Estrogen Dominance

The estrogen dominance affects a lot of women around the world. It is caused by an imbalance between the stimulating hormone estrogen and the soothing hormone progesterone and is the cause of many symptoms of a dysfunctional metabolism.

Indications and symptoms of estrogen dominance

Common causes of estrogen dominance

The connection between estrogen dominance / adrenal fatigue

Adrenal fatigue and estrogen dominance are very similar in their symptoms and share some similarities. Most women who have the one tend to have the other to a certain extent. There are the following contexts:

• Progesterone is converted to cortisol as well as to other hormones
• in most cases estrogen dominance is due to insufficient progesterone and therefore low production of cortisol exists
• in most cases of adrenal fatigue, not enough cortisol can be produced
• when the adrenal glands are stressed, the increased demand for cortisol consumes the progesterone used to produce cortisol. The more progesterone used to produce cortisol, the less available is the estrogen balance. Another common reason for low progesterone levels is a menstrual cycle without ovulation. Without the ovulation, there is no corpus luteum (corpus luteum) that would produce additional progesterone for the cycle. The decreased progesterone level results in an excessive oestrogenic effect due to lack of progesterone.
• All in all, the treatment of adrenal fatigue and estrogen dominance goes hand in hand and it is therefore difficult to treat one while ignoring the other.

Estrogen dominance due to excessive estrogen stimulation

Estrogen dominance can also be caused by excessive estrogen stimulation. Typical causes of estrogen effects are:

• Too much fatty tissue: fetal cells make estrogen and estrogen brings fetal cells to grow. This is a devil circle we are trying to prevent.
• Hormone replacement with non- bioidentical hormones such as:

Estrogen from horses or chemically modified estrogen. These have a very potent estrogen effect. This becomes particularly problematic when no (soothing) progesterone is given at the same time to balance the excess estrogen. A deficient balance of the estrogen is a common cause of estrogen dominance. Synthetic or non-bioidentic estrogen would be better known as estrogenoid (substances that have a similar effect to estrogen) since they are not really estrogen as our body makes it.

Progestins are chemical substances whose effects are similar to the progesterone but act differently to the progesterone because they are chemically different. Our body can not convert progestins into cortisol to help the adrenal glands, just as little as it can convert them into other hormonal building blocks as would be the case with bio-identical progesterone.

• Contact with chemicals that can act as estrogen, such as plastic (for example, eating from the microwave in plastic dishes or using plastic boxes or plastic bags) or from eating non-organic foods. The animals in the rearing are typically given strong-acting estrogenic substances (superestrogens) to make them more productive. In the end this meat is often permeated with these substances.

Treatment of estrogens

A direct help for the adrenal glands indirectly helps to improve the estrogen dominance (the estrogen-progesterone balance) by allowing more progesterone to form that counteracts the estrogen. Direct help for estrogen progesterone balance indirectly helps the adrenal glands, where more progesterone is present for cortisol production. In addition, progesterone has a diminishing, soothing, and sluggish effect that helps the stressed adrenal glands.

If we want to support the progesterone production very gently we can try monk peppers (1-2 tablets early in the morning after waking). This usually helps women with estrogen dominance during menstruation. Herbalists often use this to produce a more regular ovulation, which improves progesterone production since the corpus luteum is healthier. It is often helpful to relieve the symptoms of menopause (heat buildup) when taken in combination with grape-silver (wild snake). Otherwise we can use progesterone.

The easiest way to balance an estrogen dominance is with progesterone. There is a progesterone protocol to do this, which helps many patients, but there are always some that do not respond well to it and you have to adapt the treatment. Therefore, it is always advisable to work with a physician who is familiar with the use of natural hormones to restore a physiological hormonal balance.

It is important to note that there are different ways to take progesterone and that it affects us differently. Dosage is also an important factor. As with any hormone is an optimal dose of the key. Too much or too little will either not produce the desired result, or an undesirable result. There is an important consideration when women take progesterone for the first time, which have their menopause behind them. The progesterone will increase the sensitivity of the body to estrogen for a while (the estrogen receptors become temporarily more sensitive to estrogen) and thereby temporarily produce an increase in estrogen effects. This can lead to a worsening of symptoms for a period of time. In order to minimize this effect, progesterone must be started at very low doses, which are slowly increased to the full dose over 2-4 weeks.

What form of progesterone should I take?

There is a controversy about the form of the progesterone one should take. Supporters of the saliva tests claim that creams cause too much an increase in progesterone. This seems to apply only in the salivary test and not in the serum test. It is therefore possible that this is not a real increase in progesterone levels. Below is a list of ways to take progesterone and the advantages and disadvantages. Capsules and pastilles are usually available in pharmacies (prescription in Germany), especially if you need a special dose.

Progesterone capsules

Advantages:

• Practical, comfortable

Disadvantage:

• Since about 80% of the liver is degraded, one needs a 100 mg capsule for a dose of 20 mg which gets into the blood. This further stresses the liver, which is already stressed in an estrogen dominance.
• The blood level rises only for a short duration, so that one should possibly divide the dose to two doses, in order to achieve a more uniform blood level over the day or the night.

Progesterone lozenges (dissolve under the tongue)

Advantages:

• Not as practical as a capsule, but less cumbersome as a cream
• to get a 20 mg dose you need a 20 mg lozenge.

Disadvantage:

• Some people have no desire to suck 1-2 minutes and wait until they dissolve.
• The blood level rises only for a short duration, so that one should possibly divide the dose to two doses, in order to achieve a more uniform blood level over the day or the night.

Progesterone Cream

Advantages:

• In order to get a 20 mg dose, 20 mg has to be applied
• you can control the rate at which the progesterone reaches the bloodstream by selecting the location where the cream is applied. In areas with more adipose tissue (slow release) or thin adipose tissue (rapid release). Therefore, the cream has more control. For example, to help with sleeping, you can apply a small amount on the skin to the wrist and use the wrist to apply the cream to your stomach or thigh. Through the wrist you get an immediate (calming) effect, while the belly or the thigh ensures a slow delivery over the night.

Disadvantage:

• Creams can be a greasy affair
• you should use different areas to apply the cream to give the skin the opportunity to recover. Otherwise, the skin might be a little resistant to the hormones as it is saturated with hormones. This resistance can also occur when other hormones are applied.
• It does not make a saliva test for progesterone reliable
• Adipose tissue tends to give the hormones slowly over hours, days, or weeks. Some doctors consider this a problem, but it can also be beneficial. When applied correctly, a more even blood level of progesterone can be achieved than by other methods.

progesterone protocol

Women with cycle: Progesterinsongaben as follows:

• During the period, 4 mg daily
• then 8 mg daily for eight days
• then 16-20 mg daily until the next period when you go back to 4 mg daily, etc.
• Take more if the estrogen symptoms (for example, PMS) are strong and less if the progesterone symptoms (lethargy, drowsiness, yeast infection, constipation, weight gain) are stronger.
• (eg abdomen) so that it is released slowly and on tissues without fat for a quick release
• Progesterone helps sleep when taking it at night. One can divide between a daily dose and a night dose.

Women in menopause or after menopause:

Use progesterone cream as follows:

• when progesterone has never been taken before (tablets or other forms) the body is not yet used to progesterone. There is a paradoxical effect of the appearance and the one you should know. Progesterone has two effects. There is a long-term progesterone effect (soothing effect) but there is also an estrogen (stirring) effect in the short term (some days or a few weeks). The oestrogenic effect occurs during the first or second week while the progesterone effect persists.

A general rule such as progesterone is to use: one can control the rate at which progesterone is absorbed and delivered, depending on where it is applied.

• If possible, do not apply in the same place two days in succession to allow the skin to regenerate. Otherwise, it might be somewhat resistant to absorb the hormone.
• Thin skin with little adipose tissue (as on the wrist) for a fast absorption of the hormones (for example 'to fall asleep')
• Area use the fat tissue is thicker, the hips or belly for a slower admission and release (to stop several hours through the night or day)
• you can mix both areas, thin and thick, to have a bit of both effects.
• Take more if estrogen symptoms (PMS etc.) occur and less if symptoms of excessive progesterone occur (sluggishness, increased sleep, constipation, yeast infection, weight gain)

estrogen dominance

In order to correct an estrogen dominance it is necessary to balance more than just the estrogen-progesterone balance and to support the adrenal glands. It is important to eliminate the causative factors as much as possible: excessive exercise, insufficient sleep, pollutants, poor diet (many carbohydrates, low fat / protein intake, low nutritional value), and stress are some common causes.

Laboratory analysis of the steroid hormones cortisol, DHEA, estradiol, estriol, progesterone and testosterone in the saliva € 117,06)

Labortest hormone profile woman (Laboratory analysis of sex hormones estradiol, estriol and progesterone € 51,17)

Labortest Burnout Plus Kombitest (Laboratory analysis of adrenaline, daytime cortisol, DHEA, dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, testosterone, progesterone and estradiol to determine the current neuroendocrine situation) € 280,90)