Progesterone is used along with estrogen. Taking estrogen without progesterone increases your risk for cancer of the endometrium (the lining of the uterus).
The first changes you will probably notice are that your skin will become a bit drier and thinner. Your pores will become smaller and there will be less oil production. You may become more prone to bruising or cuts and in the first few weeks you'll notice that the odors of your sweat and urine will change.
Endometrial (womb) cancer: oestrogen-only HRT increases the risk of womb cancer. This increased risk gets bigger the longer HRT is used, and may stay for some years after HRT is stopped. This is why it is usually only prescribed to people who are not at risk of womb cancer.
Women who have undergone hysterectomy should not receive a progestin, as there are no other health benefits other than prevention of endometrial hyperplasia and carcinoma. In most cases, women taking only vaginal low-dose estrogen do not need to take a progestin.
While this effect is particularly evident in men, research suggests that women can also benefit. HRT is also known to help women maintain softer, smoother skin, resulting in a younger look. In addition to—and, often, as a result of—these physical changes, HRT often changes how you see yourself.
Many women believe that taking HRT will make them put on weight, but there's no evidence to support this claim. You may gain some weight during the menopause, but this often happens regardless of whether you take HRT. Exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet should help you to lose any unwanted weight.
This is because, although the risk is low, estrogen-only HRT may slightly increase your risk of womb or ovarian cancer if used without progesterone/progestogen.
Women who have both the uterus and ovaries removed usually just get estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) alone. But women who have only the ovaries removed need both estrogen and progestin. That's because estrogen alone can increase the risk of cancer in the uterus. Adding progestin removes this risk.
As women age and their levels of estrogen and progesterone drop, they'll start to experience symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, changes in mood, and bodily temperature among other signs. Decreasing testosterone levels in men might cause depression, decreased libido, and decreased muscle mass.
This is because estrogen alone is associated with an increased risk of endometrial cancer, but estrogen plus progestin is not. Estrogen is used alone only in women who have had a hysterectomy.
One of the common treatment options for menopausal symptoms is hormone replacement therapy (HRT), supplementing your hormone levels to rebalance your system. However, you may prefer to move through menopause without using hormone treatments. And, women with previous hormone-dependent cancer shouldn't use HRT.
So in summary, the safest types of HRT are the oestrogen applied through the skin as a patch, gel or spray with body identical micronised progesterone. Many women also benefit from testosterone, which may help if you're forgetful or having trouble concentrating at work.
Estrogen can reduce menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness. If you have a uterus, you'll likely need to take progesterone along with the estrogen. Estrogen without progesterone increases the risk of uterine cancer.
Most women continue treatment for 2-3 years to decrease symptoms of menopause or other hormonal changes. However, there is no limit on how long you can continue treatment if you are happy with the results.
Some evidence suggests that estrogen hormone therapy increases a woman's resting metabolic rate. This might help slow weight gain. Lack of estrogen may also cause the body to use starches and blood sugar less effectively, which would increase fat storage and make it harder to lose weight.
Estrogen promotes the storage of fat for healthy reproductive years. When estrogen is balanced, the right amount of fat helps carry out female reproductive functions. However, when there's too little or too much estrogen, weight gain often results.
Hot flashes, flushes, and night sweats are the most common symptoms of low estrogen. At times, blood rushes to your skin's surface. This can give you a feeling of warmth (hot flash). Your face may look flushed.
This hormone keeps estrogen in balance to reduce the uterine cancer risks associated with estrogen replacement therapy. Therefore, if you still have a uterus, progesterone replacement therapy is essential for reducing risks associated with estrogen-only treatments.
Why progesterone or progestins are included in hormone replacement therapy. In HRT, the progestin is added to the estrogen to protect against the risk of hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma of the endometrium.
Adding progesterone to estradiol or using P4 alone for HRT in postmenopausal women with or without an intact uterus may improve your quality of life by mitigating or preventing vasomotor symptoms or postmenopausal bone loss, addressing sleep issues, and potentially improving mood.
How Estrogen Replacement Therapy Can Help with Belly Fat During Menopause. Recent studies show that menopausal women on hormone therapy tend to have less body fat, especially visceral belly fat. Because estrogen affects how your body distributes fat, low estrogen levels can contribute to gaining fat in your belly area.
Hormone Replacement Therapy Improves Body Composition
In fact, a recent study found that women who used HRT had one point lower on the BMI scale and also about three pounds less of body fat compared to women who didn't use hormone replacement therapy.
The hormone estrogen, if taken in high enough doses, increases breast size by stimulating growth of breast tissue. However, it is not safe to use estrogen in this way because when breast cells are stimulated to grow, they are more likely to turn cancerous.