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Battling hormones

by JMBK

I have been battling hormones my whole life but have always fallen within the "normal" ranges in blood tests. My periods have always been extremely irregular (in 2010 I didn't have a period for almost one year).

I have two children but also had two miscarriages before we were successful. I am 39 years old and fighting weight gain (even with heavy exercise), night sweats, acne, mid-cycle cramping and bloating and I still have no idea when I will actually start to bleed. I try to monitor my cycle through changes in mucus, but 12-14 days after I think I may be ovulating is never accurate. It's more like 21 to 28 days after I think I'm ovulating. I am so tempted to try progesterone cream but am afraid of more weight gain. Should I approach the treatment as if I am perimenopausal since I cannot track my irregular periods? How often and how much should I apply? Thanks in advance for any advice.

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Oct 19, 2011
 Battling hormones
by: Wray

Hi JMBK The problem with 'normal' ranges is the ratio of progesterone to oestrogen is never taken into account. So you could well have high normal oestrogen and low normal progesterone, but this is a recipe for disaster. From Saliva Tests we run, we've found the ratio should be 600:1 and over to feel well. If you should consider using progesterone, I suggest you use it daily for 2-3 months, during your period too. This will ensure that any excess oestrogen is suppressed, and progesterone is now the dominant hormone. It's essential to use enough, I recommend 100-200mg/day, more if symptoms are severe. Anything less and you will have weight gain. Progesterone initially stimulates oestrogen, this is the reason for the weight gain, as oestrogen is a mitogen. It causes cells to divide and multiply, including fat cells. But these are also a source of oestrogen, so a vicious cycle starts. Oestrogen also causes water retention. There's more info on our Oestrogen Dominance page. We do have more info on How to use progesterone cream. It explains how to get a cycle going again, if you should opt for using it for 2-3 months to begin with. We also have a page on Acne. Take care Wray

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