Re: Hormone Hell

 Is there a specific mood symptom experienced with estrogen excess if irritability would be the main symptom for androgen excess? Is depression more likely tied to the androgen excesses?

Estrogen excess can cause depression by suppressing the thyroid.  But there are so many causes of depression that this is not a good symptom to go by.

Could you describe what blood sugar abnormalities are produced with estrogen/progesterone excesses or deficiencies?

Progesterone leads to increased blood glucose by decreasing insulin sensitivity, although it also increases liver glycogen.   Estrogen on the other hand increases insulin sensitivity at normal levels.

Could you describe how energy levels are affected by estrogen/progesterone excesses and deficiencies?

Most of the answer is answered by the blood sugar levels answered above.  Although estrogen also affects a part of the the hypothalamus called the ventromedial nucleus (VMN).  The VMN helps maintain metabolic rate.  Animal studies have suggested that drops in estrogen interfere with not only blood sugar but also metabolic rate due to decreased affect on the VMN increasing energy.  As far as progesterone goes I know the sales sites claim that the progesterone increases the metabolism, but the research studies do not support this claim.  The studies do show increased energy from progesterone, but this is due to its stimulating increased food intake.

If you have a system with excess estrogen, but the estrogen receptors have downregulated, do you still have estrogen dominance and the related dangers? Or must the receptors we receiving it to have it causing harm?

Unless the receptors are activated the estrogen is not having its full effect.  This is the same reason phytoestrogens from plants can have anti-cancer and other anti-estrogenic benefits.  The phytoestrogens lock up the estrogen receptors blocking the effects of stronger estrogens.

Based on what you wrote, is it possible for a woman to be progesterone dominant and feel better with progesterone cream at first because it wakes up the estrogen receptors...only in time to begin seeing the signs of adrogen excess?

It takes time for the progesterone to build up.  So women may feel better initially until the progesterone builds up to excess levels.

Could she even end up with excesses of both hormones?

Yes.  For example a woman can start out with estrogen dominance and still build up excess levels of progesterone in her fat tissues from using progesterone creams.

Is this one danger in the self-diagnosing/medicating with these creams?

Yes.  The progesterone creams have a number of side effects, and there is no real way to regulate the levels of the hormones going in to the body.  The progesterone absorbs through the skin and accumulates in the fat tissues, which is why levels gradually increase.

You have suggested certain herbs to treat hormonal imbalances. In the course of using these herbs, is there need to tweak the amounts or types of herbs? That is, can the body end up reacting to the herbs or amounts of them by producing too much of certain hormones?

Vitex (chaste tree berry) should not be taken in large amounts for long periods of time.  Vitex increases progesterone, which is actually how the herb gets its name chaste tree berry.  Because it can increase progesterone it will suppress the libido just like progesterone creams.  Phytoestrogen containing herbs will not increase hormone levels from the phytoestrogens.