This appeared in a national paper today. Common sense for the most part. However it blames high oestrogens for all the flab so why would it be sensible to supplement with more? Oh....... and that dreadful word balance is mentioned again. This 'expert' thinks that the main problem is low progesterone. Yuk! Just form an orderly queue here ladies, I know you are just dying to supplement with lots of that!

It just shows what a guessing game all this is............Sigh. I just want to be young again.......


XIII

Sorry! Forgot the link.....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-...age-spread.html



Cheers



XIII

Yes, I read something similar last week but didn't dare post it. The interesting thing for me is my sister-n-law. For years she struggled with her weight and for the same amount of years she went without her menses. It seems her progesterone was naturally very low so that she wouldn't bleed. once every 3 years she would go in and have to have a pill to cause a bleed. She said it was horrible.. they wanted her to come in more often but she couldn't stand the effects of it and thought since it was the way she was created she didn't worry about it but would go once every 3 years. Now... just in the past year, she is beginning to have regular menses AND in the course of things has been able to drop about 50lbs. She thinks the nenses are due to the lowering of her estrogen and testosterone bringing them more into balance with her natural progesterone.

I don't know what the answer is but I thought for her at least it did sound like it was the low P that caused her to struggle with her weight.. on the other hand.. I think when we are NOT balanced we don't feel good and for some of us when we don't feel good we turn to food. So maybe that is the only connection and all we need to do is feel good. Sounds simple doesn't it?

Just a perusal of the posts here in the past few months shows that progesterone is CAUSING women to gain weight. I know it did for me when I used it. And using only E has helped me to lose the weight, and others here have noticed the same. Someone recently posted an article from Hystersisters on why and how E contributes to weight loss. P makes me hungry, E normalizes my appetite. P is the hormone of pregnancy and as such is designed to make the mother put on enough weight to support a baby. Sore breasts were always my first sign I was PG, due to high P, and anytime I have supplemented it I get sore breasts.

As for xenoestrogens, no one is really sure how they affect us, but there is speculation that because they attach to the estrogen receptors, they are actually blocking our own natural estradiol, causing low E symptoms, which are often mistaken for too much E.

Many of the plant-based phytoestrogens probably function in the same way. When I have taken them, I get low E symptoms. When I take estradiol, low E symptoms disappear. For many of us, the symptoms that many are attributing to 'estrogen dominance' are actually due to low E and/or high P.

I've learned all this the hard way by using P regularly for awhile because of attending a lecture by Dr. John Lee, who started this whole idea that everyone is estrogen-dominant and needs progesterone. I started using P cream. I couldn't understand why I was gaining weight and was depressed. That was 11 years ago. Then, when I tried it again over a year ago, it not only made me gain weight, this time it caused massive anxiety, panic, and high BP. This new reaction was due to my rapidly declining E.

I have yet to see any studies that confirm what was stated in this article, but I have seen many that support what I have learned from experience.

Well I have gained about 10-15lbs and I haven't taken a thing!!

Well I have gained 20 pounds since October and that is when I started taking progesterone. I blamed part of it on not feeling well due to extreme headaches. When you don't feel well you don't eat well and turn to the comfort foods. Right now I fully believe my body is telling me it is not going to let go of the weight until it heals. I have had horrible struglles with trying to get back on the band wagaon. I am dealing with adrenal, and thyroid issues as well as these hormonal issues. I just wished I could find one doc. that could put this all together and quit guessing at me. Now because my cycles have been two weeks apart and I am still noticing blood spots, doc wants to put me on some estrogen. I don't want any more pills, I just want my health and energy back.

The article MAY reflect what happens during early perimenopause. But I don't think it works for later peri, or menopause itself. In the later stages our estrogen levels are LOW. I am another one who struggles with the Progesterone...having a tough time finding the proper delivery system and the proper dosage. The oral prometrium did work well for several months, but then started causing all kinds of issues! The cream caused daily migraines, vaginal at 200 mgs cause rage, vaginal at 100 mgs every other day causes bleeding (but that is what I am sticking with for the time being).

I have lost weight, I believe a large part of my weight gain was due to prometrium. Part water weight, part uncontrollable appetite and cravings, part fatigue and lethargy (which lead to far too many hours spend on the sofa!!). Since I stopped the Prometrium orally I am rarely bloated with water weight, I have more energy and I don't feel the unbearable need to EAT all the time.

I am sure I read someplace that progesterone can actually build up in your body, and it can take months before your levels go down. Maybe that is why I can use Estrogen with very little Progesterone and NOT suffer from E dominant symptoms?

Excuse me! Aren't menopausal women SUPPOSED to store fat on their bellys principally for the purpose of producing some much needed estrogen?
My shape only changed after my surgical menopause. I don't have any ovaries and I don't take ERT so how could I be estrogen dominant for goodness sake?I used to before my surgery but I had a great shape then.
I certainly do have a belly now -I used to store any fat on my hips pre menopause. I am not fat, but I have a round belly and all my slim friends who have gone thru natural menopause all have the same because it is what we are supposed to have post menopause. There is enough stuff written about it-surely it is common knowlege?

That woman in the picture on the link just looks like she overeats to me-as does the man.
Blasted Daily Mail again-the scourge of Britain (although I read it sometimes I must admit)

janet c