Progesterone

Hormone Treatment for Women

Progesterone is a female hormone working hand in hand with estrogen. Standing for pro-gestational, meaning the hormone of pregnancy, progesterone is essential for the commencement and maintenance of pregnancy. Being produced in the ovaries, this hormone is naturally used to balance estrogen inside the body. Progesterone protects against breast cancer, uterine cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis. It is also responsible for lowering cholesterol levels and increasing good cholesterol or HDL.

Provera, often prescribed by physicians, is a synthetic progesterone or progestin. It can cause birth defects and is responsible increasing incidents of breast cancer. Provera has a completely different molecular, causing swelling, bloating, bleeding, breast tenderness, and depression. The reason why physicians tend to prescribe the progestin is because the natural progesterone cannot be patented, so pharmaceutical companies are less likely to have it produced.

Using treatment with bio-identical progesterone, on the other hand, is very beneficial. Progesterone can stop growth of breast cancer cells, while progestin increases the growth. When used by mothers in the period after giving birth, this hormone can assist with rebalancing hormones. It is a natural tranquilizer, protects against osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease, and helps with new bone structure. The common symptoms and the diseases associated with menopause can also be treated through the use of identical progesterone.

Progesterone can come in an oral capsule, a sublingual tablet, or, most commonly used, a topical cream. Although the cream may be most popular, that doesn’t make it the best or most efficient. These creams contain a minimal amount of progesterone and are not effective in bringing the blood level to a helpful range. For the best results, the sublingual form is better for a higher therapeutic level.