What Is Compounded Natural Progesterone?

When a patient's progesterone levels are low enough to threaten her body's hormonal balance with estrogen, a physician may write a prescription for natural progesterone to be filled at a compounding pharmacy.

Progesterone's Role in the Body

• Progesterone is a hormone the body makes from cholesterol to regulate the reproductive cycle and other body functions. Natural progesterone is a bio-identical form of the hormone lab scientists can manufacture from diosgenin, a plant molecule found in wild yams and soybeans, that has the same molecular structure as internally produced progesterone.

Over-the-Counter vs Compounded

• While there are several standard dose progesterone products on store shelves, a pharmacist compounds natural progesterone at a concentration to meet a patient's individual needs, in accord with the doctor's prescription.

Transdermal Application

• Pharmacists can compound natural progesterone as a cream that absorbs into the layer of fat beneath the skin.

Oral Administration

• A compounding pharmacist can prepare micronized, slow-release progesterone pills. The pharmacist also can prepare the prescription for administration under the tongue.

Advantages

• Compounded natural progesterone, made without the fillers found in over-the-counter products, can be more effective at treating subtle hormone imbalances, says health expert John R. Lee, author of "Natural Progesterone-The Multiple Roles of a Remarkable Hormone."