Progesterone can oppose the effects of Estrogen Dominance. What is Estrogen Dominance? Estrogen Dominance is
too much estrogen. Progesterone cream does NOT cut back your own estrogen. Progesterone opposes Estrogen.
Where is this extra estrogen coming from?
1) Your own estradiol is high. This is usually from taking coffee. 2 cups of coffee will increase your estradiol
levels by 70% according to a Bringham Young University Study. The solution is to stop drinking coffee.
2) Typically, the estradiol levels ARE NORMAL, but the lady is still Estrogen Dominant. The extra estrogen is
coming from lotions, detergents, soaps, and cosmetics that are put into the skin and go directly into the body.
These lotions, detergents, soaps and cosmetics contain xenoestrogens (chemical estrogens) that mimic estrogen
or phytoestrogens (plant estrogens) that mimic estrogen. These xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens DO NOT increase
your own estrogen, rather they mimic estrogen.
3) After the age of 35, a woman has anovulatory menstrual cycles most of the time and does NOT PRODUCE progesterone.
An anovulatory cycle is a cycle in which no ovulation occurs. A normal cycle before the age of 35 usually goes
like this. A follicle begins to form on top of the ovary. The follicle pops and an egg is released. The
used follicle becomes the corpus luteum and begins to produce progesterone. So during a normal period, before
the age of 35, you get a pulse of estradiol and then a pulse of progesterone. However, after the age of 35, most
of the time, the follicle comes up does NOT pop out an egg. The follicle goes back down. No corpus luteum is
produced. No progesterone is produced. So after the age of 35, most women most of the time do NOT produce
a corpus luteum and do NOT produce progesterone.
These are the three main reasons that I have found for Estrogen Dominance clinically. 1) Coffee 2)Xenoestrogens
and Phytoestrogens 3)Anovulatory cycles after the age of 35.
So I have NOT found hormone tests to be very helpful clinically. Hormone tests do not measure phytoestrogens
or xenoestrogens. There is no saliva or blood test available for lavender (phytoestrogen) that I know of.
It is easier to ask the patient whether or not she is using soap spiked with lavender. There is no blood
test that I know of that measures parabens or phenoxyethanol. It is easier to ask the patient whether she
is using these chemicals on the skin from her cosmetics.
I just ask the patient whether or not she is drinking coffee, if she is above the age of 35 and go through
a list of xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens. I ask whether or not she has bloating and breast tenderness
before her period. This is cheaper than a hormone blood test and includes the most common causes of
Estrogen Dominance.
The Bloating and Breast Tenderness question is a much better test than a hormone test, because it includes
the effects of xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens. The question is also cheaper than a hormone test.
Usually, I get a woman with breast tenderness and bloating before her period and does NOT drink coffee.
The hormone test comes out NORMAL. Thus, it does not make sense to to a hormone test. She is still
Estrogen Dominant. So I tell her just to cut out the xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens and take Progesterone Cream.
The only time it makes sense to do a hormone test is when the patient takes progesterone cream and feels
nothing at all. Then you have to ask whether the patient is absorbing the progesterone. This is less than
1% of all patients I see. Normally, I see no good reason to do a hormone test other than you have too much
money and feel the need to spend it. If you want to spend money, donate it to me on the website or go out
for a nice French dinner.
