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Progesterone therapy and Lipedema

by Lena
(Germany)

Hi there,

First of all, I want to apologize for any messy English on my part, it's not my first language and even though I understand almost everything and love to hear and speak it, I am not the most accomplished writer.

But I feel that there is a lot of knowledge and experience to find here, so I wanted to ask or just start a conversation that maybe lead to something.

I am a 27 year old woman suffering from Lipedma (I guess stage 1) - an illness that's not widely known. And after years of doing fine with healthy food choices I stumbled upon estrogen dominance or let's say relative progesterone deficit. So I think I don't really have a progesterone deficit, but in comparison to my estrogen level that is the hormone that is stronger in my body.

That was a relevation. All the symptoms I have fit the category.

And I am thinking about trying some experimentaion with progestorone therapy. I am aware that this is not recommended, because messing with hormones can get you in trouble. But the doctors are living in the middle ages where I live, especially concearning estrogene dominance (they still love estrogene for everything here) and are very reluctant to even check your hormone levels.
In combination with Lipedema I feel that there is simply no chance to find a doc who would go this way with me.

So far, I tried taking Alchemilla vulgaris for it is known for it's hormonal harmonisation, but I felt it made all my symptoms worse.
Now I am taking mexican wild yam again (I know that it doesn't contain progestorone or even stimulates progestorone synthesis or something like this). I used to take it a few years ago as an alternative fo birth control and I think I lost some weight during this time. But I've only been taking it for a week or so, so I can't really say anything yet.

Is there anybody who can share some experience with progesterone and Lipedema, or Lipedema related symptomes, like fat gain in calves and knees, or edema in general?
I think it is pretty 'new' to take the progesterone approach to Lipedema, so I'd be really suprised if there is somebody out there with knowledge to share, but I still wanted to ask. Anything can help me and other woman out there understand the mechanism.
And I hope I can use this site to share what I experience during my journey.
I will start very carefully, I plan to even try homeopathic progesterone (it's totally ok if some of you have a sceptical view on homeopathy) before I dip into the progesterone creams.

So, I know this was a wall of text, with not much information and not really a direct question, but I am hoping for more of a wisdom share anyway. Anything can help :)
Thanks

Comments for Progesterone therapy and Lipedema

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Aug 13, 2018
 Progesterone therapy and Lipedema
by: Joy

Hi Lena

There is nothing wrong with your English.

If your estrogen is higher than your progesterone then you will certainly be experiencing Estrogen Dominance. If your doctor is not willing to test your hormones you can order tests on line, see ZRT Labs in USA and The Birmingham Hospital in UK.

I don't know much about Lipedema but progesterone therapy may help as it normally counters the inflammatory action of estrogen and is an excellent diuretic and helps edema. If you do decide to try progesterone cream please consider trying a good organic cream such as Natpro which is a 3% cream. Please read How to use Progesterone Cream. If the yam has not been synthesised it will not be a natural progesterone.

Vitamin D3 is very important as a deficiency reduces the benefits of progesterone, optimal range is between 70-100ng/mL. Nothing less than 5,000iu's is needed daily. Co-factors are needed when taking D3, magnesium and vitamin K2 with no soy are the important ones.
Aug 13, 2018
 Progesterone therapy and Lipedema
by: Lena

Hi Joy,

Thank you so much for your getting back to me so quickly.
I am taking magnesium transdermally and regular magnesiumchloride baths. I even take it internally so I hope I am fine with the magnesium intake.
I just started taking vitamin D and K2, but thank you for showing me the connection.

After some more research I even think it would be a bad idea to try the progesterone 'mildly' first as I understood it can make the symptoms worse.
Maybe I will start with the cream you recommend on your site, because it was the only cream I could find with ingrediants I felt good about.

So, let's see. I will try to keep my experience updated, because I think this could be interesting for some Lipedema patients.

Thank you so much!
Oct 28, 2018
 Effect of progesterone on lipedema?
by: Anja

Hi Lena,

I realized last week that I very likely have lipedema too. I also have lots of hormonal issues due to Addison's disease, so I'm especially curious about your experiences with progesterone in general as well as regarding lipedema.

Btw, I'm also from Germany :-)

Anja
Oct 29, 2018
 Re: Effect of progesterone on lipedema?
by: Lena

Hi Anja,

Well, now I feel really weird answering in English, but I want to give other readers the possibility to understand.
I'd be open to information sharing through email, if you're interested :).

So, I haven't written anything so far, because I am still very much in the process of experimenting.

I did take the mexican wild yam in the recommended dosage for birth controle and I can say so far, that a lot of my PMS related symptoms have lessend.
And I didn't experience any period cramps with my last two periods.
So, this is good :)

I don't see any differences in the thigh/calve/knee departement, but my husband claims (he works as a fascia therapist) that my tissue feels softer (in a not so compact way, not the not toned way).
I can't tell if this is because the mexican wild yam, or everything else I am doing.

I am taking progesteronum C30 and c200 and MK1000 (those are different homeopathic agents) and I feel a lot of inner changes due ( I think) to those. And I am pretty sure that these changes will make a difference on another level (my eating habits and so on).
But this is something so huge, I can't possibly share this experience here (and not in English).

I haven't tried progsterone creams yet, because of the economical situation and tolls I would have to pay at the moment (we had this situation a few month ago, where we had to pay huge tolls on an american imported product). And that's ok, maybe this will change, and than I'll try the cream recommended at this site.

So, not that much to tell, I am sorry. But I am still experimenting, maybe there will be more I can share.
Nov 03, 2018
 Email exchange
by: Anja

Hi Lena,

Thank you so much for sharing your experience so far!

An email exchange would be great :-) If you like, you could get in touch with me via bitrephuph@wemel.top (a temporary address for privacy reasons).

Anja
Feb 09, 2019
 Bio identical progesterone
by: Siobhan

Hi there, sorry I’m late to the conversation but hope this helps. I don’t have experience of this disorder but do have experience using bio identical progesterone which cured my fibromyalgia that developed last summer when I hit early menopause.

General medicine doctors couldn’t help me so I did my research - I knew the fibromyalgia was connected to hormone changes - it happened at the same time. So I searched for a cure through hormone supplementation - and found it through a book by Dr Michael Platt https://www.amazon.co.uk/Miracle-Bio-identical-Hormones-Fibromyalgia-Osteoporosis/dp/0977668320/ref=nodl_

Xenoestrogens are to blame for a range of disorders that are becoming more and more prevalent and they create the imbalance to your progesterone levels. You can pay for a Dutch hormone test through a functional doctor but they cost about £400 plus doctor fees so will add up. I couldn’t afford any of this so I just followed Dr Platts advice and my pain went away in less than a week. I order one tub of 10% progesterone cream £22 per month from Onas - I tried a few and found this the best.

You can also email Dr Platt who’ll give you (a very brief) response for free through his website - which is great. He’ll also do a free 15 minute Skype call with you to see if he can help - although further help will cost.

If I had your condition I would read his book, buy the cream and try it.

I hope this helps x
Jun 30, 2020
 Ordering advice
by: Anonymous

Hi. I also need to try the progesterone cream. I suffer lipodema and extremely dry skin. Tiredness and night sweats
Where sand how do I order. I’m I the UK though

Claire
Apr 11, 2021
 Where has your journey taken you?
by: Amber Smith

Can you update us in your progesterone trials and homeopathic attempts. I would really like to know if you have had any success?
Aug 15, 2023
 Interesting part in German article about progesteron and lipedema
by: Anne

Hi Lena,
I don't know if you still read a comment on your text, now in 2023. But I just read this German article, on the linked page 2 there is this interesting part about imbalance of progesterone and estrogene in regard to lipedema.
Reading this article led me to a search about lipedema and progesterone which led me to you text.
If you have gathered more information about the topic of lipedema, I'm curious to read it.
I myself have made good experiences with low carb/keto and intermittent fasting (24 hours to 36 h of fasting, also called OMAD or ADF). My legs definitely are better when I do not eat much carbohydrates.
Here is the link to the article https://www.pharmazeutische-zeitung.de/mehr-als-dicke-beine-139024/seite/2/?cHash=9c856a574a7996b24994484d39f4844c
The Part I found interesting is at the end of the page. The expert cited in the article is one Dr. Faerber who did studies with women with lipedema and low carbohydrate/high protein diets, with good results also in weight loss at the legs, apparently.
Best regards
Anne
Feb 13, 2024
 Estrogen dominance
by: Angela

I recently discovered that my chubby legs and constant pain and swelling was lipedema. The past 2 years have been a challenge health-wise so I've been on a journey of finding things to help all my struggles. 2 years ago I was having heavy bleeding. I had fibroids on my uterus (a symptom of estrogen dominance) and one got huge, and I had lots of bleeding, so I had to have a hysterectomy. The doc convinced me to have my ovaries removed as well, since "they will quit soon anyway". I'm 50 now so he's partially right. After that I was put on estrogen patches because the doctor must have thought that the ovaries only produce estrogen. I went into a tailspin of worsening lipedema symptoms...pain in my muscles, pain standing, swelling, and also anxiety, depression, joint pain, fatigue from being anemic among others. It took a few months to find that dhea was my miracle cure for my hormonal problems, and I tried to eat foods that encouraged testosterone and progesterone so that helped my mood, my joints, and overall well-being. I was taking 100 mg a day for about a year, which drastically helped the joint pain and hot flashes. As I healed, I realized I was getting too much estrogen again so whittled the dhea dose down and down and got completely off about 6 months ago. Eating carrots (Ray Peat carrot salad) definately helps with the hot flashes and I think helps with estrogen dominance.
About a year ago, I found I was eating too much omega-6 - from soybean oil, soy-fed poultry, and walnuts, and changed my diet again. My health kept improving, but no weight loss. Now I'm venturing into the amino acids to see if supplementing them will help my willpower to overeat, and trying ADF to lose weight. I also realized that sugar can set off muscle pain like no other. I was fairly low carb and doing ok, then had a milkshake one day and could hardly walk without pain the next day. I did try that again a couple months later, same reaction. I drink milk almost daily so it's not that. So 3 things...balanced hormones, cut out as much omega-6 fats as you can, and no white sugar.
Feb 14, 2024
 Estrogen Dominance
by: Joy

Hi Angela

I am so frustrated reading your story and very sorry that you have gone through all of this.  I certainly agree that if Fibroids are too large that surgery is required.  Progesterone, when used correctly, helps the body to absorb smaller ones. I strongly disagree with the removal of your ovaries and your doctor's attitude towards it. "They will quit soon anyway". What would men say if their testicles were removed because they will quit anyway one day?  Unbelievable!  The ovaries will continue to make vital hormones and will continue to do so until they eventually dry up. Granted with age and hysterectomies, the ovaries produce less.  Fibroids are caused by oxidative stress/estrogen.  Please address your Inflammation which clearly you have. Heal your gut. If the gut is not healthy neither will you be.  

The hysterectomy would have put you straight into Menopause,no matter what one's age is.  The estrogen patches would have made your Estrogen Dominance symptoms worse as you have experienced. There appears to be evidence that Lipedema is connected to hormones as it gets worse during menopause, pregnancy.  HRT and Contraceptives can also be the cause.  Lipedema is fat build up which is not like Edema which is swelling due to excess estrogen.

Anxiety and depression etc also takes place during Peri-Menopause and Menopause. Consider taking some the nutrients mentioned. I am pleased to hear that you came off DHEA see here.  I also do not believe that any woman need to be given extra testosterone either. See here and here.  It is also male hormone and women wonder why they have anger issues, hairy faces and deep voices.

If carrots help you that is wonderful.  It did nothing for me.  Please read the page on Hot Flushes and what is required.  Omega 6 should never be taken as a supplement really as we get far too much from our food. Omega 3 is what we should all be taking. Soy should never be taken either see here. Walnuts contain omega 3 and 6.  But how much were you eating to have it affect your levels?

Diet is always important but please cut back on your sugar.  That milkshake that you had proved something to you.  A lack of Vitamin D3 is probably the overriding factor for weight gain, see here, here, and here. Most of us have too low a level. It disturbs blood glucose, which in turn can lead to overeating in some. Disturbed blood glucose in turn leads to IS and a host of other problems. See here and here.

Please consider supplementing with Natpro Progesterone Cream which is a 3% organic cream. Read How to use Progesterone Cream. Check your D3 level, it must be optimal as a deficiency reduces the benefits of progesterone and is connected to every single functioning cells in our bodies making it vital.  As do the co-factors mentioned.

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