Depression, Heavy Periods, Insomnia , Overweight

[Tired]

Hello. I am 43 y old .I m struggling with depression ,overweight,bad lipids,fatigue,sleep problems,hair loss,heavy periods,hashimoto ,back pain ,heavy periods ,I am trying to understand Peat ,but I need some help,I suffer from brain fog which stops !me from reading & staying on top of house work ,stopped working 3 years ago ,please can you explain if estrogen is all bad or a little of it is good ,I am confused because why do we produce it then , I m on antidepressant ,progesterone oral & cream and t3t4 .I am taking metformin .fish oil helps with back pain & rosacea ,but I beleed heavily on my periods.

 

[Mittir]

Estrogen is essential for certain functions like preparing for pregnancy.
But estrogen should be active for short period of time.
Unopposed estrogen causes health issues.
Progesterone directly oppose estrogen.
In healthy person body increases production of
progesterone when estrogen gets high.
A healthy liver also inactivate excess estrogen.

In female, Hashimoto is usually a result of excess unopposed estrogen.

Are you taking natural progest-E or synthetic progesterone?

I used fish oil in past and it improves joint pain. Fish oil lowers
inflammation by opposing omega 6 from vegetable oils. But it is a major oxidant.
In the long run it is very harmful.

Have you tested your TSH, T3, T4, Cholesterol etc?

If you want improve your estrogen problem and other health issues
the first step should be a healthy diet covering all the essential nutrients.
Easily digestible foods , free of gut irritants and allergens,
is needed to improve over all health, especially liver.
Liver detoxify estrogen and converts T4 to active T3.

Metformin and SSRI have a lot of side effects.

You can post a description of your diet. A good diet can often
resolve many health problems. Good fiber in raw carrot salad,
cooked bamboo shoots or cooked button mushroom can quickly
improve hormonal imbalance. Quality protein 80+ grams is
essential for good liver functions.

 

[Tired]

Hello.Thank you so much for the reply .I am struggling to digest all the information out there on Peat because of low energy,both mentally & physically .I take micronized natural progesterone orally at night,because the metabolism produces more allopregnenolone which helps with sleep ,anxiety & depression ,these are neurosteroids.I have to take the metformin because it makes me calmer & eat less .And because I am on an antidepressant which has !metabolic side effects ,but can't get off it because I become suicidal without it .it is not an SSRI.I also use progesterone cream -natural - during the day because it is less sedating than the oral .the cream has vitamin e.I am on T3 and T4 but I m suspicious that T4 is giving me non specific symptoms from the fillers,so I am in the process of trying natural thyroid .my lipids were altered 2 years ago ,I improved ldl,hdl with diet (paleo) and metformin ,but triglycerides remained high ,but I was on oral contraceptive ,so I stopped & got on progesterone ,but I haven't done new ones ,the antidepressant I m on increases triglycerides,but I can't stop it now,I need to have some energy to exersice at least ..I tried to stop it and didn't go well .I also started to eat more meat and saturated fat ,but was feeling tired ,cold ,chills,sleepy after a meal ,then I discovered something called postprandial endotoxemia,caused by saturated fats and prevented by fish oil or olive oil,but not cocconut oil,so started to take some before meals,and had less problems ,but still cold ,I am sure I have this postprandial endotoxemia ,and it is linked to diabetes and heart disease ,so I am confused ,because fat & protein from animals calm my cravings & help with wt loss

 

[Tired]

What I eat is coffee and cream,goat milk in the morning ,followed by a banana,or home made brownie with coconut oil and ginger and homney,I started eating some fish & goat cheese in the morning ,but stopped because my period was very heavy and horrible cramps ,which I had to manage with strong NSAIDS,so despite the antiinflammatory effects of fish ,it makes me bleed and cramps,as it is known period pain & bleeding is from prostaglandins. I have started carrots, I like to put onion in broth & eat meat,or chicken with some rice or potatoes,I used to have lots of veg in the soup or steamed,but I might need too back down,indeed fruits suit me more ..,I drink goat milk just for hot drinks,and goat cheese , I eat citrus ,berries & apples , occasionally potaoe crisps,not too much legumes,I am sparse on mushrooms,so will up this . so regarding RP way,I was confused about the estrogen because I feel I am deficient as well as on progesterone,I think I need both ,but perhaps I need more progesterone ,also I feel I need more thyroid hormone . can you please explain to me how to use saturated animal fat without getting endotoxemia? I also have mild oedema in face,hands which is better when I don't eat !! Thanks

 

[Tired]

I forgot to mention I m gluten free for past 3 months ,so the brownie is with coconut flower & some gluten free flower( minimal amount )

 

[Mittir]

I remember reading that study showing coconut oil increasing endotoxin and
polyunsaturated fat doing the opposite. But there is a simple explanation
for that. Saturated fat, especially coconut oil has anti-microbial property.
There will be an initial increase in endotoxin by killing off bacteria.
But, it is a temporary increase and endotoxin will decrease after that
period. There are other studies that show coconut oil decreasing endotoxin.

The key is to avoid food that causes gut irritation and other health problems.
Pectin in apple and orange cause problem for me, so i drink pectin free commercial
apple juice. I also have problem with gelatin, though gelatin is extremely beneficial.
Whenever you add a new food watch how body reacts to it. Sometime it takes few days
to few weeks to get used to new type of foods like milk and vegetables.
RP thinks cooked apple is easier to digest.

I know a lot of people have problem with milk,dairy and Coconut oil.
It took me about 2 weeks to introduce coconut oil slowly.
I make my own coconut oil. Store bought oil do not always agree with me.
Quality of food is a big factor in gut health.
Oil is not essential except for some needed for fat soluble vitamins.
some people do better on very low fat diet.
You have to pay a lot attention to how
food affects the digestive system. It is a lot of work, Food diary helped me a lot.
You also can check cronometer.com to see if your diet has adequate nutrients.

 

[Tired]

Thanks for the web site ,I will check it . I initially went on the RPweb to see if I can directly communicate with him ,but there is only postal address,also on the net I can't find any interviews more recent than 2014,do you have any idea if he is in contact with the public recently ,and how one can ask for advice directly.Thanks

 

[Tired]

I want also to mention I suffer from constipation,IBS -C type,what is good for this from RP point,thanks

 

[Giraffe]

also on the net I can't find any interviews more recent than 2014

The most recent interview is from two days ago.

Audio Interviews | Ray Peat Forum
Audio Interview Transcripts | Ray Peat Forum

 

[Tired]

There

I remember reading that study showing coconut oil increasing endotoxin and
polyunsaturated fat doing the opposite. But there is a simple explanation
for that. Saturated fat, especially coconut oil has anti-microbial property.
There will be an initial increase in endotoxin by killing off bacteria.
But, it is a temporary increase and endotoxin will decrease after that
period. There are other studies that show coconut oil decreasing endotoxin.



ts.

I appreciate your prompt replies.I am not sure what u mean by period.one of the things that are making me attracted to RP ,is that he is anti-authoritarian.Peat can't and will not know everything,simply because not everything is discovered about the body physiology ,biochemistry. There is still a lot to come .I was not referring to cocconiut oil ,I get the symptoms of postprandial endotoximenia after eating meat and it's fat .I would be interested to be pointed towards an interview ,or article ,by RP which addresses this problem with animal saturated fat ,and how to get around it.obviously ,perhaps not everyone gets this problems ,so there should be a way around it.I can't eat only coconut oil .Also there is huge science on the microbiota and it's effects on obesity,inflammation ..etc..what does RP recommend to have a normal microbiome ?but at the same time not get postprandial endotoxemia,killing the bugs is not the solution , there are bad & good ones .thanks

 

[Tired]

The most recent interview is from two days ago.

Audio Interviews | Ray Peat Forum
Audio Interview Transcripts | Ray Peat Forum

Thanks a lot .Do u know if RP still offers nutritional counseling .thanks

 

[Peata]

Hello. I am 43 y old .I m struggling with depression ,overweight,bad lipids,fatigue,sleep problems,hair loss,heavy periods,hashimoto ,back pain ,heavy periods ,I am trying to understand Peat ,but I need some help,I suffer from brain fog which stops !me from reading & staying on top of house work ,stopped working 3 years ago ,please can you explain if estrogen is all bad or a little of it is good ,I am confused because why do we produce it then , I m on antidepressant ,progesterone oral & cream and t3t4 .I am taking metformin .fish oil helps with back pain & rosacea ,but I beleed heavily on my periods.

"Substances such as PTH, nitric oxide, serotonin, cortisol, aldosterone, estrogen, thyroid stimulating hormone, and prolactin have regulatory and adaptive functions that are essential, but that ideally should act only intermittently, producing changes that are needed momentarily. When the environment is too stressful, or when nutrition isn't adequate, the organism may be unable to mobilize the opposing and complementary substances to stop their actions. In those situations, it can be therapeutic to use some of the nutrients as supplements. Calcium carbonate (eggshell or oyster shell, for example) and vitamins D and K, can sometimes produce quick antistress effects, alleviating insomnia, hypertension, edema, inflammations and allergies, etc., but the regular use of milk and cheese can prevent many chronic stress-related diseases." -Ray Peat
Milk in context: allergies, ecology, and some myths

 

[Tired]

Substances such as PTH, nitric oxide, serotonin, cortisol, aldosterone, estrogen, thyroid stimulating hormone, and prolactin have regulatory and adaptive functions that are essential, but that ideally should act only intermittently, producing changes that are needed momentarily. When the environment is too stressful, or when nutrition isn't adequate, the organism may be unable to mobilize the opposing and complementary substances to stop their actions. In those situations, it can be therapeutic to use some of the nutrients as supplements. Calcium carbonate (eggshell or oyster shell, for example) and vitamins D and K, can sometimes produce quick antistress effects, alleviating insomnia, hypertension, edema, inflammations and allergies, etc., but the regular use of milk and cheese can prevent many chronic stress-related diseases. RP/Milk in context: allergies, ecology, and some myths

Thanks for the reply .I m having difficulties sustaimg attention on long articles, but I will try to read it . regarding cortisol,I looked at diagrams regarding the diurnal variation ,and also it seems that some people have what they call adrenal fatigue if the cortisol is not high enough during the daylight.Does RP mention adrenal fatigue in his writings.Also I notice I eat more with high doses of progesterone and I seem to get bowel Candida ,is this due to increase cortisol from progesterone? Regarding milk ,is there any mention of benefits of organic,raw or goast milk .thanks

 

[tara]

Welcome Tired.
I hope you can eventually turn that around.

In addition to good ideas above, a couple more thoughts.

I take micronized natural progesterone orally at night,because the metabolism produces more allopregnenolone which helps with sleep ,anxiety & depression ,these are neurosteroids.

How much? Have you tried splitting dose so some morning and night, or even 3-4 times a day?

How are you dosing your thyroid supps?
Have you had a go at measuring your body temperature a few times? Resting heartrate? These can give indications about thyroid function.
(I too am interested in measurements of thyroid hormones.)

I have to take the metformin because it makes me calmer & eat less

Can you estimate approximate calories? And how much carbs, protein, fat? Have you checked that you are covering basic micronutrient needs? Some of us use cronometer or similar from time to time to check.

occasionally potaoe crisps,

If these are cooked in PUFA, I'd try to replace with something else.

Which anti-depressant? The SSRIs can mess with metabolism. I think metformin may too. It's not much use to you to lower appetite by lowering metabolism.

I can't eat only coconut oil

Nope. You need carbs and protein and minerals and vitamins form other foods too.

,killing the bugs is not the solution , there are bad & good ones

There are better and worse ones. The odds are you are not going to kill them all off. But lowering the numbers can sometimes help significantly for some people.

Does RP mention adrenal fatigue in his writings.

What I've come across from hi is that the adrenals usually recover quickly if thyroid metabolism comes up.

I get the symptoms of postprandial endotoximenia

Which symptoms are these? If you struggle after fatty meals, you could try reducing the amount of fats and replacing with more potatoes or fruit. High levels of fat in a meal tend to compete with carbohydrate metabolism (Randle 'cycle'), but may not support metabolism quite as well.

Regarding milk ,is there any mention of benefits of organic,raw or goast milk .thanks

Probably whichever sort your gut is happy with. People vary. You can try different kinds that you have available and see which suits you best. (I'm one who struggles with too much milk.) Peat usually recommends lower fat unless you need the calories.

Take care.

 

[Peata]

What I eat is coffee and cream,goat milk in the morning ,followed by a banana,or home made brownie with coconut oil and ginger and homney,I started eating some fish & goat cheese in the morning ,but stopped because my period was very heavy and horrible cramps ,which I had to manage with strong NSAIDS,so despite the antiinflammatory effects of fish ,it makes me bleed and cramps,as it is known period pain & bleeding is from prostaglandins. I have started carrots, I like to put onion in broth & eat meat,or chicken with some rice or potatoes,I used to have lots of veg in the soup or steamed,but I might need too back down,indeed fruits suit me more ..,I drink goat milk just for hot drinks,and goat cheese , I eat citrus ,berries & apples , occasionally potaoe crisps,not too much legumes,I am sparse on mushrooms,so will up this . so regarding RP way,I was confused about the estrogen because I feel I am deficient as well as on progesterone,I think I need both ,but perhaps I need more progesterone ,also I feel I need more thyroid hormone . can you please explain to me how to use saturated animal fat without getting endotoxemia? I also have mild oedema in face,hands which is better when I don't eat !! Thanks

Do you think you're getting enough carbs?

 

[Tired]

Welcome Tired.
I hope you can eventually turn that around.

In addition to good ideas above, a couple more thoughts.
Wow! Thanks . I will come back on this ,I need to organize my thoughts .Happy I can get help

How much? Have you tried splitting dose so some morning and night, or even 3-4 times a day?

How are you dosing your thyroid supps?
Have you had a go at measuring your body temperature a few times? Resting heartrate? These can give indications about thyroid function.
(I too am interested in measurements of thyroid hormones.)


Can you estimate approximate calories? And how much carbs, protein, fat? Have you checked that you are covering basic micronutrient needs? Some of us use cronometer or similar from time to time to check.


If these are cooked in PUFA, I'd try to replace with something else.

Which anti-depressant? The SSRIs can mess with metabolism. I think metformin may too. It's not much use to you to lower appetite by lowering metabolism.


Nope. You need carbs and protein and minerals and vitamins form other foods too.


There are better and worse ones. The odds are you are not going to kill them all off. But lowering the numbers can sometimes help significantly for some people.


What I've come across from hi is that the adrenals usually recover quickly if thyroid metabolism comes up.


Which symptoms are these? If you struggle after fatty meals, you could try reducing the amount of fats and replacing with more potatoes or fruit. High levels of fat in a meal tend to compete with carbohydrate metabolism (Randle 'cycle'), but may not support metabolism quite as well.


Probably whichever sort your gut is happy with. People vary. You can try different kinds that you have available and see which suits you best. (I'm one who struggles with too much milk.) Peat usually recommends lower fat unless you need the calories.

Take care.

Thanks.wow! I ll need sometime to organize my thoughts and come back to you on this ,great to have help!

 

[Tired]

Do you think you're getting enough carbs?

Hi,not sure really,but the coffee has honey ,so does the brownie,which I made .

 

[Trix]

Look into Thiamine or B1 for your issues. I have been studying Thiamine since Jan and it is not that expensive to experiment with. Overnight I saw benefits and never thought I could be deficient, however after reading up on this vitamin, I can see why a person gets deficient. I would try either benfotiamine or allithiamine.