I hope somebody can help me, because my hormones have gone wacky, and since I belong to Kaiser I seem left to sort them out on my own.

For about 6-8 weeks I experienced the worst hot flashes you can imagine.  They made me feel dangerously overheated, fogged up my glasses, made me drip with perspiration, and occurred several times an hour!  I went to my doctor and she prescribed estradiol .5 mg and prometrium 100 mg.  

I did not end up taking the hormones, however.  I didn't really want to, because I had heard that HRT almost inevitably causes weight gain, and I was on a roll with my weight loss program at the time.  So I kept on with my daily Revival soy shakes, and eventually, fairly dramatically, the hot flashes stopped completely.

But what was left in its wake is worse!  Abdominal bloating, water retention, sore breasts.  While continuing the same program that enabled me to lose 23 pounds, I started insidiously gaining weight!  In the last week, I have actually GAINED five pounds.

And here is another thing.  I have type 2 diabetes (for which I take glucophage), but with my diet and weight loss program, my blood sugar levels had gone down to a consistent reading of 85-100.  In fact, I'd stopped testing because they were so consistently low.  This morning I thought that since things had changed perhaps I should check again, and it was 122!  I know that is not terribly high, but it's a dramatic change from my consistent below 100 readings.  No change in diet or medication at all.

So obviously my hormones have shifted.  Hot flashes gone.  Replaced with bloating, weight gain, breast tenderness, increased blood sugar levels.  I feel a definite need to try to remedy this, and my first thought is to add progesterone, based on the fact that I feel as though I have PMS, and I know progesterone levels go down premenstrually.  It also seems to fit the symptoms based on Dr Northup's book, but on the other hand, I have heard that progesterone can CAUSE bloating.

If I do take progesterone, I have a choice of taking the 100 mg prometrium pills, or using pro-gest cream.  Since the prometrium (which I understand is bioidentical) came with the estradiol, I'm kind of unsure about taking it without the estradiol.  On the other hand, should I go ahead and take it with the estradiol?  

I would be terribly grateful for any help out there.  Please, please.  I wish I could have my hormones tested and tweaked as these changes occur, but nobody at my HMO seems to have the interest in it that I do!

TIASharon

It does sound like you have now switched over to estrogen dominance (especially the breast soreness and lack of hot flashes). I have gone back and forth myself.

No one can accurately tell you what to take (most doctors probably couldn't either), but I would not take Prometrium unless I were using estrogen. Prometrium is very strong, since the lowest dose is 100 mg. It totally knocks me out. My doctor will not prescribe it (unless using estrogen) because she says it can alter your periods (if you still have them, that is).

Progest, on the other hand, is about 20 mg. per use. And you could increase that dosage to two times daily if it is not enough. Or, if it makes your symptoms worse, simply stop using it.

BTW, you can get your blood levels of hormones tested without a doctor's order, but it is somewhat costly (and out-of-pocket). If you are interested, I can give you the name/number to call of the lab (you get your blood drawn locally and they send it to the lab you pay).

Good luck.

As from my experience, progesterone will not make you lose weight. It will definitely raise your blood sugar if anything, especially if taken too much. I got yeast infection from taking progesterone and Pete told me to lower the amount and after that I did some research, and I am finding out more and more that progesterone isn't what many people say it is.

Be careful using progesterone.

As for revival, it made me gain weight (along with made me get really bloated) although it helped with my hot flashes and heart palpitation.

tmm

Are you talking about progerterone over the counter?

wintersky, just wondering how your diet is...being a diabetic, do you compensate for not being able to eat a whole lot of carbs by eating a little more fat....like in the form of beef and stuff?  Butter?

I'm not diabetic, but a little over a year ago I started having some very bad hypoglycemic symptoms, along with the awful breast swelling, bloating, hot flashes and night sweats and weight gain because I was hungry all the time.

Last summer a friend recommended progesterone cream.  I started using it and noticed a huge improvement in my sleeping, mood, flow amount, and just about everything else I could imagine, within four months of starting it.  I also use EPO (500 mg 3x per day) for the breast pain and swelling and soy supplements for the night sweats and hot flashes.

Last month, for the second time, I ran out of my own EPO and used hubby's instead...so rather than getting 1500 mg per day I was getting 1300....and the breast pain and swelling started up again...

Also, and more importantly, I was under some stress due to family problems, and I was bad and ate lots of fatty foods...I especially love popcorn smothered in salt and butter....

ugh.

talk about hot flashes and the whole bit!  My hormones went crazy...one day I'm having hot flashes, the next I've got anxiety and headaches and bloating.

And for the first time in months, my period was *very* heavy...I mean, really really gross.

So I'm thinking, the only thing really different was the stress and the change in diet...lots of fatty stuff, which is probably a magnet for estrogen dominance.

I love my progesterone cream.  I feel great...anxiety is down...I sleep better when I'm on it...period is more "normal"...and I've started resistance training and my big fat pot belly is starting to shrink along with my "batwing" underarms...and my double chin...

I know it doesn't work for everyone, but I'd give it a try for at least four to six months and see what happens...like someone else said, you can always adjust the dosage, or even stop completely if it doesn't help.

Two quick things I can offer about progesterone that might help clarify what's being discussed here.

First, the 100mg is a good-sized dose. If you are not taking estrogen but relying on  phytoestrogens, it may or may not balance well against that estrogen intake. Additionally, because it is not adjustable, you can't tweak to get a more individualized dose. It is, however, closer to the dose required to protect  your uterus, if you have one -- steady use of estrogens alone is clearly demonstrated to increase the risk of endometrial cancer. So it's not a case of whether or not you have to be taking a prescription hrt for an estrogen to be able to take prometrium, but rather whether your estrogen intake balances properly with the quantity of the progesterone in the prometrium.

Secondly,  anyone with altered glucose metabolism should know that progesterone increases insulin resistence. This is counterbalanced by estrogen, to some extent, but the ratio between the two in your body (not intake but what you actually have in circulation from all sources) determines the exact effect on your insulin/glucose dynamic. This doesn't mean that you can't use either hormone (in which I include phytoestrogens since they are hormonally effective chemicals even though they are not bioidentical)--but rather, that stability and balance are more important for those with these metabolic challenges than for women whose systems cut them more "slack."

Framboise  --

I have read many of your posts and have been very impressed with your knowledge of hormones.

I know that you are not a "professsional", but I am hoping you can help me with a strange problem I am having.

I have been peri for almost three years now, and back in November my hormones took another shift and I've been dealing with much more severe problems -- insomnia, anxiety, hot flashes, and depression.  The first few months it was very cyclical -- primarily during my PMS time, but now it's becoming present during the majority of my cycle.

The problem I seem to be having is related to what feels like blood sugar instability -- I have suddenly found I have to eat many smaller meals throught the day (just about every two hours) and if I am not dead on with my eating I start to feel as if I haven't eaten all day.  Even after I have my moring Revival shake I am starving with and hour or so.

I have been tested and my blood sugar levels are within normal -- my hormones, on the other hand, are not so good -- progesterone in the tank, estrogen dropping but still officially estrogen dominant. DHEA a little high.   The lab that did my hormone tests sent a page of recommendations and ghey expressed some concerns about potential insulin resistance, and also recommended starting on natural progesterone.

I am unclear on the whole insulin resistance thing, and noticed you spoke about it and blood sugar imbalances in an earlier post.  Could you please elaborate?

Also, I did start on low dose BCPs but had a terrible reaction (all the sypmtoms became ten times worse) and stopped after one month.  Am now trying Progest cream and am having the same problem after two days at 1/4 tsp twice a day.  Is this a problem I should just try to ride out?  How long does one do so until they say that's it, this is clearly not working for me?

Many thanks for your help with this!

Framboise  :

You seem to be more of an expert than most of the doctors I've been to.  And you explain it all so well.I just finished reading your posts on NEW TO HRT, and I was impressed by your knowledge.Thank you very much for posting on this forum!!!