Some women who take progesterone with estrogen therapy experience progesterone-related side effects. The goal is to optimize your quality of life.
How long you use the treatment depends on the balance of your risks and benefits from hormone therapy.
Guidelines suggest using the smallest effective dose for symptom control. With either regimen, the therapy needs to be tailored to your needs. But if you still have a uterus, you should take progesterone with estrogen to protect against cancer of the lining of the uterus (endometrial cancer). Most women who have had a hysterectomy can take estrogen alone. Estrogen is the primary hormone used to reduce hot flashes.
