benefits can reduce these burning sensations, as well as diminish the night sweats that cause you to wake up in a pool of water.

During menopause, a woman tends to put on weight, and her workouts no longer provide the desired results. Mental fog, lack of focus, memory loss, body stiffness and pain, emotional upheaval, and even lack of drive can all interfere with daily productivity.

While the ovaries stop producing progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone at this time, a small amount of these vital hormones can still come from the adrenal glands. There is one difference – belly fat produces an enzyme called aromatase that seeks out free testosterone in the bloodstream and converts it to estradiol – the most common type of estrogen. Since estrogen increases fat retention, this condition of estrogen dominance which goes unopposed by low progesterone levels takes control.

Some of the top progesterone hormone therapy benefits for women include:

Alleviating the symptoms of menopause
Aiding weight loss
Improving brain functions
Increasing muscle tone and bone density
Restoring positive mood
Reducing the risk of heart disease
Enhancing sex drive

The more you know about progesterone therapy benefits and side effects, the better situated you will be to make a conscientious decision about balancing your hormone levels.

Benefits of Progesterone Therapy for Men

Men need the benefits of progesterone therapy for many of the same reasons as women.

Keeping bones and muscles strong, sexual desire high, and cognitive functions sharp are important for everyone at any age.

For some men who have low testosterone levels that are not yet in a dire state, progesterone therapy with an aromatase blocker may help increase T while preventing the estrogen conversion that can lead to estrogen dominance and weight gain.

Since progesterone is crucial for testosterone production, progesterone therapy side effects rarely occur in males who also require this hormone to prevent the production of 5-alpha reductase, another enzyme that converts testosterone – this time into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is responsible for hair loss, enlarged prostate, prostate disease, urinary problems, and reduced sex drive in men. Unbalanced hormone levels can lead to multiple problems in the body.

When looking at progesterone therapy benefits and side effects in males, other positive changes include reducing body odor and sweat and improving urine flow as prostate size decreases.

Progesterone Therapy Side Effects

Although natural progesterone therapy side effects could occur, the chances of experiencing any negative aspects from this treatment are rare when properly diagnosed and prescribed treatment by a hormone replacement specialist.

Some of the more common side effects of progesterone therapy are:

Fatigue
Mood changes
Breast enlargement or tenderness
Headache
Dizziness
Edema
Stomach upset

In rare instances, the more serious side effects below could occur:

Heart attack
Blood clots
Stroke
Dementia in post-menopausal females over age sixty-five
Breast cancer in women between the ages of fifty and seventy-five

Most progesterone hormone therapy side effects occur when people use synthetic progestin rather than natural progesterone that is biologically identical to the hormone produced in the body.

The hormone specialist will run specific diagnostic blood tests, require a physical exam and health history report, and discuss symptoms prior to prescribing hormone replacement therapy.

For additional information, please contact HT Medical Center for a free consultation.