Progestin
The word 'Progestin' is commonly used to refer to a synthetic form of progesterone. It should be understood that Progestin actually refers to any synthetic or artificial formulation that resembles or mimics the actions of progesterone hormone. Progestin is among the most commonly recommended forms of progesterone supplementation among women. Progesterone is the primary reproductive and metabolic hormone that is found among women only. Its levels tend to rise from the time of puberty onwards and then start to dip as the women crosses the age of 45 years, i.e. gradually moves towards menopause.
Need for Progestin-Understanding Progesterone
The fact that menopausal women usually have very scant levels of progesterone and find it hard-to-conceive also underlines the direct relation between progesterone and pregnancy/fertility. This is because progesterone plays an integral part in regulating the menstrual health of women, apart from influencing the ovulation cycle and the preparation of the endometrium for receiving the fertilized egg. Thus, proper progesterone levels are needed for both, conceiving and sustaining pregnancy. Women who have a history of miscarriages or those diagnosed with low fertility levels and those seeking infertility treatments are usually recommended progesterone supplements.
More About Progestin Usage
One of the most available forms of Progestins includes the tablets/pills available for hormonal contraception. When a Progestin formulation contains a heavy concentration of progesterone only, i.e. a Progestin-only aid, it acts as an effective contraceptive. This kind of Progestin pill is used by women for temporarily neutralizing their chances of getting pregnant. This might be confusing since contraceptives are meant to retard chances of conception. However, Progestin usage is regulated here in such a manner that after a few weeks of Progestin usage, the supplementation is stopped, i.e. when it is deemed that the hormonal levels are back to normal. This is when the female can try to conceive again, i.e. with a higher chance of getting pregnant since her progesterone levels have been restored.
Additional Uses of Progestins
Progestins are also used for treating women who complain of irregular menstrual cycles, including the absence or menses or bloody menses. A typical problem in this niche-Secondary Amenorrhea, is usually treated with regular usage of Progestin. Other diagnostic uses of Progestin includes endometrial dryness and for treating uterine bleeding. It is also used as a treatment aid among women diagnosed with endometrial cancer apart from those seeking treatment for breast cancer or Renal Cell Carcinoma. This further underlines the criticality of normal progesterone levels among women.
A popular formulation of retailed Progestin supplements are those containing Megestrol Acetate that is recommended for women suffering from emotional disturbances such as anorexia. Another form of Progestin, called dydrogesterone, is often prescribed as a part of IVF treatments and for improving the luteal functions, i.e. to help in ovulation. This is often seen among women who have a history of recurring loss-of-pregnancy. The slightly less common usage of Progestin includes its administration for preventing preterm birth. This is occasionally used among pregnant women who present a history of having suffered at least a single preterm birth.
Understand Retailed Progestin
Today, there are many forms of retailed Progestin aids. Some healthcare practitioners like to divide these Progestin aids into 'older progestin' and 'new progestin' aids. This merely refers to the kind of formulation used in the Progestin aid. The more conventional Progestin pills are referred to as first-generation Progestin pills and the newer ones are referred to as either third-generation or fourth-generation Progestin aids. There are minimal side-effects associated with Progestin pills. A few women using Progestin for the first time might complain about occasional headaches, nausea and some dizziness but these are not serious side-effects and usually, tend to fade away within the first week of Progestin usage.