Progestogen, a synthetic replacement for progesterone, has side effects that can affect people to a greater or lesser extent. Common side effects include breast pain, swelling, weight gain, headaches, breakthrough bleeding, and mood swings. More serious side effects include bone loss and contraindications for those with certain medical conditions.
Many types of oral contraceptives or implanted contraceptive devices are a combination of estrogen and progesterone or a progestin. Others are available in progestogen-only formulations, and information about progestogen side effects can be gleaned from these. Like all drugs, progestogen, which is a synthetic replacement for the hormone progesterone, has side effects and these can affect people to a greater or lesser extent. Some people won’t notice any changes, some will have changes for a while that gradually lessen or become tolerable, and others may find that there are too many side effects to continue taking the drug.
There are a number of very common progestogen side effects. Many women notice breast pain when taking this medicine and some people experience swelling problems or may even gain weight. These side effects are similar to those experienced about a week before your period. This makes sense, given that progesterone is released in the second half of the menstrual cycle and helps stimulate menstruation.
Other effects explained by this relationship are headaches or occasional breakthrough bleeding. On the other hand, periods may be lighter and this drug is sometimes prescribed to treat heavy periods. Most women will continue to menstruate for at least a couple of days a month.
Progestin side effects can also include mood swings and, for some women, this can become more severe and turn into pronounced depression. Someone who feels very sad, begins to feel hopeless, or commits suicide should speak to their doctor right away, as this medication may be inappropriate. Some people also experience very pronounced nausea when taking the progestin, which may stop or get worse. Nausea can come with transient or long-lasting dizziness.
There are additional progestogenic side effects that may not occur immediately or at all. Some women develop darker patches on their skin, especially on the face. Others experience more vaginal discharge, less interest in sexual activity, tendencies towards anxiety, more or less breakouts, very long periods or increased appetite. More serious is the tendency for some forms of progestogen treatment to cause bone loss. This has been shown to be a problem with Depo-Provera® shots and these are especially not recommended for use with adolescent girls who are still developing.
There are some contraindications with progestogen side effects. The drug is not suitable for those with breast or reproductive tract cancer, pregnant women, or those with a history of stroke. Those with liver disease may have different treatments instead. Although rare, some people can have anaphylactic allergic reactions to the progestogen, and any sudden difficulty breathing, hives, or facial swelling is a medical emergency. Some medications may not work with this drug either, including many of the anticonvulsant or mood-stabilizing drugs, which may make progestin ineffective as birth control.
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