If you are one of my patients, there will be a huge shift in the way that we are administering the dispensing of progesterone cream in our office. We will not dispense any cream at this point without a proper evaluation of one's adrenal and female hormones. This will be done through salivary hormone testing. This test is usually covered by one's health insurance. This will allow me to normalize and restore the finely tuned hormone balance that one's body is designed to have, rather than blindly slapping on progesterone cream without any appreciation of the potential complication or hormone disruptions.
Natural progesterone is the exact same hormone that is produced by a woman's ovary.
It is made from naturally occurring plant steroids found in the wild yam. It is NOT the synthetic version that is commonly purchased as tablets with a prescription such as Provera. The synthetic progesterone can produce severe side effects including increased risk of cancer, abnormal menstrual flow, fluid retention, nausea, and depression. Side effects are extremely rare with natural progesterone. The only one of concern is that it might slightly alter the timing of the menstrual cycle.