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Hormone Questions

by Karen
(PA)

If estrogen is highest from right after menstruation to right up to ovulation and estrogen is what causes the problems, why doesn't a woman use it then? Like why isn't the cream applied during the times when estrogen is the highest instead from ovulation to right before menstruation?

It looks like you are saying to use 1 tsp a day. How do I know if it's too much and how do I know if it's too little?

At first can I experience insomnia and anxiety until the hormones balance out? That's what I'm noticing even though people are telling me it should be calming. I'm using 1 tsp a day of your cream but I've only used it for 5 days so far.

If I did stop like you said some women can after some time because their hormones are leveled out, do I need to gradually decrease the dose? How do I know when this will be?

Thank you.

Comments for Hormone Questions

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Jan 12, 2011
 Melatonin for the Insomnia
by: Anonymous

Is Melatonin ok to use to help with the insomnia until my body gets enough progesterone in it to fall asleep naturally? I put a half tsp of the cream on before I go to bed but my body seems to need something else to help it fall asleep. Melatonin was recommended at the pharmacy and wanted to know your thoughts about it. Thank you.
Jan 14, 2011
 Hormone Questions
by: Wray

Hi Karen Some women do use it daily. But using progesterone before ovulation can prevent this occurring if enough is used. In other words it works as a contraceptive. This is fine if ovulation does not occur or infrequently, of if symptoms are severe, but not if the aim is to fall pregnant. In fact I often recommend using it daily until symptoms have resolved. It can upset the cycle in some women too, ie it comes early or late. The adverse symptoms occur when the ratio of the two hormones becomes unbalanced, as they can the few days before a period. Or in some women the full 14 days of the luteal phase, when progesterone should be high. Oestrogen is the dominant hormone during the follicular phase, progesterone is very low, <1ng/ml. This doesn't appear to cause problems in pre-menopausal women. But becomes a problem if ovulation only occurs infrequently as in PCOS or Peri-menopause. Or not at all as it does in the latter stages of peri-menopause, when oestrogen becomes too high. The amount to use is entirely dependant on symptoms. So I recommend anywhere from 100-200mg/day, or from 3-6ml of cream. 1tsp (5ml) will be giving you ±170mg/day. The only way to tell if it's working is by resolution of symptoms. If these are not going, or taking too long to go, then not enough is being used. Initially this can often be the case, particularly if oestrogen is high, it's essential to make progesterone the dominant hormone. If your symptoms have worsened it means you are experiencing Oestrogen Dominance. We do ask everyone to read this page before starting progesterone, as it can occur and is disconcerting if it does. The page explains why it happens. Progesterone is calming, but not until it's dominant, this can take time. Dependant on the amount of oestrogen present, the age of the woman, stress levels, as stress drops progesterone, whether it's winter or summer, as progesterone levels drop in winter, it can take up to 3 months to resolve. Although if enough is used it's far quicker, and can be only a few days in some women. Once symptoms have resolved, the amount should be reduced very slowly, going cold turkey will bring them back immediately. Only you will know when your symptoms have gone and it's time to reduce. You will notice very quickly if you are reducing too fast, as symptoms come back. In which case increase back to the level you were using, and reduce by a smaller amount. Stay on that till you feel stable, then reduce again. It is a question of trial and error. One woman found she needed 400mg/day for 4 months before she was stable enough to reduce. Prior to this, each time she tried to reduce the amount her symptoms came back. Take care Wray
Jan 14, 2011
 Melatonin for the Insomnia
by: Wray

Hi there Melatonin can help sleep, as it's the sleep hormone. I prefer to use tryptophan, it's the precursor amino acid to serotonin, which is the precursor to melatonin. We do have info about tryp on our Natural Antidepressants page. I prefer tryp because often serotonin is low too, and melatonin can't help increase levels, whereas tryp can. Some people find melatonin works very well, others don't. So do try it and if you find it's not working for you, then consider using the tryp instead. I don't know how much progesterone you are getting, not knowing which cream you are using and it's strength. I recommend 100-200mg/day, dependant on symptoms. Please see these pages for more info on How to use progesterone cream or Peri-menopause if you are now in this phase. It must be used a minimum of twice a day, if not more. It can take time to start helping too, up to 3 months in some women, dependant on many things. Their age, stress levels, as stress drops progesterone, whether it's winter or summer, as levels drop during the dark days of winter, how much oestrogen is present and more. It can work far quicker in some, a few days in fact, again dependant on how much is used and the above factors. It could be you are short of vitamin D, this is low in most of us. A lack of this vitamin reduces the benefits of progesterone, plus it can cause insomnia. Please consider having a test done, for more info see the Vitamin D council website. Take care Wray

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