Category

• Antianorectic Megestrol
• Anticachetic Megestrol
• Antineoplastic Medroxyprogesterone; Megestrol
• Diagnostic aid, estrogen production Hydroxyprogesterone; Medroxyprogesterone; Progesterone - parenteral
• Infertility therapy adjunct Progesterone - vaginal
• Ovarian hormone therapy agent adjunct Medroxyprogesterone - oral; Progesterone - oral
• Progestational agent Hydroxyprogesterone; Medrogestone; Medroxyprogesterone; Norethindrone; Progesterone

Description Drug

Progestins - proe-JES-tins are hormones. They are using by both men and women for various purposes.

Progestins are prescribed for few reasons:

• To properly regulate the menstrual cycle and treat unusual stopping of the menstrual periods - amenorrhea. Progestins work by causing changes in the uterus. After the amount of progestins in the blood drops, the lining of the uterus begins to come off and vaginal bleeding occurs - menstrual period. Progestins help other hormones start and stop the menstrual cycle.
• To help a pregnancy occur during egg donor or infertility procedures in women who do not produce enough progesterone. Always progesterone is given to help maintain a pregnancy when not enough of it is made by the body.
• To prevent estrogen from thickening the lining of the uterus - endometrial hyperplasia in women around menopause who are being treated with estrogen for ovarian hormone therapy - OHT. OHT is also called hormone replacement therapy - HRT and estrogen replacement therapy - ERT.
• To treat a condition called endometriosis or unusual and heavy bleeding of the uterus - dysfunctional uterine bleeding by starting or stopping the menstrual cycle.
• To help treat cancer of the breast, kidney, or uterus. Progestins help change the cancer cell's ability to react to other hormones and proteins that cause tumor growth. In this way, progestins can stop the growth of a tumor.
• To test the body's production of certain hormones such as estrogen.
• To treat loss of appetite and severe weight or muscle loss in diseaseds with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome - AIDS or cancer by causing certain proteins to be produced that cause increased appetite and weight gain.

Progestins may also be using for other conditions as determined by your family doctor.

Depending on how much and which progestin you use or take, a progestin can have various effects. For instance, high doses of progesterone are necessary for some women to continue a pregnancy while other progestins in low doses can prevent a pregnancy from occurring. Other effects include causing weight gain, increasing body temperature, developing the milk-producing glands for breast-feeding and relaxing the uterus to maintain a pregnancy.

Progestins can help other hormones work properly. Progestins may help to prevent anemia - low iron in blood, too much menstrual blood loss and cancer of the uterus.

Progestins are available only with your family doctor's prescription, in the following dosage forms:

Oral
• Medrogestone
  • Tablets - Canada
• Medroxyprogesterone
  • Tablets - USA and Canada
• Megestrol
  • Oral suspension - USA and Canada
  • Tablets - USA and Canada
• Norethindrone
  • Tablets - USA and Canada
• Progesterone
  • Capsules - USA and Canada

Parenteral
• Hydroxyprogesterone
  • Injection - USA
• Medroxyprogesterone
  • Injection - USA and Canada
• Progesterone
  • Injection - USA and Canada

Vaginal
• Progesterone
  • Gel - USA
  • Suppositories

Brand Names

Some commonly using brand names are:

In the USA

• Amen
• Aygestin ⁵
• Crinone ⁶
• Curretab
• Cycrin
• Depo-Provera
• Gesterol 50 ⁶
• Gesterol LA 250
• Hy/Gestrone
• Hylutin
• Megace ⁴
• Prodrox
• Prometrium ⁶
• Pro-Span
• Provera

In Canada

• Alti-MPA
• Apo-Megestrol ⁴
• Colprone
• Depo-Provera
• Gen-Medroxy
• Megace ⁴
• Megace OS ⁴
• Norlutate ⁵
• Novo-Medrone
• PMS-Progesterone ⁶
• Prometrium ⁶
• Provera
• Provera Pak

Another commonly using name is norethisterone .

For quick reference, the following progestins are numbered to match the corresponding brand names.