All Hormone Replacement Therapy should be carefully initiated after a woman’s personal history, family history, and current medical situations are reviewed. Because hormones have many functions throughout the body, their selection, dose, and dosage form should be specific to each patient. Every woman is unique and will respond to therapy in her own way. Therefore, monitoring is important to be sure that the desired effects are achieved and unnecessary side effects avoided.

Most traditional hormone replacement therapy looks to the use of synthetic products. or those derived from animal sources, primarily estrogens. This is not the best approach, especially when natural hormones (which are identical to those produced by the human body) are available.

Commercially available synthetic and animal source products cannot be utilized in the human body to safely produce the full range of effects required for optimal health. Furthermore, side effects are very common when the synthetic or animal-source products are used.

Progesterone: is used for hormone supplementation in women who are undergoing pen-menopause, menopause, or insufficient progesterone levels that include: treatment of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), infertility, high-risk pregnancy, spontaneous abortion and menstrual difficulties. Progesterone plays an important role in the development of the mucous membrane of the inner wall of the uterus. The thickening of the uterus allows for the proper implantation of a fertilized egg onto the uterine lining. In hormone replacement, progesterone is used to supplement low levels of progesterone naturally produced and can alleviate many symptoms associated with menopause such as fatigue, headache, and irregular menstruation. Progesterone is also used to prevent estrogen domination of the uterus, which can sometimes lead to uterine hyperplasia (overgrowth of the uterus) and uterine cancer.

Some studies have shown that progesterone can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis and may increase bone density.

Side Effects: Because progesterone is a naturally occurring hormone there are very few side effects. Some people have experienced euphoria, restlessness, and breast tenderness and swelling, but this is usually related to the amount used. Adjusting the dose often helps relieve any symptoms. There have been no known birth defects associated with progesterone used during pregnancy and no known drug interactions have been reported.