Bio-identical Hormones any experience ???

[Yvette65]

Hi All,

I have had my hormone test results back and been discussed with my consultant. Basically my estrodiol was low, progesterone very low (level of a 60 yr old and I am only 50 !!!) , even worse was my testosterone level which was way below the bottom of low, according to the chart a 90 yr old has more testosterone than me.

I have been prescribed bio-identical estrodiol/testosterone cream and progesterone tablets all pharmacy grade....has anyone experience of using this type of medication, did it work ? how long did it take ?

For info also have high cortisol so also on DHEA which started of at 25mg but been double 50 mg , as I have adrenal fatigue and low DHEA at the moment

Cheers

Y

[radd]

Yvette,

I have taken Utrogestan capsules (progesterone) & Estrogel since february and love it. It worked really quickly and lowered my raised testosterone, making thyroid hormone meds work so much better. I still suffer from elevated cortisol but everything else feels good.

Bioidentical oestrogen and progesterone are synthesised in laboratories from hormone precursors found in soybeans or yams and their molecular structure is designed to be an exact replica of the hormones produced by your body. This means that they are easily recognised and produce few of the side effects and diseases associated with synthetic hormones.

Prolonged cortisol elevations decrease the liver’s ability to clear excess oestrogens from the blood. Ensure your GP tests thyroid hormones after six weeks supplementing HRT as thyroid binding globulin (TBG), a transporter protein that carries thyroid hormone in the blood stream, may become elevated with excess oestrogen. Too much TBG can bind too much thyroid hormone, leaving too little available for active use.

[shaws Administrator]

I don't have personal experience but this is an excellent link which might be helpful:-

hormonerestoration.com/

I particularly liked this excerpt:

Conventional medicine today underestimates the importance of optimal hormone levels. It remains disease-oriented, recognizingand treating only those severe hormonal deficiencies caused by some identifiable disease, and providing only enough hormone replacement to "normalize" certain tests. Doctors have fallen into the practice of "Reference Range Endocrinology". They accept any hormone level anywhere within the laboratory's reference range as "normal", even though that range is just a

population statistic that includes 95% of an symptom-unscreened group of "apparently healthy" adults--almost everyone! Thyroid hormone reference ranges are even contaminated with doctor-ordered tests--and so include TSH-normal hypothyroid

patients! Reference Range Endocrinology ignores the patient's symptoms and all other scientific knowledge about hormones! Doctors also rely on inappropriate and/or insensitive tests: the TSH level to detect and treat thyroid deficiency and the ACTH

stimulation test to rule out adrenal insufficiency. These tests fail to diagnose partial central hormone deficiencies--inadequate TSH and ACTH production caused by hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction. Dr. Lindner finds that HP dysfunction is far

more common than failure of the thyroid or adrenal glands.

Physicians are taught that they should treat primary hypothyroidism with just enough levothyroxine to "normalize" the TSH level, a practice that has been repeatedly shown to be inadequate.

Therefore, most persons with suboptimal thyroid levels/effects are undiagnosed, and those who are diagnosed are often undertreated. Persisting hypothyroid symptoms are blamed on depression, "chronic fatigue", "fibromyalgia", hypochondria or bad

habits. This illogical TSH-based thyroidology is an error, as is the profession's inability to diagnose or properly treat cortisol deficiency.

Read Dr. Lindner's submission to the Scottish Parliament regarding the failures of conventional endocrine practices and the legal reforms he suggests to remedy the situation.

[MiniMum97]

Can I ask who have you seen who has prescribed you these?

[Angel_of_the_North]

I have been on bioidentical hrt for over 5 years. Changed my life for the better in every way. Needs to be at the right levels for you - not just at a certain level because there's a pill of that strength. Creams didn't work for me at all, so I have sub lingual lozenges. Takes several months to see if the dose and format works.

[Kraken]

I've been on it since 2006. I use an estradiol patch which releases .1 mg per day. I take an oral progesterone gel cap, 200mg. I used to take it daily but now I have it 12 nights per month starting mid-"cycle". After having been on it for about a year I resumed menses, which is a pain but seems inevitable.

I use a testosterone cream, just a tiny dab of 5%. Testosterone titrates to estradiol (eventually) so there are some practitioners who believe in supplementing with T alone and waiting to see if you make your own estrogen. Everybody seems to have their own philosophy of what's effective.

I don't care for compounded creams especially when considering the concentration of hormone in them. At that rate I can do the math, stick some Estrace (estradiol oral) tablets in a spice grinder, gently heat up some good liposomal cream or gel in the microwave, shake it all up, and end up with something as good or better for less than 10% of the cost to pay a compounding pharmacy for some sub-quality greasy stuff of the same strength.

I'm on levo 200 micrograms, am considering going back to Armour for an energy boost from the T3. I read somewhere you can get levo creams for transdermal use and make a little go a lot longer. I might make some of that myself but need to research the concept. I'm very naughty.

[magsyh]

Its a complicated business and until you realise that its all interelated it can be difficult. I am now almost 59 the past 4 years have been hell and doctors were of no use to me. Its only since I had the help of people on here and did my own research that the penny has dropped and I am getting well again. I have used progesterone gel for years it has kept me sane when doctors wouldnt listen. I even went private to Harley street in desperation and I was very dissapointed as even they didnt have a clue what was wrong with me. I got thyroid 11 blood test from blue horizon and was able to work it out from there. I had low vit d, low ferrettin, low b12, low t4 low t3 slightly high tsh. I had been telling docs for years that my progesterone was too low. They just laughed and told me not to be silly at my age that was normal. Im just going through menopause now and never had a hot flush. So to try to explain this quickly for you all with hormone imbalance. The lack of vit d causes so many problems. You need vitd to help your adrenals make progesterone. Cholesterol, progesterone, cortisol, testestorone, estrogen they all work together to produce eachother and if they are not in balance everything is then off. You then need magnesium, calcium and k2 to balance the vit d. When you are stressed you make more cortisol and your progesterone makes testestorone to help you cope. So you dont have enough progesterone and you become estrogen dominant. Estrogen dominance causes thyroid imbalance and it becomes a big viscious circle. If you use estrogen suppliments or birth control pills you will need to up your t4 or levo. Why dont Endo's know these things. So if I were you check your vit d levels should be at least 70. By fixing mine I dont need hormones anymore and I feel like a new woman with no menopausal symptoms at all. X

[Learner1]

It's important to look at the entire hormone picture and get balanced, or you could end up in trouble.

Though I didn't fit the typical profile (I wasn't post-menopausal and fat) I was diagnosed with stage 3 uterine cancer. I'd been estrogen dominant for years, a doctor had noted I had no progesterone, another one had put me on a little testosterone, which may have been a mistake. I also learned that unopposed estrogen, especially estradiol, can promote uterine and breast cancers.

I'm cancer free and have been successful with CAREFUL bio identical hormone replacement, adjusted to the results of a DUTCH test twice a year. I had a radical hysterectomy and make no female hormones, so replacing is the only way to go. We keep my estrogen very low, the DHEA and testosterone slightly above the "old lady" range, and the progesterone well above range.

I take:

10 mg pregnenolone pill

200 mg Prometrium pill

15 mg hydrocortisone pill

5 mg DHEA pill

estriol cream (only form of estrogen not cancer-promoting)

testosterone cream

It helps to look at a diagram of the metabolites to understand how all of the above relate. The DUTCH test confirms that they go down good pathways and not cancer-promoting ones.

I take hydrocortisone because my adrenals are shot, but if I had high cortisol, I'd look at taking 2-500mg of phosphorylated serine - I've seen it do wonders for people.

To summarize:

- get informed

- work with someone who looks at the big picture

- get balanced and watch for cancer promoting tendencies

- a well-balanced bioidentical hormone program can make you look and feel younger and is worth the effort

[Yvette65]

Hi All, thanks for the replies....

To provide a full picture , I had a full hysterectomy including ovaries at 39 (now 50)...Had about 1 yr on HRT, didn't agree with me , saw numerous endo's with the response 'Normal' gave up battling as was not being heard by the gp's and endo's. Suffered on an off for years, but bearable... then this year came to a head. Below are my recent test results.

Currently seeing a Holistic GP from the list from Thyroid UK

24hr Saliva

Sample 1 Post Awakening 56.05 (7.45-32.56 range nmol/L)

Sample 2 + 4-5 Hours 9.45 (2.76-11.31 range nmol/L)

Sample 3 + 4-5 Hours 7.45 (1.38-7.45 range nmol/L)

Sample 4 (Prior to sleep) 4.89 (0.83-3.86 range nmol/L)

DHEA Levels

DHEA Mean 0.44

DHEA: Cortisol Ratio 0.013 (range 0.015-0.150)

Thyroid 11 Blood test (blue horizon)

Biochemistry

CRP 0.60 Range <5.0 mg/L

Ferritin 176.0 Range 20-150 ug/L

Thyroid Function

TSH 1.16 Range 0.27-4.20 IU/L

T4 Total 92.1 Range 64.5-142.0 nmol/L

Free T4 16.89 Range 12-22 pmol/L

Free T3 4.37 Range 3.1-6.8 pmol/L

Immunology

Anti-Thyroidperoxidase abs 11.0 Range <34 kIU/L

Anti-Thyroglobulin Abs 13.5 Range <115 kU/L

Vitamins

Vitamin D (25 OH) 71 Range Deficient <25 nmol/L

Range Insufficient 20-50

Range Reduce Dose >175

Vitamin B12 503 Range Deficient <140 pmol/L

Range Insufficient 140-250

Range Reduce Dosage >725

Serum Folate 16.93 Range 10.4-42.4 nmol/L

Sex Hormone Test

Estradiol 39 Range 10-49 (postmenopausal)

Progesteron 0.2 Range 0.2-0.8 (postmenopausal)

Ratio Pg/E2 5 Range 100-500 (optimal)

Testosterone 4 Range 10-45 (postmenopausal)

DHEAS 38 Range 40-290

SHBG <15 Range 15-120

Cortisol 17.7 Range 8.5-19.8 (morning awakening)

Even though vit was 70 consultant wanted it improved ...

Current on Vit d, Mk-7, vit B complex, vit b12, magnesium, DHEA 50 mg..

To recover the sex hormones on Progesterone 100mg (sub-lingual) , Estrodiol 2.5mg and Testosterone 5 mg awaiting for these to arrive and hopefully fingers crossed will work.

[leoopard]

Yvette would you mind PMing me where you got the DHEA?