Prometrium is oftentimes prescribed to women who have abnormal lining of the uterus during postmenopause. It is also prescribed as a hormone replacement therapy to those with irregular cycles. As for pregnant women with low levels of progesterone, Prometrium is often used to help them maintain a viable pregnancy.
Importance of Taking Prometrium
Prometrium is a supplement that can raise your progesterone levels. Progesterone is an important part of the baby's development process. Early on in pregnancy, it provides the fertilized egg with a nurturing and caring environment. Along with placenta, it keeps off potentially harming bacteria. It is also there to aid the development of the mucus plug, stop contractions from occurring before labor and sustain the strength of pelvic walls. It even plays a vital role in the lactation.
Who Should Take Prometrium While Pregnant?
Women with a history of pregnancy loss and those who receive fertility treatments should receive Prometrium. Prometrium will be prescribed in the first trimester or the first 12 days of a menstrual cycle. If prescribed during menstrual cycle, this supplement thickens the lining of the uterus so that it becomes ready for fertilization.
For women with low progesterone levels whose pregnancies tend to end in a miscarriage, Prometrium provides the needed boost of progesterone. As soon as the placenta is fully formed (around the 12th week of pregnancy), it can provide the fetus with everything, so the woman can stop taking the supplement.
Who Should Not Take Prometrium During Pregnancy?
Some medical conditions, such as the following, prohibit the use of this supplement:
- Past strokes
- Kidney and liver diseases
- History of aberrant vaginal bleeding
- Uterine or breast cancer
The application of vaginal progesterone suppositories typically increases the risk of:
- Formation of blood clots
- Breast cancer
- Cerebrovascular accident
- Heart attack
If you had struggled/are struggling with any of these conditions in the past, talk to your doctor about using Prometrium. Also, if you are taking some medicines, remember that this supplement could interact with them.
How to Take Prometrium
This supplement can either be taken orally or vaginally, and your doctor will suggest a way for you. You may experience nausea and vertigo if you take this supplement orally. A lot of women report that vaginal application of Prometrium will cause less side effects.
Will Prometrium Prevent Miscarriage?
Prometrium can prevent miscarriage caused by low levels of progesterone. This supplement is only there to protect the fetus during the first couple of weeks.
Is Prometrium Safe During Pregnancy?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has developed a scale based on which we can determine how safe a certain drug is to a fetus. While the safest category is Category A, Prometrium belongs in Category B based on studies conducted on animals. However, this isn't because the progesterone supplement is not safe. It is just that enough studies on pregnant women haven't been conducted yet to support this thesis.
Side Effects of Prometrium
Taking Prometrium during pregnancy has some side effects. Some of the common ones include nausea, fatigue, abdominal cramps and pain, bloating, sore breasts, mood swings and headache. All of the mentioned symptoms are also common pregnancy symptoms due to the increase of progesterone.
Uncommon side effects occur in 5% of patients and they include hypertension, changes in vision, trouble sleeping, vein thrombosis, infections and high body temperature.
Other Mothers' Experiences About Using Prometrium
"It was up to me to choose whether to take it orally or vaginally. I chose the latter as my reproductive endocrinologist told me that more progesterone would get to the uterus when taken that way. Plus, the good thing is that using Prometrium during pregnancy doesn't harm the baby since this progesterone is identical to the one that human bodies make."
"I am currently in my 10th week and I will stop taking it after 3 weeks. I had to start using Prometrium because my medical worker told me that my progesterone was low and that at 7 weeks my sac seemed quite weak. I didn't know I could take it vaginally as it was written on the bottle to take it orally. I was told it could make me drowsy, so I always took it before sleep."
"I've begun taking this supplement at about 5 weeks of pregnancy. My progesterone was at 15.5, but my doctor wanted it to be beyond 20. I haven't experienced side effects so far, and have noticed that taking it before going to bed allows me to fall asleep more easily. Even though I've been taking it orally, I heard that vaginal application is more effective in the way that it gets to the uterus faster."