How do the risks of progesterone compare to those of birth control pills?

Hi Catherine,

Does progesterone carry the dangerous risks that birth control pills carry; such as blood clots, stroke etc.? Also, does progesterone help the symptoms and problems associated with endometriosis the way birth control pills do?

Thank you,

Rhenae

Dear Rhenae,

Birth control pills are a potential risk to women because they incorporate potent, unnatural to the body progestins created by drug companies that can throw our body into a state of imbalance.

Synthetic progestins are not well processed by the body. Their activity is prolonged, creating reactions that are not consistent with natural progesterone.

We know that using oral contraceptives during adolescence increases the risk of breast cancer.

The artificial progestins in the birth control pills block ovulation, and thus hormone production, and most progestins don?t build bone the way that progesterone does.

Because the molecules have been changed, the synthetic hormones used in birth control pills do not have the same effect on the mind and body as our natural hormones do.

In fact, many of the effects of synthetic hormones are the exact opposite to the natural hormone they so ineptly replace. Chemically altered synthetic hormone drugs occupy cell receptors, conveying messages that may be different, even contrary to the hormone they are meant to simulate.

Take a closer look at the possible adverse reactions / precautions associated with birth control pills:

• Allergic reactions
• Birth defects
• Breakthrough bleeding
• Decreased immune system function
• Disturbances in liver function
• Eye disorders (double vision, swelling of optic nerve, contact lens intolerance, corneal inflammation)
• Facial and body hair growth
• Fatigue
• Fluid retention and bloating
• Fungal infections and tinea
• Infertility increased with The Pill
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Hair loss
• Hayfever, asthma and skin rashes
• Loss of Libido
• Lumpy and tender breasts (fibrocystic breasts)
• Migraines and headaches
• Nausea
• Nutritional deficiencies especially zinc, B6 and magnesium
• Psychological and emotional disorders, depression, mood changes
• Secretions from breasts
• Skin discolouration
• Higher rates of suicide
• Weight gain
• Systemic Candida infection
• Urinary tract infection
• Venereal warts
• Vaginal discharges (increased incidence of vaginal thrush)

Some of the more SERIOUS effects include:

• Disturbance of blood-sugar metabolism (contributing to diabetes and hypoglycemia)
• Increased incidence of thrombosis (stroke)
• Increased incidence of hardening of the arteries and high blood pressure
• Increased risk of blood clots
• Increased risk of gall bladder and liver disease
• Increased incidence of cancer of the breast, endometrium, cervix, ovaries, liver, lung and skin
• Increased risk of heart attacks
• Increased incidence of MS

Rhenae, what we need to regard as most important when contemplating any form of hormone replacement therapy, is that our body sees as ‘natural’ that which has the same molecular configuration. Empirical evidence to hand suggests progesterone replacement is relatively safe and carries minimal side effects because the body recognises.

Therefore, bioidentical progesterone, once introduced, can be utilised by the body as a precursor to manufacture other steroid hormones once your progesterone levels normalise. This is NOT the case with synthetic progestins used in birth control pills.

The toxicity of progesterone is extremely low. Progesterone creams contain the hormone identical to that produced by the human ovary. And because we’re not going against Mother Nature, women report minimal, apparently benign side-effects.

Side effects of progesterone supplementation are usually minimal. If experienced, these may include breast tenderness and swelling, fluid retention or slight vaginal bleeding. Dizziness, nausea, fatigue, headaches and light headedness have been reported occasionally and usually disappear with adjustment of dose and correction of estrogen dominance.

Consider this: Natural progesterone is routinely used in fertility clinics around the globe to help sustain pregnancy in high-risk situations. In contrast, synthetic progestins carry the warning that its use in early pregnancy may increase the risk of early abortion or congenital deformities of the fetus. We are very much in need of further clinical trails, however, I would consider this current day usage of bioidentical progesterone in the treatment of fertility to be significant evidence of its safety and, what’s more, that nature produces the substances that serve us best.

While the cause of endometriosis is unknown, we do know that it is an estrogen driven disease. And the body’s natural anti-estrogen is progesterone.