Progesterone

Some women with intense premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms are diagnosed by their physician with a deficiency of progesterone. Progesterone supplementation can alleviate PMS symptoms in many women. In fact, new oral contraceptive formulations targeted at PMS and PMDD (premenstural dysphoric disorder) owe their effectiveness to correctly timed doses of progesterone.

You don't have to take the Pill in order to get therapeutic progesterone. Your doctor may prescribe progesterone supplements in the form of brand name formulas, such as Prometrium, or custom-compounded USP (bioidentical) progesterone from specialty pharmacies. This is not currently an FDA-approved use of Prometrium; it is considered “off-label” use, so your healthcare provider has to be comfortable with this method.

The normal range of progesterone levels varies widely and a clinical deficiency may be difficult for you doctor to detect. But if you have severe PMS symptoms, it may be a good idea for you to have your baseline progesterone levels tested. The tests may show that you have luteal phase progesterone deficiency. In fact, when progesterone is the issue behind a woman’s symptoms, supplemental progesterone can be miraculous for her.