Prometrium is a type of progesterone used for HT. It has become increasingly popular over recent years because of its structure, which is identical to the progesterone produced by our bodies. Read on to find out all you need to know about this commonly prescribed medication.
What is hormone therapy (HT)?
As the name suggests, HT is a kind of medication that supplies your body with hormones that it no longer produces during menopause. This is usually estrogen, which may be combined with progesterone such as prometrium.
You can take HT as pills, patches, gels, and vaginal preparations. HT is the most effective treatment available for menopause symptoms, although it is not suitable for everyone. Your healthcare provider will be able to advise you on the best options for you personally.
What is prometrium?
Prometrium, also known as ‘micronized progesterone’, is a form of HT containing the hormone progesterone. It is structurally identical to the progesterone produced by the human body so prometrium is also called a body-identical hormone.
When used for HT, prometrium is prescribed as oral capsules. It is derived from plants, yams, and root vegetables.
Why take prometrium?
Prometrium can be used as the progesterone component of HT. This is an essential part of your treatment if you still have your uterus.
While estrogen is the hormone needed to treat your menopause symptoms, it can cause problems if used alone. Using estrogen without progesterone can make the uterine lining thicken abnormally and even lead to cancer.
Thankfully, using progesterone alongside estrogen removes this risk. Many different types of progesterone are available – prometrium is one of them.
An advantage of taking prometrium over other, synthetic progesterones, is that it seems to be lower risk in some respects. We know that taking progesterone as part of HT is associated with a small increase in your risk of breast cancer. However, a 2018 study found that prometrium is not associated with this risk when taken for up to five years. While this apparent benefit is still being researched, it is worth considering when choosing your HT medications.
How to take prometrium
Prometrium is a capsule that is taken orally. Your healthcare provider will prescribe prometrium to be taken either every day (if you need continuous combined HT) or for 14 days every month (if you need cyclic HT). Always read the prescription label, and the instructions of any medication before you start.
If you are not tolerating oral prometrium well, your healthcare provider may advise taking prometrium vaginally. Although this is an off-label recommendation for HT – which means the drug is not technically licensed for this use – it can be a suitable approach in some cases.
If used for HT, you will also be taking estrogen alongside prometrium. This can be taken as a patch, pill, gel, or spray.
Read more about the different types of HT.
Side effects of using prometrium
It is common for prometrium to make you feel sleepy or a bit dizzy. It’s therefore usually best to take this medication just before bedtime to minimize the bother of these side effects.
Like all types of progesterone, prometrium comes with certain side effects such as:
- Breast tenderness
- Headaches
- Mood swings and depression
- Acne
- Vaginal bleeding
These are most common within the first few weeks or months of starting HT. If they have not by 6-12 weeks, check in with your healthcare provider.
Seek help sooner if you have any new symptoms that are worrying you. This is especially important if you have:
- Breast symptoms, including lumps, skin changes, discharge, or nipple changes
- Severe headaches, headaches that wake you from sleep, or headaches with any other associated symptoms (including vision changes, balance problems, and weakness)
- Depression with thoughts about harming yourself or others
- Heavy bleeding, bleeding after sex, bleeding with abdominal pain, or changes to your bowels or bladder
Final word
Prometrium is a popular choice if you need to take progesterone alongside your estrogen-only patch, pill, spray, or gel. Together, this combination can be very helpful in treating menopause symptoms, such as mood changes, hot flashes, and poor sleep.
However, HT is not suitable or even necessary for everyone. Speak to your healthcare provider to find out your personal treatment options.
- Stella, Different types of HT
- P. Stute, L. Wildt & J. Neulen (2018) The impact of micronized progesterone on breast cancer risk: a systematic review, Climacteric, 21:2, 111-122
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