Questions in the Maternal and Child Health Forum have been answered by doctors from Henry Ford Health System.

Question Title: Progesterone side effects

Forum: The Maternal and Child Health Forum
Topic: Pregnancy - Abnormal


I am in approximately my 8th week of my 5th pregnancy. I have experienced 3 losses and have 1 4-year-old son. During my one successful pregnancy, I was prescribed progesterone suppositories which I used for just one week with no side effects. I have already had 2 u/s with this pregnancy and the embryo is on the small side, so I asked my ob if he thought taking progesterone again might be beneficial. He prescribed 100mg Prometrium 4x day, orally. (2 in the morning and 2 at night.) Here's the problem: about 15 minutes after I take it I start to feel a bit dizzy, almost like a drunken feeling, and it lasts for about 2 hours. My speech slows down and I get very tired. I've been taking it for almost a week and it seems to be getting worse. I've put in a call to my dr. and I'm waiting to hear back, but I'm wondering if anyone can tell me why I might be having this reaction, and whether the benefits outweight the risks of taking progesterone?

Dear Dierdre,
The use of progesterone for this condition is commonly done but contraversial regarding its effectiveness. The typical side effects of progesterone are breast tenderness, bloating, depression. The reference that talked about using it suggested its use to 10 weeks and using 100 mg of Progesterone daily. I'm not sure how your formulation compares but maybe your doctor would like you to decrease your dosage.

This information is provided for general medical educaiton purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition.

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