Estrogen dominance causing thyroid resistance, weight gain ... Help needed on test results

[DemelzaPoldark]

Hello,

I am on a wide range of supplements and have now been prescribed bio identical progesterone cream, as my practitioner thinks estrogen dominance is causing hypothyroid symptoms. I'm post menopause in late 50s

Thought I'd better have a blood test before using cream! Results are:

Beta oestradiol <18.4 range for post meno <183

Progesterone 1.6 range for post meno 0.3-2.5

My TSH results have been high 3.66 when tested, always in afternoons

FT3 4.0 range 3.1-6.8

FT4 13.4 range 12-22

and reverse T3 high at 26 range 10-24

Very low vit d at 19 range 50-200

It's day 4 of cream and I feel a bit less tired but not at all sure if progesterone cream is a good idea and should I be considering Amour instead or in addition? Practioner says he will only start this if no improvement on current supplements.

Any advice gratefully received, especially from others who may have overcome weight gain problems which is my main issue!

Thanks and best wishes to all in the community.

[startagaingirl]

Hi and welcome to the forum. I would suggest that your problem is possibly the other way round. Since your tsh is probably close to top of range (you don't give a range!) when taken in the afternoon, after eating, it would be a good bit higher first thing in morning, fasted as is always recommended here.

So you have a picture of high tsh, low range ft4 and low range ft3, otherwise known as hypothyroid. In such a situation the adrenals will try to compensate for low hormones to keep you going. In doing so they will divert precursors from sex hormone production to cortisol instead. But with your figures, why does your "practitioner" think that you have too much oestrogen in relation to progesterone? Your oestrogen is <10% of range and progesterone 59% ? Doesn't sound dominant to me.

What definitely will be affecting you is your extremely low vit D level - did they even mention this? You could start addressing this now with supplements - at least 5000 iu per day and ideally a few weeks of loading doses. This increases calcium uptake so need to take vit k2-mk7 as well to direct this to bones and teeth rather than soft tissues. It is also important to take a magnesium supplement as well.

I would suggest you change your doctor, get a comprehensive test to include tsh, ft4, ft3, antibodies, vit d, vit b12, folate and ferritin. Make sure it is done first thing in morning and fasted (water only before test). I am not sure of cost effective options for this in US. When you get those figures, then put them in a new post and we will be able to advise properly.

Good luck

Gillian

[DemelzaPoldark in reply to startagaingirl]

Hi Startagain girl,

Thanks so much for your prompt reply. Can you believe the load of supplements I was sent didn't include vit d, I've just been trying to get more sun! I bought some one a day vit d from supermarket and it gave me an odd sense of vertigo, very weird, so I stopped.

Will go to health food store tomorrow to buy som and start taking a decent brand. Do you think I need to forget progesterone cream and get onto thyroid Replacement?

Best wishes

N

[startagaingirl in reply to DemelzaPoldark]

Hi - I'm not a doctor and would never advise you to stop taking a medication, but I would suggest that you question your practitioner a bit more about why it was suggested in the first place. And I would recommend better testing before starting thyroid replacement. Taking this without addressing any deficiencies would not be effective. Your low vit d suggests that you may also have some of the other common deficiencies and it is mujch better to identify and treat them early.

BTW: vit d is fat soluble, so if you are taking capsules make sure they are with a fatty meal - or alternatively use a mouth spray or capsules that contain their own oil.

Gillian

[DemelzaPoldark]

Will do, thanks!