Podcast

Why Progesterone Affects Women Differently: The Route You Take Matters

Podcast · 19 min · Sep 9, 2026 · Dr. Brendan McCarthy

About this episode

Why does progesterone help one woman sleep, feel calm, and finally feel like herself again—while another woman feels anxious, restless, or completely unlike herself? The answer may have a lot to do with how progesterone enters the body and what it becomes after you take it. In Part 11 of this progesterone series, Dr. Brendan McCarthy breaks down why the route of administration matters when using bioidentical oral micronized progesterone. Oral, transvaginal, transrectal, topical, and sublingual routes can influence how progesterone is metabolized and where its effects are felt.

This content is for education and is not medical advice. It does not replace an evaluation with a licensed provider, and no one should start, stop or change a medication on its basis.

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