Wild yam and natural progesterone creams

Wild yam and progesterone creams are available without a prescription and are marketed for relieving perimenopausal symptoms caused by "estrogen dominance." Some women report finding relief with these products.

Wild yam. Although wild yam cream is marketed as a source of natural progesterone, it does not contain progesterone, and the body cannot convert it into progesterone.^{1, 2}

Progesterone creams. Some women use "natural" progesterone creams to correct low progesterone levels. Research is mixed about whether the cream is absorbed into the body.

• One small study suggests that over-the-counter progesterone cream is about as well absorbed as a prescription progesterone capsule.³
• Some research, using Progest cream, has shown that only small amounts of progesterone are actually absorbed into the body.⁴

Concerns about progesterone cream use

You cannot actually know how much progesterone you are getting without having a whole-blood progesterone test. Because of this and the following concerns, some experts are concerned about use of over-the-counter progesterone cream.³

• If it is absorbing well. Progesterone treatment has risks. It has been linked to headaches and dangerous blood clots in a small number of women.³ This is why progesterone is usually a prescription hormone and is not safe for women with certain health risks.
• If it is not absorbing well. If you are taking estrogen (and have an intact uterus), you also need to have enough progesterone to prevent the estrogen from causing uterine (endometrial) cancer. Using a poorly absorbed progesterone cream while taking estrogen does not protect you from uterine cancer.⁴

Citations

1. Dog TL, et al. (2001). An integrative approach to menopause. Alternative Therapies, 7(4): 45–55.

2. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2001). Use of botanicals for management of menopausal symptoms. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 28. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 97(6, Suppl): 1–11.

3. Hermann AC, et al. (2005). Over-the-counter progesterone cream produces significant drug exposure compared to a Food and Drug Administration-approved oral progesterone product. Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 45(6): 614–619.

4. Cooper A, et al. (1998). Systemic absorption of progesterone from Progest cream in post-menopausal women. Lancet, 351(9111): 1255–1256.