Hey girls,
I am becoming pest on this site. Sorry--just trying so hard to get myself balanced and I am just about ready to give up. Can't seem to find a happy place with these hormones. Was on estrogel for 4 months--1/2 push to a full push once a day but it did not seem to help with regulating my sleep. That was the main reason I went on Estrogel--because I was waking up hot and sweaty during the night; never seem to have deep deep sleep plus when I wake up in the am I have difficulty falling back asleep and it is also hard to go to sleep at night. While on the gel I have developed vaginitis that won't go away. MY gyn thinks it could be because I am too low on the estrogen and maybe need continuous estradiol instead of the surges with the gel so now I am on the .25 mg. patch of Vivlle Dot. This week I have been adding in 1 ml. 3 percent Progesterone every other night because it does seem to help me sleep but it also causes horrible gastro-intestinal issues--bad diarrhea. While on the P this week I have developed sore-tender nipples. SO--I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING WHAT? DO I NEED MORE ESTROGEN? AM I PROGESTERONE DOMINANT OR ESTROGEN DOMINANT? CAN I BE ESTROGEN DOMINANT ON A .25 MG. PATCH AND A SQUIRT OF GEL PER DAY, BACK IN JUNE MY BLOOD SERUM LEVELS OF ESTRADIOL WAS ONLY 20? IF ANYONE CAN OFFER ANY INSIGHT INTO MY DILEMNA I WOULD BE SO GRATEFUL. THANK YOU AVALINA.
Full Version: what are progesterone dominance symptoms
I'm no doctor but if it were me, I'd up the E. The P, is known for the bloating, gastro symptoms. I'm not sure about the tender nipples. I know there was a few post not long ago that also had this problem, you may want to do a search for them. When I am getting enough E, I don't have many of the side effects of P.
I do have some info on the symptoms of progesterone dominance & estrogen dominance but I can't find it right now and I'm due to leave shortly. I'll try to find it later and post it.
I do have some info on the symptoms of progesterone dominance & estrogen dominance but I can't find it right now and I'm due to leave shortly. I'll try to find it later and post it.
I did find this from an earlier post I made. Maybe this will help.
Estrogen is the hormone that produces the essence of femininity. It is powerful stuff that shapes the uniqueness of a woman`s mind, emotion and body. Estrogen powers the transformation from childhood to womanhood and sets the stage for implantation and nourishment of the early embryo. It makes a woman feel sensual, bringing fullness to the breasts, clarity to the mind, and moisture to the vagina. Estrogen is the foundation of female pride, vitality and sensuality. It is this essence that is lost when hormonal levels decline.
Estradiol is the growth hormone responsible for breast enlargement as well as changes in the body shape affecting bones, joints and fat deposition. It modifies fat structure and skin composition, and plays a significant role in a woman`s mental health. Sudden withdrawal, fluctuating levels, and periods of sustained low levels correlate with mood depression and anxiety.
Estrogen deficiency is usually the cause of those awful migraines women suffer during their late 20's and on from there. Symptoms are signals that there is something going on that needs attention and should not be ignored. Memory loss and dropped thoughts are symptoms of hormonal decline and imbalance.
Progesterone has a calming effect in the body. It builds bone, and is a natural diuretic and fat burner. It restores proper cellular oxygen levels, improves vascular tone, normalizes blood clotting, and prevents cyclical migraines and arterial plaque. Progesterone helps balance the actions of estrogen and acts with estrogen and testosterone to prevent cancer and other degenerative diseases. A low level of progesterone results in irritability, anxiety, obsessive behaviors, weight gain, itching, bloating, sweating, digestive problems, flatulence, and loss of memory.
Progesterone is naturally present in the body only during the second half of the monthly cycle. The declining level of progesterone is what causes breasts to swell and be painful during this time. While synthetic progestin drugs administered continuously rather than cyclically have been implicated in breast cancer, natural bioidentical progesterone administered during the second half of the menstrual cycle acts to prevent all hormone related cancers. Since progesterone is present in the body naturally for about 15 days a month, replacement bioidentical progesterone should follow this pattern. It is only during pregnancy that progesterone is continuously present in the body for a sustained period of time.
Testosterone is the hormone of personality. It provides motivation, assertiveness, a sense of power and control, feelings of well being, and enhanced drive. With adequate testosterone women are able to take risks, act assertively and live their lives with zest. Without testosterone women exist as if in black and white. It is testosterone that brings them into full living color.
Testosterone conveys powerful anti-aging effects for women. It works with estrogen to keep skin supple, increase bone mineral density, boost mood, and increase the ability to handle stress. It turns fat into muscle and makes exercise workouts worthwhile. Low levels of testosterone are associated with heart attack, Alzheimer`s disease, osteoporosis, and depression. Testosterone improves looks, figure, energy, outlook, enjoyment of living, sex appeal and sexual fulfillment
These are just random snipets I took of this article that I thought might help some of us who are trying to determine how their symptoms match up to the hormones. It's a very interesting 3 part series written by Barbara Minton that includes all the hormones and not just the sex hormones. Part I is here:
Estrogen is the hormone that produces the essence of femininity. It is powerful stuff that shapes the uniqueness of a woman`s mind, emotion and body. Estrogen powers the transformation from childhood to womanhood and sets the stage for implantation and nourishment of the early embryo. It makes a woman feel sensual, bringing fullness to the breasts, clarity to the mind, and moisture to the vagina. Estrogen is the foundation of female pride, vitality and sensuality. It is this essence that is lost when hormonal levels decline.
Estradiol is the growth hormone responsible for breast enlargement as well as changes in the body shape affecting bones, joints and fat deposition. It modifies fat structure and skin composition, and plays a significant role in a woman`s mental health. Sudden withdrawal, fluctuating levels, and periods of sustained low levels correlate with mood depression and anxiety.
Estrogen deficiency is usually the cause of those awful migraines women suffer during their late 20's and on from there. Symptoms are signals that there is something going on that needs attention and should not be ignored. Memory loss and dropped thoughts are symptoms of hormonal decline and imbalance.
Progesterone has a calming effect in the body. It builds bone, and is a natural diuretic and fat burner. It restores proper cellular oxygen levels, improves vascular tone, normalizes blood clotting, and prevents cyclical migraines and arterial plaque. Progesterone helps balance the actions of estrogen and acts with estrogen and testosterone to prevent cancer and other degenerative diseases. A low level of progesterone results in irritability, anxiety, obsessive behaviors, weight gain, itching, bloating, sweating, digestive problems, flatulence, and loss of memory.
Progesterone is naturally present in the body only during the second half of the monthly cycle. The declining level of progesterone is what causes breasts to swell and be painful during this time. While synthetic progestin drugs administered continuously rather than cyclically have been implicated in breast cancer, natural bioidentical progesterone administered during the second half of the menstrual cycle acts to prevent all hormone related cancers. Since progesterone is present in the body naturally for about 15 days a month, replacement bioidentical progesterone should follow this pattern. It is only during pregnancy that progesterone is continuously present in the body for a sustained period of time.
Testosterone is the hormone of personality. It provides motivation, assertiveness, a sense of power and control, feelings of well being, and enhanced drive. With adequate testosterone women are able to take risks, act assertively and live their lives with zest. Without testosterone women exist as if in black and white. It is testosterone that brings them into full living color.
Testosterone conveys powerful anti-aging effects for women. It works with estrogen to keep skin supple, increase bone mineral density, boost mood, and increase the ability to handle stress. It turns fat into muscle and makes exercise workouts worthwhile. Low levels of testosterone are associated with heart attack, Alzheimer`s disease, osteoporosis, and depression. Testosterone improves looks, figure, energy, outlook, enjoyment of living, sex appeal and sexual fulfillment
These are just random snipets I took of this article that I thought might help some of us who are trying to determine how their symptoms match up to the hormones. It's a very interesting 3 part series written by Barbara Minton that includes all the hormones and not just the sex hormones. Part I is here:
QUOTE (avalina @ Nov 15 2009, 04:10 PM) 
Hey girls,
I am becoming pest on this site. Sorry--just trying so hard to get myself balanced and I am just about ready to give up. Can't seem to find a happy place with these hormones. Was on estrogel for 4 months--1/2 push to a full push once a day but it did not seem to help with regulating my sleep. That was the main reason I went on Estrogel--because I was waking up hot and sweaty during the night; never seem to have deep deep sleep plus when I wake up in the am I have difficulty falling back asleep and it is also hard to go to sleep at night. While on the gel I have developed vaginitis that won't go away. MY gyn thinks it could be because I am too low on the estrogen and maybe need continuous estradiol instead of the surges with the gel so now I am on the .25 mg. patch of Vivlle Dot. This week I have been adding in 1 ml. 3 percent Progesterone every other night because it does seem to help me sleep but it also causes horrible gastro-intestinal issues--bad diarrhea. While on the P this week I have developed sore-tender nipples. SO--I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING WHAT? DO I NEED MORE ESTROGEN? AM I PROGESTERONE DOMINANT OR ESTROGEN DOMINANT? CAN I BE ESTROGEN DOMINANT ON A .25 MG. PATCH AND A SQUIRT OF GEL PER DAY, BACK IN JUNE MY BLOOD SERUM LEVELS OF ESTRADIOL WAS ONLY 20? IF ANYONE CAN OFFER ANY INSIGHT INTO MY DILEMNA I WOULD BE SO GRATEFUL. THANK YOU AVALINA.
I am becoming pest on this site. Sorry--just trying so hard to get myself balanced and I am just about ready to give up. Can't seem to find a happy place with these hormones. Was on estrogel for 4 months--1/2 push to a full push once a day but it did not seem to help with regulating my sleep. That was the main reason I went on Estrogel--because I was waking up hot and sweaty during the night; never seem to have deep deep sleep plus when I wake up in the am I have difficulty falling back asleep and it is also hard to go to sleep at night. While on the gel I have developed vaginitis that won't go away. MY gyn thinks it could be because I am too low on the estrogen and maybe need continuous estradiol instead of the surges with the gel so now I am on the .25 mg. patch of Vivlle Dot. This week I have been adding in 1 ml. 3 percent Progesterone every other night because it does seem to help me sleep but it also causes horrible gastro-intestinal issues--bad diarrhea. While on the P this week I have developed sore-tender nipples. SO--I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING WHAT? DO I NEED MORE ESTROGEN? AM I PROGESTERONE DOMINANT OR ESTROGEN DOMINANT? CAN I BE ESTROGEN DOMINANT ON A .25 MG. PATCH AND A SQUIRT OF GEL PER DAY, BACK IN JUNE MY BLOOD SERUM LEVELS OF ESTRADIOL WAS ONLY 20? IF ANYONE CAN OFFER ANY INSIGHT INTO MY DILEMNA I WOULD BE SO GRATEFUL. THANK YOU AVALINA.
Are you peri or post Avalina? If peri where in peri are you - still frequent periods or skipping?
QUOTE (gazelle @ Nov 15 2009, 08:50 PM)
Are you peri or post Avalina? If peri where in peri are you - still frequent periods or skipping?
Hi there, I am post menopausal. I still have my uterus and just one ovary. 53 years. old. No periods for a long time.
My advice would be to stop the progesterone for a month. Find the dose of estradiol that makes your symptoms disappear...when you can sleep solid through the night without waking up sweaty you'll know you are there. I am guessing it is going to take at bare minimum one full metered dose of Estrogel and your patch...I would actually be surprised if that was enough. If that doesn't work within a week try adding another half-dose of Estrogel in the later afternoon...I would actually jump to that dose right now myself but I'm not known for extreme patience when I'm suffering! 
If you still don't have relief try a full metered dose in the morning and another full metered dose in the afternoon... then you can probably skip the patch. But hang on to them, in case you need them later.
Once you have found the right dose, slowly add back in your progesterone. It is possible that you may need to increase your estradiol a bit when you get up to your full dose progesterone...that is when you might want to see if adding that patch back helps. Or you may do just fine with progesterone once you have your estradiol up to where it should be. Any progesterone can be very difficult for some women to tolerate when you don't have a decent level of estradiol on board first.
Only in the USA is one metered dose of Estrogel considered a sufficient dose....it is not enough for most women. It might work for a 78 yr old who sits in a rocking chair all day but it is not likey enough for a younger, active women. In Canada two metered doses a day is the standard, in Europe two to four metered doses a day is the standard...they are all the exact same strength Estrogel manufactured by the same company. The FDA is still running scared from the WHI study in the USA and your suffering on an insufficient dose is not as important as exposing themselves to any possibility of a lawsuit by recommending anything but the lowest possible dose.
So, find the dose of estradiol that works best for you...then see if you can tolerate the progesterone with less side effects once you've found that sweet spot!
If you still don't have relief try a full metered dose in the morning and another full metered dose in the afternoon... then you can probably skip the patch. But hang on to them, in case you need them later.Once you have found the right dose, slowly add back in your progesterone. It is possible that you may need to increase your estradiol a bit when you get up to your full dose progesterone...that is when you might want to see if adding that patch back helps. Or you may do just fine with progesterone once you have your estradiol up to where it should be. Any progesterone can be very difficult for some women to tolerate when you don't have a decent level of estradiol on board first.
Only in the USA is one metered dose of Estrogel considered a sufficient dose....it is not enough for most women. It might work for a 78 yr old who sits in a rocking chair all day but it is not likey enough for a younger, active women. In Canada two metered doses a day is the standard, in Europe two to four metered doses a day is the standard...they are all the exact same strength Estrogel manufactured by the same company. The FDA is still running scared from the WHI study in the USA and your suffering on an insufficient dose is not as important as exposing themselves to any possibility of a lawsuit by recommending anything but the lowest possible dose.
So, find the dose of estradiol that works best for you...then see if you can tolerate the progesterone with less side effects once you've found that sweet spot!
QUOTE (NiteOwl @ Nov 15 2009, 11:51 PM)
My advice would be to stop the progesterone for a month. Find the dose of estradiol that makes your symptoms disappear...when you can sleep solid through the night without waking up sweaty you'll know you are there. I am guessing it is going to take at bare minimum one full metered dose of Estrogel and your patch...I would actually be surprised if that was enough. If that doesn't work within a week try adding another half-dose of Estrogel in the later afternoon...I would actually jump to that dose right now myself but I'm not known for extreme patience when I'm suffering! If you still don't have relief try a full metered dose in the morning and another full metered dose in the afternoon... then you can probably skip the patch. But hang on to them, in case you need them later.
Once you have found the right dose, slowly add back in your progesterone. It is possible that you may need to increase your estradiol a bit when you get up to your full dose progesterone...that is when you might want to see if adding that patch back helps. Or you may do just fine with progesterone once you have your estradiol up to where it should be. Any progesterone can be very difficult for some women to tolerate when you don't have a decent level of estradiol on board first.
Only in the USA is one metered dose of Estrogel considered a sufficient dose....it is not enough for most women. It might work for a 78 yr old who sits in a rocking chair all day but it is not likey enough for a younger, active women. In Canada two metered doses a day is the standard, in Europe two to four metered doses a day is the standard...they are all the exact same strength Estrogel manufactured by the same company. The FDA is still running scared from the WHI study in the USA and your suffering on an insufficient dose is not as important as exposing themselves to any possibility of a lawsuit by recommending anything but the lowest possible dose.
So, find the dose of estradiol that works best for you...then see if you can tolerate the progesterone with less side effects once you've found that sweet spot!
If you still don't have relief try a full metered dose in the morning and another full metered dose in the afternoon... then you can probably skip the patch. But hang on to them, in case you need them later.Once you have found the right dose, slowly add back in your progesterone. It is possible that you may need to increase your estradiol a bit when you get up to your full dose progesterone...that is when you might want to see if adding that patch back helps. Or you may do just fine with progesterone once you have your estradiol up to where it should be. Any progesterone can be very difficult for some women to tolerate when you don't have a decent level of estradiol on board first.
Only in the USA is one metered dose of Estrogel considered a sufficient dose....it is not enough for most women. It might work for a 78 yr old who sits in a rocking chair all day but it is not likey enough for a younger, active women. In Canada two metered doses a day is the standard, in Europe two to four metered doses a day is the standard...they are all the exact same strength Estrogel manufactured by the same company. The FDA is still running scared from the WHI study in the USA and your suffering on an insufficient dose is not as important as exposing themselves to any possibility of a lawsuit by recommending anything but the lowest possible dose.
So, find the dose of estradiol that works best for you...then see if you can tolerate the progesterone with less side effects once you've found that sweet spot!
Hi Night Owl,
Will you be my new GYN? LOL. Thank you so much for responding. Okay....I have quit the Progesterone. I did not use any today. I put a new Vivelle Dot patch on and I took one full push of the estrogel this afternoon. So far--one good thing to report is no signs of vaginitis tonight. (hate to be superstitious but I need to go and knock on some wood)--Okay I'm back. If the gel and the patch work maybe next mont I should get a stronger patch--.50 or 1 mg. Or do you think it is better to use the patch and the gel? okay--I will report back to you soon. Thanks again night owl!!! Avalina
QUOTE (avalina @ Nov 15 2009, 03:10 PM)
Hey girls,
I am becoming pest on this site. Sorry--just trying so hard to get myself balanced and I am just about ready to give up. Can't seem to find a happy place with these hormones. Was on estrogel for 4 months--1/2 push to a full push once a day but it did not seem to help with regulating my sleep. That was the main reason I went on Estrogel--because I was waking up hot and sweaty during the night; never seem to have deep deep sleep plus when I wake up in the am I have difficulty falling back asleep and it is also hard to go to sleep at night. While on the gel I have developed vaginitis that won't go away. MY gyn thinks it could be because I am too low on the estrogen and maybe need continuous estradiol instead of the surges with the gel so now I am on the .25 mg. patch of Vivlle Dot. This week I have been adding in 1 ml. 3 percent Progesterone every other night because it does seem to help me sleep but it also causes horrible gastro-intestinal issues--bad diarrhea. While on the P this week I have developed sore-tender nipples. SO--I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING WHAT? DO I NEED MORE ESTROGEN? AM I PROGESTERONE DOMINANT OR ESTROGEN DOMINANT? CAN I BE ESTROGEN DOMINANT ON A .25 MG. PATCH AND A SQUIRT OF GEL PER DAY, BACK IN JUNE MY BLOOD SERUM LEVELS OF ESTRADIOL WAS ONLY 20? IF ANYONE CAN OFFER ANY INSIGHT INTO MY DILEMNA I WOULD BE SO GRATEFUL. THANK YOU AVALINA.
I am becoming pest on this site. Sorry--just trying so hard to get myself balanced and I am just about ready to give up. Can't seem to find a happy place with these hormones. Was on estrogel for 4 months--1/2 push to a full push once a day but it did not seem to help with regulating my sleep. That was the main reason I went on Estrogel--because I was waking up hot and sweaty during the night; never seem to have deep deep sleep plus when I wake up in the am I have difficulty falling back asleep and it is also hard to go to sleep at night. While on the gel I have developed vaginitis that won't go away. MY gyn thinks it could be because I am too low on the estrogen and maybe need continuous estradiol instead of the surges with the gel so now I am on the .25 mg. patch of Vivlle Dot. This week I have been adding in 1 ml. 3 percent Progesterone every other night because it does seem to help me sleep but it also causes horrible gastro-intestinal issues--bad diarrhea. While on the P this week I have developed sore-tender nipples. SO--I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING WHAT? DO I NEED MORE ESTROGEN? AM I PROGESTERONE DOMINANT OR ESTROGEN DOMINANT? CAN I BE ESTROGEN DOMINANT ON A .25 MG. PATCH AND A SQUIRT OF GEL PER DAY, BACK IN JUNE MY BLOOD SERUM LEVELS OF ESTRADIOL WAS ONLY 20? IF ANYONE CAN OFFER ANY INSIGHT INTO MY DILEMNA I WOULD BE SO GRATEFUL. THANK YOU AVALINA.
Dear Avalina:
I think as your physician stated your estradiol is still way too low. Probably need the patch to go up to a 0.05mg and change it twice a week. Or use the Estrogel as 2 pumps and maybe even 3 pumps every other day instead. The progesterone in a 30mg dose could cause sore breasts and nipples, but if you stick with the dose, then it may even clear up, once the body gets used to it. Where are you applying the progesterone? Hopefully not directly on the breasts? The vaginitis can be from too low a dose of Estradiol. Do you still have a uterus intact? Maybe if it has been removed don't use any progesterone. Some women only use the progesterone for 10 days at a time every 3.5 months if they are ultra sensitive to it, and that will still protect the uterus. Hope this helps with some ideas, and we would love to work with you from Bellevue Pharmacy in the near future. Happy Thanksgiving.
Sincerely,
Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.
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