Last checked September 2026 against 21 sources · Editorial policy
Progesterone pills: names, types and uses
The main progesterone pill is micronized progesterone, sold as Prometrium and generics in 100 mg and 200 mg capsules; it's identical to your own progesterone. Synthetic progestin pills include medroxyprogesterone (Provera). They're prescribed to protect the uterus during estrogen HRT, to bring on missed periods and to treat abnormal bleeding. There are no FDA-approved over-the-counter progesterone pills. A month of generic 100 mg capsules costs $9.45 at Cost Plus Drugs.
Micronized progesterone (Prometrium, Utrogestan) vs synthetic progestins like medroxyprogesterone and norethindrone. Uses, doses, prices, and which suits HRT.
Progesterone pills: expectation vs reality
What people often expect
“I can buy natural progesterone pills over the counter and get the same effect”
What the evidence shows
Oral progesterone that's tested and FDA-approved is prescription-only. Supplements sold as natural progesterone, including wild yam products, don't contain the same dose or evidence: wild yam cream didn't change progesterone levels in a trial. If you take estrogen and have a uterus, only a proven progestogen protects the lining.
Progesterone pill names, types and uses
Progesterone pill names
Micronized progesterone is sold as Prometrium in the US, Utrogestan in the UK, and as generic progesterone capsules. Medroxyprogesterone acetate is sold as Provera and generics. Bijuva combines estradiol and progesterone in one capsule for women with a uterus. Progestin-only birth control pills, sometimes called the minipill, use other progestins and are for contraception.
Progesterone pills 100mg and 200mg
Prometrium 100 mg capsules are round and peach-colored with the imprint SV; 200 mg capsules are oval and pale yellow with SV2. For HRT, 200 mg is taken at bedtime for 12 days of each 28-day cycle, or 100 mg daily in continuous regimens. For missed periods, 400 mg at bedtime for 10 days. The capsules contain peanut oil.
Learn more →Orange progesterone pills
Two common progestogen pills are orange-toned. Prometrium 100 mg is a round, peach-colored capsule marked SV. Provera 2.5 mg, a medroxyprogesterone tablet, is scored, round and orange, marked PROVERA 2.5. Generics from other makers can look different, so check the name and strength on your pharmacy label rather than the color.
Benefits of progesterone pills
With estrogen HRT, progesterone stops the uterine lining from thickening and lowers the risk of uterine cancer. On its own, it can bring on a period when periods have stopped: in a trial, 80% of women bled within 7 days after Prometrium. It can make you sleepy, which some women find helpful at night; in small trials it improved disturbed sleep and reduced hot flashes after menopause.
Progesterone pills for perimenopause
If you still have periods and take estrogen for symptoms, progesterone is usually taken for part of each month, such as 200 mg on days 15 to 26, which brings a monthly bleed. After 6 to 12 months without a period, 100 mg on days 1 to 25 or daily may be used. Progesterone alone isn't an approved treatment for perimenopause symptoms.
Learn more →Progesterone pills for periods
Progesterone and progestins are used to bring on a period in women whose periods have stopped and aren't pregnant, and medroxyprogesterone also treats abnormal bleeding caused by hormonal imbalance when there's no fibroid or cancer. Provera is given as 5 or 10 mg daily for 5 to 10 days for missed periods. A bleed usually follows a few days after the course ends.
Learn more →Does progesterone make you sleepy?
Yes, for many women. Prometrium can cause transient drowsiness and dizziness, which is why the label says to take it at bedtime. In a small trial, 300 mg at night restored disturbed sleep. Don't drive after a dose until you know how it affects you, and avoid alcohol, which makes drowsiness worse.
Learn more →Progesterone pill prices
Generic progesterone 100 mg is cheap: 30 capsules cost $9.45 at Cost Plus Drugs, vs $20.40 retail. Winona lists progesterone capsules at $39 a month through its telehealth service. Pfizer is discontinuing brand-name Provera 2.5 mg and 10 mg tablets, according to the FDA shortage database.
Learn more →Progesterone pills by the numbers
From the studies on this page
of women with missed periods bled within 7 days after a course of Prometrium
80%
had breast tenderness on Prometrium with estrogen vs 6% on placebo
27%
$9.45
200 mg
Prices were checked in September 2026 and change often.
Progesterone pills compared
Micronized progesterone (Prometrium, generics)
Good for
Identical to your own progesterone; in a French cohort, estrogen with progesterone wasn't linked to higher breast cancer risk (relative risk 1.00). Cheap as a generic.Watch
Drowsiness and dizziness, so take it at bedtime; contains peanut oil.Medroxyprogesterone (Provera, generics)
Learn more →Good for
Tablets in 2.5, 5 and 10 mg; used for missed periods, abnormal bleeding and uterine protection in HRT.Watch
A synthetic progestin; estrogen with other progestins was linked to higher breast cancer risk (1.69) in the French cohort. Brand Provera 2.5 and 10 mg are being discontinued.Estradiol plus progesterone (Bijuva)
Learn more →Good for
One capsule each evening with food covers both hormones for hot flashes in women with a uterus.Watch
Fixed combination, so estrogen and progesterone doses can't be adjusted separately.Progestin-only birth control pill
Learn more →Good for
Contraception; can usually be taken alongside HRT.Watch
Not designed as the progestogen part of HRT unless your doctor says the dose is enough.OTC natural progesterone supplements
Learn more →Good for
No prescription needed.Watch
Not FDA-approved, doses vary, and wild yam didn't change progesterone levels in a trial; they don't protect the uterus.
How to get the right progesterone pill
- Tell your doctor if you're allergic to peanuts; Prometrium contains peanut oil.
- Ask whether you need a cyclic schedule (200 mg for 12 days) or a daily one (100 mg), based on whether you still have periods.
- Plan to take it at bedtime and avoid driving until you know how drowsy it makes you.
- Compare cash prices: generic 100 mg costs $9.45 for 30 at Cost Plus Drugs.
- If you use estrogen, never skip the progestogen if you have a uterus.
When to call a doctor about progesterone pills
Urgent: Severe chest or leg pain, or sudden vision or speech changes
Call 911. These can be signs of a clot or stroke.
Heavy or unexpected bleeding after 6 months on HRT
See your doctor to check the uterine lining.
Blurred vision, trouble speaking or walking after a dose
Tell your provider right away, as the label advises.
You might be pregnant
Talk to your doctor before continuing; progesterone HRT isn't for use in pregnancy.
Progesterone pills: questions women ask
What is the name of the progesterone pill?
Micronized progesterone is sold as Prometrium (and Utrogestan in the UK) and as generic progesterone capsules. Medroxyprogesterone, a synthetic progestin, is sold as Provera.
Can you buy progesterone pills over the counter?
Not FDA-approved ones. Oral progesterone is prescription-only. OTC products sold as natural progesterone aren't the same medicine and haven't been shown to protect the uterus.
What are progesterone pills used for?
To protect the uterine lining when you take estrogen HRT, to bring on periods that have stopped, and, for medroxyprogesterone, to treat abnormal bleeding from hormonal imbalance.
How do you take progesterone pills?
Usually at bedtime, because they can make you drowsy. For HRT: 200 mg for 12 days of each cycle, or 100 mg daily. The NHS says to take capsules at least 2 hours after food and swallow them whole with water.
Related →Do progesterone pills make you sleepy?
They can. Drowsiness and dizziness are known effects, so the label says to take them at bedtime.
Can progesterone pills bring on a period?
Yes. In a trial of women with missed periods, 80% bled within 7 days of finishing a 10-day course of Prometrium. Medroxyprogesterone is also used this way.
Related →What does a 100 mg progesterone pill look like?
Prometrium 100 mg is a round, peach-colored capsule with the imprint SV. Generic capsules can look different, so check your pharmacy label.
How much do progesterone pills cost?
As a generic, very little: $9.45 for 30 capsules of 100 mg at Cost Plus Drugs, vs $20.40 retail. Telehealth services charge more; Winona lists $39 a month.
Related →Are there over-the-counter progesterone pills for perimenopause?
No FDA-approved ones. Supplements sold for perimenopause don't contain tested doses of progesterone. If you need progesterone with estrogen HRT, a prescription for generic micronized progesterone costs $9.45 for 30 capsules at Cost Plus Drugs.
Related →Sources
- Prescribing information: Prometrium (progesterone capsules). Acertis Pharmaceuticals, 2026. DailyMed, US National Library of Medicine.
- Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate tablets). US prescribing information, DailyMed.
- Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company. Hormone therapy medication prices (checked September 2026).
- US Food and Drug Administration. NASEM study on the clinical utility of treating patients with compounded "bioidentical" hormone therapy.
- Komesaroff PA, Black CV, Cable V, et al. Effects of wild yam extract on menopausal symptoms, lipids and sex hormones in healthy menopausal women. Climacteric. 2001;4(2):144-50.
- NHS. Utrogestan (micronised progesterone): how and when to take.
- NHS. Utrogestan (micronised progesterone): about.
- Prescribing information: Bijuva (estradiol and progesterone capsules). Mayne Pharma, 2026. DailyMed, US National Library of Medicine.
- Cleveland Clinic. Progesterone: natural function, levels and side effects.
- Caufriez A, Leproult R, L'Hermite-Balériaux M, et al. Progesterone prevents sleep disturbances and modulates GH, TSH, and melatonin secretion in postmenopausal women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011;96(4):E614-23.
- Hitchcock CL, Prior JC. Oral micronized progesterone for vasomotor symptoms--a placebo-controlled randomized trial in healthy postmenopausal women. Menopause. 2012;19(8):886-93.
- MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine. Medroxyprogesterone.
- NHS. Utrogestan (micronised progesterone): side effects.
- Winona. Treatments, pricing and FAQ (checked September 2026).
- US Food and Drug Administration. Drug Shortages database, searched for estradiol and progestogens (data as of September 26, 2026).
- National 911 Program. 911.gov.
- NHS. Utrogestan (micronised progesterone): who can and cannot take.
- Fournier A, Berrino F, Clavel-Chapelon F. Unequal risks for breast cancer associated with different hormone replacement therapies: results from the E3N cohort study. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2008;107(1):103-11.
- NHS. When to take hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
- British Menopause Society. Tool for clinicians: HRT preparations and equivalent alternatives. 2024.
- US Food and Drug Administration. Dietary supplements.
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