Hi everyone,

Just been getting a list together of all the ways eostrogen effects the body.......thought it might be helpful for women coming in to this......I am sure there are many wonderful resources already here, so I aplogise if I am repeating what is already known......

Structural

promote formation of female secondary sex characteristics
decelerate height growth[9]
accelerate metabolism (burn fat)
reduce muscle mass
stimulate endometrial growth
increase uterine growth
increase vaginal lubrication
thicken the vaginal wall
maintenance of vessel and skin
reduce bone resorption, increase bone formation
morphic change (endomorphic -> mesomorphic -> ectomorphic)
protein synthesis
increase hepatic production of binding proteins

coagulation

increase circulating level of factors 2, 7, 9, 10, plasminogen
decrease antithrombin III
increase platelet adhesiveness
(help with heart function.....can explain increase in heart palps, or tachycardia when hormone fluctuates)

Lipid(fats/cholesterol)

increase HDL(good), triglyceride
decrease LDL, fat deposition
Fluid balance
salt (sodium) and water retention[citation needed]

Hormones
increase cortisol(with less E, cortisol production goes down which does not buffer the toxic effects of epinephrine(adrenaline) in fight or flight response/increased levels of stress. Can cause racing heart for extended period, muscle cramps and spasms, efffect levels of lactic acid, gut problems and so on), SHBG
(I also read somewhere that oestrogen plays a direct role in the making of testosterone through the pituitary/adrenal axis)

Gastrointestinal tract
reduce bowel motility
increase cholesterol in bile
(no wonder we get terrible gastro issues when E is conveniently not around)

Melanin
increase pheomelanin, reduce eumelanin


Cancer
support hormone-sensitive breast cancers

Lung function
promotes lung function by supporting alveoli (in rodents but probably in humans).[10]
(yep, I cough a lot! Sometimes it feels more like a reaction to reflux reaching my throat......smoking probably doesn't help......but you would have to prise those from my cold dead hands......probably where I am heading if I don't give up!)

Sexual desire is dependent on androgen levels rather than estrogen levels.
(not sure if this is necessarily true. As I have "normal" androgen levels and no libido. However, if the levels do come together at any given time, I do find it easier for become aroused. But it is fleeting and no matter how hard I try, I cannot get it back. So how much is eostrogen effecting the andro levels?.......I would say they play together in tandem, not andro on its own.......just my own thoughts )

Also heard that oestrogen effects production of histamines due to its relation with the liver.......can increase reactons to allergies by the body......still understanding the science on that.....

You know the feelings you get in hands, feet, face, legs or arms? Here is a bit of blurb on Peripheral Neuropathy.......not sure how eostrogen or other hormones effect the central nervous system, but getting there......

"A change in sensation A feeling of heaviness, burning or pins and needles in the affected area. Alternatively, you may notice unusual sensations such as a feeling of warmth or burning when touching something cold.

Increased sensitivity You may find that even the lightest touch or pressure in the affected area feels uncomfortable or painful.

Pain This can be mild or more severe. The pain may be felt as sharp and stabbing or as a burning sensation, or it may feel like minor electric shocks. There are treatments to help to relieve pain.

Numbness There may be a loss of sensitivity or feeling in the affected area. Often the feet and fingertips are the first places to be affected.

Muscle weakness A muscle may lose strength if it isn’t being stimulated by a nerve. Depending on which muscles are affected, this may make it difficult to walk, climb stairs or do other tasks. You may be given physiotherapy or special exercises to help with this.

Difficulty buttoning clothes or picking up small objects If the nerve endings in the fingers are affected, you may not be able to do ‘fiddly’ tasks such as fastening small buttons or tying shoelaces.

Difficulty with balance, walking and coordination You may find that you stumble or trip when walking. Walking on uneven surfaces may be particularly difficult. You may feel clumsy at times, or that your body is not doing what you want it to do. Your sense of where things are around you may become less certain.

Constipation and feeling bloated Drinking at least two litres (three and a half pints) of fluid a day, and increasing the fibre in your diet may help to prevent constipation. If it does develop, you can contact your doctor or nurse for advice. You may need to take laxatives or other treatment prescribed by your doctor.

Feeling lightheaded or dizzy when you stand up Standing up more slowly may help as it gives your body more time to adjust to the change in position."

So it is not always attributed to anxiety or panic attacks.......it is important for our mental health to understand the difference between the symptoms of anxiety and other possible causes.......talk to your doc......I did and it made a world of difference 'cause I got this one in spades.

Take care everyone......hope this helps......

Michah

Hi Michah,

Thanks for taking the time to post all this information, it is extremely helpful to us all. It is unbelievable how these hormones can wreak such havoc on our minds and bodies.

I appreciate your help,

Juliann

Does this mean without Estrogen, we have one foot in the grave? I read an article once that said Estrogen plays a role in over 300 functions in the body.... if it is that important then why are we made to lose it?????

mood_swinger

Where did you get this info?Never heard of Peripheral Neuropathy.I've been so sensitive in my feet lately I thought I had diabetes but my blood sugar is fine.It's the neuro stuff that is so scary,I feel it mainly in my left foot maybe my left overies down.I remember when I went to my doctor with anxiety at 45 and he said it wasn't hormones if I didn't have irregular periods or hot flashes.Luckily my mother said it's hormones.

Just looked it up thought peripheral had to do with peri,duh.Scared me hope it's all goes away once postmeno?!

i remember my mother going through menopause, she was complaining of array of the neurological symptoms, tingling, twitching, numbness, pulling on different muscles, including facial, she could hardly walk, as her feet were burning, etc. I was too little to understand what she was talking about. But it turned out to be all hormonal, as when she was finally was over the meno, majority of the symptoms just vanished.
In regards that estrogen being very important, yes, it does performed more than 300 functions in the body but we don't lose it completely, post meno, we have lower level, just like before puberty, it takes time to get used to this lower level, I guess, for the body, so it continues to stimulate autonomic system and we have all the wicked and scary symptoms.
I believe there is a reason for estrogen to drop, we lose progesterone first, it is dangerous to have high estrogen without sufficient progesterone. I doubt mother nature thinks of our well being post reproductive age, LOL.