ilovethesea
Member
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2013
- Messages
- 1,115
Hi, I posted in the ask for help forum but I better introduce myself here too.
I am a 37 yr old female and came across the forum researching estrogen and progesterone. Actually I heard of Ray Peat before from '180 degree health' blog which I used to read, and I found that through the Weston Price stuff.
So now here I am in process of transitioning to Ray Peat style eating. At the moment I would say I have a 'whole foods' diet but now I see that may not be as healthy as I thought, ie. too low in vitamin A, protein, sugar... and of course too high in PUFAs since I've been taking fermented cod liver oil for years and eat a lot of leafy vegetables.
I "feel" healthy but I definitely have issues that I am not sure I am managing properly.
First of all I had 1/2 of my thyroid removed 5 yrs ago due to thyroid cancer. In retrospect I wish I never let them do that, however it's what has made me take an interest in health so maybe it was a blessing in disguise. After a lot of agony with my levels I finally refused to see any more endocrinologists and just work with a naturopathic doctor. Now I take mostly natural thyroid with a little bit of Synthroid and my levels are free T3 5 pmol/L, free T4 16 pmol/L, TSH 0.2. I feel normal on this dose although still get cold feet and hands sometimes, and have slightly lower energy and body temperature in the mornings before I take my pills.
I also take 50 mg Iodoral daily (I used to take more than this for a few years but have reduced it now to a maintenance dose). Confused as to whether I should keep it up. I started taking it on the advice of the yahoo iodine group forum, because I believe I was severely iodine deficient which contributed to the cancer... although the main factor seems to be that I had several throat xrays as a child. Anyway I have never noticed any benefits or symptoms from the iodine except that it made me have to reduce my thyroid dosage. Oh and it also increased my progesterone which used to be low.
Speaking of progesterone that is the other reason I'm investigating Ray Peat's diet. As I mentioned in the ask for help forum I'm frustrated with a persistent case of premenstrual acne. My cycles are perfectly regular (28 days like clockwork) but I always break out in the last 2 weeks of my cycle and then clear up in the 1st two weeks. My ND suggested I take plant estrogens since the birth control pill and spironolactone gave me perfect skin in the past when I was on them before. When I took chasteberry (which raises progesterone?) I broke out badly... same thing with the low dose progesterone-only birth control pill.
So now I am confused if plant estrogens would be harmful... but I am scared of breaking out with Progest-E given my experience with progesterones. Also I don't know if this means anything but I feel bitchy in the last 2 weeks of my cycle when progesterone is higher and normal in the 1st 2 weeks when estrogen is higher. However I was always moody and depressed on the birth control pill.
Sorry to write so much but this is a summary of my issues and hopefully someone here can help me get started in the right direction. I find this hormone stuff so confusing and obviously doctors even naturopaths are pretty much useless.
thank you!
I am a 37 yr old female and came across the forum researching estrogen and progesterone. Actually I heard of Ray Peat before from '180 degree health' blog which I used to read, and I found that through the Weston Price stuff.
So now here I am in process of transitioning to Ray Peat style eating. At the moment I would say I have a 'whole foods' diet but now I see that may not be as healthy as I thought, ie. too low in vitamin A, protein, sugar... and of course too high in PUFAs since I've been taking fermented cod liver oil for years and eat a lot of leafy vegetables.
I "feel" healthy but I definitely have issues that I am not sure I am managing properly.
First of all I had 1/2 of my thyroid removed 5 yrs ago due to thyroid cancer. In retrospect I wish I never let them do that, however it's what has made me take an interest in health so maybe it was a blessing in disguise. After a lot of agony with my levels I finally refused to see any more endocrinologists and just work with a naturopathic doctor. Now I take mostly natural thyroid with a little bit of Synthroid and my levels are free T3 5 pmol/L, free T4 16 pmol/L, TSH 0.2. I feel normal on this dose although still get cold feet and hands sometimes, and have slightly lower energy and body temperature in the mornings before I take my pills.
I also take 50 mg Iodoral daily (I used to take more than this for a few years but have reduced it now to a maintenance dose). Confused as to whether I should keep it up. I started taking it on the advice of the yahoo iodine group forum, because I believe I was severely iodine deficient which contributed to the cancer... although the main factor seems to be that I had several throat xrays as a child. Anyway I have never noticed any benefits or symptoms from the iodine except that it made me have to reduce my thyroid dosage. Oh and it also increased my progesterone which used to be low.
Speaking of progesterone that is the other reason I'm investigating Ray Peat's diet. As I mentioned in the ask for help forum I'm frustrated with a persistent case of premenstrual acne. My cycles are perfectly regular (28 days like clockwork) but I always break out in the last 2 weeks of my cycle and then clear up in the 1st two weeks. My ND suggested I take plant estrogens since the birth control pill and spironolactone gave me perfect skin in the past when I was on them before. When I took chasteberry (which raises progesterone?) I broke out badly... same thing with the low dose progesterone-only birth control pill.
So now I am confused if plant estrogens would be harmful... but I am scared of breaking out with Progest-E given my experience with progesterones. Also I don't know if this means anything but I feel bitchy in the last 2 weeks of my cycle when progesterone is higher and normal in the 1st 2 weeks when estrogen is higher. However I was always moody and depressed on the birth control pill.
Sorry to write so much but this is a summary of my issues and hopefully someone here can help me get started in the right direction. I find this hormone stuff so confusing and obviously doctors even naturopaths are pretty much useless.
thank you!