Thanks to Mary 53

Mary I read the Natural Hormone Therapy book you recommended and what an eye opener.  I believe that I have been having some problems for the last five years.  This book does an excellent job of explaining how the entire body works together and how to maintain balance with all of the hormones.  I have recommended to several ladies at work and everyone is extremely excited.  I should be getting my natural estrogen, testosterone, Progestertone and maybe DHEA.  I am extremely excited to think I may be able to get off of some of the other medicine I have been taking.  Thank you so much for the information and please keep passing it on.  I know I will.

[Mary 53]

Beason,

It was so nice to see your post. I am thinking that you picked up the book by Christiane Northrup, MD "The Wisdom of Menopause." That book changed my life. Uzzi Reiss is a good source, too. There are others, I know. My sister's doctor in Boston wrote a book a few years ago that was also a good source on this info. I will get the name from my sister.

I feel like a volcano about to explode. I have been through so much with this hormone stuff...trying to figure it out, get help for myself, and then pass the word on to others about the importance of researching the material so that you can cut through all the misunderstandings about hormones due to all the confusion out there. Northrup does a nice job of explaning things.

Just yesterday I saw a nurse practitioner at a urologist's office so that I could get some expert help on balancing my own hormones. I have been pleased all these years with the compounding pharmacist I use...he has a good understanding of the bioidenticals and the benefits they provide without many of the scary side effects of hormonal drugs...and, he and my doctor and I have worked together, but lately we all have been baffled by some ongoing problems I have been having, and so I knew it was time to get some extra help. My pharmacist was happy I was getting another opinion and will continue to fill my prescriptions...we are all still learning what best course of action to take.

I did a blood/saliva test a month ago which showed that I am still chronically very low in progesterone (ongoing for some time) and low in testosterone..also probably just a little high in estrogen since I supplement what my body makes (fat in the body makes a product that turns to an estrogen called estrone in menopausal women)and even though I am on a lower dose than when I first started using the bioidentical hormones after my hysterectomy six years ago, I am high in estrogen and in estrogen dominance since I am so low in progesterone.

Too much estrogen can cause palpatations and smooth muscle problems (ie.bladder problems, joint pains, etc) irritability, etc, but too little estrogen can also cause this. And, too little progesterone can cause problems with thyroid as well as cause the dreaded estrogen dominance. At this point, we don't want to change too much at once, but the critical piece and one which I have been trying to change for a year now is the progesterone piece. So, just yesterday, my dose was changed from 3% progesterone to 10% progesterone...twice a day. The nurse was surprised I was at such a low dose. The worst that could happen if I am on too high of a dose of progesterone, is that I would get very sleepy about a half hour or an hour after using it. But, at this point, my body is craving it. I am feeling better already and if that is psychosomatic at this point...who cares!?! In six weeks I go back and we do a blood test to see how things are balancing out.

Again, I am not talking about progestins...and, not talking about Provera. This is the progesterone cream. The nurse practioner I spoke with understood the frustration regarding the need that we have for this critical hormone and yet there is so much misinformation out there.

Anyway, I thought I would mention my situation just as encouragement on how to go about getting help with this stuff. I never would have thought to look into getting help at a urologist's office. But, a nurse friend of mine recommended this place since I asked her for the name of a urologist...and, also wondered who she saw for help with the bio hormones. My hope is that the ongoing bladder problem I have had for a year now can be cleared up by balancing the hormones. I want to avoid having surgery if possible and I have had hormone related bladder problems before. When I met with the nurse practitioner, we spoke for an hour (I know!) and when the she told me of the estrogen/progesterone/testosterone connection, and the effect on the bladder, thyroid (I have thyroid issues, too) along with other sypmptoms, it made sense. I am looking forward to stopping the leaking! Not pleasant. And, I was thinking that I needed to treat this problem with more estrogen. But, the additional testosterone and progesterone should be helpful for the urinary issue and for so many other things. It is like, I have felt OK....but I am not there yet, if you know what I mean.

Oh my...sorry to go on and on. Long day at work and it is nice to discuss something other than work issues.

Thanks again for posting. I really appreciated the comment...and, the encouragement to others to check out the information so that they can possibly get the optimal help available to them without fear of increasing their chances of getting the bad side effects. Amazing, isn't it?

Take care...Mary
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[Bleason]

Mary

My book, "Natural Hormone Balance for Women" by Uzzi Reiss says that he has found the prgesterone blood levels of patients using a topical product to be one-tenth that of a patient taking capsules. Some of the topical gel is metabolized, or deactivated, right in the skin tissue.  

According to Reiss, if you take progesterone by mouth-in capsule form- the body deactivated 95% of it.  The deactivation occurs in the liver.  It is mebtabolized for storage or excretion.  Reiss says he is cot concerned if 95% is deactivated by the liver.  This deactivation of progesterone creates a pool of metabolites with the potential  to exert a sedativelike effect. He regards this as a beneficial tool that serves two purposes.  One it helps a woman know if she is taking too much progesterone and two, many wome are glad to have a calming and relaxing effect.  

Thought this might help.  I have only been given 10% progesterone cream to help me sleep until my salavia tests come back.  I did find a compounding pharmachist who is learning as much as possible since he is receiving many calls from women just like us.  I believe he has a real desire to help us but I am afraid he doesn't know as much as he should in getting everyone started.  My Internist didn't know anything about natural hormone therapy but was willing to defer to the pharmacy to help me.  They administered the test and did the interview to determine my symptoms and their levels.  I too have a thyroid problem and intersticial cystitis (forgive the spelling).  The lining of my bladder is being deteriorated by my body.  I am afraid that I may need to have surgery on my bladder since it is still giving me problems 7 weeks after surgury.  

Keep us posted on what you find out and I will do the same.  You and this forum has been a lifesaver to me these last few months.  

God Bless you