Prometrium vs. Progesterone - what are your experiences?

Question

I was on Prometrium for several years and switched to the generic Progesterone when it came available a couple months back. Now I'd totally swear by Prometrium cause it worked for me and as far as side affects go there were 2 and they weren't that bad and only lasted a couple hours after I took the pill so I took it at night and everything was fine. Progesterone however I've taken for 2 months now and it doesn't work exactly like I'd hoped and the side affects are well let's just say I stopped counting almost. I'm dizzy almost all day and don't get me started on it messing with my sleep. My nails were never anything great or long but on Progesterone they grew weak and can't stand up to anything so they break off all the time. I want to know other people experiences with Prometrium vs. Progesterone and if I'm the only one who's considering switching back.

And before anyone smartalecly points out that Prometrium is actually progesterone... I'd like real answers. We all know it's all progesterone I'm talking the names of the meds not what they are made of.

Answer

I have been on brand name Prometrium for 12+ years... and then my insurance wouldn't cover the cost or even partially... so... I, not expecting a problem, started the generic. The generic didn't work so I was forced, each month, to do the extensive paper work involved to get the brand name. Then, for years more I've been taking the brand and all was going well. My pharmacy closed and I was forced to find another mom-and-pop (will not fill an rx at a CVS or other big chain) pharmacy. I called about 6-7 within the county I live and none seem to carry it nor will stock it. I know it's very expensive but I'm willing to spend the money. There IS a difference between the two. I live in Westchester County, N.Y. does anyone have an idea where I can get the meds? Taking the generic made me feel weird and I bled.

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Watson was bought by Activus who is now owned by Teva, so the Teva and the Activus generic are now the same. So the other choices are Akron or Virtus for generic. I have read terrible things about the Teva generic, what has been anyone's experience with Akron or Virtus?

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If your generic says 100% USP progesterone, it is bioidentical progesterone. And yes, the inactive ingredients can vary and some people may notice or react to these differences.

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I wish I could edit my posts so I don't have to keep posting!

I just compared the formulas and ingredients for TEVA, Virtus and Prometrium on dailymed.nlm.nih.gov, and aside from inactive ingredients, they are exactly the same. So if you feel different on one progesterone vs another it is likely one of the inactive ingredients.

All the three drugs had this identical description "... an oral dosage form of micronized progesterone which is chemically identical to progesterone of ovarian origin. The oral bioavailability of progesterone is increased through micronization."

So it is safe to say that the generics are not a synthetic form of Prometrium, but are identical to it.

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So, I am still not convinced that a generic can be a synthetic copy of a bio-identical progesterone. The active ingredients should be the same, and there is a very, very big difference between bio-identical and synthetic. I guess the trick would be to call the generics and ask them. In the meanwhile I have found that Walmart sells the Virtus brand. My understanding through this forum is that Virtus is as close to Prometrium as you can get. In my town Prometrium without insurance coverage is about $160 for thirty 100mg capsules.

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I am really confused. How can Prometrium be a bio-identical progesterone while Teva is a synthetic progestin? Should the main ingredients not be exactly the same? I am about to finish my prescription and am wondering whether to switch from Teva to the more expensive Prometrium.

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I changed from Prometrium to generic progesterone and my Migraine came back after 42 years. As soon as I switched back to Promethium my Migraine was gone. They are nothing alike.

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I started on Progesterone in October and it was by a manufacturer called Akorn. I was taking it for menopausal symptoms. It worked very well. My sleep was back to normal: sleeping all night. My hot flashes decreased from 18 per day to zero and I had many other things improve including motivation, energy and outlook which made it easy to loose the 25 pounds which took me down to my weight in my 20's. My insurance company wanted me to change pharmacies and so I did in March. When my prescription was refilled it was by a different manufacturer, Teva. I checked that it was the right pill just different color and shape but after each dose I began to have more and more side effects or poor results that included: difficulty getting to sleep, waking up at night, hot flashes, changes in urinary habits and bowel habits, spotting, balance problems, flaking and weak fingernails, headache, eyelashes falling out and weight gain.

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I talked to two pharmacists who were not surprised to hear my description and my prescription was then filled with the product by Akorn. My unwanted symptoms began to subside after one dose of the Akorn brand.

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I also was on Prometrium and about 2 months ago my health insurance switched and only paid for the Teva Progesterone (Generic Brand). I have since have had terriable dry mouth, upset stomach, Dizzy, Overall my hot flashes have returned. I was wondering if anyone else has had the same symptoms. Also have noticed a small rash that will not go away on my chest and stomach area. After reading your comments I have to agree that it is the switch to the generic brand, I am switching back to Prometrium to see if these symptoms will clear, and am paying the extra on the coverage. Was wondering if anyone switched back and found a difference. Any info would be appreciated.

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I started taking Prometrium 100mg and estradiol 1 mg about 16 years ago. I have had no side effects and feel great. I had lots of menopausal symptoms before I started taking these medications. At the time, my doctor, who has since retired, emphatically told me never to switch from the brand name Prometrium, he said not to take the generic. I never asked why or maybe I can't remember what he said. My insurance now will not cover Prometrium so I am paying out of pocket. However, I am still following his advice and your experiences give me further reasons to do so. I am glad that I found your posts.

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I believe that prometrium is a "natural" form of pregesterone, which was given to me 10 years ago for post menopausal bleeding but progesterone is a synthetic form. The prometrium has worked great, and I was told that I had to take prometrium because I also have  clinical depression  and it does not make that worse. I just noticed that on my last prescription, they switched me to progesterone, and I have been having some dizziness I didn't have before and my depression has increased. I am off to the drug store and will call my doctor on Monday.

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I wanted to post an update on generic Watson/Actavis progesterone who owned the license to make generic Prometrium using the exact same formula. Teva, Akorn, and other generics are forced to change the "additives" while supposedly using the same amount of micronized progesterone. In all cases, it is supposed to be the same dose of micronized progesterone in a base of peanut oil in a gel cap.

Why these other generics do not work for many women including myself, when they supposedly provide the same active ingredient in the same dose (micronized progesterone) is beyond me, but this is in fact the case for many of us. So apparently it is the additives that make a dramatic difference in effectiveness for some of us. This makes no sense. I can't help but wonder if these other pharmaceutical companies are altering the dosage or perhaps they are using a cheaper, sub-standard active ingredient (micronized bio-identical progesterone).

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Actavis (who took over the generic Watson line and for a short time made the same formula as Prometrium) eliminated generic Progesterone from their line up last April, 2016.

So I searched for who else was making the pill identified as SV (or specifically SV2 in the case of 200 mg which is what I take 2-3 times per week for severe hot flashes associated with menopause). Using the pill identifier is the only way of knowing you are getting either Prometrium or its identical generic - both use the SV identifier. All other generics are forced to use their own pill identifiers.

My local Walmart helped me by looking in their data base for SV2 and discovered it is now made by Virtus Pharmaceuticals. They were able to order it for me. I ordered a 90 day supply to stock up since it took me two months to find the latest true Prometruim generic.

The gel caps look identical to the Watson/Actavis/Prometrium pills and contain the SV2 ID, however they are not working the same. I have to take them nightly instead of 2-3 times per week, and even then my hot flashes have returned, albeit mildly. I also discovered a foul smell in the capsule bottle. I opened a capsule and it seems fine, but the smell when I first open the bottle is overwhelmingly bad! Granted, I have never had a bottle filled with 90 capsules so the smell might be stronger than a 30 or 60 capsule bottle - but still, it is hard to describe how bad these smell!

There is no expiration on the bottle I received so I wonder if these are old pills, and thus why they are also not working.

I will take them back to the pharmacist to see what they think.

Has anyone noticed any foul smell from their Prometrium? And has anyone used the Virtus generic? The Virtus now only cost me about $25-30 per 30 caps using the GoodRx discount coupon at Walmart. Watson used to cost close to $50 per 30 caps because only Walgreens sold this brand. (Walmart also wells Teva and Akorn generic for $25-30. All their generic progesterone is the same cost.) I'd love it if the Virtus worked. Otherwise I'll have to switch to Prometrium which could be as high as $200 for the 200 mg SV2.

Votes: +1

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I just started micronized progesterone last week. I'm irritable, hungry, and feel like I've been working out hardcore - the backs of my legs and my neck muscles are screaming at me! I just want to sleep. I hate it.

I've taken compounded progesterone in the past and it worked lovely for me. It was essentially my happy pill. For the first time in over a decade, my period was literally a 30 day cycle. No negative side effects at all.

I will note that I carry both of the MTHFR genes which can cause issues when absorbing pills. My inability to break down folic acid resulted in my child being born with a tongue tie and both lip ties. I should have taken folate. Perhaps this is my difference.

I'm going to request a change of prescription on Wednesday.

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Actually, it is NOT all progesterone. Many of the generic versions are progestins (which are NOT the same as progesterone) and synthetic. Prometrium is real progesterone, because it is bio-identical which means it is exactly identical to what your body makes. Your body cannot tell the difference. If you want to be sure your progesterone is bio-identical look for "USP" in the name or on the label some where. That is what guarantees it is bio-identical. You will notice it's Prometrium (Progesterone USP) on the box. If getting a generic version, ask the pharmacist to either show you the original bottle or to verify for you it is Progesterone "USP". Micronized Progesterone is another term to insure it is bio-identical, because it is the micronization of the progesterone that makes it bio-identical

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Synthetics are dangerous, cancer causing, and are not recognizable by the body as progesterone, therefore, it does not and cannot relieve the symptoms you are seeking relief from, and more often than not, causes additional unwanted side effects. Synthetic estrogen and progestins wreak havoc on the body. It may be the same for testosterone and other hormones as well, but I haven't done much research on other hormones. However, I have done a TON of researching progesterone and estrogen. I have used Progesta-Care progesterone cream with wonderful results as it is USP. I also just picked up my first script of bio-identical generic compounded progesterone capsules today, since the doctor feels like I need a higher dose than the cream provides.

I hope this helps you understand why you were so miserable on the generics at the time you were taking them. :-)

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Name brand Prometrium(bioidentical progesterone) is wonderful and Expensive. The cost has gone up to about 120.00 per month where I live. I tried a generic by Teva brand years ago and it was very different. I had multiple side effects from it such as headache and Bad cramping with breakthrough bleeding. I went back on Prometrium and paid full price because it was worth it!
Good Good news though... I read the post where someone mentioned Watson brand which is now Actavis. It was said to be the exact same medication not just a generic. I researched and found that the company that makes the name brand Prometrium has a deal with Watson/Actavis to supply them with the pills to resell as generic. I found a pharmacy that carries this generic brand ( Right Aid) and am so happy to say I believe this is the exact same medication! It even looks the same... Peach round pill with SV on it for the 100 mg oral cap.

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I feel normal on it and no side effects. The cost? For me it's now free.
Out of pocket it would be 65% off.
Had to share the good news and I so wish I had known this years ago!

Prometrium vs. Progesterone - what are your experiences?

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