The Dangers of Progestins

Progesterone – progestin.  They sound alike and, in many ways, they act alike, but in actuality they aren’t the same at all.  What’s the difference?  Progesterone is a natural substance produced in our bodies while progestin is synthetic, created by pharmaceutical companies.  Drugs containing progestins are prescribed by doctors on a regular basis, medications ranging  from birth control pills to Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).  So if it’s common for doctors to prescribe them, is there really anything wrong with them?  Let’s take a look at progestins and see what the research shows.

The History Progestins

Before we learn too much about progestins, it will be helpful to understand a little bit more about progesterone, the hormone progestins were created to mimic.  Though scientists had begun research a few decades earlier, it wasn’t until 1929 that they pinpointed this important hormone and gave it a name.  They learned that progesterone is  essential to a healthy, full term pregnancy and other bodily functions.  At first they used progesterone taken from frozen placentas  to further their knowledge of the hormone.  Then, in 1939, one researcher, Russell E. Marker, discovered a  substance found in wild yams could be converted into progesterone to treat female problems, including miscarriage.

Soon doctors began using progesterone to successfully treat their patients, but discovered a small problem.   In order to be very effective, the progesterone needed to be administered via an intramuscular injection.  Those injections proved to be painful and often caused irritation at the injection site.  The only other effective way to administer progesterone was through suppositories and most patients did not like that method.  One of the main issues, though, turned out to be that progesterone and progesterone like substances found in plants are all natural, which means that pharmaceutical companies could not patent them.  That meant there was little profit to be made in producing natural progesterone, so they had little incentive to provide them.

What’s the Problem with Progestins?

So what’s the problem with taking the synthetic hormones rather than natural ones?  The most serious problem is the side effects.  For instance, if you were to look in the Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR), you would see numerous warnings, precautions and adverse reactions listed for the drug Provera, technically known as Medroxyprogesterone Acetate, the most commonly prescribed progestin for HRT.  Here are just a few of them, written in layman’s terms:

• May cause fluid retention, which could negatively effect conditions such as epilepsy, asthma, migraine and cardiac or renal dysfunction
• May cause menstrual irregularities or breakthrough bleeding
• May cause edema, weight changes
• May cause pulmonary embolism
• May cause depression, insomnia, dizziness, fatigue and nervousness
• May cause backache, breast tenderness, itchiness, rash, excess hair growth or hair loss

And that’s just a partial list of side effects.  Now take a look at some of the warnings in the PDR about Provera:

• Increased risk of birth defects in babies whose mothers take Provera during the first four months of pregnancy
• Dogs given this medication developed nodules in their breasts, some of which were malignant
• Discontinue using if you experience sudden complete or partial loss of vision
• Physicians should monitor for early warning signs of cardiovascular disorders, pulmonary embolism and retinal thrombosis

There are others, as well, and the list is even longer if taking Provera in conjunction with estrogen.  Each progestin has its own substantial lists of warnings.

Although the difference between natural progesterone and progestins  may only be a couple of atoms, it is enough to create havoc in the body.  That’s why there are so many warnings about potential side effects.  Though our bodies first accept the artificial hormones, they eventually get the message that these are not the same.  Natural progesterone is used and then excreted from the body but progestins are more tenacious and resist being processed and eliminated.  It builds up in the system and throws your hormonal balance even farther out of whack then it was previous to the use of the progestins.

Many progestins have been linked to serious health issues such as breast cancer, heart problems and others.  When natural progesterone is available, why risk progestins?  Natural progesterone is  safer and has virtually no side effects. It is available in easy to use creams, which are readily absorbed through the skin.   Although many physicians are still not completely aware of the difference between progestins and natural progesterone, you are.  Why not talk to your physician about the benefits of using natural progesterone instead of expensive synthetic compounds?

Related posts:

1. Do Birth Control Pills Contribute to Estrogen Dominance?
2. Estriol – A Safer Estrogen Alternative?