Polycystic ovary disease, often called PCOS, affects between 5 to 10 percent of all women, according to The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. Polycystic ovary syndrome often causes menstrual irregularities and fertility problems, along with a number of symptoms related to higher-than-normal levels of male hormones called androgens. Progesterone cream available over-the-counter or in prescription form may help regulate menstrual cycles and decrease symptoms in women with PCOS if used correctly.
Purpose
Polycystic ovary syndrome causes a number of symptoms related to high androgen levels, including excess hair growth, acne, extra fat around the waist and irregular menstrual cycles. Progesterone is a hormone produced by the corpus luteum, the leftover part of the follicle that develops the egg each month. In women who have PCOS, ovulation occurs only irregularly, so they develop a thick uterine lining, heavy periods and irregular cycles. Women with PCOS don't produce progesterone in the second half of the menstrual cycle because they don't develop a follicle and ovulate.
Methods
Progesterone production in the second half of the menstrual cycle maintains the uterine lining until it becomes clear to the body that no conception occurred that month. Progesterone levels drop and the menstrual period begins. Using progesterone cream in the second half of the menstrual cycle for 10 to 14 days and then stopping use produces a withdrawal bleed much like a normal period.
Benefits
Using progesterone cream for 10 to 14 days helps induce a withdrawal bleed, which can regulate menstrual periods in women who don't ovulate, MayoClinic.com reports.
Drawbacks
Using progesterone cream won't help a woman with PCOS get pregnant and could actually have negative effects. Many women with PCOS ovulate irregularly. Progesterone normally isn't produced n great quantities until after ovulation. Normally, an egg develops in the first two weeks of the menstrual cycle, but a woman with PCOS may ovulate late, not until the third week or later. Using progesterone cream before ovulation upsets the hormonal balance in the body and could prevent an egg from developing. Use of birth control pills containing synthetic estrogen and progesterone also reduces androgen levels, according to The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library, but progesterone alone won't decrease symptoms such as acne or excess hair, the U.S. Department and Health and Human Services notes.
Considerations
Progesterone creams sold over-the-counter vary in the amount of progesterone they contain. Wild yam supplements do not convert to progesterone in the body and won't help regulate menstrual cycles, a 2005 study reported in the "Journal of Clinical Pharmacology" by lead author Anne Hermann, M.D. of Bassett Healthcare reported. Some progesterone creams, on the other hand, have efficacy equal to that of micronized oral prescription progesterone. If misused, progesterone cream can cause more harm than good to a woman with PCOS. Used in conjunction with a physician's monitoring and assistance, progesterone cream can help regulate menstrual cycles.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- "Journal of Clinical Pharmcology": Over-the-Counter Progesterone Cream Produces Significant Drug Exposure Copared to an FDA-Approved, Oral Progesterone Product; Anne Hermann, M.D et al; 2005
