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I have had a hysterectomy but kept my ovaries will progesterone help me?

by Alison jones
(Uk)

I am desperately trying to understand how I am feeling I had a hysterectomy 6 years ago and put on nearly 3 stone on in that time the last stone in a much quicker time. I constantly have cravings for all the wrong foods bread, sweets etc. I have many of the symptoms attached to menopause, flushes, bloated ness ,fatigue, brain fog,etc. I have been back and forth to the doctors been on anti depressants (sertraline) for a year and although calmer feel tearful, and generally not good. Recently I have had blood test which did not show up any thing other than I maybe slightly perimenapausal. I recently went to see a kinesiologist who told me I have an imbalance in my kidneys due to lack of progesterone in which she has prescribed me cream. Whilst I found my consultation interesting I am not quite sure this is right as I have read conflicting information to say if you have had a hysterectomy progesterone is not necessary as it is to protect the uterus. Can progesterone be needed for the reason I have described? I would so appreciate your help. Kind regards

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Sep 22, 2013
 I have had a hysterectomy but kept my ovaries will progesterone help me?
by: Wray

Hi Alison Well I've not heard of an imbalance in the kidneys being due to a lack of progesterone. But she's certainly on the right track, you do have an imbalance, and it's due to the hyst. Could you tell me why you had it, unless for cancer, a hyst treats the symptom not the cause, which is still with you. Not only that it's sent you into a hormonal turmoil, which is often the case. Whether or not you had your ovaries out too is now immaterial, as they begin to atrophy 3-4 years afterwards. The ovaries are our main source of progesterone, but fat cells continue to make oestrogen to the day we die, but no progesterone. The ignorance surrounding progesterone is appalling, even amongst the medical profession, it's a pleiotropic hormone, affecting many genes and their behaviour. It's sole role is certainly not to protect the uterus. It's a potent anxiolytic, anaesthetic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and analgesic. You have all the symptoms of Peri-menopause and Menopause. Or to put it another way Oestrogen Dominance. Excess oestrogen de-stabilises blood glucose, see here. We do have a page on Hot Flushes you could look through too. The fatigue could be caused by Insulin Resistance, oestrogen causes this. So too does low vitamin D, please have a test done. Levels in the UK are invariably too low. For more info on vitamin D levels, test kits etc see the following websites, Vitamin D Council, GrassrootsHealth and Birmingham Hospital. Blood levels should be 70-100ng/ml or 175-250nmol/L, and not the 30ng/ml or 75nmol/L most labs and doctors regard as adequate. The minimum daily dose should be 5000iu's per day, although the latest research indicates it should be 10,000iu's per day, see here. Continued below
Sep 22, 2013
 I have had a hysterectomy but kept my ovaries will progesterone help me? Part 2
by: Wray

Hi Alison Birmingham Hospital send out test kits for £25 and the results back by email. Ignore their 'adequate' level, far too low, they use the NHS standard of 50nmol/L. Even the FDA have set theirs at 75nmol/L. A lack of vitamin D reduces the benefits of progesterone. I feel you will need at least 200mg/day progesterone, possibly more. If you'd like to chat to someone in the UK about progesterone and vitamin D, please contact Julienne via her website here. Take care Wray

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