Hormones are chemical messengers, they are secreted into the blood by the endocrine organs, they are carried around the body in the blood stream to target organs, which are controlled by specific hormones.

Estrogen, progesterone and testosterone are the three hormones in woman that are most often out of sync.

However, other hormones such as DHEA, cortisol and thyroxine which is made from your thyroid gland could be low,  leading to symtoms of poor sleep, lack of libido, irritability, tiredness and weight gain.

A simple Thyroid Function Test (TFT) would determine if your thyroid gland is producing enough thyroxine.

The hormone Progesterone is made by a woman’s ovaries and in smaller amounts by the adrenal glands, this is the hormone that I tend to focus on the most to avoid symptoms of estrogen dominance, it is the calming, protective hormone and throughout this website the importance of progesterone and what it can do for your health will be mentioned.

Progesterone is the most dominant hormone, it helps regulate the menstrual cycles, it is essential in creating and maintaining pregnancy, regulates blood sugar levels, builds bones, brain activity, although it is not a sex hormone it is a precursor to the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone which are essential for healthy body functioning.

Progesterone is a precursor to the sex hormones estrogen/testosterone.

Unlike estrogen and testosterone, progesterone is not responsible for the secondary sexual characteristics that woman and men get at puberty.

Progesterone is made from Cholesterol, it is then converted to pregnenolone which then converts into progesterone.

Research is shown that lack of progesterone can lead to all sorts of medical complications that may have been prevented.

Hysterectomy, fibroids, osteoporosis, unexplained infertility, miscarriage, facial hair, acne, heavy bleeding, ovarian cysts, PMS, PND and menopausal symptoms to name a few have all been linked to lack of progesterone which will naturally decrease as we age, but can start causing problems from as early on as puberty.

By looking at the category that may be affecting you on this website, you will see the importance of having enough progesterone to produce and balance all your other hormones through out your hormonal life cycle.

Your body needs protective progesterone to work in harmony with estrogen its counterpart,estrogen will be working alone if your body is not producing enough progesterone to balance the effects of aggressive estrogen. (Estrone E1 and estradiol E2)

Estrogen dominance does not mean your body is making too much estrogen but that the lack of progesterone is causing estrogen to become the dominant hormone and without its important partner can play havoc on the way we think and feel.

Estrogen dominance is far more common now than it used to be.

Hence we are seeing a rise in pre menstrual tension, (PMT) lack of libido, post natal anxiety/depression, severe pre and menopausal symptoms, osteoporosis, fibroids, mood swings, heavy periods, weight gain/bloating migraines, miscarriages, infertility and sleep disturbances to name a few.

This has been linked to the environment we now live in and increased stress in our life.

Exposure to daily life such as pollution, plastics, pesticides, chemicals, some foods we eat and the hormone pill can produce what we call xenoestrogens.

This means we carry an unnatural burden of foreign estrogens, progesterone may help us reduce the effects of this.

We can’t go through life wrapped in a bubble or wearing masks everywhere we go, we have to still enjoy ourselves and not be overtly worried that everything we eat /drink or breathe in is going to make us sick, but now we know from research and case studies that progesterone can shield us from the ghastly side effects of too much estrogen and can act as a prevention towards an array of unwanted side effects.

Estrogen Dominance can occur from puberty and if left untreated can cause distressing symtoms right through to menopause.

As we age progesterone naturally declines, when a woman is officially in menopause (has not had a period for a year or longer ) her progesterone will be at an all time low, hence the distressing symtoms of menopause such as the hot flashes/flushes, night sweats, low libido.

The molecular structure of a natural hormone is identical to what your body will make even though it is made up in a laboratory, it is safe and free from the side effects that Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) tends to produce.

The HRT hormones given to you by your doctor are synthetic, they are not natural and are not found any where in nature.

Premarin is made from the urine of a pregnant mare, so unless you are half horse, half human it is not going to be natural to your body.

If molecular structures are different even by one atom the instructions given to the cells are different, hormones that are not natural to the body can be  harmful.

Research has linked synthetic HRT to an unacceptable rise in breast cancer/stroke.

• Depending on the HRT regimen some women will have irregular bleeding
• Side effects such as breast tenderness, headaches, nausea or weight gain, and mood swings
• An increased risk of breast cancer
• An increased risk of gallstones
• An increased risk of endometrial cancer (for oestrogen only treatment)
• An increased risk of blood clot.
• An increased risk of heart disease
• An increased risk of stroke
• An increased risk of dementia.

It is not my intention in this website or with the woman I deal with to tell them to come off synthetic HRT, especially  if they are finding it is working for them, if it isn’t broken don’t fix it.

It is my intention however to fully inform woman of their choices and educate them to make the choice that best suits them.

If you are looking to come of synthetic HRT onto natural hormones, then it needs to be done correctly and I would always liase with your GP before even considering this option and do it in a controlled manner.

Apart from premarin which is made from a pregnant mares urine, synthetic hormones are also made from soybeans or wild yams.

In other words the manufactures are taking a perfectly good natural hormone and changing the molecular structure to make them unique, not found in nature so they can be patented and profitable.

Patented drugs are important to drug company profits because the company that invents them can sell them exclusively for many years without competition.

Research shows conventional HRT carries an unacceptable risk of breast cancer, heart attacks and strokes and many other unwanted side effects.

Natural hormones cannot be patented and are less expensive.

Progestin’s are synthetic hormones used in birth control pills and conventional HRT, provera is the most commonly used Progestin  in HRT, PremPro the most conventional HRT  using a  combination of Premarin and Provera.

Interest in bioidentical hormones increased when the Women’s Health Initiative study examining conventional hormone replacement therapy reported previously unappreciated risks; the resulting negative publicity left many women seeking alternative treatments that were percieved as safer. Compounded BHRT has been endorsed and popularized by Suzanne Somers.

Terminology

“Bioidentical” describes hormones that exactly duplicate the molecular structure of those created by the human body^[8] and has been used in FDA packaging inserts since before 1998. Manufactured on an indiustrial scale, the hormones are available as commercial products available in standardized doses. Compounding pharmacies use bulk quantities to prepare individualized doses, prescriptions and delivery systems based on prescriptions. The lack of distinction between bioidentical hormones and BHRT has added to the confusion and lack of understanding.^[9]

Patients requesting “bioidentical” hormones may not be clear on what they are asking for. What is sought may be individual or tailored hormone replacements, and the marketing and advertising of BHRT has resulted in a significant increase in its popularity. Compounded BHRT has been promoted as a treatment that could improve the symptoms of menopause without the risks of conventional hormone replacement therapy.

Sourced from WIKIPEDIA

Interest in bioidentical hormones increased when the Women’s Health Initiative study examining conventional hormone replacement therapy reported previously unappreciated risks; the resulting negative publicity left many women seeking alternative treatments that were percieved as safer. Compounded BHRT has been endorsed and popularized by Suzanne Somers.

Terminology

“Bioidentical” describes hormones that exactly duplicate the molecular structure of those created by the human body^[8] and has been used in FDA packaging inserts since before 1998. Manufactured on an indiustrial scale, the hormones are available as commercial products available in standardized doses. Compounding pharmacies use bulk quantities to prepare individualized doses, prescriptions and delivery systems based on prescriptions. The lack of distinction between bioidentical hormones and BHRT has added to the confusion and lack of understanding.^[9]

Patients requesting “bioidentical” hormones may not be clear on what they are asking for. What is sought may be individual or tailored hormone replacements, and the marketing and advertising of BHRT has resulted in a significant increase in its popularity. Compounded BHRT has been promoted as a treatment that could improve the symptoms of menopause without the risks of conventional hormone replacement therapy.

Sourced from WIKIPEDIA