Post Menstrual Syndrome?

[Warriorprincess]

Just a little update before my question, my apologies if I should have posted this on my original thread...
Cytomel: I decided to further split up my cytomel doses, 6.25 every 1.5 hrs. Adrenaline symptoms viturally gone
Progest E: I decided to take a continuous dose rather than cycle the progesterone, 3 big drops 5x day. Felt great and slept like a baby every night until post menstruation.

Here's where my question lies... I had my period despite being on the progesterone, it was lighter than usual but still showed up. I was surprised since I didn't think I was going to have it this month. Also, like last month, I feel the absolute worst at the end of my period. Does post menstrual syndrome exist? I usually feel great right up until my period, especially with the progesterone, its after when things go bad. Not as bad as last month, but still had symptoms of sadness, pain, anxiety, low temperature and waking up to pee at night. Everything gets better from 1 week before ovulation right up until menstruation, then things fall apart again right after menstruation.

I am really trying to stay focused on correct diet. Calcium/Phosphorus ratio is good, carrot salad everyday, minimal starch (I feel better that way), around 100g protein daily,90% nutritional needs met on Cronometer (the only one I don't fulfill is iron). I am also trying to take aspirin after meals, although I am a bit worried it might be irritating my stomach, but it also might be excess estrogen making me feel 'sick'.

Can I assume things will generally improve as I continue to take progesterone? Is there maybe an adjustment to be made in the dosing schedule?

Thank you in advance

 

[Mittir]

I am really trying to stay focused on correct diet. Calcium/Phosphorus ratio is good, carrot salad everyday, minimal starch (I feel better that way), around 100g protein daily,90% nutritional needs met on Cronometer (the only one I don't fulfill is iron). I am also trying to take aspirin after meals, although I am a bit worried it might be irritating my stomach, but it also might be excess estrogen making me feel 'sick'.

RP thinks RDA for iron is too high. If you are not iron deficient, then following
a low iron diet is recommended. It is also very uncommon to be iron deficient if one
eats regular amount of food. Most foods have good amount of iron and body
increases iron absorption from food when it is low. You can check your total iron
storage from Serum Ferritin and Transferrin Saturation index.

RP recommends vitamin K supplement with aspirin to minimize bleeding problem.
You can avoid stomach irritation by apply aspirin water on skin.

You also need to have enough carbohydrate to handle protein.
It is also very important to have a low tryptophan protein source.
Gelatine can be a good part of your protein intake unless
you have problem digesting gelatine.

 

[Peata]

WP, I have had cycles where the pre-menstrual problems came AFTER my period. This hasn't happened regularly, but didn't use to happen at all. The estrogen is causing it, I think.

When my symptoms get worse, I use even more Progest E. Honestly in the worst of the cycle where I am right now, even huge doses hasn't been enough to counteract every symptom. I did get some painful pimples this week despite all the Progest E, but it's still tons better than before I was using all this. I've been using at least 70 drops per day, some days a lot more.

I'm back on Vitex which worked well for me for a few months, so I'm hoping I get at least that long out of it again. It helps you make progesterone, so hopefully I can cut way back on the Progest E as time goes on.

 

[Warriorprincess]

Thank you both, Mittir and Peata

The bulk of my protein comes from dairy and gelatin, and I do supplement with vit K. Dietwise I'll just keep on truckin' because I'll feel great most of the time.

I read that estrogen can be quite high after menstruation, so I suppose that's was causing the issues. Peata, like you, I used to have bad PRE menstrual problems and now those have shifted to POST menstrual issues. It wasn't as severe before I started progesterone, but I was also more generally unwell before starting progesterone. I guess there could still be a bit of estrogen pushback while my hormones balance out. I will look into vitex if these symptoms don't improve, I hadn't heard of vitex before so thanks
Compared to others I don't take very much progest e, so I'll try to use more during the times when I feel the worst. Question about the progest e though, I put it on my gums but then I never know if I should wait to eat afterwards? If I do try to space out my food and progesterone applications, one always suffers, either I wait too long to eat or I don't get enough progesterone in the day.

How do you all take your progest e? Especially ones who take a lot, does it get in the way of your eating?

 

[Blossom]

Thank you both, Mittir and Peata

The bulk of my protein comes from dairy and gelatin, and I do supplement with vit K. Dietwise I'll just keep on truckin' because I'll feel great most of the time.

I read that estrogen can be quite high after menstruation, so I suppose that's was causing the issues. Peata, like you, I used to have bad PRE menstrual problems and now those have shifted to POST menstrual issues. It wasn't as severe before I started progesterone, but I was also more generally unwell before starting progesterone. I guess there could still be a bit of estrogen pushback while my hormones balance out. I will look into vitex if these symptoms don't improve, I hadn't heard of vitex before so thanks
Compared to others I don't take very much progest e, so I'll try to use more during the times when I feel the worst. Question about the progest e though, I put it on my gums but then I never know if I should wait to eat afterwards? If I do try to space out my food and progesterone applications, one always suffers, either I wait too long to eat or I don't get enough progesterone in the day.

How do you all take your progest e? Especially ones who take a lot, does it get in the way of your eating?

It's great to hear your good news about the thyroid/adrenaline issue resolving! I just read your post and wanted to mention that I listened to a Ray Peat radio interview yesterday and a caller had a similar question about excess estrogen symptoms. He explained that a little extra t3 seemed to help some women in that situation. I just wanted to pass that on as an additional bit of info to have in case you might find it useful. I'm not aware of any issue with eating as far as Progest-e goes. That is a great question though and hopefully if anymore knows if eating effects absorption they will chime in!

 

[aguilaroja]

...Compared to others I don't take very much progest e, so I'll try to use more during the times when I feel the worst. Question about the progest e though, I put it on my gums but then I never know if I should wait to eat afterwards? If I do try to space out my food and progesterone applications, one always suffers, either I wait too long to eat or I don't get enough progesterone in the day....

The vocabulary is imperfect about "PMS" "peri-menopausal pain" etc. It is good that "syndromes" have been recognized to begin with, the relate to timing of the menstrual cycle, and deductively related to hormonal metabolism. Definitely, many women has "post menstrual" difficulties, not to mention prolonged menses, or early cycle "breakthrough" bleeding, or uncertainty about whether the cycle has ended or not.

When metabolism is not restorative in women, problematic function can occur at any part of the cycle. Women with difficulties can feel them consistent at times such as pre-menses, during menses, post-menses, around ovulation, and other times. It is fairly common that there is more than one difficult part of the period.

I am going to be in the minority here. As tolerated, it seems best IMHO for young adult females to work toward simulating the hormone proportion that resembles a usual cycle.

That is, if workable, it seems preferable to use more progesterone later in the cycle, rather than trying to disproportionately increase progesterone early in the cycle (post menses). The experience of friends is that adjusting slightly increased pregnenolone or thyroid (or other factors) in the first week of the cycle works better than boosting Progest-E. It seems also to bring quick regular cycle rhythm. If a Progest-E boost is needed and things are workable in the early cycle, postponing the increase until at least day 8 or day 10 has worked better in the circle of people I have talked to.

It could be that Vitex reduces prolactin and is beneficial in that way. Vitex/chaste tree was also touted as a "phyto-estrogen" before its effects on prolactin were discussed. The people I have met using Vitex were usually using other herbs with estrogenic properties, and/or "wild yam". I have never explored it.

With many restorative measures, it is best to use things regularly and conveniently rather than waiting for the "perfect" time to take something. Using Progest-E to the gums probably gets largely into circulation predominant over going through the digestive system, even if it is close to mealtime. Since no commercial interests govern the issue, it will probably never be studied formally.

The vitamin E vehicle for bio-identical progesterone is okay for oral intake as well, so one can be at ease about route of delivery. Then main thing would be to spread amounts throughout the day, so as to avoid being zonked by very large amounts delivered at once.

It is a darned nuisance that problems related to timing in menstrual cycles are clearly assessed only weeks apart. It is also harsh that sometimes things improve over the course of a few cycles, rather than a few days or a few hours. However, it is very encouraging that there is good improvement from one cycle to the next.

 

[tara]

How do you all take your progest e? Especially ones who take a lot, does it get in the way of your eating?

Hi Warrior,
The first time I took progest-e it was on an empty stomach, and i felt immediately nauseous. I must have swallowed a little, though I rubbed it all around my gums. Either that or it bumped up my metabolism so quickly that it pushed my blood sugar down too fast. Since then I always use it immediately after food, never on an empty stomach. So no, it doesn't interfere with eating for me.

My worst symptoms now are usually during menstruation. Premenstrually I get the munchies.