Progesterone Side Effects
Progesterone is often prescribed to women who are suffering from a severe a Progesterone deficiency. This is the most favored choice for restoring the hormone levels that helps to stabilize the ovulatory functions and the menstrual cycle. This is also recommended to women who are struggling to conceive due to Progesterone deficiency. Usually, Progesterone supplementation is done during the first trimester. However, Progesterone is known to have some serious side-effects when it is used as a therapy/supplemental drug.
Common Progesterone Side Effects
Progesterone is known to cause various side effects. Enlisted are some of the Progesterone's most common side-effects:
Breast-related Side-effects
Progesterone is counted among the foremost reproductive hormones. One of its effects is helping pregnant women regulate their lactation. However, undertaking extremely strong doses of progesterone pills can induce adverse effects. This includes unwanted changes in the size of the breasts and lumping. Usually, such women complain about heavy, bloated breasts that become extra-sensitive and often suffer from heat flashes. The tender breast tissue also poses problems when a woman tries to breastfeed.
Psychiatric Problems
Women who are on extended regimens of birth-control pills or those who have overdosed on Progesterone are more vulnerable to developing bouts of low energy or a typical feeling of malaise wherein their blood pressure often drops and there is a constant fear or anxiety. Such women often develop strange behavioral patterns wherein they tend to suffer from anxiety and insomnia without any particular reason. Such Progesterone-related psychiatric disorders can often push women towards serious/permanent personality disorders and constant irritability.
Menstruation-related Problems
Though Progesterone is aimed at regulating the menstruation, disturbances in menstrual cycle are often associated with Progesterone supplementation. This is not a standard side-effect and the degree of menstruation problem can vary across various female patients using Progesterone supplements. However, women who are trying to conceive at a much later age, i.e. beyond the recommended childbearing years, are more prone to developing such menstruation problems.
Digestive Side-effects
Excessive intake of progesterone pills can take a serious toll on the digestive actions of the body. This includes metabolic activity of vital digestion-related organs like the kidneys and pancreas. Related symptoms of this include a feeling of constant nausea along with acidity and stomach cramps. Some women might also develop diarrhea and vomiting.
Excessive Weight Gain & Other Symptoms
Progesterone is known to cause weight-gain. This also happens in the form of bloating which essentially refers to excessive accumulation of body fluids in the body. Fluid retention along with a slower metabolism makes the individual more prone to weight-gain. Further, there is increased chance of such women suffering from thickening of blood or increased blood clotting. This can often lead to swelling along the legs or even increase chances of developing cardiac problems like a heart attack.. Some women complain about reduced eye-vision after Progesterone supplementation, uncontrolled shivering or migraine problems. Progesterone gels too are known to cause allergic reactions in the skin.
The only way of avoiding progesterone side-effects is to seek professional medical opinion before starting any kind of Progesterone supplementation. Ideally, synthetic Progesterone should not be used. There are many natural cures that can boost Progesterone levels without causing so many side-effects. However, if Progesterone supplementation is needed as an infertility cure, seeking medical advice of an endocrinologist and a fertility specialist is seriously recommended.