Traditional treatments for menopause combine the hormones oestrogen and progesterone. Menopause symptoms are believed to be caused mainly by decreasing levels of oestrogen, but taking this hormone on its own can increase the risk of endometrial cancer so progesterone is generally prescribed alongside oestrogen to reduce this risk.
In recent years some scientists have reached the conclusion that a hormonal imbalance, rather than low levels of oestrogen, is the cause of menopause symptoms. Many doctors are now recommending that women take progesterone on its own to combat this imbalance, and natural progesterone cream is the most effective way to take this hormone. Natural progesterone cream is particularly recommended for women who are ineligible for Hormone Replacement Therapy due to a family history of heart disease.
- Natural progesterone cream should always be prescribed by your doctor
It is crucial to consult your doctor to determine whether natural progesterone cream is an appropriate treatment for your menopause symptoms. In any case, natural progesterone cream is currently only available on prescription so you will need to make an appointment with your doctor.
You may be offered an over the counter alternative to natural progesterone cream. This contains a plant steroid extract from Mexican yams, known as Diosgenin. The theory is that the human body can turn this substance into natural progesterone, but scientific studies still need to prove this, so it is not currently recommended as a treatment for menopause symptoms.
- Is natural progesterone more effective than synthetic progesterone?
Natural progesterone cream contains progesterone that is chemically indistinguishable from the hormone produced by the ovaries of menstruating women, the adrenal glands of menopausal women, and the placenta of pregnant women. Synthetic progesterone, on the other hand, has a slightly different chemical structure.
The body can react badly to synthetic progesterone, and try to reject it, causing side effects such as depression, water retention and an increased cancer risk. For these reasons it is advisable to check that your medication contains natural and not synthetic progesterone cream.
- Progesterone cream versus a progesterone pill
Taking progesterone as a pill is very ineffective because it is broken down by the liver, where it loses much of its strength. Absorbing progesterone into the bloodstream through the skin using a cream, patch or gel is around six times more effective than taking it orally.
There are, however, some difficulties with absorbing progesterone through the skin. The absorption rate can vary greatly depending on individual skin type and temperature, making its effects unpredictable. Use of progesterone cream or gel can be more complex than taking a pill because it needs to be applied in exactly the right place to achieve the best results.
- Progesterone cream has other benefits
As well as treating menopause symptoms, natural progesterone cream is thought to have the following possible benefits.
• Easing severe pre-menstrual syndrome
• Improving quality of sleep
• Decreasing occurrence and severity of migraines
• Reducing fluid retention
• Limiting risk of certain cancers
• Maintaining a healthy blood sugar level
• Preventing depression
Lisa Janse is an experienced author, whose research and writing focuses on health related subjects. For further facts about living with menopause, specifically
Hormone Replacement Therapy and
Male Menopause
