Pay close attention to waning progesterone levels

Pamela Egan Practical Practitioner

 

By: Pamela Egan, FNP-C CDE

 

 

Pay close attention to waning progesterone levels

 

 

Dear Pam,

I’m 45 years old, had a bilateral tubal ligation 10 years ago, gained 40 pounds retain fluid, have uterine fibroid, and ovarian cysts, not to mention mood swings, irritability and insomnia. I’ve been on anti-depressants, sleeping pill, and diet pills. I’m at my wits end. Help!


Many of the most common and unwanted symptoms of menopause and the years preceding it (peri-menopause) are connected to the condition of estrogen dominance, a term founded by John Lee, MD who wrote “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause.” The name refers to a prolonged state of estrogen excess, particularly in relation to the diminishing of progesterone with age. Hysterectomies or surgical menopause, removal of the ovaries and tubal ligations may exacerbate symptoms since once the arteries to the ovaries are severed, very often the ovaries fail to produce adequate hormones.

The scientific literature is clear that an excess of estrogen or estrogen activity at the cell level is a root cause of breast cancer. We know too, that hormone imbalances triggered by the use of synthetic hormone combinations can have harmful consequences. The most recent definitive study, The Womens Health Initiative Trial, was abruptly cancelled in July 2002 when it showed a greater risk vs. benefit for a majority of diseases it was thought to be preventing:

  • A 41 percent increase in strokes
  • 29 percent increase in heart attacks
  • A 26 percent increase in breast cancer
  • A 22 percent increase in cardiovascular disease
  • A doubling of the rate of blood clots
  • A possible contributor to Alzheimer’s disease

In pre-menopausal women: ovulation or lack of ovulation followed by insufficient production of progesterone.

At peri-menopause (30s to mid 50s): Lack of ovulation or erratic cycles, when estrogen levels fluctuate rapidly from high to low in the absence of adequate progesterone.

Post-menopause: An excess of estrogen to progesterone in waning reproductive years when ovarian production of estrogen drops up to 60 percent but progesterone levels can drop to nearly zero with the cessation of ovulation.

Individuals in menopause and/or with signs of low thyroid, fibroids, endometriosis and overall symptoms of too much estrogen including breast tenderness, fibrocystic breasts, mood swings, vasomotor fluctuations, (hot flashes and/or night sweats) irritability, anxiety, fat gain (hips or thighs) and water retention.

I would recommend saliva testing for estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA and cortisol. Saliva testing is a simple, reliable means for detecting estrogen dominance as it measures only the fraction of hormones that have left the bloodstream and are active in the tissues of the breast, uterus, brain, bones and skin.

The key to hormone balance is the knowledge that when estrogen becomes the dominant hormone and progesterone is deficient, estrogen becomes toxic to the body.

Women now have the option to start and maintain a bio-identical hormone replacement regime (natural hormone replacement therapy), which is proven safe and closely mimics what her body has been doing naturally for years.


This article was originally published August 8, 2005 in The St. Tammany News.

 

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