Progesterone in women

Dalton ME, Bromham DR, Ambrose CL, Osborne J, Dalton KD. Nasal absorption of progesterone in women. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 1987 94(l) 84-8. 

In h)rpopituitarism there is a partial or complete deficiency of hormones secreted by the anterior lobe of the pituitary. The posterior lobe hormones (see below) may also be deficient in a few cases, e.g. when a tumour has destroyed the pituitary. Patients suffering from hypopituitarism may present in coma, in which case treatment is as for a severe acute adrenal insufficiency. Maintenance therapy is required, using hydrocortisone, th5Toxine, oestradiol and progesterone (in women) and testosterone (in men). For growth hormone see above. 

In summary, although many sex hormone products have their greatest therapeutic uses in either women or men. nearly all have. some u.ses in both sexes. Nevertheless, the higher concentrations of estrogens and progesterone in women and of te.stostcrone in men cause the development of the complementary reproductive systems and charactcri.stic physical differences of women and men. 

Lee SJ, Lenton EA, Sexton L, Cooke ID. The effect of age on the cyclical patterns of plasma LH, ESH, oestradiol and progesterone in women with regular menstrual cycles. Hum Reprod 1988 3 851-855. 

Alternatives to estrogen for hot flushes are shown in Table 31-6. Progesterone alone may be an option in women with a history of breast cancer or venous thrombosis, but side effects limit their use. For women with contraindications to hormone therapy, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and venlafaxine are considered by some to be first-line therapy, but efficacy of venlafaxine beyond 12 weeks has not been shown. 

Progesterone may be linked to breast cancer etiology also, there is concern regarding the safety of progestational agents in women with preexisting breast cancer... 

Steroid hormones These are the oestrogens (mainly oestradiol in women) progesterone, testosterone and 5a-dihydrotestosterone. 

MacDonald PC, Dombroski RA, Casey ML Recurrent secretion of progesterone in large amounts an endocrine/metabolic disorder unique to young women Endocr Rev 12[4) 372-401, 1991... 

---