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Horomone levels are in range?

by Jen
(Indiana)

According to my latest blood work my hormone levels are in range, but why do I have so many symptoms as mentioned on these pages? From Depression, anxiety to cysts to fatigue.. anyway. These are my levels: Progesterone is <0.5 ng/ml and Estrogen 176 pg/ml - The lab and doc said they are all in range. However, I read somewhere about the ratio between the two. And if my husband's calculations are correct - my ratio is 2.8. Correct me if I am wrong.

Because they found a cyst on my ovary they suggested hysterectomy as a possibility. I am 41 yrs old. I would prefer to go into menapause not be thrown into it. Will progesterone cream help that.

Also, I am low in vitamin D with a reading of 22 - so how much Vit D should I take to supplement?

I'd appreciate any and all feedback.

Jen

Comments for Horomone levels are in range?

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Jan 26, 2013
 hormones levels in range
by: Peg

Jen, My hormone ratio was 54:1 on this site they said it should be 600:1. so I think yours would be off also. I googles the normal range for progesterone and estrogen, and i was estrogen dominant and deficiant in progesterone. my vitamin D3 was 20. my DR. said she wanted it to be 70-100. i take 10,000 IU daily. in & months, it only came up to 43. Stress depletes it. I am on 50mg of progesterone cream twice a day now. It has helped with weight loss, no more mood swings, and also, my hair was falling out in small areas to the scalp. It has started growing back in. My neice had a total hysterectomy 3 years ago. She is taking 50 mg progesterone cream 1 time a day. She has lost 25+ pounds. We get it at our compounding pharmacy. Prescription. You need to find a DR. that deals with Bio-Identical hormones. Also, Buy the book "What your DR may not tell you about Menopause." Chapter 8 is me to a t with all the symptoms. It shows the symptoms of estrogen dominance, and not enough progesterone and Vit D3. I have read this book 6 times cover to cover, and find more out each time. I also read in chapter 8 if you are deficiant in progesterone, your body does not absorb Copper from your foods, which prohibits Zinc from being absorbed, and that controls the Very bad mood swings. This is all controled in the limbic brain, which is the emotions we have no control over.... I also am a member of Women to Women. I take their Vitamin and Herbals and Omega 3s. I have the very severe hormonal imbalnces according to the free symptom test you can take on thier site. I have been on them 6 weeks and feel so much better. You can freind me on facebook if you like, i have alot of info in my pages. Peg Colleen Norton Hall. I wish you the best....
Jan 27, 2013
 Horomone levels are in range?
by: Wray

Hi Jen Well I would disagree about your hormones being within the normal range, unless they did the progesterone test at the wrong time, which is very likely. They don't seem to know when it should be done. It should only be done ±7 days after ovulation. Progesterone falls to it's lowest level at Menstruation, so too does oestrogen. But during the follicular phase, round about days 4-5 oestrogen begins to slowly rise, rising exponentially about 50 hours prior to ovulation. Progesterone remains low the entire follicular phase, until it also rises exponentially 50 hours prior to ovulation. This is contrary to what everyone believes. It's always been 'known', and still is by everyone including the medical profession, that progesterone is only produced by the corpus luteum after ovulation. But as far back as 1930 it was thought there must be another source. This was confirmed in the 1960's, and re-confirmed in the 1980's, that there is this exponential rise of progesterone about 50 hours prior to ovulation. This surge comes from the brain, see here, here, here and here. As oestrogen also rises exponentially at the same time, unless there is the progesterone surge too, there is nothing to counter the oestrogen effect. This explains why many women get migraines, seizures, palpitations, panic attacks and asthma attacks around ovulation. The same reasoning can be applied to the symptoms that occur during progesterone withdrawal prior to bleeding. And the problems which arise if oestrogen is high and we are not ovulating. This sharp rise in progesterone inhibits oestrogen, which begins dropping. Progesterone continues rising, now due to the secretion from the corpus luteum, as ovulation has taken place. It peaks mid-luteal phase, oestrogen also makes a second rise, peaking mid-luteal phase. This is the only time tests should be done, pointless at any other time as progesterone will be low, or lower than this peak. The level of <0.5 ng/ml you were given is a follicular phase level. It's also a level found in an anovulatory cycle. We begin to get these round about age 35, they increase in frequency through Peri-menopause, until the last year or so we barely ovulate. This is the time most women have their greatest problems. Continued below
Jan 27, 2013
 Horomone levels are in range?
by: Wray

Hi Jen Then of course we stop ovulating entirely once Menopause occurs. Can you confirm if they did the test at the right time. If so, then I suspect you didn't ovulate that month. And possibly for a few months prior. We do have a page on Hormone Testing you could look through. You'll see your oestrogen is within their mid normal range. But you'll notice that <1 ng/ml is the figure given for both the follicular phase and for menopausal women, which is where your progesterone level falls. Your husband is correct, your ratio is 2.8:1, I would call that shockingly low! When I had mine tested years ago, mine was 5:1 and I was a basket case, I can't imagine how you must be feeling! So yes, progesterone will help you, but you will need a great deal to get your level up high. Your oestrogen is far too high in ratio to your progesterone. If you used the normal recommended amounts of 20-40mg/day, it will only stimulate oestrogen, making your symptoms worse. I generally recommend 100-200mg/day, but feel you will need a minimum of 200mg if not much more. It's very safe, levels far greater than I suggest have been used, see here. Your vitamin D is very low too. I'm glad you had a test done, it makes it easier to decide on the dose. I suggest taking 20,000iu per day for a month or two, then having another test. You need to get it up quickly, many of your symptoms are related to low vitamin D too. For more info on vitamin D levels, test kits etc see GrassrootsHealth and Birmingham Hospital. Blood levels should be 70-100ng/ml (175-250nmol/L) and not the 30ng/ml (75nmol/L) most labs and doctors regard as adequate. The minimum daily dose should be 5000iu's per day, although recent research indicates it should be 10,000iu's per day, see here. Continued below
Jan 27, 2013
 Horomone levels are in range? Part 3
by: Wray

Hi Jen Your depression and Anxiety, Breast Cysts and Ovarian Cysts, I'm not sure which you have, the fatigue too, are all related to low Progesterone and Vitamin D. Plus a low level reduces the benefits of progesterone, see here, here and here. You might like to see these comments here and here from women who used large amounts of progesterone, plus getting their vitamin D up high. We do have a page on How to use progesterone cream with more info, plus the page on peri-menopause I've given. You could be in the beginning stages. If you know when you mother went into menopause, daughters often follow the same pattern. Peri-M starts anything from 5-10 years prior. Mine started when I was about 40 to 41, but then I was very stressed at the time. Stress does drop progesterone levels. Take care Wray
Feb 04, 2013
 response to Wray
by: Jen

Thanks for your response. Some of the stuff you mentioned is so over my head, but I was mid cycle when I had my blood work done.

Do you know if and endemetrial biopsy can tell how your hormones are and will taking progesterone cream for 2 weeks prior change the status of the biopsy?

Also, the Natpro - If you take 100-200 mg of recommended dose - how many doses of 100 mg are in one bottle?

What's the best Vit D supplement?
Feb 06, 2013
 response to Wray
by: Wray

Hi Jen If you were mid-cycle then it was the wrong time to do the test. It should be mid-luteal phase, which is always in all women 12-14 days before we bleed. Or as I said ±7 days after ovulation. Progesterone does rise 50 hours prior to ovulation, I did mention that too. So it would or should show a higher level than your test result. Which indicates you didn't have that progesterone surge which occurs with the oestrogen surge. The biopsy would only give results if they had tested hormones then, not otherwise. Each tube of Natpro contains 2000mg progesterone, so using 100mg it would last 20 days. But I don't suggest you use this amount, judging by your symptoms you'll need far more. No less than 200mg/day, possibly more. I like to support Dr Cannell, as he's done so much to make people aware of vitamin D. His product also contains all the necessary co-factors, see here. Let me know how you get on. Take care Wray

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