Progesterone: uses, dosing, side effects & brands

Q: What is Prometrium?

Prometrium (Progesterone) is a progesterone used to treat Amenorrhea, Endometrial Hyperplasia, Female Infertility, Uterine Hemorrhage.

Q: What kind of drug is progesterone?

The FDA classifies progesterone as a progesterone. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.

Q: Can you take progesterone with other medicines?

It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run progesterone against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.

Q: What brand names is progesterone sold under?

We track 5 progesterone-containing products in the U.S.: Milprosa, Crinone, Progestasert, Progesterone and Prometrium. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.

Q: What forms does progesterone come in?

Across the brands we track, progesterone is currently marketed as system, topical, insert, extended release, capsule, injectable and insert, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.

Q: Is there a generic progesterone?

Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic progesterone product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.

Q: Has progesterone been recalled?

The FDA's Enforcement database lists 3 recall records whose product description mentions progesterone. The most recent: Progesterone Injection USP (Dec 27, 2024). A recall applies to specific lots, not to the drug as a whole — check the record for the affected lot numbers.

Progesterone is a progesterone sold in the U.S. under 5 brand and generic names, for amenorrhea, endometrial hyperplasia and female infertility. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.

By the pharmaranks editorial teamReviewed against the FDA (openFDA label, NDC Directory & Enforcement) sourcesUpdated Jul 24, 2026How we research

Key facts

Drug class: Progesterone
Treats (across its forms): Amenorrhea, Endometrial Hyperplasia and Female Infertility
Available as: System · Topical · Insert, extended release · Capsule · Injectable · Insert
Sold as: 5 products — Milprosa, Crinone and Progestasert, and others
Prescription?: Prescription only
Generic available?: Yes
What the pharmacy pays: about $12 for a 30-count supply — not your price

How Prometrium is dosed

From the FDA label for Prometrium (application NDA019781). Other progesterone products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.

Prevention of Endometrial Hyperplasia PROMETRIUM Capsules should be given as a single daily dose at bedtime, 200 mg orally for 12 days sequentially per 28-day cycle, to a postmenopausal woman with a uterus who is receiving daily conjugated estrogens tablets. Treatment of Secondary Amenorrhea PROMETRIUM Capsules may be given as a single daily dose of 400 mg at bedtime for 10 days. Some women may experience difficulty swallowing PROMETRIUM Capsules. For these women, PROMETRIUM Capsules should be taken with a glass of water while in the standing position.

Everything below is the FDA label for Prometrium (capsule). Progesterone is also sold as system, topical, insert, extended release, injectable and insert, and those are different medicines to take — follow the label for the one you were prescribed.

Prometrium side effects

See WARNINGS and PRECAUTIONS . Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. In a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, the effects of PROMETRIUM Capsules on the endometrium was studied in a total of 875 postmenopausal women. Table 7 lists adverse reactions greater than or equal to 2 percent of women who received cyclic PROMETRIUM Capsules 200 mg daily (12 days per calendar month cycle) with 0.625 mg conjugated estrogens or placebo. TABLE 7. Adverse Reactions (≥ 2%) Reported in an 875 Patient Placebo-Controlled Trial in Postmenopausal Women Over a 3-Year Period [Percentage (%) of Patients Reporting] PROMETRIUM Capsules 200 mg with Conjugated Estrogens 0.625 mg Placebo (n=178) (n=174) Headache 31 27 Breast Tenderness 27 6 Joint Pain 20 29 Depression 19 12 Dizziness 15 9 Abdominal Bloating 12 5 Hot Flashes 11 35 Urinary Problems 11 9 Abdominal Pain 10 10 Vaginal Discharge 10 3 Nausea / Vomiting 8 7 Worry 8 4 Chest Pain 7 5 Diarrhea 7 4 Night Sweats 7 17 Breast Pain 6 2 Swelling of Hands and Feet 6 9 Vaginal Dryness 6 10 Constipation 3 2 Breast Carcinoma 2 <1 Breast Excisional Biopsy 2 <1 Cholecystectomy 2 <1 Effects on Secondary…

Who shouldn’t take Prometrium

PROMETRIUM is contraindicated in women with any of the following conditions: 1. Hypersensitivity to its ingredients. PROMETRIUM Capsules contain peanut oil and is contraindicated in patients allergic to peanuts. 2. Abnormal genital bleeding of unknown etiology. 3. Known, suspected, or history of breast cancer. 4. Active deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism or history of these conditions. 5. Active arterial thromboembolic disease (for example, stroke and myocardial infarction), or a history of these conditions. 6. Known liver dysfunction or disease.

Every progesterone product we track (5)

Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.

Progesterone products
#	Drug	Rating	Type	Form	Generic?	Pharmacy pays
1	Milprosa	72/100	Prescription	System	Generic	$12	View →
2	Crinone	70/100	Prescription	Topical	Generic	$12	View →
3	Progestasert	Not yet rated	Prescription	Insert	Generic	$12	View →
4	Progesterone	Not yet rated	Prescription	Capsule	Generic	$12	View →
5	Prometrium	Not yet rated	Prescription	Capsule	Generic	$12	View →

What progesterone pills look like

Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.

Progesterone pill imprints
Imprint	Strength	Colour	Shape	Maker
P1	100 mg	white	round	—
A87	100 mg	orange	round	—
A80	200 mg	orange	oval	—
PR1	100 mg	white	oval	—
PR2	200 mg	white	oval	—

Combination products containing progesterone

A combination is a different drug — different dosing, different warnings. It is listed here so you can find it, not so you can substitute it.

Bijuva

Progesterone recalls

From the FDA Enforcement database. A recall covers specific lots — not the drug as a whole.

How long progesterone keeps

No progesterone label we read sets a separate limit for after opening, but they do specify how it must be stored — and the stability behind any date assumes those conditions.

Does progesterone expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labels

Progesterone and breastfeeding

From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.

Because of the low reported levels of progesterone in breastmilk, even with the high-dose products, amounts ingested by the infant are small and would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants. The progesterone vaginal ring available outside the US produces maternal blood levels that are lower than those of ovulating women. Expert opinion holds that the risks of progestin-only contraceptive products usually are acceptable for nursing mothers at any time postpartum.

Full LactMed record for progesterone: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider instead

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised December 15, 2025. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.

What people report to the FDA about progesterone

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 21,019 reports naming progesterone, and the FDA flagged 56% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:

headache1,862 reports
fatigue1,633 reports
nausea1,350 reports
rash907 reports
exposure during pregnancy892 reports
foetal exposure during pregnancy892 reports
dizziness867 reports
maternal exposure during pregnancy789 reports

Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean progesterone caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.

Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved August 26, 2026.

Related calculators

How long it stays in your system →

Frequently asked questions

What is Prometrium?

Prometrium (Progesterone) is a progesterone used to treat Amenorrhea, Endometrial Hyperplasia, Female Infertility, Uterine Hemorrhage.

What kind of drug is progesterone?

The FDA classifies progesterone as a progesterone. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.

Can you take progesterone with other medicines?

It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run progesterone against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.

What brand names is progesterone sold under?

We track 5 progesterone-containing products in the U.S.: Milprosa, Crinone, Progestasert, Progesterone and Prometrium. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.

What forms does progesterone come in?

Across the brands we track, progesterone is currently marketed as system, topical, insert, extended release, capsule, injectable and insert, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.

Is there a generic progesterone?

Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic progesterone product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.

Has progesterone been recalled?

The FDA's Enforcement database lists 3 recall records whose product description mentions progesterone. The most recent: Progesterone Injection USP (Dec 27, 2024). A recall applies to specific lots, not to the drug as a whole — check the record for the affected lot numbers.

Cite this page

APA: pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Progesterone: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/progesterone
MLA: “Progesterone: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/progesterone.

We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.

Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.

Read the full FDA label for progesterone on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.