Re: Hair Mineral Analysis...Need Help Understanding Test

I've spent so long trying to understand the relationship between progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone and their associated symptoms that show up when they are imbalanced.

I haven't figured it out by any means, yet have come a long way in my understanding!
There is one thing worth considering about libido.

It's commonly thought that Testosterone (T) is THE hormone for libido.
This is only PARTLY true.

What had me curious about this is because there have been men on this forum and others,(including myself but i'm female!) who have had tests to show sky HIGH T levels - yet have NO libido and in many cases erectile dysfunction too.

This obviously goes against conventional thought of T inducing a healthy libido.

It turns out that Estrogen is ESSENTIAL combined with T to have a healthy libido.

I know many of the men didn't have their estrogen levels checked, but i did and as a woman i have very low deficient levels (at ovulation).

My libido has been non-existent, to the point of even seeing people kiss disgusted me!
Yet there i was with sky high T levels - excess hair growth, oily skin, aggression, increased muscles size...but hardly ANY estrogen.

Vary rarely will we find indepth endocrine information about libido - but i have recently found a very good article by an endo on hormone synthesis and included in that was the confirmation that Estr. is just as essential for libido as Testosterone.

When i took estrogen i actually had an inkling of a libido - i couldn't believe it! My body woke up to desire - it was an amazing feeling. That was only with a couple of doses!

My Prog. levels were very low too - an inverted E/Prog ration - my estrogen was that low.
I tried Prog - it gave me pelvic pains, headaches, loose bladder, increased urine - i essentially created even more Progesterone dominance.

Like you - when i stopped Prog. to induce monthly cycle menstruation, it took AGES for my period to start....10 days i think. It should take 2.
I *think* that could be because the body has stored the progesterone and ONLY when it has fully metabolised it will menstruation start.

Remember, progesterone and estrogen HAVE to decline for bleeding to occur - if ANY of these 2 remain high, blood flow won't happen.

Low estrogen levels AND low Prog levels meant that my menstruation occurred when estrogen levels went to practically 0 - as during ovulation estrogen was 0.7 (low out of range) (should be around 3) - so 'estrogen withdrawal' bleeding occurs (as prog levels are already low) - low estrogen blood flow is heavy, clotty and lasts around just 3 days.

Low progesterone could give scant flow - progesterone helps thin the flow of the fluid - so depending on the viscosity of your flow would give a clue as to general E and Prog levels.

It sounds more like you have high E levels - if you have high cortisol (E increases cortisol), E would give more Acne PMS breakouts (NOT T - that's also a myth - since being E deficient i have had NO Acne after a BATTLE with Acne from 12 - 25, yet i have very high T levels - so again, T being responsible for acne is only PARTLY true).

Also, you know you have lower T levels, yet when you took T you had better libido, so that indicates you had sufficient estrogen to match the T dose to produce a decent libido.
If you were low in E, AND T, taking just T would not have induced a healthy libido.

I know it's hard but we have to scrub our assumptions about Testosterone.
I have the T levels of the average man (as a woman!) and i didn't care if i NEVER EVER had sex EVER again for 2 yrs as a 34yr old....until i had a couple of drops of estrogen in my estrogen barren body... hahaa....then i remembered what it was like to have a libido and actually enjoy sex!


Also, depending on how your body processes the Prog you're taking - it could all flow downstream to Estrogen production, hence low T levels.

You DO need BOTH E and Prog. to decline for menses to occur, not just E.

Progesterone is produced ONLY when ovulation occurs - if no egg is released, then no progesterone gets released, as the egg releases progesterone only when it's made it journey down the tubes!
Estrogen dominance/prog deficiency is very common because anovulation is very common.
Progesterone deficiency is difficult to dose - as low doses cause a surge in awful symptoms (like for me, just awful!) They say it's essential to continue with it to build up Progesterone...yet like you, i then have a delay in menses due to the high levels when they should be dropping off to induce menses.

BTW - i'm referring to bio-identical hormone supplements NOT the pill, premarin patches etc.

Your body shape can also give *general* indications on hormone levels.
Putting on weight easily around the buttocks, stomach, thighs - estrogen dominance.
Having a slender tall frame, larger bust: progesterone dominance.(rare naturally to occur, usually false implants!)
Being tall/thin/no buttocks or bust: E and Prog low levels.
Being tall, thin most of adult life with emotional tearfulness, mood swings: estrogen deficiency genetic.
(Estrogen at puberty helps to close the bone growth so a genetic estrogen/hormonal enzyme problem usually occurs in tall people).

Personally i think there are a lot of problems with the synthesis of hormones at the enzyme level with many people.
It's one of the reasons why younger people/generations are on SSRI's (estrogen helps to synthesis neurotransmitters) and why these generations also have AF and other 'exhaustive/stress' type illnesses.
Having sex hormone synthesis be out of whack interferes with soooo many body functions, it's only when we get to mid 20's we have a plethora of problems - by mid 30's we're really struggling with symptoms.

As it's complex, expensive and not many MD's out there bother to diagnose or treat it well, it's difficult to know whether you have an 'at the root' hormone synthesis problem or if it is due to another imbalance.

Having a general mineral test is a good direction to take - although it's hard to read the hair test sometimes to know how it reflects on body function levels.
Having a blood mineral level panel drawn would help to make sense of the hair test better - but i don't know if that is easily obtained.

For instance, if hair Magnesium levels are sky high, and blood are low - it's evident that your using up Mag very quickly and excreting it (stress mainly does this).
High Mag hair and blood levels would show an overload in the diet of Mag..and also perhaps lots of stress.

It's hard to take just one type of test on it's own and know how to proceed without considering symptoms, other test results and gut instinct alongside.