What symptoms do you get with Low Oestrogen?

[Kitten-whiskers]

Good evening everyone,

Just wondering what they symptoms are of low Oestrogen are? I am certain I have hormone issues and things are getting really painful now.

Thank you

[Hidden]

Dr. Thierry Hertoghe (one of Europe's leading hormone specialists) suggests the following in his book The hormone solution to detect estrogen deficiency:

- I am losing hair on the top of my head

- I am getting thin, vertical wrinkles above my lips.

- my breasts are droopy

- my face is too hairy

- my eyes are dry and easily irritated

- I have hot flashes

- I feel tired constantly

- I am depressed

- my menstrual flow is light

- women with periods: my cycles are irregular, too short (<27 days), or too long (>31 days)

- women without periods: I do not feel like making love anymore

You should answer these questions by "never", "not much", "regularly", "often", and "constantly" respectively. Never = 0. Not much = 1. Regularly = 2. Often = 3. Constantly = 4.

How to interpret the results:

10 or less: satisfactory level

between 11 and 20: possible estrogen deficiency

21 and more: probably estrogen deficiency.

Does this help at all?

[Kitten-whiskers in reply to Hidden]

Good evening Anna,

Thank you so much for your reply. I think in that case maybe it is something else. I do have a lot of symptoms, the two that caused me to wonder are not in your list, so sadly that must mean it is something else.

I am barking up the wrong tree, it would seem.

That is very helpful though because it means I can look at something else : >

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Kitten-whiskers]

You might be deficient in testosterone or progesterone, or one or more of the neurotransmitters. There's a website (something like "find your menopause type") which gives symptoms related to over and under production of the various hormones.

[Angel_of_the_North]

Quite a few, but I had low mood, hot flushes followed by shivering, and vaginal atrophy as the most obvious.

[Kitten-whiskers in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Hello Angel_of_the_North,

Thank you for you reply, I am not menopausal (I like to think I am far to young : >) but because of some of my symptoms, it got me wondering, but I guess it's is probably because of one of my other Ailments, it's just so hard to tell and how to correct : <

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Kitten-whiskers]

I don't think your age matters, the symptoms of deficiency/imbalance would be the same.

[Kitten-whiskers in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Thank you Angel_of_the_North : >

[Hidden]

Well, as a patient of a Hertoghe doctor in Belgium, this is what I do know: you should never take estrogen without progesterone (before menopause, you take E from day 5-25 of cycle, and P from day 15-25 of cycle); E should be taken as gel or patches, not orally, as that tends to accumulate in the liver. P is usually prescribed as capsules (I take Utrogestan, 200 mg).

Some women also require testosterone; I take Testim (prescription drug).

It can take some time to find a solution, and ideally would require a knowledgeable hormone doctor, before you have all deficiencies corrected. Is there any chance of finding such a doctor where you live?

Please don't self-medicate, but make sure your levels are properly tested. If E deficiency can have some nasty side effects, so can excessive levels...and, from what I have been told, you should never take E without progesterone, as they complement each other throughout the menstrual cycle. As far as I know, only women without a womb can take E without P...the rest of us need both.

[Kitten-whiskers in reply to Hidden]

Hello Anna,

I try Progesterone cream years ago but never had any improvement. I did not realise you needed to take the two together. My cycle is really up the spout, I have not had a period for 5 months, that is one of the reasons I wondered if my hormones were messed up.

It is very hard to find a good Doctor or specialist here and not one I could trust, maybe I need to read the book you recommended : >

[Hidden in reply to Kitten-whiskers]

Can I ask how old you are?

For the past months, my periods have been acting weird; I skip one cycle, then they come back...now, it's been five weeks since my last period, and still no sign of it being on it's way. I'm 47, and this started about six months ago.

Five years ago, I was put on both E and P by a Hertoghe doctor. I was not peri-menopausal back then, but my doctor said that adrenal fatigue led to low E and P levels, as well as low cortisol levels. That's why I was prescribed Estrogel and Utrogestan (progesterone), along with Medrol for adrenal fatigue.

I have been doing really well on both E and P, and my periods have got lighter (before I took hormones, they were very heavy, lasting for about a week, and caused me to be anemic).

I am seeing my doctor in August, and will ask her if my meds need to be adjusted now that my periods are no longer regular. Even though the average woman has her last period at age 51, that can vary a lot...some have their last period before 40, others at 57. I also got my first period before age 12 (at 11 years and 10 months old, to be exact), and I am not sure if it's then logical that they stop earlier...?

I can recommend the book in question, as it explores all hormones and how they interact. Often, in my own experience, it's not enough to just replace one hormone.

[Kitten-whiskers in reply to Hidden]

Hello Anna,

The information you have provided is very useful indeed. I am 35 and have had problems with my periods for years, I also started by period at 12 - mine was really heavy and very painful til I was about 20, then things seemed to rectify themselves for a few years, then when I was about 22, i was menstrating all the time and very heavy, I was going six/seven months with no break at all, numerous visits to the doctors, just to be told it was my hormones, years later and a change of surgery I was told I was anemic and put on a course of Iron for about 6 months (I think)

I also have low Cortisol and struggling adrenals - so we have a few simillarities. This is very interesting and shines a differen't light on things.

There is no doctor hear that will help, about five years ago I was told I was not Peri-menopausal and that was that.

I will order a copy of the book you recommend and go from there.

Thank you so much Anna