Thanks for the info Joe,

I agree that to use precursors that are less expensive is ideal - i've been consuming so much cholesterol for a few months in order to hopefully improve hormone levels, after years of not due to "it's bad for you" media brain-washing.

I haven't found any change hormonally (estrogen, progest.testo) since higher fat consumption so wonder if i have conversion problems.

The metal thing is interesting as i recently read that low progesterone can cause a copper retention, and low zinc.
I'm a high copper, low zinc which i've been addressing with zinc orotate.

Sorry Amber - i don't know how i missed your message.

It's really interesting that taking progesterone STARTED an early period for you - as menstruation is normally triggered when progesterone levels get low...really low...coupled with estrogen. Both hormones decline and triggers blood flow.

So how you menstruated while on progesterone really is quite unusual and amazing. Taking prog. everyday will normally stop periods altogether due to prog. levels never declining thus not triggering menstruation.

It is thought that when first taking Prog. if estrogen levels are low (despite being est. dominant even) the prog. will FIRST convert to estrogen...and increase to a healthy level and then Prog. levels are increased secondary.
Many women report feeling crappy when first on Prog. and then feeling relief as the prog. remains as prog. and starts to build up their prog. levels.
Some advise starting low but keeping up with it to quite a high dose to get over the 'estrogen filling' element of taking prog.

When i took Prog. i think it helped make me feel calmer...i was going through a rough time and to be honest it was hard to see what was working and what wasn't - as i was on quite a few supps too, and life got very stressful suddenly with having to move home.

I've stopped everything...all supps..and haven't had prog. for over 6 weeks. Just waiting for another saliva kit to get thyroid, adrenal and sex hormone levels assessed, then take it from there.

As Joe pointed out - taking pregnenolone might be better and cheaper as it converts to all hormones.

Metals seem to interfere with so many body processes i think we can be fairly sure that hormone levels get affected easily.
However hormones do so many jobs in the body, which when levels are low, can easily induce a state of low elimination and thus keep the metals that SHOULD be detoxed, trapped in the body.

Thyroid hormones for example helps the immune system...we know low adrenal function affects thyroid and vice versa due to their hormonal axis relationship, and with low immunity, natural detox becomes very hampered. Metals and toxons accumulate easily.

So i think at this stage of my journey bio-identical (not synthetic!) hormone therapy could be of some use for a period of time to try to bring hormones up, to help metabolism and increase detox pathways thus helping natural elimination of metals etc.