Progesterone, pregnenolone and thyroid to heal the brain?

[themartian1000]

I was put on a benzo for insomnia short term and taken off cold turkey. I discovered later than my problem was likely low progesterone and low thyroid (based on lab results, which are corrected now but too late). The result was ten months of the worst torture imaginable. Eventually, I was put on pregabalin and then able to function but it all comes at a price. I am now working to slowly taper pregabalin, restore brain function and get my life back. My main symptoms are anxiety, extreme sensitivity to stimulation, exercise intolerance, and some autonomic nervous system imbalance (heart pounding after eating and randomly). I have been following Ray Peat and this forum for many years now, but have only been a member a short time and this is my first post. I have been helped so many times by this terrific community, and am hoping to hear your thoughts.

I have been using high dose progesterone to stop my cycles. The fluctuation in progesterone and allopreganolone caused severe anxiety that was preventing brain healing. I take 200mg oral progesterone (prometrium) twice daily and have also tried suppositories as well as Progest E. I know when my progesterone is stable based on Oura ring data showing a body temperature of + 0.1 - +0.5. This was a better option for me than birth control as I consider progestins to be toxic and detrimental. This has been a game changer, but I am not sure that high dose progesterone is sustainable.

I am wondering if it would be better for brain healing to switch to high dose pregnenolone for a while, tapering off progesterone (but keeping a maintenance level). As I understand it, the body and brain should use the pregnenolone to make what is needed, perhaps balancing out what I need after using so much progesterone. I have seen studies using as much as 500mg, but am just uncertain about it.

As for the other areas to address, I take 5mcg T3 in the morning and noon and 1/2 Cynoplus in the early evening. My labs show a TSH of 1.8 (a bit higher than ideal), T3 mid range and T4 low mid range. Progesterone is a big high, estrogen normal but at the low end, DHEA-S mid range, other labs normal. So not too bad. I take CoQ10, K2, and niacinamide. I limit PUFA, try to get 100g of protein daily including gelatin, drink mostly orange juice and milk and drink a bit of caffeine in the morning.

Main questions:
1) Is pregnenolone a good idea for me to help heal my brain, maintain high allopregnanolone (I feel I need this right now), balance other neurosteroids and help reduce progesterone to a more reasonable level
2) Has anyone else used high dose progesterone to stop cycles? It's a miracle for me, but haven't really seen it done much
3) Is there anything else I can do to heal my brain, reduce glutamate, repair receptors (both glutamate and GABA), and restore my health. I was a mentally and physically healthy insomniac before and now, due to pharmaceuticals, I am nowhere near where I was even 14 months later.

Thanks!

 

[dlind70]

3)
Anything else. My advise is following
Brain is full of fat. Do not avoid fat. The fats for the brain once restored can help your anxiety issue. It really sounds like you're dangerously low in fat did you know your brain is 50% fat by Volume? The fats for the brain are the nuts almond pecan pistachio these are omega nines that are needed by the brain especially for breakfast I also add avocado and tons of salty olives it doesn't matter the type of olive.

In regards to people thinking this is too much poofa I would say that is nonsense because nuts by themselves are full of vitamin e that counteract the poofa. The general opinion of people on this form that would probably make such statements, but I am aversed to that negative view of poofa for nuts and fatty foods in general. We have to be careful and use our judgement with too much fat. I have been eating this way for at least 5 years and the more nuts you have in the morning the better your brain function and in fact your breakfast is the number one meal of the day. And I also have research about the Chinese meridian clock in fact the breakfast time of the day at 7:00 a.m. controls the hormones because if you do not eat breakfast your stomach will not be making the home or hormones for reproduction and whatever else that happens at night because the night time hormones are made in 90° angle from the stomach meridian from 7-9 a.m.

 

[mostlylurking]

My main symptoms are anxiety, extreme sensitivity to stimulation, exercise intolerance, and some autonomic nervous system imbalance (heart pounding after eating and randomly).

This is an excellent description of thiamine deficiency symptoms. In addition, I found this when I searched for "pregabalin and thiamine": The influence of thiamin on the efficacy of pregabalin in rats with spinal nerve ligation (SNL)-induced neuropathic pain - PubMed

I have taken higher dose progesterone (40mg/day) and pregnenolone (900mg/day) for several years and experienced improvement in many symptoms. I also am hypothyroid and take prescription natural desiccated thyroid which has been very helpful too. I found great benefit from also taking high dose thiamine hcl (2 grams/day), including resolution of autonomic nervous system issues and resolution of brain symptoms.

Perhaps you should consider getting tested for thiamine deficiency? Here is an article for your consideration: Thiamine Deficiency Testing: Understanding the Labs- Hormones Matter

Also, here is an article about thiamine: Hiding in Plain Sight: Modern Thiamine Deficiency

Thiamine deficiency is extremely common, but doctors assume thiamine deficiency was solved by enriching refined carbohydrates with it so they don't bother to consider the possibility. I struggled along for many years deficient in thiamine. Then my thiamine function was blocked by taking Bactrim antibiotic summer of 2020 which just about finished me off. I had all the symptoms you list plus my head felt like it was full of cotton and I could not function. I couldn't walk without bouncing off of walls. My digestive tract was a mess. I suffered from inflammation due to lactic acidosis. I did recover via high dose thiamine. I am still taking it.

 

[Tigertyger]

2) Has anyone else used high dose progesterone to stop cycles? It's a miracle for me, but haven't really seen it done much.

I have used progesterone to stop my period. I think the amount of progesterone probably depends on each person. I took around 300mg to 400mg a day and did not cycle it. Also progesterone works so much better taken with thyroid or t3, they really need to be used together to get best results in my experience.

 

[InChristAlone]

I don't think it's sustainable personally. Eventually the level of progesterone needed to stop it will build up and could cause severe symptoms down the road. The body heals itself during deep sleep but if your vitamin D is low you aren't getting proper deep sleep to make repairs. Check out Dr Stasha Gominak for her work on sleep and vitamin D.

 

[Prota]

3)
Anything else. My advise is following
Brain is full of fat. Do not avoid fat. The fats for the brain once restored can help your anxiety issue. It really sounds like you're dangerously low in fat did you know your brain is 50% fat by Volume? The fats for the brain are the nuts almond pecan pistachio these are omega nines that are needed by the brain especially for breakfast I also add avocado and tons of salty olives it doesn't matter the type of olive.

In regards to people thinking this is too much poofa I would say that is nonsense because nuts by themselves are full of vitamin e that counteract the poofa. The general opinion of people on this form that would probably make such statements, but I am aversed to that negative view of poofa for nuts and fatty foods in general. We have to be careful and use our judgement with too much fat. I have been eating this way for at least 5 years and the more nuts you have in the morning the better your brain function and in fact your breakfast is the number one meal of the day. And I also have research about the Chinese meridian clock in fact the breakfast time of the day at 7:00 a.m. controls the hormones because if you do not eat breakfast your stomach will not be making the home or hormones for reproduction and whatever else that happens at night because the night time hormones are made in 90° angle from the stomach meridian from 7-9 a.m.

Interesting! Any link to Chinese meridian clock study?

 

[danishstargazer]

All my red alert bells went off in my brain when I read your post. Why in the baby jesus on a triscuit world would you want to STOP your cycle and stop your period.
AHHAHAHAH! having your period is the monthly gift of DETOX and it is a gift. Messing with too much progesterone is going to not only make your gain weight , make your mood terrible , hurt your sleep but it will eventually dry out your cervix and that is a load of hell. Use a condom. Get off all hormones and let your body reset. You are doing damage.

 

[dlind70]

Solar Nutrition

Swami Nityananda Saraswati, the Rev. Adano Ley> <meta name=

www.longevitycircuit.com

Interesting! Any link to Chinese meridian clock study?

It's a clock regard organ times. Subtle energy has these organs working in a timing fashion. Since the engery of the cosmos is cycling, so is your body clock. Brain function is highest in mornings so that's why we should not skip breakfast if you do nothing else

 

[Jerkboy]

All my red alert bells went off in my brain when I read your post. Why in the baby jesus on a triscuit world would you want to STOP your cycle and stop your period.
AHHAHAHAH! having your period is the monthly gift of DETOX and it is a gift. Messing with too much progesterone is going to not only make your gain weight , make your mood terrible , hurt your sleep but it will eventually dry out your cervix and that is a load of hell. Use a condom. Get off all hormones and let your body reset. You are doing damage.

Bingo. Unless you have severe estrogen dominance and heavy PMS symptoms. Even then using lower dosage is best.

 

[youngsinatra]

Zinc + P5P + Magnesium before bed is very calming to the brain by increasing GABA and reducing Glutamate.

Regulating acetylcholine is very important for autonomic nervous system functioning and restorative sleep. Increasing dietary choline, getting vitamin D into the optimal range of 60-100ng/ml and the B-vitamin complex family increase acetylcholine.
Dr. Gominak has a lot of good info on the topic of sleep.

Sleeping is probably most important to heal the brain and body, but it‘s hard in our modern environment - for me too!

 

[themartian1000]

This is an excellent description of thiamine deficiency symptoms. In addition, I found this when I searched for "pregabalin and thiamine": The influence of thiamin on the efficacy of pregabalin in rats with spinal nerve ligation (SNL)-induced neuropathic pain - PubMed

I have taken higher dose progesterone (40mg/day) and pregnenolone (900mg/day) for several years and experienced improvement in many symptoms. I also am hypothyroid and take prescription natural desiccated thyroid which has been very helpful too. I found great benefit from also taking high dose thiamine hcl (2 grams/day), including resolution of autonomic nervous system issues and resolution of brain symptoms.

Perhaps you should consider getting tested for thiamine deficiency? Here is an article for your consideration: Thiamine Deficiency Testing: Understanding the Labs- Hormones Matter

Also, here is an article about thiamine: Hiding in Plain Sight: Modern Thiamine Deficiency

Thiamine deficiency is extremely common, but doctors assume thiamine deficiency was solved by enriching refined carbohydrates with it so they don't bother to consider the possibility. I struggled along for many years deficient in thiamine. Then my thiamine function was blocked by taking Bactrim antibiotic summer of 2020 which just about finished me off. I had all the symptoms you list plus my head felt like it was full of cotton and I could not function. I couldn't walk without bouncing off of walls. My digestive tract was a mess. I suffered from inflammation due to lactic acidosis. I did recover via high dose thiamine. I am still taking it.

Wow, Thank you for all of these articles and this insight. I am going to get tested as soon as possible. It would be phenomenal if this could offer significant help. I am curious what your thoughts are on the "more bioavailable" thiamines such as allithiamine or the synthetic sulbutiamine. I had heard of these as helpful, but haven't really explored them in earnest. Also, as this is water soluble, is there any risk in try large doses? I am going to read these materials and do some additional research but thank you so much again.

 

[themartian1000]

Zinc + P5P + Magnesium before bed is very calming to the brain by increasing GABA and reducing Glutamate.

Regulating acetylcholine is very important for autonomic nervous system functioning and restorative sleep. Increasing dietary choline, getting vitamin D into the optimal range of 60-100ng/ml and the B-vitamin complex family increase acetylcholine.
Dr. Gominak has a lot of good info on the topic of sleep.

Sleeping is probably most important to heal the brain and body, but it‘s hard in our modern environment - for me too!

Thank you! Currently, my sleep is on overdrive due to the pregabalin that I am taking (and tapering). So that might be a good side-effect, I suppose. But I will one day have to sleep on my own, so best to start researching it. I will give the zinc and P5P a try as well. I already take a truck load of magnesium, lol.

 

[themartian1000]

3)
Anything else. My advise is following
Brain is full of fat. Do not avoid fat. The fats for the brain once restored can help your anxiety issue. It really sounds like you're dangerously low in fat did you know your brain is 50% fat by Volume? The fats for the brain are the nuts almond pecan pistachio these are omega nines that are needed by the brain especially for breakfast I also add avocado and tons of salty olives it doesn't matter the type of olive.

In regards to people thinking this is too much poofa I would say that is nonsense because nuts by themselves are full of vitamin e that counteract the poofa. The general opinion of people on this form that would probably make such statements, but I am aversed to that negative view of poofa for nuts and fatty foods in general. We have to be careful and use our judgement with too much fat. I have been eating this way for at least 5 years and the more nuts you have in the morning the better your brain function and in fact your breakfast is the number one meal of the day. And I also have research about the Chinese meridian clock in fact the breakfast time of the day at 7:00 a.m. controls the hormones because if you do not eat breakfast your stomach will not be making the home or hormones for reproduction and whatever else that happens at night because the night time hormones are made in 90° angle from the stomach meridian from 7-9 a.m.

I love fat. I eat a lot of coconut oil, butter, and some high oleic sunflower oil. I avoid processed PUFA, but do enjoy seafood, nuts, avodacos and the like. But this is good to hear again, as I can get a bit more carbohydrate heavy at time. I do eat some fish as well. I do think there is something toxic about fish oil and processed PUFA - both make me incredibly nauseous and give me brain fog.

 

[themartian1000]

Bingo. Unless you have severe estrogen dominance and heavy PMS symptoms. Even then using lower dosage is best.

It's a good idea, except due to the damage that the benzos caused, I was suicidal every time my allopregnanolone dropped due to my menstrual cycle. Of course the goal is to allow the cycles to return naturally and live a normal life, but before I can do that, I have to figure out how to repair the system. Allopregnanolone is incredibly healing, from what I understand, and stopping the cycles and increasing the allo has done a lot for me. I should add that I actually do cycle down and have short, one day periods every 3-4 weeks, but that's all I can handle.

My hope is that I can transition to pregnenlone, which will supply my brain with the progesterone / allopregnanolone that I need without disrupting all of the hormones. That is what I am hoping. I did previously have pretty significant estrogen dominance, heavy PMS (as described), and low progesterone (lab tested), but that is, of course, gone now. I don't seem to absorb the progesterone that well, so levels for progesterone are still not always high.

Anyway, this is my long-winded way of saying that 1) I agree 2) I need a solution, what do you think of pregnenolone as a possibility

 

[themartian1000]

I don't think it's sustainable personally. Eventually the level of progesterone needed to stop it will build up and could cause severe symptoms down the road. The body heals itself during deep sleep but if your vitamin D is low you aren't getting proper deep sleep to make repairs. Check out Dr Stasha Gominak for her work on sleep and vitamin D.

My Vitamin D is 80 (perhaps a bit high). I am just hoping that I can taper off progesterone (totally agree it is not sustainable or advisable). But can't deal with suicidal depression every menstrual cycle, so thinking pregnenolone might be a good option (not forever but as a bridge to help my brain heal). My goal of course is to be healthy with diet, gentle exercise, daily sunlight, etc, but I sustained serious damage. I will never see a doctor or take a pharmaceutical again after this unless it's an emergency.

 

[themartian1000]

All my red alert bells went off in my brain when I read your post. Why in the baby jesus on a triscuit world would you want to STOP your cycle and stop your period.
AHHAHAHAH! having your period is the monthly gift of DETOX and it is a gift. Messing with too much progesterone is going to not only make your gain weight , make your mood terrible , hurt your sleep but it will eventually dry out your cervix and that is a load of hell. Use a condom. Get off all hormones and let your body reset. You are doing damage.

I think I responded to the person who quoted your response, so just wanted to paste my response here to you, since you wrote it. Any thoughts are valued and appreciated.

t's a good idea, except due to the damage that the benzos caused, I was suicidal every time my allopregnanolone dropped due to my menstrual cycle. Of course the goal is to allow the cycles to return naturally and live a normal life, but before I can do that, I have to figure out how to repair the system. Allopregnanolone is incredibly healing, from what I understand, and stopping the cycles and increasing the allo has done a lot for me. I should add that I actually do cycle down and have short, one day periods every 3-4 weeks, but that's all I can handle.

My hope is that I can transition to pregnenlone, which will supply my brain with the progesterone / allopregnanolone that I need without disrupting all of the hormones. That is what I am hoping. I did previously have pretty significant estrogen dominance, heavy PMS (as described), and low progesterone (lab tested), but that is, of course, gone now. I don't seem to absorb the progesterone that well, so levels for progesterone are still not always high.

Anyway, this is my long-winded way of saying that 1) I agree 2) I need a solution, what do you think of pregnenolone as a possibility

 

[themartian1000]

2) Has anyone else used high dose progesterone to stop cycles? It's a miracle for me, but haven't really seen it done much.

I have used progesterone to stop my period. I think the amount of progesterone probably depends on each person. I took around 300mg to 400mg a day and did not cycle it. Also progesterone works so much better taken with thyroid or t3, they really need to be used together to get best results in my experience.

Thanks for sharing! I do take T3 and am about to post another question after doing quite a bit of searching, just to get another idea. I had low T3 (bottom of the normal range), high TSH (3.0 so not crazy but not ideal), and mid-range T4. I have taken T3 on and off for years with good results but eventually my system crashes and I get this insane fatigue, which just happened again. I eat plenty of carbs and protein, so I am not sure what is going on except that I sometimes have low normal cortisol. I know that Ray Peat believes that thyroid should restore the adrenals, but I am just not sure how to make that happen. It could be a reduction of other stress hormones, but it's really hard to be dragging around all day, barely able to open my eyes. This happens almost every time I take T3! Then I have to stop, feel awful after a while, and cycle repeats!

 

[S-VV]

There is nothing wrong with stopping your cycles.

The human body has evolved a periodic program of reproduction that requires a temporary estrogen surge to build up the endometrial tissue via rapid proliferation. This estrogen increase has long-range negative effects if the body is in a compromised state. This is especially true if there is GABAergic disregulation, which relies on endogenous allopregnenalone to avoid total collapse. Some women get epileptic attacks due to their periods and have to suppress them.

Its a sensible therapeutic choice and the fact that it allows you to function better ratifies its usefulness.

 

[themartian1000]

There is nothing wrong with stopping your cycles.

The human body has evolved a periodic program of reproduction that requires a temporary estrogen surge to build up the endometrial tissue via rapid proliferation. This estrogen increase has long-range negative effects if the body is in a compromised state. This is especially true if there is GABAergic disregulation, which relies on endogenous allopregnenalone to avoid total collapse. Some women get epileptic attacks due to their periods and have to suppress them.

Its a sensible therapeutic choice and the fact that it allows you to function better ratifies its usefulness.

Thank you for the kind words reassurance means a lot during healing

 

[Beastmode]

I was put on a benzo for insomnia short term and taken off cold turkey. I discovered later than my problem was likely low progesterone and low thyroid (based on lab results, which are corrected now but too late). The result was ten months of the worst torture imaginable. Eventually, I was put on pregabalin and then able to function but it all comes at a price. I am now working to slowly taper pregabalin, restore brain function and get my life back. My main symptoms are anxiety, extreme sensitivity to stimulation, exercise intolerance, and some autonomic nervous system imbalance (heart pounding after eating and randomly). I have been following Ray Peat and this forum for many years now, but have only been a member a short time and this is my first post. I have been helped so many times by this terrific community, and am hoping to hear your thoughts.

I have been using high dose progesterone to stop my cycles. The fluctuation in progesterone and allopreganolone caused severe anxiety that was preventing brain healing. I take 200mg oral progesterone (prometrium) twice daily and have also tried suppositories as well as Progest E. I know when my progesterone is stable based on Oura ring data showing a body temperature of + 0.1 - +0.5. This was a better option for me than birth control as I consider progestins to be toxic and detrimental. This has been a game changer, but I am not sure that high dose progesterone is sustainable.

I am wondering if it would be better for brain healing to switch to high dose pregnenolone for a while, tapering off progesterone (but keeping a maintenance level). As I understand it, the body and brain should use the pregnenolone to make what is needed, perhaps balancing out what I need after using so much progesterone. I have seen studies using as much as 500mg, but am just uncertain about it.

As for the other areas to address, I take 5mcg T3 in the morning and noon and 1/2 Cynoplus in the early evening. My labs show a TSH of 1.8 (a bit higher than ideal), T3 mid range and T4 low mid range. Progesterone is a big high, estrogen normal but at the low end, DHEA-S mid range, other labs normal. So not too bad. I take CoQ10, K2, and niacinamide. I limit PUFA, try to get 100g of protein daily including gelatin, drink mostly orange juice and milk and drink a bit of caffeine in the morning.

Main questions:
1) Is pregnenolone a good idea for me to help heal my brain, maintain high allopregnanolone (I feel I need this right now), balance other neurosteroids and help reduce progesterone to a more reasonable level
2) Has anyone else used high dose progesterone to stop cycles? It's a miracle for me, but haven't really seen it done much
3) Is there anything else I can do to heal my brain, reduce glutamate, repair receptors (both glutamate and GABA), and restore my health. I was a mentally and physically healthy insomniac before and now, due to pharmaceuticals, I am nowhere near where I was even 14 months later.

Thanks!

One thing that jumps out of what you shared is that 1/2 cynoplus in the early evening. That's way over the physiologic amount of T3 being produced in that short period of time.

The most Peat has suggested of cynoplus at a time is 1/4 with food, possibly a glass of milk. Not sure how long you've been doing this, but it might be worth changing that immediately to give the cynoplus a chance at night for better sleep.

Pregnenolone, if you can find some good quality kind, might be worth starting at a really low dose to see if you get negative reactions from it (i.e- some of the symptoms you already have.)

Progesterone can be a miracle for some if you have the other stuff sorted a bit, which looks like your diet looks pretty good Peat standards.

Not sure where you live in the world, but getting early morning sun can help set the circadian rhythm pretty fast for some.