Women: What Did You Think Of Pregnenolone?

[Ella]

Are you eating enough?

I don't count calories however, I eat heaps. When the weight was coming off I was doing eggs, OJ, lots fruits like melons, water melon, stewed apples, pears, dates, lots of full cream milk (can't stand the watery stuff), Parmesan and pecorino cheese, custards, ice-cream. I love dairy. I actually did my research on milk and I am a huge advocate of dairy. Never drank it as I child though. Wish I had. Lots of oxtail gelatin, lamb, prawns and oysters, potatoes, root vegies and lots of mushrooms. Liver once a week and leafy green extracts. I felt great eating like this. Unfortunately, OJ and coffee have been problematic. OJ and coffee keep me running with high energy all day but the bladder irritation, dry and itching vagina meant that I had to cut out or have minimal amounts. Coke has the same reaction. I never drank coke in all my life, I can drink a whole 1.25 litre - it is so addictive. I am probably revving my body too high and depleting minerals. I find I need the liver, seafood and lamb regularly. I will try to increase these. The symptoms seem to be those commonly associated with menopause and I have never experienced these when I was definitely estrogen dominant; during the premenopausal years and the start of menopause. Yeah, I never drank coffee, coke or OJ back then

These symptoms first appeared when I started experimenting with progesterone and Vitamin E. I asked a Naturopath friend whether I could have overdone the Vitamin E and was low estrogen. She wanted to give me homeopathic estrogen but the mantra, an estrogen is an estrogen is an estrogen reverberated in my brain and I quickly declined. Now I am beginning to think that it might be estrogen that I am lacking???

Estrogen is supposed to work quickly and a healthy liver disposes it as quickly as it appears by glucoronidation and sulphation pathways. I do grated carrots and I am thinking I probably don't need to be so aggressive in my approach to get rid of the estrogen.

I find if I drink lemon water, I immediately experience a dry vagina. I can't work it out and don't want to talk to the GP because she will tell me to use an estrogen steroidal cream. I wondering if any other ladies have experienced this?

Old fashioned remedy what about barley water?

I absolutely love lemon barley water and love barley in soups and just eating on its own. I have not made it for a while. In high school we had a subject on cookery. I still have the 1974 version of Cookery the Australian Way. It has a whole section on Invalid Cookery for patients unable to to digest solids. Recipes include Barley water, Beef Tea, Enriched Orange juice which specifies strained orange juice, Egg Flip, Gelatine desserts. Lots of milk - very peaty.

I have tons of lemons at the moment. I will add the barley water and see if I have the same reaction. Thank you for reminding me of the barley. I find it strange that my body is craving these grains. I don't have any gut issues that I am aware of. No bloating, gas, reflux, cramping etc. Endotoxins are always a worry, but how does one tell if endotoxins are an issue?I know they are always continuously being released by bacteria, thus the need to be forever vigilant.

Kefir is supposed to help restore proper pH of the vagina however, I am reluctant to increase lactic acid bacteria. I might get my dr to do a swab and see which species I'm breeding.

I also have a problem with chocolate and cocoa. Only food that makes me feel like I have been poisoned - migraine and neck pain. Symptoms can last up to a week. Does not happen with good quality chocolate. It maybe due to fungal contamination or heavy metals. I find orange juice, vitamin C and sugar can stop the symptoms relatively quickly.

The vaginal symptoms could also be a sign that I am not oxidising sugar and the weight loss is releasing too many free fatty acids into the system. I was taking 100mg pregnenolone, now dropped it to 25mg on an as needs basis - stress times like Xmas.

A more laid back lifestyle and attitude would make a whole lot of difference but don't know how my love ones would cope.

 

[moss]

Unfortunately, OJ and coffee have been problematic. OJ and coffee keep me running with high energy all day but the bladder irritation, dry and itching vagina meant that I had to cut out or have minimal amounts. Coke has the same reaction.

Then clearly coffee and OJ (and chocolate) are best given the flick for a time at least.
Perhaps the OJ is too drying for your bladder just at the moment.
If you were drinking OJ partly for the potassium then Dandelion as an herbal extract is brilliant not only as a liver tonic but it is very high in potassium so that may be helpful.

With regards to vaginal dryness douches can be extremely helpful, a combination of fluid extracts both Hydrastis Canadensis and Calendula officinalis, using either a syringe or pipette lying down (good excuse for a nanna nap for at least 20-30 mins!) and squirt directly into the vagina because it can get messy otherwise. Both herbs helpful for the vaginal mucosa and have a restorative effect of vaginal pathology and Calendula has immunological consequences and promotes healing in the tissues.
There are lots of urinary antiseptics that are very helpful depending on how your 'bladder irritation' asserts itself.
Salt and oat baths (a handful of oats in a stocking tied at one end) and can also be helpful to soothe urinary irritation as well.

You have a varied diet for sure and I remember the 1974 version of Cookery The Australian Way :)

 

[Ella]

OJ is too drying for your bladder just at the moment.

I meant to thank you for all those practical suggestions - Christmas got in the way and it has been a crazy start to 2017.

I only experience dryness if I take Vitamin E or drink lemon juice as homemade lemonaide - both anti-estrogenic. Haidut posted DHEA and estrone studies and DHEA works better than estrone. DHEA is not available to us in Australia. I spoke to a gyno about pregnenolone. Her response was, "Do you realise that this is a powerful steriod? (No s***) Do you really want to look like a bodybuilder?" She recommended the estrogen cream. I didn't dare tell her I have been taking pregnenolone for quite some time. Customs confiscated the DHEA. They wanted to see prescription for it and I don't think my dr would agree. She went off her head about those hormone drs.

I still have quite a bit of fat to lose and think that I would be low in pufas as I have been avoiding them for 30 years plus. I had lowered my fat even lower but have since increased it and noticed improvement in my skin - not so dry. I don't have to exercise, only retrieve my rubbish bins and drag them up my long steep driveway and I build muscles rapidly. So I would think this is not a sign of estrogen dominance even though I am overweight. I don't think I am in a catabolic state like I was initially. Which makes me think, did I target lowering estrogen,. cortisol and adrenaline too aggresively? I find I need to eat lots of food to keep my energy up and my weight steady. The weight loss scared me and I don't want all the loose skin. I have now stablised by introducing more starches like bread and potatoes. Lots of potatoes. It has been an excellent season for potatoes with all the rain we have been getting.

So something has changed. When my body was in a catabolic state going into menopause and highly stressed, I was putting on about 2 kg/week. I was eating more meat and fat then too which would not have helped. Now I have to eat loads to stop losing the weight but have dramatically cut the meat and fat. This is what I experienced in my youth. I could eat heaps and not put on weight. This must be my true metabolism and the stress and inadequate food made me hypothyroid and pack on the weight from the high cortisol and estrogen. So I have figured how to turn the weight loss switch on and off (at least for myself). I am just going to go slow with the rest of the weight.

I have cut my pregnenolone down to 25mg every other day and added niacinamide at night and aspirin every other day. I could not tolerate niacinamide earlier and experienced headaches with it.

I am now going to focus on exercising (digging my garden and walking) with plenty of carbs and no fat to tighten up the flab.

I have just added T4 and my temperature has come up to 37.0 to 37.1. Mind you Melbourne is really hot and muggy and I am sweating profusely. I have not seen temps like these before. Not that I feel better for it. I get tension in the neck and shoulders which is new. Maybe I am just uncomfortable with this laissez faire attitude. I feel like that contended cow again. Nothing seems to stress me now. I got a letter from the tax office threatening a fine and audit as I am overdue with my reporting. I would have been beside myself earlier but now, I just can't seem to fire myself up to care. I don't think this is an appropriate response. We are at the peak of the bushfire danger season. Usually, I would put my fire plan into action. I seem to be so calm about being fire ready and I am not going do anything. I feel I am too complacent and I am not going to worry until the danger is on my doorstep. My body thinks the tiger is dead - surely this can't be right?

Maybe this is how you are supposed to feel instead of hypervigilant all the time. I am not sure I like it at all. It makes sense though that it is what the body needs to heal. I need a thermostat to be in that Goldilocks range.

By what mechanism can orange juice be drying? I want to do the DUTCH test (expensive though) instead of just guessing. I think it has everything to do with the sweetness of the oranges. I don't like sweet coffee but I am now adding more sugar. Coke, I'll just stay away from. I have never drank it before in my life.

Ray says that estrogen exerts its effects quickly and a healthy liver rapidly excretes it. I am just wondering if I must be getting rid of cortisol and adrenaline too rapidly. Maybe my liver gets rid of estrogen and does not have a chance to build up. My reverse T3 is really low and I have not seen that in anyone before. My T3 is in the mid to high range and T4 is at the lower end. I am either converting T4 over too fast or not producing adequate amounts. I will see what difference the T4 makes.

You would think if cortisol & estrogen were high, then T4 to T3 conversion is less likely as higher levels of RT3 would occur. Maybe all I need to do is find that deserted island and just bask in the sun naked One thing I have started doing is trying to get as much sun as possible and increase my vitamin D.

Has anyone else experienced similar? Also found out that my phosphate was low. This is probably due from all the fruit and sugar I have been eating. I am drinking milk, cheese, seafood & liver; must be due to reduction in meat. My kidney should be happy. I craved peanut butter this week which I have not eaten for years. I ate some and no longer crave it. What gives? Peanuts are estrogenic.

I think I will contact Peat and see if he can provide some insight.

 

[Sonybaloney]

Did you ever get any answers? I feel like this tiger is dead too.
I wanted to know if you ever tried the dhea?

 

[Kray]

Not sure I have any wisdom to add and I don't use DHEA. I will be 54 in a few weeks. I currently take pregnenolone (Heath Natura) 50mg in the evening with warm milk and honey, cinnamon and sleep like a dead person. I was taking 40mg for a couple of months then jumped to 70mg and a couple of days later a period came on (hadn't bled since April this year) and I needed to take progesterone to stop the bleed which I did at day 11. Apart from Aspirin and niacinamide occasionally, Vitamin K daily, B's and serrapeptase that's about it.
For the moment pregnenolone makes me feel calm and I sleep so well. I also take a good amount of salt.

Hello moss

I can't believe it's been so long since we posted here, and I must apologize that I dropped off after your response! But here I am today reading your post, and curiously anxious to know if and how pregnenolone is going for you. Would love to get your update.

Sorry, and thank you!

 

[EchoTango]

I hope this thread can be resurrected ...
Can any menstruating women around or over 35 report their anecdotal experience with pregnenolone? Not much information is out there about menstruating women's hormones other than to use progesterone the latter half of the cycle. If hormones are low due to stress and lowered production as one ages, then pregnenolone seems like it could be of benefit. And Ray seems to think DHEA production downstream from pregnenolone is safer than taking isolated DHEA.

I am wondering if there is any point in taking pregnenolone for a woman, if she is already taking progeterone?

I am now taking progest-e for 10 days of my cycle.

For the other 20 days I was thinking of taking pregnenolone.

But then I heard pregnenolone coverts to progesterone so there doesn't seem to be any point, and perhaps it could mess up my cycle?

The idea of using pregnenolone to cover the first half of the cycle seems reasonable, possibly even every day regardless of menstruation at a dose from 10-30mg depending on how depleted one is. Would love to hear about the pros and cons.

 

[EchoTango]

@Bluebell it has been a few years since you posted this. Did you end up trying pregnenolone? I'm curious what conclusions you came to for or against.

 

[Bluebell]

Hi @EchoTango! Yes, I did try pregnenolone, but I didn't particularly time it to my cycle, so I don't have any conclusions around that.
When I took it, I would get increased energy, but I didn't take it for long. I haven't used it for some time now, except for occasional topical use. I don't use progest-e.
Would be interesting to hear from any other women on how they time pregnenolone to their cycle.

 

[EchoTango]

Hi @EchoTango! Yes, I did try pregnenolone, but I didn't particularly time it to my cycle, so I don't have any conclusions around that.
When I took it, I would get increased energy, but I didn't take it for long. I haven't used it for some time now, except for occasional topical use. I don't use progest-e.
Would be interesting to hear from any other women on how they time pregnenolone to their cycle.

Hi @Bluebell, thanks for sharing your experience. I tried about 20mg/ day the past few days and like you experienced more energy, but with trouble sleeping as well an increased appetite. I think I'll lower the dose considerably.

 

[orangeUglad]

Which 10 days of your cycle do you take your progesterone?