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High serum oestradiol level

by Liz
(UK)

I came off the pill just xmas 2008 (after 14 years on it). I did try to come off it 10 years ago but was advised to stay on it as I had no periods due to PCOS.

I immediately felt awful, showing all the signs of oestogen dominance. After months of feeling like I was going mad, a friend recommended natural progesterone cream and I have been using it with success ever since. I have also found this website a great help.

I am a different person since using the cream and feel so much better than I have ever felt, which is fabulous.

I have been using the cream for around 11 months and started having periods again, but very irregularly. Recently they have been even more irregular and since I would like to start a family in the next year or so, I went back to my GP and asked for a scan to see if I still have cysts on my ovaries. I am not overweight and don't have any other symptoms of pcos.

I had a blood test and scan. The scan showed I had 12 cysts on one ovary and it was extremely enlarged, the other had 8 visible cysts.

My blood tests showed the following:

serum TSH - 2.76 mIU/L
serum LH - 18.3 iu/L
Serum FSH - 6.2 iu/L
serum prolactin level - 298 mu/L
Serum sex hormone BG - 63 nmol/L
serum progesterone - 2.8nmol/L
serum oestradiol - 235pmol/L
serum testosterone - 1.8 nmol/L
Free androgen index - 2.9%

...plus many more - but I didn't want to list them all. The only one that has an '!' next to as out of normal range is the oestradiol (it says normal range is 30-155).

My GP said that PCOS is likely but did not mention anything else and had referred me to a gynaechologist - although I am reluctant to take any synthetic drugs and would prefer to supplement naturally if possible.

I am awaiting the appointment and just wondered if my progesterone levels seems normal for my age (30 years). Also does the high oestradiol level mean that I am still estrogen dominant and should I up my dosage?

Sorry if this seems a little muddled - as you can tell I am not from a medical background. Many thanks.

Comments for High serum oestradiol level

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Mar 12, 2010
 High serum oestradiol level
by: Wray

HI Liz. I'm happy the progesterone has helped you, and relieved you've come off the pill. It would have been far more to the point if they'd given you progesterone, plus antioxidants to help the ovaries. PCO is caused by oxidative stress, this in turn can be caused by a lack of vitamin D, insulin resistance (IR), or lack of antioxidants, or all three combined. Please have a vitamin D test done, a lack of this causes anovulation which you had, plus IR, plus an increase in parathyroid hormone, which causes PCO, living in the UK yours is probably too low. Please see this paper.

You don't say when the test was done. It must be taken about 7 days before you bleed, which is when progesterone is at it's highest level. A high oestrogen level affects the parathyroid. I suspect you have insulin resistance too, as your TSH was 2.76 mIU/L, please see: "A TSH cut-off value around 2 mIU/l had the best sensitivity and specificity for identifying women with IR. Women with >TSH 2 mIU/l were younger, had a higher body mass index (BMI) and were more insulin-resistant compared with women with TSH < 2 mIU/l. This effect of TSH on IR was independent of age and BMI."

And this web page on IR. Plus one on PCO. It is possible to reverse IR and help the ovaries, large amounts of the antioxidant amino acid cysteine and arginine are required, plus the B vitamin inositol. Take care, Wray
Mar 13, 2010
 Aylin
by: Anonymous

Possible there is Endometriosis and the cysts from your ovaries to be Endometriosis cysts. You used the pills for 14 years, that is a very long time! Your body increases the estrogen level from these pills... I suggest you continue to use the progesterone cream, but a natural one like Natpro, not synthetic. For regular cycle period, use the cream from day 14 till day 28 of your cycle. After the birth control pills, the period can be irregular because the body back again to make natural hormones and in this 14 years you just suppressed your body making natural hormones. Hope the info will help you a little and I suggest you use the cream regulary for some months till you get your regular period and then use it further. But don't take the pills again. Good luck!
Mar 17, 2010
 Thanks
by: liz

Many thanks for your advice and help. I have ordered your energy boost formula and hope that might help if I am lacking in vitamin D as you suggest. Ihave also returned to taking my vitamin B and l-glutamine, which I was previously taking. I will never go back on the pill again - I have learnt my lesson there! Fingers crossed things will sort themselves out. I panicked a bit as on other websites I saw that high oestradiol level means you have low ovarian reserve, which is not good for fertility. The test was actually taken on day 3 of my cycle, although my cycle is all over the place, so it would be difficult to tell accurately!
Mar 18, 2010
 Thanks
by: Wray

Hi Liz. Pleased it was of help. By the way there are plenty of B vits in the energy complex, and glutamine too! And no please don't go back on the pill, I so wish it had never been invented. Don't panic! You do have PCO which does throw things out. An FSH taken on day 3, should be under 15 mIU/ml, as yours is, higher than this and conception is harder to achieve. High levels of oestrogen early in the cycle are caused by the cysts. With plenty of vitamin D, cysteine and arginine I would hope this situation is reversed. I see no reason why not, as the various studies all achieved good results. I would like to email you, so please contact me here. I don't like giving my email address out because of spam! Take care, Wray

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