Estrogen Dominance, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia...

Spacehoppa

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Nov 23, 2012
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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 :roll: ) 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
 

kettlebell

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Oct 14, 2012
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Re: Progesterone

Hi Ruth,

Im sorry to hear you issues.

You symptoms will likely be heavily due to serotonin as well as the estrogen.

Are you eating a Ray Peat influenced diet? Are you consuming enough salt? (Salt dramatically decreases stress hormone production in the intestine)
Are you doing bag breathing regularly as well as the Butyeko method? Getting enough sugar?

I notice you are taking a lot of drugs. It is well worth getting the foods you can use to help alleviate and eventually eradicate your symptoms well and truly dialled in as the food you eat has a massive influence. If the diet isn't right no amount of other helpful supplements will be able to fully mitigate the damage from the foods we eat.

Eliminate PUFA as much as possible, limit muscle meats, increase fruit intake dramatically (Melon, OJ, grapes).

Peatarian is amazing. She has helped so many people here and is very caring. I am sure when she reads your post she will have a lot of very helpful words for you.
 
OP
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Spacehoppa

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Nov 23, 2012
Messages
36
Re: Progesterone

Hi narouz, Yes, that's me. Don't watch unless you like to be bored ;) . No, I haven't seen what RP says about Lyme but I do feel the title of my videos is somewhat out of date now with my altered views. I have very positive Lyme tests, but then again, that explanation has never quite sat well with me. I've always thought it was my hormones to blame and I'm more sure now than ever. I have a lot of reading to do, obviously.

Hi Kettlebell, Thanks for the welcome. I haven't found an explanation of the diet anywhere yet. Can someone give me a good link? I've only watched some joshrubineastwest videos on YouTube so far, and read a few articles about progesterone, so I'm a total newb. Want to absorb ALL the Infos now please!!
 
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Spacehoppa

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Nov 23, 2012
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Re: Progesterone

Just a quick note on diet, I do eat butter and I have recently switched to frying with coconut oil. I was doing a strict paleo diet, but it was too hard to do when you're not well. I like the sound of sugar, as I feel that my twitching episodes seem like some kind of hypoglaecemic attack. I'm wondering whether keeping a packet of glucose pills with me or packets of sugar would help? I don't like coffee, though could try it again, and lately I cannot digest milk, although I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it... I'm hoping with a month or two more progesterone I might be able to digest it again without turning into a hot air balloon. more fruit sounds good. I eat quite a lot of meat. Sounds like I mihr have to cut back. Not sure I can digest cheese either, but will try again. I LOVE cheese too. It all sounds grand really, especially the sugar :): .
 

charlie

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Re: Progesterone

Spacehoppa, welcome to the forum! :welcome

Here is a link to some diet guidelines, although, it is not as thorough, or exact as I would like it to be. But it's something to get you started on. There is a suggestion of chicken on there, I would avoid chicken/turkey. Narouz is working on a better list, hopefully he gets that out soon! I actually think I am going to go on the list today and edit out some stuff, that chicken talk just doesnt need to be there. So maybe check it again in a couple days.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=20

Butter and coconut oil excellent, sugar great, make sure its white sugar, brown sugar has iron. Try to always balance your meal with sugar, protein, and fats. If you eat just something sugary, it can be hard on the body, so need a balance with protein. If eating red meat drink some coffee with it to reduce the iron storage and make sure to balance it with gelatin, I never liked coffee, I love it now and its a favorite part of my day, also, get some mexican coke, I think cola in the UK is ok but might want to check with other UK people. Milk is most excellent if not one of the best Peat food sources, maybe start out with just a little bit and work your way up, or, if you totally cannot tolerate it like I did, make your own cheese and see if that works for you, I ate a ton of cheese for a month or two, then on a hunch I tried milk and was able to tolerate milk again. Yay! I love milk to! :) viewtopic.php?f=2&t=258&p=947#p947

Oh, and single most important, limit PUFA's as much as possible.

I have a feeling Peatarian is going to suggest taking a ton of progesterone, I could be wrong, but thats my feeling. So might want to get those bottles ready! :lol:

And just read read read as you know. I was completely overwhelmed when I came to Peat, so much so, I would cry because I had a feeling this was my answer, but I simply did not see how I was going to be able to soak it all in. Heck, even after almost a year, I am learning stuff every day. So just chip away at it a piece at a time.

Hopefully some others chime in because I am not the best at getting this kind of stuff across. But, hopefully some of this well help you on your way. :)

Fruits, tropical fruits, oranges, watermelon as good, grapes are OK, there is a good list of fruits here, some people also eat dates:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=588&hilit=list+of+fruits

Ok I am off to edit that food list a bit. :)
 
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Spacehoppa

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Nov 23, 2012
Messages
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Re: Progesterone

hi Charlie, thanks for the links! I haven't quite figured out yet why RP doesn't like above ground veggies? Is it the iron? I love my broccoli and cabbage and lettuce and am not going to give those up unless there's a bloody good reason to. Can you shed some light? I also love salmon and am a bit gutted this isn't on the list. I'm sure more reading will help. You're right, the articles are long and need intense concentration to understand them. But I love a challenge. Thanks for the welcome! :)
 
J

j.

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Re: Progesterone

Regarding cabbage, raw cabbage slows down thyroid function. Just google: cabbage thyroid.
 
J

j.

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Re: Progesterone

Spacehoppa said:
I also love salmon and am a bit gutted this isn't on the list.

Salmon might have high PUFA. However, I read Ray saying something like, if you're in a social situation and salmon is served, it could be best to enjoy it boldly. He meant that one shouldn't be 100% strict in all situations. Having some good vitamin E might mitigate the effects of PUFAs in salmon.

I liked salmon too, but once I made it my mission to stop consuming PUFAs, because I saw how doing that worked for my own body, I very easily stopped thinking about it.
 

peatarian

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Sep 18, 2012
Messages
313
Re: Progesterone

Hi, Ruth --

I have listened to some of your video but I think I know all of it. First: There are no progesterone pills. What you are talking about are progestins. Their only effect is to stop the body from producing progesterone.
I think you must have come to that conclusion or you wouldn't be using cremes. I have tried cremes and never noticed any effect. I had never heard about progestelle and found it very interesting. Did you notice anything while using it? May I ask where you ordered it?

Progest-E-Complex is much more potent and I am sure you will notice the effects quickly. In the UK you shouldn't need a prescription so you can order it here:
http://www.arkofwellness.com/shop/produ ... e-complex/
If customs interfere just tell them it's for private use, not for sale and you should be fine. Might be you have to pay taxes.

Use ist at least 5 times a day and make sure to use the first bottle during the first week. Don't think about your cycle during the first two months, use it every day. If you use enough progesterone, you should not menstruate. That's fine for a few months. I did it for therapeutical reasons for a year. Menstruation starts when progesterone drops. You can always do that. But for a while it's important to counter estrogen and repair damages.

It is very important to lower your estrogen. There is no allergy to estrogen: Estrogen is the cause behind all allergies. It increases all stress hormones, including histamine which is responsible for many of the symptoms you describe. I have heard them all and had some of them myself. But please know - there is nothing here so serious that it will not heal.

I suggest you start reading Ray Peat's articles on http://www.raypeat.com. You can also order his newsletters - his address is somewhere here on the forum.

To lower your estrogen start by using aspirin. Make sure you use about 500mg after meals three times a day. Always dissolve the pills in warm water first and drink some Coca-Cola or Orange Juice with it. Make sure you eat at least a table spoon (better 3) of salt a day. Not at once, it might make you throw up - but throughout the day. It will help against the headaches and feeling sick. Make sure to use lots of sugar. Ice-cream would be great. Try to find one without additives - Haagen Dasz Vanilla would be fine. But I think there is also a recipe on the forum. Try not to go more than an hour without eating something. That can be a raw carrot or a glass of orange juice or a piece of fruit or cheese (can you eat cheese?). If you have trouble with milk, make sure to supplement at least a teaspoon of eggshell powder every day.
Buy gelatin and start using it in everything you drink. Coffee is best for me because it dissolves more easily in hot drinks. It will lower your stress symptoms and counter tryptophan. It (with egg shell powder) will make the arthritis disappear. (I wouldn't have said it like that if I hadn't seen it first hand in so many women.)

Orange Juice is important to increase magnesium. Some people take Epsom Salt baths and feel better immediately. You can use baking soda or aspirin in the bath.

Try to keep your blood sugar constant by eating small meals throughout the day and use sugar and protein. Some of the symptoms are (of course) connected to low thyroid. Estrogen suppresses the thyroid gland. Use refined coconut oil, some table spoons a day. But in the long run - get thyroid pills. I like NDT thiroyd. Your fatigue, heart murmur and bowel problems will disappear within weeks.

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.


It sounds horrible but your martyrdom is the common description of estrogen spikes. I have heard it many times. For me it used to be migraines with going nearly blind, throwing up, feeling nauseated ... I haven't had any of that since I use progest-complex, use aspirin and live according to what I learned from Ray Peat. I know you feel as if the world suddenly rotated a hundred times faster - and you are the only one who feels it. Sometimes it was so terrible I just wanted it to stop, no matter how. But it will go away, I guarantee you that.

The trembling you describe is a symptom many female thyroid users with high estrogen describe when they have to up their dosage of thyroid hormones. It gets worse the higher the estrogen and the fewer sunlight you get. You might want to think about supplementing vitamin D3. When you feel like hyperventilating (and before and after) try to breath into a paper bag. It will lower your stress hormones by increasing CO2. Do that 5 times a day for 3 minutes and you'll notice an effect. To improve it you might want to use baking soda 4 times a day. Just a little bit in a glass of orange juice or coffee every now and then.

I don't understand why anybody would give you prednisone. 8 mg of predinison is enough to shock me and I am not easily shocked. And then during pregnancy? I had never heard about that. Why can't you stop using it? Sorry, but everything we try to do here helps to lower cortisol. You use a very large amount. There are people with so called autoimmune diseases who don't get prednisone but hydrocortisone. How long have you been using it and how can I help you quit it?
It really explains a lot. Long time use of cortisone will increase all degenerative processes. Cortisone will increase estrogen and block your thyroid gland and progesterone completely.

Pregnenolone would be fine usually but with this huge amount of cortisone I would stop using it. It will be converted to cortisol, too.

Was it your own idea to use Naproxen? If so - I would stop immediately. If this comes from your doctor, I suggest you avoid him and other people who don't know a lot about treating humans. Did you know it increased the chance to die from heart attacks and strokes? It shares a lot of the side effects of hydroxychloroquines like abdominal cramps, diarrhea, heart problems, reduced appetite, headache, nausea and vomiting, altered eye pigmentation, acne, anemia, bleaching of hair, blisters in mouth and eyes, blood disorders, convulsions, significant vision difficulties, diminished reflexes, emotional changes, excessive coloring of the skin, hearing loss, hives, itching, liver problems or failure, loss of hair, muscle paralysis, weakness or atrophy, nightmares, psoriasis, reading difficulties, tinnitus, skin inflammation and scaling, skin rash, vertigo, and weight loss. Hydroxychloroquine can worsen existing cases of both psoriasis and porphyria ....

Milk thistle I suppose it meant to heal your liver. I am sure it needs healing but I have never noticed any effect from milk thistle (tea or alcoholic drops or capsules) in anybody. For vitamin B (and many other things) eat one egg a day, fried in coconut oil and with lots of orange juice. One litre of orange juice will give you enough magnesium. Magnesium supplements are hard on the liver, most kinds cannot be absorbed and they always cause stomach problems sooner or later. Calcium supplements are really useless. Try to find eggshell powder or make it yourself. As soon as your stomach recovers, you'll be able to drink milk again. I wouldn't use iodine. It has many adverse effects and it is nearly impossible to have a iodine free diet as every HT patient can tell you.

I don't have any idea what DIM is.
 
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Spacehoppa

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Nov 23, 2012
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Re: Progesterone

Wow Peatarian, I knew you would give me an awesome reply!! Thank you!! I need to go back and re-read and digest what you wrote properly, but just as a quick response. Yes, i know using pred was a horrible terrible idea, but at the time I was under the care of regular rheumatologists and there was no alternative. Being pregnant helped my arthritis tremendously, but I still needed an anti-inflammatory of some kind (probably because I was estrogen dominant throughout - I had pre-eclampsia and my son came a month early, despite my use of progesterone cream.) I dream.... Dream of being able to get off the steroids, but every attempt to get below 5 mg has so far failed. I had to go back up to 9mg this summer because of a huge flare caused by untreated estrogen dominance, and I've dropped it again by 1mg so far. I'm trying to get the twitchiness and estrogen spikes under control before I drop again.

I agree with you completely about suppressing my cycle. I need to do it to recover my health. My progestelle works way better than progesterone cream, but it's not nearly as strong as the Progest e, no. I use quite a bit of it though and can feel my swelling uterus shrink back down within minutes of taking it! Sounds nuts, but honestly, i can! I look forward to getting that in the post.

As for it not being an estrogen allergy, I now agree. After listening to an interview with RP this evening I can see how the estrogen sets all the other hormones spiking as well, particularly histamine and insulin, causing all the trembling and twitching. I'm not sure how my gut will respond to aspirin, but I'll give it a go. I need to do more reading so I understand all the theory behind aspirin, egg shells, orange juice and gelatine. I haven't read about those things yet, just the hormones so far.

Yes, the naproxen is a terrible idea, and the chloroquine isn't great either I know, but I've had very high CRP and ESR levels since I was a teenager, at times my CRP going over 100 (it should be below 1). Without them, I wouldn't have been able to sleep, dress myself, walk or eat. But I am long overdue ready to give them up now. I just need to taper everything when I feel the time is right. It seems I still need these drugs when my estrogen spikes. If I can stop it spiking, then I should be able to taper much more easily.

At the moment I get cramping diarrhea when I eat eggs, unfortunately, but I feel confident that this and all the other food intolerances will turn around in time with increased progesterone. I use Epsom salts baths and magnesium oil on painful joints and I agree that the pill forms of calcium and magnesium are not ideal. I feel that part of my problem is an inability to metabolise and excrete estrogen, perhaps partly because my liver is so busy processing all the other drugs. I am in a vicious cycle at the moment, but I finally see a way out.

DIM is an estrogen blocker. It is an extract from cruciferous vegetables (di-indole-methane) and is therefore presumably a big no-no on RP's diet. It is supposed to facilitate creating better metabolites of estrogen. I can stop it if you think it's detrimental.

Thanks you, thank you, thank you for take the time and effort to respond. I am so very grateful. I shall re-read what you have written until I get it. ...let the healing begin!
 

peatarian

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Sep 18, 2012
Messages
313
Re: Progesterone

Ruth - nothing you write sounds nuts. You have my deepest sympathy - and I can empathize as well.
Yes, I think you should stop DIM. I don't have time right now to write about estrogen blocker but I will.
I have read about pre-eclampsia. I know they (meaning doctors) still don't have a clue where to start. I linked you a great article about pre-eclampsia.
To get you started, here are some of the articles you were looking for.

http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/gelatin.shtml (Gelatin)
http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/coconut-oil.shtml (Coconut)
http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/calcium.shtml (Calcium)
http://raypeat.com/articles/aging/aspir ... ncer.shtml (Aspirin)
http://raypeat.com/articles/aging/eclampsia.shtml (Eclampsia)

I am not entirely sure if we can solve your estrogen issues as long as you use prednisone. Cortisol and estrogen are so interwoven ... But I agree that you need the necessary tools to start healing. I will try to help you as good as I can.
 
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Spacehoppa

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Messages
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Re: Progesterone

Hi Peatarian, thanks for those links, very helpful. I've ordered some powdered gelatin. How much should I use per day? A teaspoon, or more? Also, just as an aside, I took clarithromycin and minocycline, as well as the chloroquine for two years straight (under the care of a rheumatologist) and my arthritis went completely into remission (CRP of less than 1!), but then I became dizzy all the time, got loads of pressure in my head, multiple allergies and lower abdominal trouble - all estrogen dominance symptoms I see now. However, I think I can connect increased dizziness to the clarithromycin, so I stopped all the abx, except the chloroquine and have been off them for just over a year now. I wonder, from what I read on another thread, whether RP would see them as beneficial for someone like me, as I think my RA is a bacterial endotoxin allergy as well as a hormone imbalance. Do you have an opinion on this? I certainly must have sterilised my guts pretty well with that combo. I started it because I noticed a massive improvement in my arthritis whenever I took antibiiotics, and then when I got the positive Lyme tests back, that green lighted the treatment. I did wonder in the end whether it caused raised estrogen levels though - any opinion?

I can see from what you say that the prednisolone is a huge barrier to wellness and is something I need to get off ASAP. (I've always known this to be fair, but the estrogen dominance made this impossible.) I just wonder whether once I have the hormonal cycling suppressed whether adding clarithromycin back in (my wonder drug) would facilitate getting offthe steroids?

One last thing, should I be taking thyroid glandulars do you think? What's a good dose? Should I taper up? I have normal thyroid function test results, but I do have a slightly swollen neck at the base, which is red sometimes (inflammation?) and I also have a very rapid pulse 90-100 bpm along with a slightly lowered basal body temp 36.4C, though I haven't taken it since increasing my progesterone dose. The pregnenolone makes me feel noticeably better and less arthritic, so I wouldn't like to stop it at the moment, though I take on board what you say. It is, at least, a small dose. Thanks again! I have learned so much, so rapidly. I am grinning from ear to ear as I type :): .
 
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Spacehoppa

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Nov 23, 2012
Messages
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Re: Progesterone

OMG, Peatarian, I've just realised something HUGE!!! I've been taking the prednisolone continuously at varying doses for 8 years now and I always thought that the energy dip, arthritis flare that I have between 10-12pm each day was a result of last night's dose having run out and this morning's not having begun working yet, but since I take the pred at about 8pm and 8am each day it never quite made sense.

now I can see that the arthritis flare and energy dip (and recently twitching, trouble breathing, nausea, etc) is actually caused by an estrogen/insulin/histamine spike caused by the rapid influx of pred (cortisone) into my blood stream. It IS THE PRED that is causing my herxes (my name for twitching episodes)!!! OMG!!!

Well, it's not just the pred. I mean, I get these herxes all day long around ovulation. But i always thought the energy dip/brief arthritis flare was lack of cortisol, not because of an excess of it. Talk about a light bulb moment!

I don't get these dips early in my cycle when my estrogen is low, so I guess once I get into my second week of my cycle (where I am now) and my estrogen reaches a certain threshold it doesn't take much of a cortisol spike to push it over my body's tolerance limit.

I am going to start reducing the pred tomorrow. It's painful, it's slow, it's painfully slow... But at least now I know that the cortisol spikes are causing (in part) the estrogen spikes, which causes the sudden fatigue, trembliness, twitching, etc. Knowing that will motivate me.

Thanks again!
 

peatarian

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Joined
Sep 18, 2012
Messages
313
Re: Progesterone

Spacehoppa said:
Hi Peatarian, thanks for those links, very helpful. I've ordered some powdered gelatin. How much should I use per day? A teaspoon, or more?

*** As much as you feel comfortable with. I use about 10 tablespoons a day because my back hurts otherwise. It is very anti-inflammatory, anti-serotonin and by that anti-estrogenic.


Also, just as an aside, I took clarithromycin and minocycline, as well as the chloroquine for two years straight (under the care of a rheumatologist) and my arthritis went completely into remission (CRP of less than 1!), but then I became dizzy all the time, got loads of pressure in my head, multiple allergies and lower abdominal trouble - all estrogen dominance symptoms I see now.

*** Minocycline is very safe but it lowers blood sugar. If you use it, always drink orange juice with extra sugar a few minutes before.

However, I think I can connect increased dizziness to the clarithromycin, so I stopped all the abx, except the chloroquine and have been off them for just over a year now. I wonder, from what I read on another thread, whether RP would see them as beneficial for someone like me, as I think my RA is a bacterial endotoxin allergy as well as a hormone imbalance.

*** I don't think Ray Peat would advice clarithoromycin. There are too many adverse effects: Adverse effects in the central nervous system include dizziness, ototoxicity and headaches, but delirium and mania are also uncommon side effects. According to one study, its use has led to adverse effects on the nervous system in up to 3% of patients, including dizziness, anxiety, insomnia, bad dreams, confusion, disorientation and hallucination.[1] It can very rarely cause organic psychosis.
Ray Peat always recommends Tetracycline derivates like minocycline. Do you have an opinion on this?


I certainly must have sterilised my guts pretty well with that combo. I started it because I noticed a massive improvement in my arthritis whenever I took antibiiotics, and then when I got the positive Lyme tests back, that green lighted the treatment. I did wonder in the end whether it caused raised estrogen levels though - any opinion?

*** No, I don't think the minocycline would have caused raised estrogen levels. But I think the combination might have been to much for your liver to process. A lot indicates that you have been malnourished for years (have you read the article on eclampsia?) and that would have been enough for estrogen to raise and to impair your liver.

I can see from what you say that the prednisolone is a huge barrier to wellness and is something I need to get off ASAP. (I've always known this to be fair, but the estrogen dominance made this impossible.) I just wonder whether once I have the hormonal cycling suppressed whether adding clarithromycin back in (my wonder drug) would facilitate getting offthe steroids?

*** Actually that doesn't make a lot of sense. It's a bit like saying "I need the gasoline because I am on fire." Cortisol and estrogen increase each other. The more prednisone you use, the higher your estrogen will be. You just will not feel the symptoms as strongly because your body is so weekend it can hardly signal anything anymore.

One last thing, should I be taking thyroid glandulars do you think? What's a good dose? Should I taper up? I have normal thyroid function test results, but I do have a slightly swollen neck at the base, which is red sometimes (inflammation?) and I also have a very rapid pulse 90-100 bpm along with a slightly lowered basal body temp 36.4C, though I haven't taken it since increasing my progesterone dose.

*** Your temperature and pulse rate (is it resting pulse?) might be high enough due to inflammation. I think you should use NDT thiroyd (I buy it at amazon.com) and start with one pill in the morning. Do that for a week and monitor you pulse and temperature in the morning after waking up but before getting up.

The pregnenolone makes me feel noticeably better and less arthritic, so I wouldn't like to stop it at the moment, though I take on board what you say. It is, at least, a small dose.

*** If it makes you feel better, that's just fine. You might want to start niacinamid, too. You can use up to 500mg a day. Make sure it's the niacinamid not the acidic form. It will increase the effects of pregnenolone.


Thanks again! I have learned so much, so rapidly. I am grinning from ear to ear as I type :): .
*** I'm really glad to read this. Don't worry - you'll be better soon.
 

peatarian

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2012
Messages
313
Re: Progesterone

Spacehoppa said:
OMG, Peatarian, I've just realised something HUGE!!! I've been taking the prednisolone continuously at varying doses for 8 years now and I always thought that the energy dip, arthritis flare that I have between 10-12pm each day was a result of last night's dose having run out and this morning's not having begun working yet, but since I take the pred at about 8pm and 8am each day it never quite made sense.

now I can see that the arthritis flare and energy dip (and recently twitching, trouble breathing, nausea, etc) is actually caused by an estrogen/insulin/histamine spike caused by the rapid influx of pred (cortisone) into my blood stream. It IS THE PRED that is causing my herxes (my name for twitching episodes)!!! OMG!!!

Well, it's not just the pred. I mean, I get these herxes all day long around ovulation. But i always thought the energy dip/brief arthritis flare was lack of cortisol, not because of an excess of it. Talk about a light bulb moment!

I don't get these dips early in my cycle when my estrogen is low, so I guess once I get into my second week of my cycle (where I am now) and my estrogen reaches a certain threshold it doesn't take much of a cortisol spike to push it over my body's tolerance limit.

I am going to start reducing the pred tomorrow. It's painful, it's slow, it's painfully slow... But at least now I know that the cortisol spikes are causing (in part) the estrogen spikes, which causes the sudden fatigue, trembliness, twitching, etc. Knowing that will motivate me.

Thanks again!

You describe it perfectly. I can't believe a doctor prescribed this to you when you were pregnant. Forget that - I do believe it.
 

peatarian

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Joined
Sep 18, 2012
Messages
313
Re: Progesterone

kettlebell said:
Peatarian is amazing. She has helped so many people here and is very caring. I am sure when she reads your post she will have a lot of very helpful words for you.

As always, kettlebell: Thank you. It means a lot.
 
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Spacehoppa

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Re: Estrogen Dominance, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia..

hi everyone, thanks so much for all the help so far... Now I have a new question... My thyroid test results are always within normal range, but apparently that doesn't mean much. My mum is extremely hypothyroid (she used to take 800mcg thyroxine per day). I seem to have a swollen base of the front of my neck, though it's less than it was. Doctor's palpate it occasionally and say my thyroid isn't swollen. My BBT is about 36.4 pre-ovulation and my resting pulse is rapid at about 90-100 bpm. Also I have managed to reduce my steroids down from 8mg per day to just 4mg per day in the past week!! Yikes, I am scaring myself here. I think it is the high dose of progesterone I am using that is enabling me to do this! In the past I could only manage 0.5mg decline per week.

So, to the question... I have bought some desiccated thyroid but am a little scared to take it. It comes in powdered capsule form with a dose of 390mg per capsule. I imagine this is too much as a starting dose. Can I cut these pills up? Do they need to be encapsulated? I sounds kind of messy. Does anyone have any advice for a starting dose, things to watch out for and a tapering up plan?

Many, many thanks as always. The thyroid stuff is totally new to me. I've never had any treatment for my thyroid so hardly know where to begin with it.
 

charlie

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Re: Estrogen Dominance, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia..

Ruth, sorry no one has gotten to you. I just watched your sept 25th video about "breakthrough" and I was almost crying at the 15 min mark, ok, I did shed a tear of joy I must not lie. I am incredibly happy that you are finding your way through this mess.

As for the thyroid supplement. I am not sure what one you are taking, 390mg is a lot compared to other NDT's going around. Here is a link about dosing thyroid:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=442

There is some really good info there.

Hope this helps. I for one am having a doozy of a time supplementing thyroid. Just gotta work through it and find what works for you.
 

Birdie

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Re: Estrogen Dominance, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia..

Like Charlie, I just listened to it too! Got a link from Angela on the RP Fans page. She made it sound worthwhile. So glad to watch it.
So, from that, it looks like you are taking a little bit at a time of the NDT capsule. I'm not familiar with that capsule but it sounds like that dose is doing you good.
I take my NDT in little doses throughout the day too. I don't really have anything to say but that I'm glad you are here. I've gotten a lot out of reading peatarian's responses... again.
Sounds like you are super busy with Christmas. I can certainly identify with your trouble over being out of the house by 9am for those school activities.

ps.. I think peatarian said she was going away for 2 weeks. She should be back soon.
 

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