Spacehoppa
Member
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2012
- Messages
- 36
Hi Peatarian,
I've been reading this thread with great interest, thank you. I am new to Ray Peat and have only read a few articles so far. I've known about estrogen dominance for about 7 years (I used progesterone cream in both my pregnancies), but have only just recently realised that this is the root of most of my health issues currently.
I have rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia (and Lyme disease antibodies) and have had the RA since shortly after I began menstruating, aged 15. With hindsight, I believe I became estrogen dominant very quickly, due to exam stress, being underweight and subsequent lack of ovulation.
It's 25 years later and I'm almost 40 and very much premenopausal. My body seems to make estrogen well enough, but not progesterone. I spot for days before my period is due and bleed little when I get it. I have had my hormones tested several times over the years and it always shows low progesterone and adequate estrogen, so I am confident that this is my problem.
My main symptoms are painful inflammatory arthritis, sinus headaches, crushing fatigue, adrenal suppression (I had to take prednisolone [steroids] during my pregnancies and now I can't get off it), bowel problems, ovarian cysts, dry eyes, postural hypotension, heart murmur, knackered gallbladder (still have it though, but it's painful when estrogen is high), and my worst symptom currently is a pretty severe allergic response to high estrogen that affects me like an attack of hypoglycemia.
When this allergic reaction happens, when my estrogen spikes, I feel suddenly very nauseous, tremble on the inside, feel pressure in my head, my limbs go very weak, I MUST lie down immediately or else fall down, my breathing becomes very rapid and panic attack-like and I begin to twitch pretty violently. This usually lasts half an hour or slightly less. The only thing that combats it, that I have found so far, is progesterone oil and buteyko breathing.
So far, I have been using a progesterone oil called progestelle, which is dissolved in coconut oil. I have just ordered some of the progest e online this morning, but it will take a month to arrive probably due to slow shipping, assuming I get it at all in the UK!
I have been interested in your posts because what you say concurs with my own experience. It's one of the few instances in life where more appears to be better, so I am glad to hear you are of the same opinion. It seems that I must use the progesterone oil 3 times a day, or more(!), particularly around ovulation, or else the trembliness (is it low blood sugars I wonder?) comes back and I am laid low pretty fast.
This allergy to estrogen is scaring me quite honestly, as, during the attack I had at the weekend, I had trouble catching my breath. I don't have a tight chest or closed throat, simply an excess of adrenaline (I think) which causes me to hyperventilate. I had not used the progesterone oil for 9 days at this point in an attempt to get my period - which was my main mistake I think. I am inclined, in accordance with advice you have given others, not to worry about getting a period and concentrate more on saturating my tissues with progesterone and suppressing ovulation entirely, if I can, for a couple of months. What do you think?
I took Clomid (a double dose - stupid damn gynecologist ) about 4 years ago (it makes you over produce estrogen) and had these same allergy symptoms then. I've been having them every cycle ever since.
Thanks ever so much for reading all this, if you got down to the bottom. I have two young boys to take care of, and am scared of my own body these days. Estrogen surges literally take me down in seconds these days. All advice (from anyone) much appreciated!
Ruth, (my video blog http://www.youtube.com/ruthheasman)
I also take pregnenolone 10mg/day, hydroxychloroquine 400mg/day, prednisolone 8mg/day, naproxen when needed and calcium, magnesium, b vitamins, milk thistle, iodine and DIM
I've been reading this thread with great interest, thank you. I am new to Ray Peat and have only read a few articles so far. I've known about estrogen dominance for about 7 years (I used progesterone cream in both my pregnancies), but have only just recently realised that this is the root of most of my health issues currently.
I have rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia (and Lyme disease antibodies) and have had the RA since shortly after I began menstruating, aged 15. With hindsight, I believe I became estrogen dominant very quickly, due to exam stress, being underweight and subsequent lack of ovulation.
It's 25 years later and I'm almost 40 and very much premenopausal. My body seems to make estrogen well enough, but not progesterone. I spot for days before my period is due and bleed little when I get it. I have had my hormones tested several times over the years and it always shows low progesterone and adequate estrogen, so I am confident that this is my problem.
My main symptoms are painful inflammatory arthritis, sinus headaches, crushing fatigue, adrenal suppression (I had to take prednisolone [steroids] during my pregnancies and now I can't get off it), bowel problems, ovarian cysts, dry eyes, postural hypotension, heart murmur, knackered gallbladder (still have it though, but it's painful when estrogen is high), and my worst symptom currently is a pretty severe allergic response to high estrogen that affects me like an attack of hypoglycemia.
When this allergic reaction happens, when my estrogen spikes, I feel suddenly very nauseous, tremble on the inside, feel pressure in my head, my limbs go very weak, I MUST lie down immediately or else fall down, my breathing becomes very rapid and panic attack-like and I begin to twitch pretty violently. This usually lasts half an hour or slightly less. The only thing that combats it, that I have found so far, is progesterone oil and buteyko breathing.
So far, I have been using a progesterone oil called progestelle, which is dissolved in coconut oil. I have just ordered some of the progest e online this morning, but it will take a month to arrive probably due to slow shipping, assuming I get it at all in the UK!
I have been interested in your posts because what you say concurs with my own experience. It's one of the few instances in life where more appears to be better, so I am glad to hear you are of the same opinion. It seems that I must use the progesterone oil 3 times a day, or more(!), particularly around ovulation, or else the trembliness (is it low blood sugars I wonder?) comes back and I am laid low pretty fast.
This allergy to estrogen is scaring me quite honestly, as, during the attack I had at the weekend, I had trouble catching my breath. I don't have a tight chest or closed throat, simply an excess of adrenaline (I think) which causes me to hyperventilate. I had not used the progesterone oil for 9 days at this point in an attempt to get my period - which was my main mistake I think. I am inclined, in accordance with advice you have given others, not to worry about getting a period and concentrate more on saturating my tissues with progesterone and suppressing ovulation entirely, if I can, for a couple of months. What do you think?
I took Clomid (a double dose - stupid damn gynecologist ) about 4 years ago (it makes you over produce estrogen) and had these same allergy symptoms then. I've been having them every cycle ever since.
Thanks ever so much for reading all this, if you got down to the bottom. I have two young boys to take care of, and am scared of my own body these days. Estrogen surges literally take me down in seconds these days. All advice (from anyone) much appreciated!
Ruth, (my video blog http://www.youtube.com/ruthheasman)
I also take pregnenolone 10mg/day, hydroxychloroquine 400mg/day, prednisolone 8mg/day, naproxen when needed and calcium, magnesium, b vitamins, milk thistle, iodine and DIM