Hi everyone, I am new to the forum and just started progest E 9 days ago. I have been trying to follow the diet, actually for a long time now way before I started the progesterone. I do not drink milk though, only eat small amounts of hard cheeses like the kerrygold dubliner and sometimes Nancy's cottage cheese. Dairy does not agree with me yet(the lactose part that is). I have been doing the gelatin and collagen hyrosylate for months and love it(my skin looks way more vibrant). Trying to do fruit throughout the day which is hard because I generally have not done much fruit or anything with sugar. I've been eating medjol dates too. I do cheat with nut butters because I love them and they go so well with fruit and dates. Probably gonna try and cut out the nuts because they could be causing me breakouts I have been eating coconut oil for years and love it, also the best quality grass fed butter and ghee.
Today I woke up feeling very PMS'y and had five little pimples all over my chin(the hormone area). Am I doing too much progesterone or should I do more? I cannot handle breaking out as I work in the skin care industry and give people advice all day about their skin! Also I have been feeling heavy where as I usually feel fit and active. I'm eating less carbs, pretty much no grains but can see that I have more cellulite and fat on my stomach and thighs. And even though I am hungry I feel full. Just like what pregnant women talk of. According to Dr. Peter Eckhart any phytoestrogens, especially on the skin can cause this effect(way higher absorption), and when progesterone is added in it can exacerbate this until phytoestrogens are removed. The thing is is that I have been cutting out phytoestrogens one by one for many years and still am not improving. I have the worst menstrual cramps ever, mild persistent acne, PMS-hardcore, severe anxiety and digestive troubles. I have done every cleanse and diet known to man...year after year and still no relief. Also every herb and supplement you can think of. This is getting long so I guess my main question is....should I continue this dosing schedule of 4-5 drops on my gums 3 times a day for 21 days and then wait to see if I get a period and then just continue in the luteal phase next cycle? My cycle is not regular this month because out of sheer desperation I let my doctor talk me into the fact that I needed birth control. She said it would be the only thing to stop my skin issues and the horrendous period pains and I tried it for 2 and a half weeks before giving up due to the awful side effects. So, it messed with my once perfect cycle....although cramps have been terrible for the last 15 years and nothing has ever helped that besides birth control in the past but I'm not touching that stuff anymore. Any advice from all of you knowledgeable people would be great. I appreciate the support and hope to fix myself soon once and for all. I think 15 years of suffering is enough so I hope following Ray Peat's advice along with progest E will provide much needed relief. I just don't know if I need more or less because it doesn't seem to be effecting me that much...still the same ol symptoms as always. I know I need to give it 3 months but shouldn't I get some relief in the meantime?
Today I woke up feeling very PMS'y and had five little pimples all over my chin(the hormone area). Am I doing too much progesterone or should I do more? I cannot handle breaking out as I work in the skin care industry and give people advice all day about their skin! Also I have been feeling heavy where as I usually feel fit and active. I'm eating less carbs, pretty much no grains but can see that I have more cellulite and fat on my stomach and thighs. And even though I am hungry I feel full. Just like what pregnant women talk of. According to Dr. Peter Eckhart any phytoestrogens, especially on the skin can cause this effect(way higher absorption), and when progesterone is added in it can exacerbate this until phytoestrogens are removed. The thing is is that I have been cutting out phytoestrogens one by one for many years and still am not improving. I have the worst menstrual cramps ever, mild persistent acne, PMS-hardcore, severe anxiety and digestive troubles. I have done every cleanse and diet known to man...year after year and still no relief. Also every herb and supplement you can think of. This is getting long so I guess my main question is....should I continue this dosing schedule of 4-5 drops on my gums 3 times a day for 21 days and then wait to see if I get a period and then just continue in the luteal phase next cycle? My cycle is not regular this month because out of sheer desperation I let my doctor talk me into the fact that I needed birth control. She said it would be the only thing to stop my skin issues and the horrendous period pains and I tried it for 2 and a half weeks before giving up due to the awful side effects. So, it messed with my once perfect cycle....although cramps have been terrible for the last 15 years and nothing has ever helped that besides birth control in the past but I'm not touching that stuff anymore. Any advice from all of you knowledgeable people would be great. I appreciate the support and hope to fix myself soon once and for all. I think 15 years of suffering is enough so I hope following Ray Peat's advice along with progest E will provide much needed relief. I just don't know if I need more or less because it doesn't seem to be effecting me that much...still the same ol symptoms as always. I know I need to give it 3 months but shouldn't I get some relief in the meantime?