Estradiol and progesterone: how does HRT work?
Dr. Zuleikha Tyebjee, MD, a board-certified family medicine physician, answers this in her recorded menopause masterclass. Every quote below is her exact wording, marked with where it appears in the recording.
What does a standard HRT regimen include?
“In terms of the regimen, the standard HRT protocol is still going to be estradiol and progesterone.”
“Estradiol is going to be tackling all pretty much the most of those symptoms we talked about. So certainly the hot flashes and night sweats, those vasomotor symptoms.”
Estradiol patch or gel versus pill
“The transdermal form bypasses metabolism through the liver. What that means is a decreased risk of blood clots.”
“There's the oral formulation, for most patients is completely fine and excellent option.”
Why is progesterone needed?
“Progesterone is required for all women that have a uterus. So as long as you have a uterus in place, you need to take progesterone when you are on estradiol.”
“it increases cell turnover in your uterus and what that means long term is that you can have a buildup of cells which can lead potentially to a cancer risk.”
Does progesterone have side effects?
“Some people really like it. Some people don't. It just depends on the person. It's primarily going to help with sleep”
“It also critically does slow your gastric emptying down so some women have a tough time with bloating and constipation with progesterone.”
Quotes are taken from the masterclass transcript; “…” marks where words were left out, and nothing was reworded. These pages provide general education, not an individual diagnosis or treatment plan.
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