Bioidentical drugs can replace hormones lost to disease and aging. These substances, similar to chemicals made by the body, effectively treat a wide range of medical conditions. Natural progesterone, for example, can play a positive role in menopause and pregnancy. Yet, this hormone may cause unwanted changes as well. Patients should, therefore, speak with a doctor before starting hormone replacement therapy using progesterone.
Changes Breast Density
Many women have stopped hormone replacement therapy because of concerns about drug-induced breast cancer. Natural hormones may provide a safer option, but some issues remain. An investigation published in January 2003 in "JNCI" looked at the impact of micronized progesterone on the breast. Women typically take this form of bioidentical progesterone as an oral gel cap. In the study, doctors examined the mammograms of women using various forms of hormone therapy. Measurements were taken before and after using hormones for 52 weeks. Adding micronized progesterone to a replacement protocol of estrogen alone increased breast density. While not immediately cancerous, such changes often predate the development of cancer.
Facilitates Cervical Disease
Natural progesterone may prevent disease in some situations, but bioidenticals can facilitate it in others. An April 2010 paper in "Anticancer Research" evaluated vaginal progesterone as a potential treatment for cervical disease. Patients with cervical dysplasia received bioidentical progesterone daily for 26 weeks. Relative to a control group, treated women had a lower improvement rate and required more surgery. Thus, natural progesterone worsened their conditions.
Affects Other Hormones
People take bioidenticals to replace lost hormones. Increasing one substance, however, can adversely affect another. A June 2010 report in "Fertility and Sterility" tested micronized progesterone in patients with ovary disease. Hormone levels of women receiving oral progesterone were assessed before and after drug treatment for one week. Bioidentical therapy enhanced progesterone, but it reduced luteinizing hormone. The latter hormone plays an important role in fertility, and altering it can negatively impact reproduction.
Causes Vaginal Issues
Vaginal delivery of natural progesterone remains a common treatment option in several medical conditions. While this form of hormone replacement is bioidentical, it also produces side effects. A study in the April 2007 issue of "European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology" looked at patient convenience when using vaginal progesterone. The authors interviewed habitual users and found that the suppositories often caused yeast infections and vaginal rashes.
Increases Clot Risk
Progesterone can prevent pregnancy, but contraceptive use increases the risk of blood clots. Taking bioidentical progesterone may decrease this risk, but some danger remains. A June 2006 article in the "Brazilian Archives of Endocrinology and Metabolism" evaluated clotting in long-term hormone users. Natural progesterone intake often caused clot-like events in these patients. Such events, while not lethal, increase the risk of stroke.
References
- "JNCI"; Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy and Change in Mammographic Density; Gail A. Greendale, et al.; Jan. 1, 2003
- "Anticancer Research"; Treatment With Vaginal Progesterone in Women With Low-Grade Cervical Dysplasia; Lukas Hefler, et al.; April 2010
- "Fertility and Sterility"; Effect of Oral Micronized Progesterone on Hormonal and Metabolic Parameters in Anovulatory Patients With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; Sarantis Livadas, et al.; June 2010
- "European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology"; Randomized Comparison of Side Effects and Patient Convenience Between Cyclogest Suppositories and Endometrin Tablets Used for Luteal Phase Support in IVF Treatment; Ernest H. Ng, et al.; April 2007
- "Brazilian Archives of Endocrinology and Metabolism"; Effects of Transdermic Estrogen Therapy, Isolated or in Association with Micronized Progesterone, on Clotting Factors in Overweight or Normal Postmenopausal Women; Marilea de Farias, et al.; June 2006
