Utrogestan (micronised progesterone) is a medicine that contains a hormone called progesterone. Progesterone is a type of progestogen. This is identical to the hormone your body produces.
Your ovaries produce progesterone and oestrogen until menopause, when your periods stop.
Menopause usually affects women between ages 45 and 55, but it can happen earlier. It affects anyone who has periods.
Types of Utrogestan
Utrogestan is only available on prescription. It comes as capsules that you swallow.
Utrogestan also comes as vaginal capsules. Talk to your GP about which type is best for you.
How Utrogestan works
Progesterone is produced during the second half of your menstrual cycle. As you reach menopause, the amount of progesterone and oestrogen produced by your body falls.
Utrogestan is taken along with oestrogen as part of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This helps to relieve the menopause symptoms you may have when your body produces less of these hormones.
Taking progesterone with oestrogen is known as combined HRT.
Oestrogen-based HRT can thicken the womb lining. This slightly increases the risk of womb cancer. Taking progesterone together with oestrogen reduces this risk.
Progesterone stops the womb lining from getting too thick. When you stop taking it (usually for a few days each month) this causes the womb lining to be shed, like a period. This helps to protect you from womb cancer.
You'll need to take combined HRT if you still have a womb.