HORMONE SYMPTOMS THAT RESPOND TO PROGESTERONE

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF ESTROGEN DOMINANCE

• Water Retention, Edema
• Breast Swelling, Fibrocystic Breasts
• Premenstrual Mood Swings, Depression
• Loss of Libido (Sex Drive)
• Heavy or Irregular Menses
• Uterine Fibroid
• Craving For Sweets
• Weight Gain, Fat Deposits at Hips and Thighs

You do not have to be older to experience this.  I was a young 30, and it happened to me after I color treated my hair and worked with solvents to refinish furniture.  Thankfully I had a qualified doctor to help me and he recommended taking synthetic progesterone or natural USP progesterone from Soy/Yam.  I took the natural alternative and within a few years, I began to feel better.

SYMPTOMS OF PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (PMS) THAT RESPOND TO PROGESTERONE THERAPY

• Headache
• Motor Coordination Problems
• Epilepsy
• Fainting Spells
• Lethargy
• Leg Cramps
• Breast Engorgement
• Backache
• Insomnia
• Inability To Concentrate
• Frequent Urination
• Facial Hair
• Lowered Libido
• Irritability
• Depression
• Crying Jags
• Feelings Of Panic
• Mood Swings
• Blurred Vision
• Bloating
• Stiffness
• Constipation and/or Gas
• Sinusitis
• Proneness To Accidents
• Dry Hair
• Cold Extremities
• Exhaustion, Mental and Physical
• Migraines
• Sudden Anger
• Frustration
• Hysteria
• Runny Eyes
• Breast Tenderness
• Joint Swelling
• Dry Skin
• Water Retention
• Facial Pallor
• Greasy Hair
• Dark Circles Under Eyes

Excerpts above taken from the book by John R. Lee, M.D., mentioned above.

PMS Syndrome - A Label or a Real Event?
We were once told that PMS was not really a syndrome, nor was it even worthy of medical investigation. Sexiest pointed to this as a "female cop-out phenomenon"; feminists deplored its existence or its public acknowledgment. The most insulting slur was the lack of interest in research and the misinformation on cause and treatment promulgated by the medical profession.

At last we now have a definition for PMS: unpleasant physical and psychological symptoms that recur regularly during the second phase of our hormonal or menstrual cycle.

PMS affects over 25 million women or about 20% of us have some sort of disruption of our normal hormone levels. PMS is now recognized as a real health problem. PMS is a collection of over 150 reoccurring symptoms that usually appear between ovulation and to the onset of menstruation, when levels of progesterone are deficient and/or estrogen is dominant. PMS appears to be a progesterone deficiency. Many of the symptoms women suffer are influenced by the imbalance of hormonal levels. See the hormone product page for those signs - listed on the left column.

Until now, women had to endure PMS symptoms. The broad range of PMS symptoms often are influenced by hormonal imbalance. Dr. K. Dalton, who has successfully used progesterone therapy for over 30 years in England, reports complete relief of symptoms.

Many women experience relief of symptoms by applying 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of usp progesterone cream from ovulation to the onset of menstruation - 14 days on, 14 days off. But lets get to some of the reasons of our pain first.

The three main catagories of menstrual irregularities are lack of period (amenorrhea), painful periods (dysmenorrhea), and heavy periods (menorrhagia).

Lack of Periods

I've known many to go thru this, but it could be a sign of an underlying problem. It could indicate lower levels of estrogen and therefore your at a greater risk of osteoporosis. Or it could mean a lack of progesterone and that your at a greater risk of endometrial problems, including endometrial cancer. And of course, if your not menstruating, you can't become pregnant. What I think is alarming, is that primary amenorrhea can occur because the girl is very thin or exercises excessively. It can be an indication of anorexia nervosa. Women who have very low body fat do not menstruate. Ask yourself, is this worth being thin? Is there such a thing as to thin? What am I doing to myself to fit into those pair of jeans or to look good in those bikini's?

But what if this is not the case for you. A girl might actually lack ovaries or a uterus and therefore not be able to menstruate. It could be a tumor, an injury or trauma, or a structural defect might be interfering with your menstrual cycle. It could interfere with the production of hormones, to the actions of the organs and tissues that the hormones effect. Have you been checked for ovarian cysts? Stress can also be the culprit.

And of course, amenorrhea could signal the onset of menopause or pregnancy.

Painful Periods

Dysmenorrhea is common in women, and in most cases is completely normal. There are many alternative treatments to ease your pain however. Some are listed on the left column. But at what point does painful periods signal something more? When pain interferes with your normal activities. Many women who have had children compare these pains with those of having a child. They wouldn't be mistaken. The factor most likely causing the pain is a hormone called prostaglandins. This hormone when released in excess, causes the uterus to contract during menstruation and also when a woman goes into labor. During menstruation, they ensure that all the menstrual blood and tissue are expelled. But excess prostaglandins can cause repeated contractions, thus cramping, maybe even spasms. Dysmenorrhea may also be caused by an underlying condition, such as endometriosis, an infection, or growths in the uterus.

Heavy Periods

Menorrhagia is a menstrual flow that lasts longer than eight days. It saturates a tampon or sanitary napkin within an hour. It can include large clots. There are many factors that may cause it. A hormone imbalance, endometriosis, a pelvic infection, uterine growths such as fibroids, or the use of an IUD. It may signal other irregularities in your cycle such as a lack of ovulation, low levels of progesterone, or an excess of prostaglandins. It can cause iron deficiency anemia.

"But when should I call the doctor," you ask? Please note these warning signs:

You have heavy menstrual flow that fills a tampon or sanitary napkin within an hour, heavy flow can cause anemia

You have missed a period and think you may be pregnant; a late flow that is unusually heavy could indicate a miscarriage

You experience sharp abdominal pain before periods or during intercourse; you could have endometriosis

You get your period after menopause

We had help with the information above from the following sources:

The Alternative Advisor - The Complete Guide to Natural Therapies & Alternatives Treatments

Thyroid/Hormones

Thyroid problems can trigger depression, weight gain and bone loss. Before you sign off on "it's another symptom of menopause," make sure you check with your doctor!

This section is from a terrific physician, Elizabeth Smith. She has specialized in fibrocystic breast disease. Her site is found at www.fibrocystic.org. She wrote a summary of information covering Xenoestrogens.

Too much Estrogen interferes with Thyroid Hormone

Progesterone Use Restores Thyroid Function

American women and women in developed countries have too much estrogen. This estrogen excess, labeled estrogen dominance by John Lee, M.D., creates hypothyroid symptoms despite normal serum levels of thyroid hormone. Excess estrogen impedes the cellular utilization of thyroid hormone. Progesterone restores thyroid function in the body.

by Elizabeth Smith, M.D.

Thyroid hormone made by the thyroid gland regulates the metabolic rate. Low thyroid tends to cause low energy levels, cold intolerance, and weight gain. Excess thyroid causes higher energy levels, feeling too warm, and weight loss.

The thyroid gland produces thyroid hormone in two basic flavors T3 and T4. T3 is the more potent of the two. The thyroid gland is stimulated thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) produced by a small gland in the brain called the pituitary gland. This gland is stimulated in turn by thyrotropin-releasing hormone produced by the hypothalamus, another part of the brain.

Frequently, Dr. Lee, corrected symptoms of PMS in his patients by using progesterone cream. PMS symptoms caused by estrogen dominance included fat and water retention, breast swelling, headaches and loss of sex drive. He also found that they also had thyroid supplements prescribed based upon hypothyroid-like symptoms such as feeling tired or sluggish, a little cold intolerance, and thinning hair. However, laboratory measured thyroid levels T3 and T4 were normal, and TSH was only slightly elevated. After Dr. Lee corrected the PMS symptoms with progesterone, the patients with presumed hypothyroid symptoms became normal. Their hypothyroid symptoms decreased or disappeared!

One woman patient that I had did not shave her underarms for 5 years. She had a low normal T3, T4 and TSH. After taking natural progesterone and avoiding heated plastics in her food for her fibrocystic breast disease, she noted that the hair under her arms had begun to grow once more. She had to begin shaving her underarms again! Her hypothyroid symptoms, non growing hair under her arms, were due to estrogen dominance.

Confirming Clinical Hypothyroid (normal lab tests T3, T4, TSH, but feeling lousy)

The most reliable way to confirm clinical hypothyroid is to measure the urine temperature for three consecutive days. Urinate in a Styrofoam cup for 3 consecutive days in the morning as soon as you get up. If you forget one day then don't worry just continue until you get 3 consecutive days. Measure the urine temperature with an ordinary health care thermometer. If the temperature is below 98.6 consistently, ( usually 97) then you most probably have clinical hypothyroid.

Why Do Hypothyroid Symptoms Disappear with Progesterone?

Dr. Lee reasons that thyroid and estrogen oppose each other. Estrogen causes food to be stored as fat. Thyroid hormone causes fat to be burned as energy. Patients with normal thyroid hormone levels measured by laboratory tests have symptoms that suggest they have hypothyroidism. When these same patients are given progesterone which is know to oppose estrogen their hypothyroid symptoms ceased. This implies that too much estrogen in the body, estrogen dominance, interferes with thyroid hormone action.

Summary

Fibrocystic breasts are caused by too much estrogen. Cutting down your intake of estrogen and taking progesterone causes fibrocystic breasts to become normal in 2-3 months according to Dr. Lee. Because estrogen dominance also interferes with thyroid hormone action, fibrocystic breast patients are likely to have symptoms of hypothyroidism and be on thyroid supplements even though measured T3 and T4 are normal.

After taking progesterone for several months, thyroid function becomes normal and thyroid supplements can be cut back and possibly eventually discontinued.

Thank you Dr. Smith for this summary of estrogen dominence and it's relationship with thyroid disorders.