How much does low progesterone contribute to water retention in polycystic ovary syndrome?

Not Much: Water retention is more a feature of estrogen than progesterone. In pcos, Progesterone is lower and estrogen is the dominant hormonal effect. Most patients think that the abdominal swelling in the pelvic area is due to "water weight." this however is due to bowel gas retention or bloating. This is due to carbohydrate effect on the bowel that is more pronounced in Insulin resistance / pcos..