Drug Progesterone Treatment in Pregnant Women
Once pregnancy has occurred, increased amounts of the hormone progesterone are produced by the body. Since progesterone is required for a healthy pregnancy, women who are unable to produce enough of the hormone may need regular progesterone supplements during their pregnancy.
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Function
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Progesterone is a hormone that is produced naturally in the body by the corpus luteum after an egg has been released from the ovary. It is responsible for thickening the lining of the uterine wall to prepare it for implantation of a fertilized egg.
Significance
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Progesterone is the hormone that maintains a pregnancy until birth. Women who do not produce adequate amounts of progesterone naturally are at a higher risk for uterine contractions and fetal loss and may require progesterone treatment.
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Types
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Medically-produced progesterone is available in a pill, cream, gel or injection for women who are unable to produce the hormone naturally. A health care professional will determine the most appropriate dispensing method depending on the individual circumstance.
Time Frame
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If needed, progesterone treatment should begin once conception occurs and continue for approximately 10 to 12 weeks, until the placenta acquires the responsibility of maintaining the pregnancy. For women who experience pre-term labor, weekly doses of progesterone may be required beginning on the 21st week of gestation and continuing until the 36th week or time of delivery.
Side Effects
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Users of the drug progesterone may experience nausea, diarrhea, bloating, dizziness, hot flashes, headache, joint pain, breast tenderness, cough, acne or increased hair growth. Serious side effects that may require immediate attention may include numbness on one side of the body, sudden headache, confusion, vaginal bleeding, breast lumps, fever, chills, chest pain or a fast heart rate.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Nathan Forget
