Re: Symptoms of estrogen dominance PLEASE READ

Our wonderful friend Kabel posted this info before. She is much better at explaining the imbalances that can happen but I will try to explain it. Our bodies can be in a state of estrogen dominance even if our levels are not through the roof. We come in contact with estrogen in our foods and in other substances on a daily basis so chances are most of us are not in any danger of being deficient in estrogen. That being said the problems come when we do not have the correct balance between the estrogen and the progesterone. If one is off, you get symptoms, if both are off you get symptoms. If one is too high and the other too low, you get symptoms. Our bodies have a tough time after we have used and removed Mirena, getting back to a normal balance. It has been used to getting a synthetic proesterone(likely in high amounts) and seems unable to right itself after this has occurred. The symptoms we experience change because the hormone imbalance changes. While Mirena is in the progesterone is in full swing, bringing a whole host of symptoms with it for a lot of us(take special note if you have previously used chemical BC or if you have had symptoms of hormonal imbalance before Mirena). When Mirena gets removed, most of us report the symptoms changing to new symptoms with a few hanging around. I suspect this is because the synthetic progesterone gets abruptly removed and our body is trying to compensate somehow and is failing to do so. Thus our symptoms change, and our hormone imbalance has also changed somewhat with the removal of the excess progesterone and nothing to help the hormones get back to an even ground. It is also possible(I believe Kabel hinted at this theory) that the synthetic progesterone alters our bodies ability to produce its own progesterone. All of our bodies are different so it is impossible for this to be the case for everyone but it is very likely that those who continue to have side effects 6 months, 1 year, 2 years down the road are in some sort of hormonal imbalance state. Until the balances are restored(this could affect many different functions and systems of our body ie:thyroid, adrenal, etc.) we will continue to be symptomatic.


I hope I helped explain a little better about the hormone imbalance issue. I will see if there is any more info I can repost to help explain.

Smiles and Hugs,
Heater5000





Estrogen dominance / PMS
Taken in part from a transcriipt of a Seminar by Dr John R. Lee, M.D.

So now we see, what we've got is an epidemic of estrogen dominance going on. The estrogen can come from the xenoestrogens, it can come from the estrogen the doctors are giving inappropriately. It can come from the more estrogen you make because you're eating more fat, and more sugars and more calories than you truly need, and it can come from the fact that your ovaries are not making the right amount of progesterone.

Signs Of Low Progesterone And Estrogen Excess

1.)Progesterone Deficiency
Swollen breasts
Fibrocystic breasts
Loss of libido
Obesity
Depression
Low thyroid
Facial hair
Hot flashes
Night sweats
Vaginal dryness
Foggy thinking
Memory lapses
Incontinence
Tearful
Depressed
Sleep disturbances
Heart palpitations
Bone loss
Water retention

2.)Estrogen (Estradiol) Excess
Craving for sweets
Mood swings (PMS)
Depression
Tender breasts
Water retention, edema (swelling, bloating)
Fatigue, no energy
Nervous
Irritable
Anxious
Fibrocystic breasts, Breast swelling
Uterine fibroids
Weight gain in hips and thighs
Bleeding changes
Heavy or irregular menses
Headaches
Loss of sex drive (libido)
low thyroid - cold hands and feet



Estrogen dominance is a term that describes a condition where a woman can have deficient, normal or excessive estrogen, but has little or no progesterone to balance its effects in the body. Even a woman with low estrogen levels can have estrogen dominance symptoms if she doesn't have enough progesterone.

Excess estrogen causing estrogen dominance is also received transdermally from all sorts of external sources. These are called Xenoestrogens. These are fat-soluble and non-biodegradable in nature. The major sources of these Xenoestrogens are pesticides, detergents, petroleum products, plastic products, cosmetics, even spermicides used for birth control in diaphragm jellies, condoms and in vaginal gels. So think twice when you drink your hot coffee or tea in that plastic or Styrofoam cup from the convenient store on your way to work. What ever you do, DO NOT heat your food in plastic cookware. All of these contribute to the estrogen dominance and have been linked to birth defects in both humans and animals.

Estrogen Dominance and the symptoms associated with it:
Acceleration of the aging process

Allergies, including asthma, hives, rashes, sinus congestion

Autoimmune disorders such as lupus erythematosis, thyroiditis,and Sjoegren's

Breast Cancer

Breast tenderness

Cervical dysplasia

Cold hands and feet as a symptom of thyroid dysfunction

Copper excess

Decreased sex drive

Depression with anxiety or agitation

Dry eyes

Early onset of menstruation

Endometrial (uterine) cancer

Fat gain, especially around the abdomen, hips and thighs

Fatigue

Fibrocystic breasts

Foggy thinking

Gallbladder disease

Hair Loss

Headaches

Hypoglycemia

Increased blood clotting (increasing risk of strokes)
Infertility

Irregular menstrual periods

Irritability

Insomnia

Magnesium deficiency

Memory loss

Mood swings

Osteoporosis

Polycystic ovaries

Premenopausal bone loss

PMS

Sluggish metabolism

Thyroid dysfunction mimicking hypothyroidism

Uterine cancer

Uterine fibroids

Water retention & bloating

Zinc deficiency

When Estrogen Dominance occurs within the body these are some of the results:
Endometriosis

Blood Clots

Elevated Blood Pressure

Fibroid Breasts

Infertility

Irregular Menstrual Flow

Uterine Fibroids

Breast Tenderness

Mood Swings

Uterine Cancer

Hair Loss

Depression

Weight Gain

Migraine Headaches

Spotting

Breast Cancer Risk

Insomnia

Inflammation

Abnormal Pap Smears

Fluid Retention

Cramping

Vaginal Dryness

Thyroid Imbalances

Decrease in Memory

Low or No Sex Drive