The best way to combat Estrogen dominance is through hormone replacement therapy – particularly effective is treating Estrogen dominance with natural progesterone replacement therapy. This is because Progesterone is the calming force that counters the stimulation effect of Estrogen in the body.
The First step is diagnosing Estrogen dominance and Progesterone deficiency
The first step is finding out if you actually do have a hormonal imbalance, or if you suffer from another condition with similar symptoms. An excellent starting point is to evaluate the severity of your symptoms. If you have Estrogen Dominance it means that your Progesterone levels are not able to counter and calm the effects of the Estrogen that your body is producing. This results in progesterone deficiency. (In some cases you may have Progesterone deficiency, in other cases you may simply be producing too much Estrogen for the Progesterone to deal with.)
Taking a simple online self-assessment test for Progesterone deficiency, gives you an instant evaluation of the severity of your symptoms and also a baseline measurement by which to gauge your responsiveness to treatment. This test can be done to determine Progesterone deficiency at any point in your life, but it is particularly relevant during the pre, during and post menopause years. (Progesterone deficiency and Estrogen dominance are important symptoms and side effects of Menopause)
An assessment score of 20 or greater generally indicates there is a progesterone deficiency with the higher the score the greater the deficiency.
An estrogen-dominant woman will usually experience a worsening of symptoms if given estrogen. Often, doctors will prescribe estrogen to women and ignore progesterone and testosterone. However, a balance of all three hormones is needed.
Visiting the Doctor about diagnosing and treating Estrogen dominance
In a reproductive woman, blood testing of hormones is the most reliable of methods for hormone evaluation. There is a big push by some pathology labs and health practitioners to use salivary hormone assays claiming the results to be more reliable than blood testing. The problem is that salivary hormones fluctuate wildly from hour to hour, particularly during peri-menopause, as the female reproductive system winds down. To get a true picture of what is happening with hormones when using salivary tests a great many tests need to be done over many weeks which becomes extremely expensive. Blood testing at the correct time of the menstrual cycle and a full and thorough assessment of symptoms will tell more about progesterone deficiency than dozens of salivary hormone assessments.
Timing is critical when testing hormones, because hormone production is cyclical. When testing progesterone levels in a cycling woman the only time to test is between days 20-23 of the cycle (assuming the cycle is 28 days). ovulation takes place around day 13 of the cycle.
Progesterone levels increase steadily and peak around day 21-22. This is the time to test. Testing for progesterone during a period (days 1-5), or just before ovulation (days 9-12) or just before menstruation (days 25-27) is a waste of time and money.
Unfortunately many doctors fail to tell patients that day 20-23 is the critical time to get their blood test done. If they did, then more doc- tors would see low progesterone blood results when they should be high and realize that their patients were failing to ovulate (anovulatory) and hence were progesterone-deficient. Similarly, in both sexes, testosterone should be highest in the morning. The time of testing is critical if a series of related hormone tests is to fit a medically-recognized pattern of illness.
Here is the usual blood panel ordered by physicians for estrogen dominance and the normal values:
Progesterone therapy for treating Estrogen dominance
If you have symptoms of estrogen dominance (have normal or high estrogen and too little progesterone) you will benefit from ProFeme® progesterone cream. If you have normal progesterone (tested at day 22), but a high level of estrogen and/or low level of testosterone, lifestyle changes to lower the estrogen plus progesterone and/or testosterone supplementation may be necessary. If you suffer from a genetic disorder that reduces your production of sex hormones, such as Klinefelter (male) or Turner (female) syndromes, then you will benefit from regular use of the natural hormone creams containing progesterone (female) or testosterone (male). All people can benefit from reducing their toxic body burden by restricting exposure to dangerous products and situations.
How can I decrease my symptoms via lifestyle changes?
Try to avoid exposure to xenoestrogens:
- Change your method of birth control if you currently use chemical spermicides or estrogen based contraceptives
- If you are a farmer or gardener, find a natural alternative to these insecticides and herbicides: Atrazine; dieldrin; DDT; endosulfan; heptachlor; lindane; and methoxychlor
- Use glass or ceramics, rather than plastic containers and wrap in the microwave
- Cook in cast iron or steel pots, rather than aluminium or non-stick surfaces.
- Use a natural detergent, such as Nature Clean®, which does not require use of a fabric soft- ener or dryer sheet
- Switch to organic produce and hormone-free milk and meat
- Use extra virgin olive oil only; eliminate other oils
- Avoid caffeine (cola, coffee, maté, tea, chocolate)
Some dietitians recommend eating phytoestrogenic plants, because they bind to estrogen receptors on human cells and prevent them from accepting more toxic xenoestrogens. Some doctors argue that eating any form of estrogen can aggravate symptoms, particularly plants laden with herbicides and pesticides, such as commercially-raised corn. Organically grown food is best.
Plants that contain phytoestrogens include:
Alfalfa
beer
bloodroot
calamus root
canola oil
wild carrot
chamomile
clover
cloves
coffee
corn
cottonseed oil
cumin
damiana
dates
fennel
goldenseal
hops
lavender oil
licorice
mandrake
mistletoe
motherwort
nutmeg
ocotillo
oregano
pennyroyal
pomegranates
rosemary
sage
soy
sunflower seeds
tea tree oil
thyme
turmeric
verbena
wild yam
yucca
Understand more on Estrogen Dominance:
Signs & symptoms of Estrogen Dominance
Progesterone treatment and side effects
The information in this article has been taken with permission from the official Lawley booklet on Understanding Estrogen Dominance.