Progesterone cannot be made from other hormones and it is not available in the environment in any significant amount. In order to maintain balance the body begins to make testosterone and other male hormones. This is why menopausal women begin to grow facial hair and develop male pattern baldness. During menopause women may have normal or even elevated levels of estrogen while progesterone level is low or immeasurable. This imbalance of hormones, that are dependent upon one another for proper function , is more likely to be the cause of menopausal symptoms than estrogen deficiency.
Progesterone does more than just balance estrogen.
Progesterone is vitally important to the normal functioning of several organ systems in the body. The functions of progesterone include using fat for energy, decreasing water retention, eliminating depression and anxiety, I improving mental function, increasing sex drive and increasing the effectiveness of other hormones like thyroid hormone, testosterone and estrogen. A deficiency of progesterone can explain most of the symptoms of menopause. Hot flashes occur when the pituitary gland in the brain is attempting to force the the ovary to make its original amount of estrogen and initiate ovulation. When progesterone is available in the proper amounts the hot flashes decrease because the gland in the brain assumes ovulation is functioning normally since progesterone is around.