Low Progesterone Treatment

Progesterone is an essential female hormone, especially during pregnancy. This hormone allows for a fertile environment in which a fetus may grow and develop. It is created by the ovaries during the ovulation period and continues to be produced during pregnancy to provide a stable growing environment for a baby by counteracting the hormone estrogen. When progesterone is produced in lower levels, it fails to aid reproduction by stimulating tissue growth in the uterus. Low progesterone may be indicated by the presence of symptoms, including such wide-ranging side effects as infertility, weight gain and panic attacks.

Hydroxyprogesterone

• Hydroxyprogesterone treatment is extremely common in women with low progesterone and involves an injection of natural progesterone into the body. Treatment may be administered to women going through premature labor as a remedy to prevent early delivery. Such injections often are offered to women going through menopause to alleviate symptoms such as hot flashes. These injections are healthy for women with low progesterone, as they reduce the risk of osteoporosis and increase sexual desire.

Medroxyprogesterone

• Because complications from low progesterone levels and high estrogen levels can lead to severe health problems, including estrogen-related uterine cancer, medroxyprogesterone---administered as an oral tablet or injection---is a helpful remedy. It is a form of progestin and has a wide variety of applications, from aiding a woman with AIDS side effects to alleviating abnormal menstrual bleeding. As its applications are virtually endless, this progestin often is found as an additive to contraceptives, such as Depo-Provera).

Progesterone

• Simple remedies using progesterone itself may run the gamut from medically tested, safely prescribed injections or oral doses to herbal treatments that have not undergone proper testing for efficacy or safety. Progesterone injections and creams might be recommended as a treatment for low progesterone, and such care regimens should be monitored closely by a doctor. Some women who may be leery of the medication might turn to alternative remedies such as Mexican yams or soybean extracts. Many herbal remedies have not been tested or cleared by federally-licensed medical authorities and should be administered with extreme caution. Oftent, doctors stay away from such forms of treatment as they tend to have unpredictable side effects and negligible results in clinical studies.