Blood Clots and Natural Progesterone
Bioidentical progesterone vs. artificial progestins
Some GPs give their patients the "ok" to use natural estrogen but tell women not to take natural progesterone because it supposedly causes blood clots and heart attacks. When we hear our GP making these claims, we need to be aware that he or she has gotten bioidentical progesterone confused with artificial progestins. Artificial progestins are synthetic chemical analogs of progesterone, meaning they simulate some progesterone-like effects however, make no mistake, they are NOT equal to progesterone.
Artificial progestins have become widely used in birth control pills and in hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Natural progesterone manufactured in the laboratory to match that made by our ovaries has a completely different molecular structure than that of medroxyprogesterone acetate (Provera), or 19-nortestosterone (a common progestin synthesized from testosterone) used in birth control pills.
Here is a list of some of the side effects of artificial progestins:
- Increased sodium and water in body cells
- Causes loss of mineral electrolytes from cells
- Causes intracellular edema
- Causes depression
- Increases birth defect risks
- Causes facial hirsutism, loss of scalp hair
- Causes thrombophlebitis, embolism risk
- Decreased glucose tolerance
- Causes allergic reations
- Increases risk for cholestatic jaundice
- Causes acne, skin rashes
- Increases risk of coronary vasospasm
Is estrogen replacement therapy safe?
Natural progesterone does NOT cause these side effects and, by all accounts, confers protection against estrogen-induced strokes and cardiovascular disease.
So what about estrogen replacement therapy?
Is it safe?
Yes and no. Of the three estrogens our body makes (estrone, estradiol, estriol), estradiol and estrone can increase the risk of death due to deep vein thromboembolism - the formation of life-threatening blood clots in the veins. Estriol, on the other hand, has apparently very little effect on the blood-clotting factors. So be careful what form of natural estrogen your doctor prescribes if blood clots and heart attacks are a health concern for you.
