Period Returned, Question About Pregnenolone Dosage

[Hanneke]

Hello.

I signed up because I have a specific question in regards to the use of pregnenolone.

I will do my best to keep it short and to the point.

I stopped menstruating 5 months ago. I do have terrible menopause symptoms and started pregnenolone on January 24 (only 12 days ago, 30 mg 2 X day). I felt an immediate improvement of overall well being. I actually felt "normal" again after only 2 days or so. However on February 1 my period started. I lowered my dose to 1 X daily. Still I have a heavy period now. I don't mind that because I still feel good. My question is this: should I lower the dose even more or keep it the same?

A little bit of back ground. I am a 50 year old woman and have always been very healthy, no doctors visits or problems in general. Then menopause hit me a few years ago and it hit me hard. I had bio identical hormone replacement of testosterone and progesterone (topical). This did nothing for me, I used it for about 18 months. I decided to just let nature have its way but it was horrible. Awful night sweats the whole night and very little sleep. Also a significant change in personality that I really try not to give in to but sometimes it's like another person was taking over. I exercise a lot and eat healthy, I do drink alcohol, mostly red wine.

I have searched this forum for similar issues but not found anything yet. I would appreciate any comments or links if I missed something that has previously been discussed.

Thanks!

 

[tara]

Welcome Hanneke :)

I'm around your age too.
I can't speak to what dose of pregnenolone will serve you well (I've only tried it for a short time and had a bad week, though it could have been other things). SOme people seem to have trouble with pregnenolone, and one of the speculations is that it is good for lowering stress hormones, but if you are relying on stress hormones to function, and then lower them, you can be short of energy. MAy only be an issue with lower thyroid function.
If you are only on day 3 of menstruation, maybe it's no big deal yet? If it continues heavy/long, then it's probably good to address it somehow. Excess estrogen is one way to get excess bleeding - there are people here who have slowed it with progest-e.

I had bio identical hormone replacement of testosterone and progesterone (topical). This did nothing for me, I used it for about 18 months.

You mean no estrogen/estrogenic supplements?
What happened with the progesterone and testosterone? How much were you using?

I still have my menstrual cycle, using a little progesterone daily. I was getting occasional night sweats and associated insomnia a few years ago. I now think they were likely caused by a combination of stresses from hunger/low sugar levels triggering stress hormones, mouth-breathing/hyperventilation (maybe worsened by low sugar and low alkaline minerals), estrogen excess.
I haven't had one for ages now. I think what may have helped was: eating more carbs incl. sugar through the day, closing my mouth and restoring nasal breathing most of the time including at night, maybe increasing some of the alkaline minerals may have helped, and the progest-e.

I exercise a lot and eat healthy, I do drink alcohol, mostly red wine.

This means many things to many people - want to spell out more detail? Ideas on healthy diet around here don't always mathch the rest of the world's ideas.

Have you had go at tracking you temperature and resting heart-rate? Got any numbers from thyroid lab tests that you want to share?

 

[Blossom]

Welcome Hanneke. I'm not aware of pregnenolone needing to be cycled like most women do with progesterone. 30 mg seems like a fairly low dose anyway. Since you feel better taking pregnenolone I think it should be fine to continue with it regardless of where you are in your cycle. Part of the heavy period could just be from not having one for five months. This is just my personal opinion. Hopefully some women who use pregnenolone regularly and have periods will weigh in.

 

[ecstatichamster]

I think this is estrogen leaving your tissues. It escapes to be excreted. It will pass. I think much of topical progesterone doesn't absorb systemically and therefore doesn't cause this.

 

[Hanneke]

Thanks for taking the time for such a long reply

If it continues heavy/long, then it's probably good to address it somehow. Excess estrogen is one way to get excess bleeding - there are people here who have slowed it with progest-e.

This is interesting. I may feel better with higher estrogen? Or more likely I was extremely low in estrogen since my hot flashes were really out of control.

You mean no estrogen/estrogenic supplements?
What happened with the progesterone and testosterone? How much were you using?

No estrogen supplements then because I was still menstruating adThis means many things to many people - want to spell out more detail? Ideas on healthy diet around here don't always mathch the rest of the world's ideas.

This means many things to many people - want to spell out more detail? Ideas on healthy diet around here don't always mathch the rest of the world's ideas.

I agree. I should not even have mentioned it. For some people healthy eating is raw vegan while others think they eat healthy when they take a multi vitamin. I could write a few pages about this. I cook all meals at home most of the time. Use whole fresh products. I hate coffee but do love tea and red wine. I try to not obsess about macro nutrients. I eat carbs because I run and exercise a lot (very little wheat, mostly rice, potatoes and lots of roots). I do eat meat but not too much. If I visit people I eat whatever they serve me and enjoy it, including sugary deserts.

Have you had go at tracking you temperature and resting heart-rate? Got any numbers from thyroid lab tests that you want to share?

I had tests but as mentioned previously I need to locate them. I do remember my thyroid tests were normal 2 years ago. My resting heart rate is 60 and temperature is low, I don't have anything recent but it used to be 36.6 ish (Celsius)

 

[Hanneke]

Welcome Hanneke. I'm not aware of pregnenolone needing to be cycled like most women do with progesterone. 30 mg seems like a fairly low dose anyway. Since you feel better taking pregnenolone I think it should be fine to continue with it regardless of where you are in your cycle. Part of the heavy period could just be from not having one for five months. This is just my personal opinion. Hopefully some women who use pregnenolone regularly and have periods will weigh in.

Thanks for your reply. I am used to a short minimum period. But you might be right. I have skipped periods last winter for 5 months as well and when it started back up in spring it was also very heavy. I just don't think it's a coincidence that it starts this time right after I started the pregnenolone. Obviously I would really like to feel good AND not have periods at all. But we seldom get what we want do we? :)

 

[Hanneke]

I think this is estrogen leaving your tissues. It escapes to be excreted. It will pass. I think much of topical progesterone doesn't absorb systemically and therefore doesn't cause this.

Thanks

I hope you are right and for now I will continue. I am back up to 60 mg since I really feel good with that.
I do read all kinds of different opinions about dosage online. One article writes that 100mg is way too much for anybody while other articles don't seem to have a problem with that. Any suggestions for good reading will also be very much appreciated.

 

[Blossom]

Thanks for your reply. I am used to a short minimum period. But you might be right. I have skipped periods last winter for 5 months as well and when it started back up in spring it was also very heavy. I just don't think it's a coincidence that it starts this time right after I started the pregnenolone. Obviously I would really like to feel good AND not have periods at all. But we seldom get what we want do we? :)

Hopefully you will get your wish and be done with them soon! Pregnenolone certainly could have helped kick start the period. I don't really think there is anything you can do to end them before your body is ready but there are things you can do to help feel better in the meantime. I haven't had a period in 10 years because my uterus was removed and I oddly sometimes miss them.

 

[Such_Saturation]

Menopause being a checkpoint of the aging process, if pregnenolone reversed that for a brief moment, it could hardly be considered a side effect. This is just a living proof of the genuineness of Ray Peat's viewpoint.

 

[Hanneke]

Just on a side note. I had a total lack of libido in the past months. Really to the point that I began to think that if this would continue I had a big problem.
Pregnenolone turned that around in a few days. Very interesting. My husband says he'll take the periods anytime. Ok done with the tmi

 

[Blossom]

Libido returning is always a positive sign!

 

[Hanneke]

Ok any suggestions on reading about this hormone would be appreciated.

Is there any brand that you prefer? Why?
I actually just bought a cheapie but if I will continue this then there's 2 ways I could go 1. go back to my doctor and get a RX. Or buy it online in the States and have it shipped to my son in Seattle whom I visit on a regular basis.

(I live in Canada for my husbands job, pregnenolone as well as DHEA are not over the counter drugs here)

 

[Blossom]

I've been pleased with the Health Natura pregnenolone.
ETA: IdeaLabs makes a pregnenolone called Stress-Non that's popular here on the forum. I've used several other IdeaLabs products and love the quality.

 

[HDD]

A good article by Ray Peat :

Progesterone Pregnenolone & DHEA - Three Youth-Associated Hormones

 

[tara]

This is interesting. I may feel better with higher estrogen? Or more likely I was extremely low in estrogen since my hot flashes were really out of control.

Stress hormones sometimes make people feel a bit better. They can help keep the body going under stress conditions, even though the longer term effects of chronically elevated stress hormones tend to contribute to degeneration.
Have you read Peat's articles on estrogen and progesterone? I recommend them. Based on his writing, a lot of us here are using tactics to try to reduce estrogen dominance. Eg. (there are more):
Tissue-bound estrogen in aging
Aging, estrogen, and progesterone
Estrogen, progesterone, and cancer: Conflicts of interest in regulation and product promotion.
Progesterone Summaries - Progesterone Deceptions - Progesterone Supplementation - Dosage of Progesterone

I had tests but as mentioned previously I need to locate them. I do remember my thyroid tests were normal 2 years ago. My resting heart rate is 60 and temperature is low, I don't have anything recent but it used to be 36.6 ish (Celsius)

Doctors have a wide range of what they consider normal. Peat tends to favour different ranges, esp. if there are also other signs and symptoms of reduced metabolism. If you find the numbers, feel free to post. Pulse and temps look a little low to me but not extreme.

I should not even have mentioned it. For some people healthy eating is raw vegan while others think they eat healthy when they take a multi vitamin. I could write a few pages about this. I cook all meals at home most of the time. Use whole fresh products. I hate coffee but do love tea and red wine. I try to not obsess about macro nutrients. I eat carbs because I run and exercise a lot (very little wheat, mostly rice, potatoes and lots of roots). I do eat meat but not too much. If I visit people I eat whatever they serve me and enjoy it, including sugary deserts.

Food choices can make a difference to hormone balance. Peat has some recommendations that differ from common public health messages. eg:
Avoid PUFA
At least 80-100 g protein, some people do better with more.
Sweet foods have some advantages over starchy ones.
Coffee is nutritious.
Don't drink more water than you ar

e thirsty for.
Salt food to taste.
I found his articles on sugars and fats eye-opening.

One article writes that 100mg is way too much for anybody while other articles don't seem to have a problem with that.

Progesterone dosing seems very variable from person to person. Too little can cause trouble too, by drawing estrogen out of tissues but not being able to adequately counteract it.

 

[Velve921]

I have found epsom salt baths extremely instrumental with decreasing stress in professional athletes: 99.9% exhibit symptoms of hypothyroidism, high estrogen/adrenaline/cortisol. They do hyperventilating activty 6-9x a week.

They do Epsom salt baths with 1-4lbs 1-7x a week for 20-30 minut s in warm water. Common results have been:

-elimination of insomnia
-extreme fat loss/muscle gain
-diminished joint pain
-higher mental clarity

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but Peat says magnesium synthesizes with progesterone and opposes estrogen. With high amounts of physical activity estrogen could be exhibited in higher amounts.

Josh Rubin has said he coaches a female pro athlete who does epsom salt baths 3x a week with 4lbs per bath.

A woman I worked with last year could only sleep 2-3 hours a night for past 7 years since hisyrectomy; after first night of doing epsom salt bath, milk, gelatin, ice cream, salt she slept for 6.5 hours straight and every night she does this routine she's seen the same results.

 

[whit]

Yes, Mag is extremely effective in reducing many symptoms. Peat says CO2 increases the bodies affinity for Mag. You could also try Mag Chloride. You can put it on after bathing and have the effect where its needed.

 

[Hanneke]

Finally some time to go through some more replies. Thanks all for your help. I just started a new business and at the end of the day I did not feel like reading anything that I had to concentrate on anymore.

I will definitely read the articles that are suggested. Epsom salt baths I have been doing more in the past but might be good to pick up again since it seems that my body recovers slower from training. 4 lbs per bath sounds like a lot, I guess it matters how big the bath tub is? Mine is actually very small, I can hardly get my body immersed in the water and I'm not that big.

My period lasted a week and was heavy. It's gone now and I still feel good. I do have a mild form of Ulcerative Colitis and that also flared up a bit. I have not had that for as long as my periods were gone. I guess that also is related to hormones. It's ok though because I definitely still feel better, more positive.

 

[Hanneke]

Yes, Mag is extremely effective in reducing many symptoms. Peat says CO2 increases the bodies affinity for Mag. You could also try Mag Chloride. You can put it on after bathing and have the effect where its needed.

I guess I don't quite understand this reply. Isn't magnesium chloride kind of a salt form? Similar to epsom salt? So what do you mean by "put it on after bathing"?

Thanks

 

[Hanneke]

One more thing since someone brought up salt. I really need salt in my diet. I always thought it was because I excersise a lot and according to a sweat test I am a "heavy sweater" and it's also very concentrated leaving salt behind on my body once the sweat has dried up. But maybe it could have other causes as well.

I do eat salt as much as I need, mostly in home cooked food. I use iodized sea salt.