Hormone Imbalance: Recognizing and Resolving It Naturally
Written by Sharon Kaufman, Contributing Writer
Note: Because so many readers of Keeper of the Home are of childbearing age, it is important to clarify that hormonal imbalance is not exclusive to older women. Even teenagers can be affected by it, PMS being one of the symptoms. Please keep reading.
Me? Imbalanced?
A little over ten years ago, I encountered premenopausal problems that included, emotional ups and downs, sleepless nights, difficulties with my cycle, hot flashes and more. At one point I thought I might be pregnant. Being fifty at the time, after the shear panic wore off a little, I rushed to the drugstore, purchased for the first time in my life a pregnancy test kit, flew home and to my relief, tested negative. (It threw me off momentarily, but had I tested positive I would have happily accepted it as God’s will.)
My 19 year-old daughter, the youngest child, came home shortly after this excitement and found the pregnancy-test package. In sheer disbelief that her aged mother could ever bear any more children and equally alarmed that she might be wrong about that, she came running out of the bathroom, box in hand, to investigate. Her single question, “Who was THIS for Mom!!!?”, confirmed her suspicions that I was the “testee” and then she writhed in agony until I told her that the results were negative. (Now I’ll vindicate my daughter. She absolutely adores children and, at the time, was only concerned because I’d had additional health problems.)
For six years I had followed a regimen of hormone replacement therapy which was supposed to have helped. But my cycle had gradually become quite unbearable with profuse bleeding and clotting. (Please bear with me. If you are suffering hormone imbalance, you need details so you can begin to heal.) As it turned out, I had uterine fibroid tumors, ovarian cysts and symptoms that mimicked ovarian cancer.
Image by marthamagenta
Saved from an unnecessary surgery
Not yet aware that the typical processed American diet destroys health, I followed the herd, listening to the popular medical media concerning diet, nutrition and everything else. When my gynecologist recommended surgery, it was only by the grace of God (through a good friend) that I was prevented from getting a hysterectomy which would have further compromised my health.
My gynecologist had prescribed both estrogen and oral progesterone. Now, six years later, after growing progressively worse, it became apparent to me that my symptoms escalated when I put on a new estrogen patch. That’s when my friend, Mary, being ten years older than me and informed about menopause, came to my rescue by giving me a book – What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause – Balance Your Hormones and Your Life from Thirty to Fifity, by John R. Lee and Jesse Hanley, both medical doctors.
Recognizing and reeducating myself about hormonal imbalance
As I read, it became obvious that to me my symptoms were caused by an estrogen overload in my body, just the opposite of what I had been led to believe by doctors, magazine articles, and the popular media, etc.
Explaining that women of all ages suffer from estrogen dominance, the book revealed that our environment exposes us to estrogen through foods we eat, plastics, pesticides, car exhaust, soaps, carpeting, furniture, etc. But I read that estrogen dominance can even involve low estrogen levels. Basically, estrogen dominance “describes a condition where a woman can have deficient, normal or excessive estrogen but has little or no progesterone to balance its effects in the body” (p. 45), so estrogen dominates.
Now, you’d think that since I was taking progesterone that my hormones would have balanced out, but it was not so. I learned that the “hormone” that I had been taking wasn’t progesterone at all, but a chemical analog of progesterone, called a “progestin”, which is very different from the progesterone my body makes. In fact, it is not produced by nature anywhere – only in pharmaceutical laboratories. That is what I had been putting into my body for six years.
Reading further, I was stunned to discover that progestins are very different from the natural progesterone our bodies make. Dr. Lee explains, “…progestins inhibit normal progesterone production and compete for progesterone receptors, thus effectively blocking one’s own natural progesterone” (p. 71). Illustrating the dissimilarity between progesterone and progestins, Dr. Lee asks, “…why is it that an ample supply of progesterone is essential for a healthy pregnancy, while even tiny amounts of progestins are contraindicated during pregnancy because they cause birth defects?”. No wonder I’d had so many problems!
Resolving my hormone imbalance
Long story shorter…I began using natural progesterone cream to balance the estrogen overload (specifically Emerita brand; for a list of quality brands please visit Dr. Lee’s website). Within two months, my cycle had ceased never to return, the fibroids began shrinking, the cysts disappeared, and all the symptoms vanished. I continued using the cream for several years until I began developing a progesterone dominance. Now, 10 years later, I am still symptom and problem-free.
Symptoms of Hormone Imbalance
Since women of all ages can develop estrogen dominance, it is important to know the symptoms, which include:
PMS, breast tenderness, decreased sex drive, fatigue, headaches, dry eyes, irritability, uterine fibroids, insomnia, breast tenderness, infertility, early onset of menstruation, depression, memory loss, foggy thinking, thyroid dysfunction, fat gain, mood swings, polycystic ovaries, water retention, gallbladder disease, hypoglycemia, irregular menstrual periods, hair loss, osteoporosis, magnesium deficiency, and more. (Go here for a comprehensive list of symptoms.)
A word of caution to the wise
If you suspect that you are suffering from a hormonal imbalance, please start by getting Dr. Lee’s book, which lays out how you should use the cream. It is not just a matter of rubbing some on whenever you feel like it. The cream must be used very specifically to mimic your body’s own production of progesterone (for instance, 3 weeks of the month using the cream one week off.) If the cream is misused, it can create more problems. To further educate yourself please refer to this website.
One last thing…
When you purchase natural progesterone cream, you may notice a warning about cancer on the label. This is required by law in the state of California because progesterone’s chemical analog (progestin) actually does cause cancer. Since progestins are referred to as “progesterone”, natural progesterone was implicated also. To be assured that natural progesterone is a safe product to use, please go here to read more.
Oh, how true this is! At only 40, I am experiencing night sweats, mood swings, thinning hair, forgetfulness, sleeplessness, and many other things that go along with menopause. Both my other & grandmother went through menopause early, as well. But as hard as it gets sometimes, I’ve found God’s grace to be sufficient… as always. I just hope it goes away as quickly as it came! =) I love your site… and the help you offer.
Be blessed! ~Staci
I’m only 26 but have been suffering from hormone-related migraines for 4 years, now. They’ve gotten better as I’ve cleaned up our diet and other exposures in our living space, but you can’t hide forever! I’ve tried the progesterone cream before, but maybe I should give it another shot…
I’m only 22 years old and have been suffering from severe and very sudden weight gain, irregular cycles, migraines, insomnia, infertility, and almost everything you named above! I’ve always kept a very strict, wholesome diet, especially since the weight gain, yet no doctor has believed me or taken the time to try and help me because they wrongfully assume I partake in the life of you’re average 22 year old these days. I haven’t tried the progesterone cream, but I am now intrigued and will be looking into this. Thank you!
Awesome post. Thanks so much for the great information!
I can’t believe it. That paragraph held at least 3/4 of my symptoms. I knew I had “hormonal imbalance” (whatever that meant) at various times in my life. Postpartum depression after my two children that lingered for their first years of life was the clue for me. The thing for me is it’s hard to tell whether these things are gluten-related (I have celiac’s disease and a lot of the same symptoms happen with gluten digestion) or hormonal. I agree, diet definitely helps. I’m on my way to ILL that book right now!
Thanks for the excellent post,
Sarah M
Sharon,
I’m trying to understand… are you still using the progesterone cream? Your comment about progesterone dominance caught my attention.
For years, I used progesterone cream and then also an estrogen patch and then progesterone pills. Nothing ever seemed to balance me out. I ended up with grapefruit sized fibroids and lots of issues. At the time I had the fibroids removed I stopped all hormone supplementation, bio-identical or not. Enter the weight gain, miserable years. Now, after much prayer, I’ve begun on the natural progesterone cream again. The results have been astonishing. Weight loss from my belly, new energy for life, etc… I’m following the 3 weeks on, 1 week off, very carefully. Lately the hot flashes and night sweats have begun and I’m nervously beginning black cohosh to see if it will help. But, I how would I know if I had progesterone dominance? I can’t really find much about this online.
p.s. I just ordered the book you referenced above. Thanks.
I have so many of those symptoms, many have accelerated now after having my first son. I have suffered from many rashes that have completely stumped my doctors, I even got thrush in my mouth (normally new moms get it on their breasts from breastfeeding- in my case I wasn’t even breastfeeding!). I’ve suffered from a sluggish metabolism and have worked very hard to lose a lot of weight but I’m stuck around 200 lbs now and have to kill myself to lose a half a pound, and the weight comes back so fast if I up my calories from my 1200-1500 at all. Its frustrating. I’ve also been suffering from a extremely debilitating depression, which I was prescribed zoloft for in June… I stopped taking it because I thought I was pregnant, and never resumed after I found out I wasn’t- which brings me to my other list of symptoms- horrible headaches, nausea, extreme irritablility, and water retention before my period. Symptoms that are extreme enough to severely interfere with the quality of my life. I feel out of control. I’m going to look into giving this a try and find out if it works for me. Thank you so much for sharing.
@Danielle, I’m not a doctor, but from personal experience, there could be a hormonal imbalance, but it could also be something different. It is just a thought, but given the thrush (which is yeast related), you might look into systemic yeast problems instead. Systemic yeast causes a lot of those symptoms that you named. I really recommend stopyeast.com. There’s a wealth of good information on that site.
I am 32 and I can relate as well to hormone imbalance- my worst symptom lasting for 8-10 days around the time of my period- is horrible headaches. By the advice of my ob/gyn I went on birth control pills to stop my period, thus stopping the headaches- stupid idea. It seemed to work for a few months and then the pill started CAUSING headaches. It has been a hard time trying to figure out what to do to help it, but I have found using the Emerita progesterone cream 2 weeks before my period and then Black Cohash during my period for 2 weeks has made it less severe, though I’m not sure if the Black Cohash is good for a person my age. Does anyone have any experience with this? I don’t want to do more harm than good and I don’t even know who to see for this sort of problem when I want to solve it in a natural way. Any hints?
I discovered Dr. Lee’s book four years ago, while suffering from severe migraines every month before and after my period, with 7-9 day very heavy periods, plus PMS and many of the other symptoms mentioned above. I began using Arbonne’s progesterone cream. The first month, I had one migraine, a 6-day, lighter period, and my PMS symptoms were much less severe. The second month, NO migraines! I continue to use progesterone cream (although a cheaper brand) and have no migraines, a short period (4 days) and very mild PMS. I was even safely able to continue using the progesterone throughout the first trimester of my pregnancy 2 years ago! I encourage anyone thinking about trying the progesterone cream to do so (following Dr. Lee’s dosing schedules exactly), and to give it a couple of months/cycles to see the full benefits before giving up. This cream worked wonders for me (and my sanity!) 😉
From my very first period at age 11, I’ve had debilitating menstrual symptoms (migraines and frequent, long, hemmorhagic periods). Until I was in my mid-20s, I had no idea they were all linked to a progesterone deficiency. I’m in my mid-30s now and making headway, thanks to blogs like this one and new doctors who are more holistic in their approaches. I’d love to hear anyone’s tips for natural ways to deal with this problem–my docs and I are gathering all the info we can find. I’m on progestin for now, so I can stay functional and care for my daughter, but I’m hoping it won’t be long until I can kiss my little pink pack of pills goodbye!
@Kathryn,
Have you ever tried natural progesterone cream? It is much different than the progestins, the chemical analog that pharmaceutical companies make. Progestins really cannot do for you what natural progesterone cream can do and will not take care of a progesterone deficiency, but rather will make it worse. Progestins were one of the reasons I ended up with so many problems, like my article above indicates. I was on the chemical analog for 6 years and after only being on the real thing (real progesterone) for only 2 months, I was remarkably better, and was completely healed within months after that. No more problems to date, now 11 years later. Perhaps you can read up a little more about the cream through the links provided in the article, check the book out of the library and go from there. I really hope you find what you need to resolve your problems.
@Sharon Kaufman, My doctor and I are discussing progesterone cream, and I’m also improving my diet, meditating regularly, and looking into wild yam. What I wondered was whether anyone has any other tips or reading recommendations for natural hormone balance.
@Kathryn,
Just a word of caution about “wild yam”…and perhaps you already know this, but for those who do not, many products with wild yam make health claims that are not valid. It is not enough that a product’s ingredients contain wild yam. If it has not been put through the laboratory process that changes it to natural progesterone, it just isn’t the same. Wild yam by itself cannot restore hormone balance. Don’t be fooled! The best thing to do is to check out the link above that lists quality brands that contain natural progesterone in the amounts that are necessary for healing.
I love this post. I too struggled with this same issue. My symptoms got really crazy when I was 25. I was following right along in my mother and my aunts footsteps leading right up to a hysterectomy by their mid 30’s. Fortunately after much prayer, God led me to a doctor with experience in natural hormones. I’ve been on natural progesterone for at least 9 years and it has totally changed my life. I’m almost 39 and have no signs of needing surgery. I struggled with so many emotional ups and downs and for the longest time all they would do was give me this anti-depressant after another and they just plain were not working. I felt like I was going crazy, but I knew their had to be a deeper issue going on. Plain and simple it was totally my hormones making me crazy, estrogen to be exact. I am so thankful for my doctor. I used cream for a while, but I have found that I prefer the compounded pills. Of course their are all kinds of opinions out there for which is most effective, but this has worked best for me. My doctor writes me a prescription and a compounding pharm. makes it for me. I highly recommend anyone with these symptoms to ask around and find a doctor with experience in natural hormones and one that will listen to YOU. You know your body better than anyone. One more thing I’ve learned…this scale doctors use to base whether you hormones are normal isn’t very accurate…Sister…what is normal for me just might not be normal for you…we are all different and if you aren’t right you know it. Thanks for posting about this and getting the word out to others suffering with some of the same stuff.
Thank you for this post!!! I, too, have read Dr Lee’s book and believe that we are personally responsible to not “follow the herd” and be advocates for our own health. Women need to know that these surgeries and pharmaceuticals are unneeded and unhelpful. Love seeing this info shared and encourage all to read Dr Lee’s book. Thanks again!
THANK YOU for this post! At 42, I’ve been surffering from a lot of these symptoms for the past 3-4 years and got no help from doctors; just that look that says I must be a hypochondriac. I just ordered Dr. Lee’s book.
I’m a little confused…I am 25 and have been on the same birth control pills since age 16; around the same time I started having dehibilitating migraines. I do also experience some of the other symptoms listed but the migraines are so intense and I would love to live life free of them! However, I do not want to stop taking birth control. Could I just use the progesterone cream/pills to balance each other out?
@Megan,
I don’t think you would want to use the two together, but you could probably find the answer to your question in the book. Basically, progestins (contained in birth control pills) compete for progesterone receptors and inhibit your body from producing its own progesterone. I would strongly urge you to get the book – you could probably check it out of the library – and read up on the damage that birth control pills cause. I would guess that your problems are caused by them. Is there another, safer option for birth control that you would consider?
Megan, I went off of birth control pills because I hated the way they affected my body. It just wasn’t worth it to me. I read “Taking Charge of Your Fertility,” which sounds super cheesy and feministic, but it’s an excellent book on natural family planning (aka avoiding pregnancy without the use of hormones). It teaches you how to observe your cycle and when you’re fertile. I am using her method, but until I am absolutely sure I know what my cycle is doing, my husband and I are using protection each time we have sex.
This is really great info. I’m not sure that I suffer from hormonal issues, but maybe its part of the overall picture I am dealing with right now, although I think my symptoms are more related to the ups and downs the last 5 years of pregnant-breastfeeding-pregnant-misscarriage-pregnant-breastfeeding and its never stopped, it just varies. I notice that my cycles are more normal now that I am at a more regular point with the amout I breastfeed and have had enough months go by after getting my period back that its normal again.
I’m 44 and have many of the same problems. My bleeding has lasted for up to a month with it being very, very heavy and clots. (Not meaning to be too specific, but it got to the point that I couldn’t leave the bathroom).
I’m very, very heavy and know that the body produces more estrogen with fat. I take red raspberry leaf and vitex twice a day and it seems to have helped with the heavy bleeding. Of course, I have very low thyroid and my hair is much, much thinner than it used to be. At one time, I thought that thick hair was my only good feature ~smile~.
I plan to read this book and am thankful that this post came when it did.
Blessings,
Tonya
This is very interesting. I am 42 and trying to figure out what is going on with my body.
My periods started at 11 without any unusual PMS symptoms. I had several consecutive normal pregnancies, then several miscarriages attributed to “placental nodules” in my uterus. Those nodules were removed and after 2 more early miscarriges, I had a baby in 2008. I nursed her until Feb 2010. My period returned in Nov 2009. Since then, it is not uncommon for me to experience what feels like morning sickness for a few days prior to my period, though a preg test is negative. We would like to have another child, but I don’t know if that is even possible at this point.
Is nausea a symptom of hormone imbalance? I don’t really have other symptoms.
@Beth, I’m no expert but I thought I’d reply…I usually get nausea before my period, but I have always had that. Not sure if its a symptom or not, but for me, if I eat something and eat regularly, paying even more attention to this than normal during that time right before my period, the nausea goes away. Similar for me with morning sickness.
I noticed when quickly “reading” the comments(I didn’t have much time to read, but didn’t want to miss the converstations) that no one had mentioned adrenal issues. I have been struggling for quite some time and finally in doing some research i came across this website:
http://www.womentowomen.com – It has an hormone assessment test you can do to see where you stand.
also: http://www.canaryclub.org
I did my own hormone testing,along with the saliva cortisol testing and my adrenal glands are not functioning as they should. I have moderate to severe adrenal fatigue. This will cause ALOT of hormonal imbalances and thyroid dysfunction as well. Your adrenal glands regulate ALL your hormones, the list is long. It might be worth checking into. When you ask your regular doctor about adrenal fatigue, he/she will probably look at you like you are nuts(you probably feel that way anyways!). Most doctors do not take it into account unless either your adrenals are almost non-functioning(Addison’s disease) or over the top(Cushing’s disease). When you are in the middle somewhere, there isn’t a pill they can prescribe so it isn’t a money maker or quick fix. It has to be done naturally by diet, reducing stress(a biggy) and the proper supplements.
Sorry this is so long but I just wanted to let everyone know about this because it is missed most of the time. Until your adrenals are functioning well, the hormonal issues most likely won’t go away.
Robin
@Robin, That makes total sense. I have adrenal fatigue. Its getting better, and some things that I think might be hormonal are getting better too. My natural doctor told me when I mentioned hormones that I need to fix the adrenal issue first…I didn’t really ask why, but this makes sense now how you put it. From my further reading on adrenals this seems to be a big issue with a lot of people suffering from adrenal fatigue.
@Nola, What types of things does your natural doctor have you doing? I always like to hear what others are doing to heal themselves naturally. Tomorrow is my last cup of coffee! 🙁 But I must do it because the caffein stresses the adrenals, so it needs to go. My excercising is incredible lacking as well. It needs to be at the top of my list for a while. I have been using Dr. Wilson’s supps, plus a few additions to make sure I’m getting the numbers I need. I also just started to take Chlorenergy to help with detoxing stuff. Anyway, I better keep this short. Ha ha
Robin
@Robin,
About the adrenal issue, are either one of you familiar with Dr. Dianna Schwarzbein, an endocrinologist in San Diego? She’s written several books based on her success treating her diabetes 2 patients (reversal of the disease) and other degenerative diseases. Of course, being an endo, she very adequately covers issues of adrenal burnout in the book and treats with diet and natural hormones. Of all of her books, The Schwarzbein Principle 2 is the best. You may find it helpful if you’ve not already read it.
Sharon
@Sharon, Another excellent book on adrenal fatigue that I’m currently working my way through right now is “Tired of Being Tired” by Jesse Lynn Hanley, highly recommended by my local naturopathic clinic.
@Robin, I take a bunch of things. Probiotics, B12, Vitmamin D, omega’s (he has me using hemp oil or seeds), proper nutrition, eating lots of protein, especially eggs, avoiding refined sugars and artificial things (already doing), lots of sea salt, and the one that I find is helping me the most is Pine Bark Extract. It has a formal name I think its pycnogenol or something similar…can’t remember right now. That and a healthy lifestyle reducing stress, saying no to things, going to bed early, etc.
@Robin, Oh I forgot to add, my probiotics has a LOT of strains in it and also has other things like kelp and seaweeds and super greens. I also do a lot of green smoothies with berries in them too.
Young Living just produced “Progessence Plus Serum” that is a natural progesterone suspended in essential oils to give it an even easier penetration. And it doesn’t have to be cycled! You can use it every day, or just when you feel the need.
http://www.youngliving.com/anti-aging-creams/Progessence-Plus
This post really got me thinking. I’m 30 years old and two years ago I had a myomectomy (surgery to remove 2 large uterine fibroids). The fibroids caused my first pregnancy to end in miscarriage…that was how I found out I had them. My OB told me that “they don’t really know what causes uterine fibroids”. I knew there HAD to be a cause, but I didn’t know what it was. Perhaps I am imbalanced too. Now, after having the surgery, I’ve successfully carried a baby to term, but I fear that the fibroids will come back. Thoughts?
@Lindsay,
I would suggest that you get the book. Uterine fibroids are definitely a symptom of estrogen-dominance. My guess is that are low on natural progesterone. But read the book first and go from there. If you are low on progesterone and are planning to have more children, you really should know where you are concerning these things. Low progesterone can cause problems during pregnancy (such as miscarriage). So it would be to your advantage to be prepared and that might mean using the cream to bring your body into balance for a little while.
God speed for your health and wellbeing,
Sharon
Great article! I’m 32 years old and recently began treatment for hormone imbalance 4 months ago. I now get bioidentical testosterone implants plus am taking naturally compounded progesterone. Discovering these imbalances and getting treatment for them has changed my life. I feel even better than I did in my 20’s.
I encourage all women who suspect hormone imbalance to speak with a physician who is well-informed about this issue. My ob/gyn basically brushed my issues aside and told me that there was nothing wrong with me. Then I found a physician who deals mainly with hormonal issues, but treats them naturally and not synthetically. She is fabulous!
Hi Carmen,
Was reading your comment and I am in a very similar situation. How did you find your physician? Can you tell me what to look for as far as titles… I’ve been to an endocrinologist but was not successful.
Thanks or your help,
April
Same here! I’ve been depressed for ages and have always suspected that hormonal birth control was a culprit – along with weight gain, which adds estrogen to the system – but my ob/gyn and integrative medicine doctor both brushed off my concerns.
I need a doctor who specializes in identifying and treating hormonal balances, but I don’t know where to start. Help!
My doctor has prescribed natural progesterone (wild yam), 50 mg, to correct an imbalance. A blood test showed I had an extremely low level of progesterone of .2, …”almost non-existent”, my dr. said. I have been taking it for one month.
How long can I expect it to take before I see signs that the wild yam is working? I have extreme mood swings, anxiety, depression, among a myriad of other symptoms. I am mainly needing to see improvement in my mood swings, anxiety and depression. Thanks!
What link will tell you what brands of wild yam are equivalent to natural progesterone? I would like to know if the wild yam I am giving my 15 yr old to balance her hormones is as effective as my naturally compounded progesterone from the compounding pharmacy.
Thank you!
This is a great website! I found everyone’s comments very insightful. I will definitely buy Dr. Lee’s book but in the meantime thought I’d share my story. I’ve been fortunate up until a year ago. I’m now 49 and experiencing some things going wrong with my body from DDD (disk degenerative disease), and now uterine fibroids which affect my sex life (too painful to have a sex life!). I tried natural progesterone a year ago but after a week gave up since I was becoming insomniac. The doctor who prescribed it to me told me to use it on my wrist every day but at that point I stopped. Sleeping was more important to me. Now my ob/gyn prescribed estrogen to be applied locally where my fibroids are. I’m still not sure this is the right thing to do with everything I’ve been reading about too much estrogen and too little progesterone. Now I’m starting to have migraines and my face is breaking out (my face can always recover). But now I wonder if this estrogen could cause other problems to my body. Meaning, am I making things worse? I think it’s now time to read the book before seeing another doctor and perhaps stop taking the estrogen… Could my ob/gyn know something I don’t know about taking this estrogen cream to get rid of fibroids? From what I read, it may not be the best thing.
I’d appreciate any comment anyone has to share. 🙂
I am 25 years old and have a 6 year old child. I have always had relatively thin hair but over the past year it has gotten so thin I can see my scalp and when I run my fingers through my hair, my hair barely covers my hand. I also have had issues with weight. I went and got a complete thyroid panel test and it came back saying I am normal. My last resort is to believe I have a hormonal imbalance. I recently started drinking Apple Cider Vinegar and water mix, taking iron, folic acid, b-12, maca powder, fish oil and biotin supplements. I don’t want to get hormone replacement therapy if I can fix it naturally. I will be starting the Nutrisystem diet in a week or so on top of all of that. Can anyone help me?
Miranda, I am sorry for the late reply.
If hormone replacement therapy isn’t an option you wish to consider, there are other ways to fight estrogen dominance. I researched several websites on estrogen blocking foods.
http://www.estrogensource.com/estrogen-blockers.html
http://www.estrogensource.com/estrogen-foods.html
http://www.foodtrients.com/news/could-you-be-eating-too-much-estrogen/
I love blueberries! They fight estrogen naturally.. 😀
Take care
I personally have PCOS and was estrogen dominate. Since I started using Progressence Plus and Endoflex from Young Living Essential Oils, my hormones are in balance, I’ve had normal cycles, and am loosing weight! That is one thing that has worked for me and I’ve used everyything!!!
Hi my name is Mrs Jenny Ann Folco
I am married to the love of my life now almost 13 years and together 15 . We have 2 beautiful children Nico James is 6 & Giada Marie is almost 5 this july 25th. I myself started peri menopause or early pre mature ovary failure which started at 24 I woke up one day and felt like I fell off the face of the earth, at 26 my levels had dropped more so I saw a endocrinologist at lahey cllinic whom tested me and told me I had the hormone levels of a 70 yr old & wanted me to start hormone replacement & I considered it but bought the pills and threw them out with a family history of cancer I had to pass.
Soon after my levels dropped again at 27 by this time I had been begging doctors to test me for early menopause the hot flashes bed soaking so bad I could ring out my clothes 4 times a night my memory was and still is bad sex drive non existent for years I was laughed at finally I found women to women in yarmouth maine who tested me and confirmed I was in early menopause 100% and I was taken off birth control forever at 28 and started vivelle .75 estrogen patch and progesterone pills daily by 28.5 I got pregnant we were trying but not really & I thought I would struggle with hormone issues so I had to stop treatment , I restarted treatment after my son was born the when he was 10 months old I had a cyst block my ovary and was pregnant with my daughter & cried bad why oh why 18 months apart omg . my daughter was 3 months old when my periods stopped she will be 5 God blessed me with her because he knew I would not get the chance. I stuck it out for 2 years driving to maine and finally the last year I switched back to the same guy at the lahey clinic who had treated me years prior or tried to any how when I refused to start hormone therapy.
My problem is now I am on 0.1 vivelle. estrogen patch the highest dose 2 times a week and just had my estrogen pills switched from 2 weeks on 2 weeks off to every other day because my memory still not so good , my sex drive comes and goes like the weather etc etc I was still very imbalanced spotting from the pills when on and off them so they switched me its been about may 20th almost a month but I still feel so awful the spotting has calmed down but my memory still my sex drive hot flashes are sneaking in again . I am so desperate to be me again I am now 35 years old ill be 36 this august I have been dealing with this for such a long time & my hubby is a saint he sticks in with me comes to all my appointments helps me voice my issues even though I keep track of them on the online calendar from sadness to spotting to sex drive ,insomnia , I even signed up for luminosity.com brian games I feel that dumb sometimes does any one have any idea what could help me get balanced out hormonally please I have let all my friend go seeing they do not understand what I am going through started my website for many reasons my daycare that keeps me thriving to blogs about so many things including starting my own class meets for early menopause http://www.jennyorganizedmom.com leave me comments please any help I would really appreciate so much . With love jenny .
I’m only 37. But, after having 5 children, 4 miscarriages,breast feeding,losing and gaining weight…my body had been through the wringer in a 10 year time period. I was having very irregular, heavy periods, a severe migraine every month,and many of the other symptoms associated with low progesterone. I went to an alternative medicine dr after my regular dr tested me, and said that my hormone levels were fine.
This new dr. told me that she was shocked I wasn’t worse off, because my progesterone level was at .10/almost non-existent. I cried on the way home from her office; so relieved that I had an answer to why I felt so bad all the time! I started on a natural progesterone cream that I use a couple of weeks out of the month. I no longer have a migraine when I start my period, my pms symptoms are hardly noticeable anymore, I sleep better, I’ve been able to lose weight….
I will say also that I’ve adopted a “clean” eating approach to life too, which has helped tremendously. I’m curious if anyone else who is on natural progesterone cream has had trouble with breaking out. This is one thing that I can’t figure out. My face is broken out all around my chin, scalp,etc. Everything I’ve researched leads to hormonal stuff. Does anyone have anything to share on this?
Hi, I’m wondering if anyone can help identify what I’ve been going through. I’m 30, and for the past 2 or 3 years have not been doing well (depression, not able to think well, not feeling good or like myself, acne, etc. but regular periods), but then I feel better, think better, feel more grounded and in reality, like myself again two to three days before my period starts and the first few days of my period, then it goes away again, same cycle every month. At one point I thought hormone imbalance, and went to an OB/GYN who didn’t test me just wanted to put me on protestin birth control which I didn’t take, then I went to another OB/GYN who did test my estrogen and said fine, but I didn’t do the progesterone test, I guess I got depressed, and often don’t know what I’m doing day to day. He seemed disbelieving that I had a problem and referred me to my psychiatrist. The psychiatrist is more accepting of all possible factors, but I had been trying some medication to help, for ADD, antipsychotic/Abilify to help me think better. I know of the wild yam progesterone but haven’t tried yet because I don’t know much else about hormones and wasn’t certain if that is the issue. I will go get some and try now. I just wanted to know if anyone knew if the symptoms I have do sound like estrogen dominance or progesterone deficiency. Thank you and wish you all well : )
Mercedes, you sound just like me! I have the same exact symptoms and timing as you’ve described. I don’t know if you will see this, but I’m wondering if you’ve tried the progesterone cream or anything yet. I’m also looking for answers. This is no fun!
Hi, I’m 25 and I feel like I’m kind of loosing my mind. I’m have some fairly severe mood swings and irritablitiy, sleep comes and goes, my breat tenderness has increased dramatically in the last few months, some depression. The list goes on but I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for posting it is really helpful to hear others stories and know I’m not alone in loosing my mind 🙂
I’m excited to start making some changes and start making myself better.
Thanks for this article!! I just turned 25 and have been using natural progesterone (from Arbonne) to balance out my estrogen dominance for half a year now. I have adrenal fatigue from several years of major stresses/traumas/moving, and that stress combined with being on the birth control pill I think messed up my hormones. I got tested last fall and my estrogen is low, but my progesterone was almost nonexistent!! I’m so happy to read stories from other women who have the same problems I do. It’s tough waiting and trying to get back into balance but I’m so glad I figured out what was wrong with me! I will say it is quite challenging trying to figure out when to use progesterone if you aren’t having a normal cycle though – I’m very interested in checking out the links you recommended.
Thank you for this article. I need to get my hormones tested, although I don’t know what can be done since I am currently breastfeeding my almost 7 month old. My mom had hormonal imbalance issues and I KNOW I have them too. I suffered from PPD after each pregnancy and it has never really gone away. After #3, my OBGYN started me on Zoloft to combat the depression. However the prescription ran out and then we changed health insurance carriers and I haven’t been able to get back on. I feel completely not in control of myself. Everything comes out as a yell. I am depressed, my anger goes from 0-100 in no time flat, I am always anxious and sleep terrible (although that is contributed to by the baby of course). My heart rate always feels elevated due to the anxiety. One scream from any of the kids and I just want to go off on someone. I hate it. My husband and I are in marital counseling but I know I need help with my hormones as well. I just don’t want to give up breastfeeding for treatment. We do not vaccinate and I want to be able to provide my baby with the best I can for as long as I can.
Help?