When I started menopause I did a little research and decided to start taking an estrogen cream to fight off some symptoms. But my symptoms just got worse and worse. I finally got my hormone levels checked and found out that I had way too much estrogen; estrogen dominance the doctor called it. I’m confused, I thought menopause meant a decline of estrogen?
Karen L.
Karen,
Estrogen dominance is one of the more common hormone imbalances in women from ages 30-50.
As we age through our 30’s into 40’s and older, it is very important that estrogen and progesterone be in balance. Most people think of estrogen as the hormone that needs replacing in menopause. But before the menses stop, progesterone is actually the hormone that is usually deficient. Doctors look at a progesterone:estrogen ratio to determine what the balance is between estrogen and progesterone in your body.
Estrogen dominance causes many symptoms for women including many PMS symptoms, weight gain, bloating, breast tenderness, decreased libido, hot flushes, mood fluctuations, insomnia, fatigue and more. Possibly more important are the medical ramifications of estrogen dominance. Women with estrogen dominance are more likely to have fibrocystic breasts, fibroid tumors, endometriosis, heavy bleeding with their cycles and possibly even breast cancer. Many women would be able to avoid hysterectomies just by balancing estrogen and progesterone.
There are many outside sources of estrogen in our environment. For example – meats injected with estrogenic hormones, water bottles and plastics in general have estrogen. For this reason, don’t heat food in Tupperware or drink from bottles that have been heated. Many cosmetics also contain estrogen. All of this leads to more estrogen dominance as well, so women with estrogen dominance especially need to avoid these products.
Progesterone is our calming hormone and when progesterone is deficient women feel more stressed out. Many women I speak to feel like they are hamsters on a wheel and are totally overwhelmed. Progesterone gives women a calmer, less stressed outlook. Also, because it is calming progesterone also helps with a full night’s sleep. A proper balance between estrogen and progesterone is essential to a healthy mind and body throughout the 30’s and 40’s and sometimes into the 50’s and even 60’s as well.
Jennifer Landa, MD
BodyLogicMD Orlando
2 responses so far ↓
Estrogen Dominance // September 14, 2009 at 8:01 pm |
While estrogen dominance can mean not enough progesterone, it can also mean too much estrogen (as in Karen’s case). There are many natural ways to reduce the amount of estrogen in your body including choosing organic foods, reducing xenoestrogens (fake estrogens), exercise, and limiting alcohol.
There’s a longer list of ways to reduce estrogen here:
http://www.estrogendominanceguide.com/lower-estrogen-levels-naturally
Good luck Karen!
Jenn
bodylogicmd // September 15, 2009 at 3:15 pm |
Hi Jenn,
Thank you so much for sharing a very comprehensive list for natural alternatives to reducing estrogen
It is a very interesting topic – we actually wrote a more in depth article about it in our newsletter: http://www.bodylogicmd.com/newsletters/summer-2009-the-dominator-the-truth-about-estrogen-dominance.
In health,
Barbara at BodyLogicMD