What is Progesterone Intolerance and Sensitivity?

Send us Fan MailIf your body seems to “flip a switch” after ovulation, you’re not imagining it and you’re not alone. Speaking of Women's Health Podcast host Dr. Holly Thacker talks through a lesser-known but very real problem: progesterone allergy and progesterone intolerance, often grouped under progestogen hypersensitivity. The most important clue is timing, with symptoms that reliably worsen in the luteal phase when progesterone rises and then ease when your period starts and hormones fall.Dr. Thacker walks through what progesterone is supposed to do in women’s health and why it can still trigger trouble for some people, whether it’s your own endogenous progesterone or synthetic progestins in hormonal birth control, fertility treatment, IUDs, or menopausal hormone therapy. She covers the full range of symptoms, from cyclical hives, rashes, itching, swelling, and asthma-like breathing issues to mood changes, anxiety, migraines, breast tenderness, bloating and heartburn. We also explain the difference between a true allergy that can be dangerous and an intolerance that can feel awful but may respond to smarter dosing, timing and formulation choices.Support the show