Do patients need progesterone when they use the pellets?
Most times when estradiol is prescribed, progesterone is also prescribed even if the patient has had a hysterectomy. The main indication for the use of synthetic progestins, like Provera®, is to prevent the proliferation (stimulation) of the uterine lining caused by estrogen. However, there are progesterone (not progestin) receptors in the bone, brain, heart, bladder, breast and uterus where progesterone has been shown to have beneficial effects. Progesterone can be used as a topical cream, a vaginal cream, an oral capsule (Prometrium®), or sublingual drops. Only oral progesterone (100-200 mg) and vaginal progesterone (45-90 mg) have been studied and shown to protect the uterine lining from estrogen stimulation.If a patient is pre-menopausal, she uses the progesterone the last two weeks of the menstrual cycle (day 1, the first day of bleeding). Hormone therapy with pellets is not just used for menopause. Women at any age may experience hormone imbalance. Levels decline or fluctuate con
