The Timing of Hormones: Choosing Between Sustained-Release and Immediate-Release Progesterone Capsules

When looking at hormone therapy, particularly progesterone, it is very important that you and your doctor understand how progesterone works for you to help you maintain proper balance in your body. This includes providing sleep assistance, calming the body’s nervous system, and the ability of progesterone to help the body create and maintain a healthy endometrium (uterine lining). In addition, the timing of the release of progesterone in your body will be determined by your individual needs; therefore, you should not assume that the timing of your hormone therapy would be the same as anyone else’s! At Allure Compounding Pharmacy, we are dedicated to developing customized hormone therapy options to address your individual needs, including the ability to offer both sustained release and immediate release forms of progesterone capsules that are tailored to your unique circadian and physiological processes.

Through an established delivery system, commercial products containing progesterone can be obtained in the same way every time. On the other hand, compounded progesterone allows you to customize your treatment to meet specific health goals on an individual basis. We use pure bio-identical progesterone powder (which includes molecules that are the same as what your body produces), and then professionally incorporate it into a customized capsule that has a specified release profile based on your doctor’s prescription.

The decision to use sustained-release or immediate-release progesterone capsules will depend on the goals of treatment. Immediate-release progesterone capsules are absorbed into your system quickly as all of the active ingredient will be available to you in a short period after taking the capsule. Because of this rapid absorption, doctors tend to prefer them due to their potential to replicate the body’s normal hormone peaks or provide relief for acute symptoms such as nighttime anxiety and insomnia. Taking an immediate-release capsule prior to sleeping will allow you to utilize the calming effects and sleep-inducing properties of progesterone to help facilitate a more restful and restorative sleep.

Sustained-release progesterone capsules utilize specialized compounding techniques to release progesterone at a constant rate for a much longer duration (usually 6–12 hours). This ‘wave’ type of release pattern maintains more consistent blood concentration levels of this hormone. Patients requiring continuous support are often best served by sustained-release formulations as a result of the reduction or elimination of those “highs and lows” (i.e., the peaks and valleys) that may cause drowsiness and other side effects associated with the immediate-release formulation. Because the sustained-release progesterone mimics the more natural, sustained method of secretion, its use may be advantageous in stabilizing mood and providing endometrial stabilization.

Your prescriber will conduct a comprehensive assessment of you to identify the appropriate dosage, release profile, and method of administration (oral or vaginal) based on your individual diagnosis, metabolic profile, and symptom combination. When we receive your prescription, the compounding staff in our facility will follow specific procedures to accurately weigh the active pharmaceutical ingredient. For progesterone caps with controlled release characteristics, the progesterone is combined with pharmaceutical-grade retarding agents in our cleanroom to ensure the desired dissolution rate. The entire process will be performed in accordance with strict USP <795> standards for non-sterile compounding, and each batch will be well documented for quality control purposes.

We empower you with comprehensive guidance, explaining the optimal time to take your medication based on its release design and your lifestyle. We also underscore that compounded bio-identical hormones require ongoing medical supervision to ensure optimal efficacy and safety through regular monitoring and lab work.
Allure Compounding Pharmacy believes that hormone therapy should adapt to your life, not the other way around. By offering a choice between sustained and immediate release progesterone capsules, we provide your healthcare provider with the tools to design a rhythm of care that works in harmony with your body. If you are seeking a more nuanced approach to progesterone therapy, talk to your doctor about the possibilities of a compounded, release-specific formulation.

The FDA does not review any compounded drugs to evaluate their safety, effectiveness, or quality before they reach patients.