Low Progesterone: Symptoms, Causes, and What You Can Do
When your body doesn’t make enough progesterone, a key hormone that regulates the menstrual cycle and supports pregnancy. Also known as the pregnancy hormone, it’s not just about fertility—it affects your mood, sleep, and even how your body handles stress. Many women don’t realize their fatigue, irritability, or irregular periods might be tied to low progesterone, not just "being tired" or "stressed out."
This isn’t just a women’s health issue—it’s a signal. Low progesterone often shows up alongside hormonal imbalance, a disruption in the delicate balance between estrogen, progesterone, and other hormones. Think of it like a seesaw: if estrogen is too high and progesterone too low, you get symptoms like bloating, breast tenderness, and spotting between periods. It’s also common in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition where ovaries produce excess androgens and struggle to release eggs regularly, or after a miscarriage, where the body doesn’t reset hormone levels properly. Even stress can knock progesterone down—your body prioritizes cortisol over progesterone when it’s under pressure.
It’s not always obvious. Some women have normal periods but still have low progesterone in the second half of their cycle. Others notice trouble getting pregnant, or keep losing early pregnancies. Blood tests can help, but timing matters—testing too early or too late gives false results. And while supplements like chasteberry or vitamin B6 are often talked about, they don’t work for everyone. What helps one person might do nothing for another. The real fix often starts with understanding your cycle, tracking symptoms, and knowing when to ask for more than a quick prescription.
You’ll find posts here that cut through the noise. Learn how low progesterone connects to thyroid function, why some medications can quietly lower it, and what real science says about natural support versus hormone therapy. There’s no one-size-fits-all fix, but you don’t have to guess anymore. The articles below give you clear, practical info—no fluff, no marketing, just what actually matters for your body.
