Should I reduce progesterone if I don't need to use the whole patch?

I am on HRT since April. A .1 patch of Vivelle was too much. I am maintaining on 1/4 sometimes 1/2 of the patch. Should I then reduce my progesterone 10 mgs. that I take for the first 10 days of the month and by how much?

[Machelle Seibel, MD]

It is a little difficult to say without knowing the dose and type of progesterone. In general, you can likely reduce the amount of progesterone by 1/2 in parallel to the reduction in estrogen. However, in most cases people should not have any problems if the current progesterone dose is retained.

Once you are happy with the estrogen dosage, try the lower progesterone dose and see how you feel. If it not as good, go back to the original progesterone dose and talk with your doctor.

Machelle M. Seibel, MD

[mary m]

It's medroxyprogesgterone, 10 mgs.