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Ovarian Failure

by Kat
(Denville, New Jersey)

Hi Wray, It has been a long time and I hope all is well with you. You've helped me several times approximately a year or two ago when I was having issues with regulating my period and when I was Oestrogen dominant too...thank you.

Here we go: I am 43 very healthy and physically fit. In the past 6 months I've had a sporadic cycle and was using the prog cream (from compound pharmacy twice per day, 10 days before my period) but to no avail nothing was working even though I was symptomatic. I went to oncologist/gynecologist to double check that everything was ok (which it was) and received my blood results which indicated TSH LH post menopausal - luteal phase and less then 0.5 progesterone - estradiol at 65. I went to endocrinologist after 4 months of no period to finally havine one and feeling awful and found out that I went from hypothyroid to hyperthyroid blood results showed no progesterone no estrogen. Lowered my dosage of thyroid medicine and 10 days before my period I used progesterone cream and had another period (lasted normal time and normal flow). Endo asked me to stop progesterone so we could get a true read on my bloodwork. 40 days later blood results showed that my body was not producing any progesterone at all and have low levels of estrogen too (bloodwork in July 2011). Received bloodwork (bloodwork end of August after period). My TSH and LH numbers are now indicative of ovarian failure very high and am being told they can be equated to post menopausal numbers.

Is this possible? I had another physician draw some more blood yesterday to check again and will get the results this Monday 9/19. The endocrinologist is talking about hormone replacement therapy and I'm scared to death as I have not heard good things but certainly do not want to start a rapid aging process at 43. Do I still use the progesterone cream? What do I do for estrogen replacement? Is there a cream for that?

I'm hoping you may have some insight to all of this craziness. Best wishes to you always.

Comments for Ovarian Failure

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Sep 21, 2011
 Ovarian Failure
by: Wray

Hi Kat Good to hear from you again. Sorry you're having problems though, but it seems you were not using enough progesterone. You don't say how much, maybe you could let me know. And I'm puzzled why you only used it for 10 days, the normal luteal phase is 12-14 days long. I prefer to use the full 14 days to ensure enough progesterone is used. Do you have the results for the FSH and LH? I imagine you meant FSH and not TSH, as it's the former which is checked for Menopause, TSH is a pituitary hormone. If so could you let me have them. Can you also find out when your mother went into menopause, as it's a good indication when you will. What ever you do, don't go on HRT. What you do need is progesterone, and enough of it too. Whether you are in meno or not. It's excellent for ageing, see here, here, here, here and here. I recommend 100-200mg/day, more if symptoms are severe. I don't believe any of us needs more oestrogen. We have too much from the oestrogen mimics in our environment, see the website Our Stolen Future. I imagine they only tested for oestradiol which was low in your result. They never check the other two, particularly oestrone, the oestrogen we produce in meno. Could come back to me with your results, and I do hope they did the test during the mid-luteal phase when progesterone and oestrogen peak. Take care Wray
Feb 09, 2015
 I am in this exact position....
by: Anonymous

I have an almost identical situation in my life - except my cycles appeared normal - though now I suspect they were anovulatory for a while and I have other weird things going on for the past year. 'Different' type of anxiety, a low level depression/apathy, heat in my face and hormonal skin (dry and oily).Sleep pattern changes, not tired until 2am but getting a full 8 hour sleep. One strange period with long spotting and low back ache and I went to the doctor - only to be told a blood test post menopausal and come back for another test and HRT.

I have been really stressed by the news and the feeling I can do nothing and how will this hormonal decline affect me. Panic stations..........but and I am sorry I didn't realise this before. I believe I have been estrogen dominant for years (terrible trauma when young, linked to bereavement) which showed itself a couple of years ago with terrible fear.

Anyhow, I now realise the whole endocrine system is topsy turvy. In the past I have had 2 ovarian cysts burst, one fibroid accidently found, melasma for as long as I can remember and a cervical polyp a few years ago.

Aside from the shock and tiny shifts in my body, dry eyes that come every now and again and go and the same for skin ups and downs, I actually feel a bit calmer, if a bit flatter. Since the blood test I have not had a period - very strange timing.

Can I just use progesterone if I have gone into menopause? Can this be a longterm thing?

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