Side effects of hormone therapies for dysfunctional uterine bleeding

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Side effects of hormone therapies for dysfunctional uterine bleeding

Hormone therapy for dysfunctional uterine bleeding is used to regulate progesterone and estrogen levels, reducing menstrual bleeding and cramping. Most women gain some relief from heavy menstrual bleeding while using hormone therapy. Side effects are common but often mild.

Progestin side effects

Common side effects of high-dose progestins include:

• Breast tenderness.
• Nausea.
• Bloating.
• Mood changes or depression.
• Water retention.
• Weight gain.

Oral progestin is not a highly dependable birth control measure; a levonorgestrel intrauterine device (IUD) or a combination estrogen-progestin birth control pill is a better choice for preventing pregnancy.¹

Levonorgestrel (LNg) IUD side effects

The levonorgestrel IUD is less likely to cause troublesome side effects than high-dose progestin.

Common levonorgestrel-related side effects include bloating, weight gain, and breast tenderness. Possible changes in the menstrual cycle caused by the LNg IUD include:²

• Absence of menstrual periods (amenorrhea).
• Irregular, though not usually heavy, menstrual bleeding.
• A temporary increase in menstrual bleeding (including menstrual days and bleeding between periods). This side effect usually subsides after the first few months of use.

Birth control pills

Side effects of estrogen-progestin birth control pills are generally mild. When they occur, they are usually the most severe during the first few months of use and then, in most cases, gradually disappear. The most common side effects are:

• Breast tenderness.
• Nausea.
• Weight gain, which is thought to be uncommon.

Rare, but more serious, side effects are:

• High blood pressure (hypertension).
• Blood clots (thromboembolism).

Smoking increases your risk of developing serious side effects.

References

Citations

1. Speroff L, Fritz MA (2005). Dysfunctional uterine bleeding. In L Speroff, MA Fritz, eds., Clinical Gynecologic Endocrinology and Infertility, 7th ed., pp. 548–571. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.

2. Duckitt K (2004). Menorrhagia. Clinical Evidence (12): 2636–2660.

Credits

Last updated:	February 22, 2006
Author:	Merrill Hayden
Reviewed By:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Deborah A. Penava, BA, MD, FRCSC, MPH - Obstetrics and Gynecology
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman