Optimal Men’s Center is one of the few TRT Specialty Clinics in Arizona that believe in the balance of Progesterone in men. But other clinics are catching up and recognizing the risk of progesterone deficiency. In fact, research has been examining its use since the '90s. But its supplementation is greatly underutilized. We need to be clear though…we are not talking about synthetic Progestin but bio-identical Progesterone. NO, you won’t become a woman from this!
Men Need Progesterone, too.
So, when many (including almost every single clinician) think of progesterone, we think of it as being a strictly female hormone for women only. However, as we said men need progesterone, too. We will review and discuss some important details.
Progesterone helps “police” the actions of estrogen, to keep him and her safe, in both men and women.
Progesterone helps protect men’s reproductive tissue from the adverse effects of excessive estrogen as men age.
Progesterone helps battle the dreaded beer belly gut. The change in body habitus results in excess estrogen production and makes it difficult for mature men to shed.
Progesterone also helps men preserve their virility and masculinity.
Progesterone is a precursor to testosterone, the chief sex hormone in men.
PROGESTERONE
OTHER BENEFITS of Progesterone (remember, we are not talking about Progestin):
Progesterone naturally calms the brain
Being calm can help with anxiety and indirectly reduce ED symptoms
Progesterone may be involved with a sense of satiation (fullness) after eating
Less weight gain
Progesterone increases dopamine-controlled signaling
Progesterone replacement may be seen more in the future for the treatment of other diseases.
Progesterone promotes neuroprotection (brain and nerve) and repair.
Reduction in long-term effects from head trauma
Progesterone acts similarly to barbiturates and Propofol (used to sedate someone for a procedure) which decreases the over-excitement of sick nerve cells.
Some anxiety reduction with proper supplementation
So, what’s so great about Progesterone? Well, for starters, it protects brains. Yep, even in men. Progesterone delivers its signals to progesterone receptors. The brain is flush with these progesterone receptors, in everyone — girls, boys, men, and women.
IN FACT...
Progesterone is so important for protecting nerve and brain function it is manufactured locally right inside the brain itself. Now, there are neurologists (in the know) who are giving small amounts of progesterone replacement to children with epilepsy or attention deficit disorder to help stabilize brain function. Pretty smart huh? And with the recent advent of more traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), especially, combat-related, we are realizing even more about Progesterone and its protective benefits. When someone undergoes brain injury, progesterone is secreted locally and aids brain neurons to heal faster and better. This is one of the reasons believe why women seem to do better with TBI’s as far as recovery is due to their higher Progesterone level.
FUNCTIONS OF PROGESTERONE
Acts as a natural antidepressant
Natural diuretic
Improves energy
Restores/Improves libido
Normalizes Copper levels
Helps normalize blood sugar levels
Normalizes blood clotting
Stamina and endurance increase
Helps use fat for energy
Helps Thyroid hormone activity
Stimulates bone formation
Normalizes Zinc levels
Restores proper cell oxygen levels
Helps protect against breast cancer
(yep, guys get breast cancer too!)
Involved with cortisone synthesis
SYMPTOMS OF ESTROGEN IMBALANCE
LACK OF ESTROGEN
Hot Flashes (not only symptom)
Night Sweats
Sleep Disorders
Headaches
Memory Loss
Inability to Reach Orgasm
Depression
Heart Palpitations
Mood Swings
Shortness of Breath
Dry Skin
Anxiety
ESTROGEN DOMINANCE
OR OVER MEDICATION
Fatigue
Foggy Thinking
Hair Thinning or Hair Loss
Headache
Fat gain on hip, abdomen and thighs
Breast Enlargement and Tenderness
Depression
Mood Swings
Potential blood clotting risk
Nausea/Vomiting
Bloating of Abdomen
Increased risk of Breast Cancer
Decreased Sex Drive
ED FAQs
FREQUENTLY ASKED ED TREATMENT QUESTIONS
CAN STOPPING OR REDUCING CERTAIN MEDICATIONS HELP ME WITH MY ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION?
YES. THERE ARE MEDS THAT COULD RESULT IN AN INCREASED CHANCE OF CAUSING ED SYMPTOMS SUCH AS:
-Anti-anxiety medicines
-Antidepressants
-Anti-histamines
-Chemotherapy Agents
-Blood pressure medicines
-Diuretics
-Muscle relaxants
-Parkinson’s medicines
-Seizure drugs
GENETICS. IS IT A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION?
Even though there is not enough evidence-based research to support the fact that ED is caused by genetics, there might be a connection. Since anxiety seems to have a partial genetic component, a relationship between how someone handles stress in conjunction with their genetics could play a role in ED. In practice, we do recognize a correlation with stress and erectile issues but thankfully, we are quite often able to assist these individuals with various forms of treatment.
CAN THE USE OF PROGESTERONE THERAPY HELP TREAT ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION? EVEN WHEN USED IN CONJUNCTION TO TESTOSTERONE REPLACEMENT?
Yep. Both hormones can be used together. They involve different mechanisms of action and have different benefits. Testosterone treatment is notorious for increasing sexual desire. It increases blood flow and frequency of erections. We have explained this already earlier and also here.
Next, we are going to dig in a little deeper of how Testosterone and Progesterone interact in the system and their importance for normal physiology (as well as for patient understanding).
We recognize that whether you are on TRT or not, some of the testosterone will convert to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is a highly potent hormone in males and is responsible in part for a healthy libido, muscle growth and strength, facial hair, and more. When someone is on TRT, because they have more testosterone available, more DHT will be produced. That’s great, and this will help with muscle growth, libido, etc., but you can have excessive production from this conversion to DHT resulting in unnecessary side effects.
So, how does Progesterone come into the picture for better health. Lots of ways.
Progesterone increases an enzyme called 5-Alpha-Reductase. This enzyme will block the conversion of testosterone into DHT. Now, remember DHT is highly potent and vital for sexual health, muscle development, etc. And like anything, too much can cause problems. Some of the harmful effects of excessive DHT is accelerated scalp hair loss (but body hair/beard growth increases), enlarged prostate, impotence (ED), sleep apnea, thicker blood, high blood pressure, aggression, acne and more. Remember, we are talking about hormone balance, not an unwarranted level of one hormone from/over another. What is also important to consider is that progesterone levels impact men in a way that may increase their risk of ED if they are progesterone-deficient.
