Cannot find an answer to this!

[Murphysmum]

I’m really struggling with perimenopausal hormone fluctuations.

My thyroid levels are stable and have been for a while now, however at the beginning of my cycle when my protestors drops and oestrogen increases, I feel awful and it takes a couple of weeks to level out again.

I had been using bioidential progesterone cream to help with this and oestrogen dominance issues, but for various reasons I’m feeling uncomfortable with this long term. It has worked well for me but I feel now my natural levels of hormone might be more balanced, therefore using the cream is possibly pushing up my oestrogen level and perpetuating the issue. However, without the cream I experience these crashes each month!

I have tried to go it alone after initially being fobbed off by the gp. Recently I decided to go to them only citing the monthly swings and not the thyroid effects but the blood tests were rubbish - no account of where you are in your cycle, and written off as being fine when my testosterone is off the bottom of the range and my oestrogen was off the top.

I’m tempted to have a mirena coil fitted to even out my cycle but can’t find anyone who can tell me how they found using it alongside thyroid replacement. I’m on T3 only so it’s far more prone to swings and other factors affecting it than levo. I had a coil years ago whilst on levo and was fine, though I’m slightly suspicious as to it’s involvement in my crash and subsequent lack of conversion. Obvs it’s a synthetic progesterone replacement - will this work alongside the T3 in the same way as natural pg? I cannot afford for my oestrogen levels to go up so I need to avoid that. I’m 45, so my thinking is if it works ok, by the time I’m done with it, my oestrogen levels might have dropped a bit and I can reassess the situation then! Honestly - thyroid replacement, the gift that just keeps giving!

So I have searched on here, googled, looked up any hormone/menopause/hrt resources I can find and I can’t find an answer. Even if one of the experts on here could talk me through any possible pros or cons, I’d be grateful. 😊

[RedApple Administrator]

Murphysmum, Maybe these sites will be worth wandering around whilst you're waiting for other members here to see and respond to your post.

lattelounge.co.uk/menopause/

menopausematters.co.uk/inde...

[FancyPants54]

I have a Mirena coil as part of my HRT. It's fine. I really like it. I also use Utrogestan micronised progesterone capsules just because I feel better, less moody, if I do. I don't need them for the womb protection, but I like them for everything else. I just take one capsule every other night so that my dose evens out at 50mcg a day.

My thyroid treatment is far from right, but I feel my HRT is good now.

[radd]

Murphysmum,

Progesterone cream won’t push your oestrogen levels up but will even out levels of these hormones, so lowering the strong unwanted effects that unopposed elevated oestrogen can bring.

Bio-identical progesterone will also work fine with your T3. It is the high levels of oestrogen we have to watch in respect of elevating binding transporter proteins.

It is usual for progesterone to drop before oestrogen, sometimes by many years. Given you say you have felt the benefits of the small amount of progesterone the cream offers, what are your other reasons for feeling uncomfortable using the cream in the longer term?

[Murphysmum in reply to radd]

So my main reason for feeling uncomfortable with this is silly really. I’m in a house full of boys! So hubs, and then two boys, one going through puberty just now.I keep all my washing separate to theirs but it worries me that like xenoestrogens, the pg may build up in laundry etc. maybe this is silly but it actually keeps me awake at night!

Other than that my only other worry would be around using it when it’s not needed. I feel as if my hormone levels may have “levelled out” a little since I started using it, as if naturally they’re not as bad as they were. My symptoms aren’t quite as bad, although the thyroid dip I suffer now is much worse.

So I’m in a total quandary. I really need to level out these dips, I cannot keep on as I am, and I go for hip surgery in June, so keen to get it all sorted asap.

[radd in reply to Murphysmum]

Murphysmum,

The normal pattern is for progesterone to dip, followed by oestrogen some time later. Progesterone should not raise again and therefore using the cream ongoing will ensure oestrogen’s keep being opposed until they dip during menopause.

I have read about testosterone cream being transferred from skin to skin. When on O & P HRT I was supposed to use together and P is better used at night because can induce drowsy effects, but I used my HRT every morning because was worried about it rubbing off on my husband in bed. It still worked fine when applied in the mornings.

As most hormone should have been absorbed through the skin, I didn’t worry about transfer in washing mixed clothing together because thought the minuscule amount of remaining hormone would quickly become unstable, not withstanding hot water and washing powder.

Xenoestrogens (plastics, pesticides, chemicals) may bind to oestrogen receptors raising levels further, so further lowering the progesterone to oestrogen ratio, and if xenoestrogens are anti-androgens they will lower progesterone ratios further.

There are O & P receptors throughout the body (including the brain) and bodily systems that have to accommodate every hormonal change/decline, and having thyroid issues makes us a whole lot more sensitive to the fluctuating effects of O & P.

[Murphysmum in reply to radd]

Thanks for this radd , it’s made me feel more at ease using the cream.

Do you think the synthetic pg in a mirena would act in the same way? I know it’s supposed to, but I’m very wary as I’ve had so many interactions with things that are apparently fine with T3!

I’m tempted as although the cream has helped massively, I’m still having fluctuations and I feel it would take out the human error effect. If I knew that it might cause any negative effects though I’d happily continue with the cream… it’s just a bit faffy.

Thanks 😊

[radd in reply to Murphysmum]

Mm,

I haven't had any experince of a mirena coil and don't even know much about it. You could put up a new post entitled something like 'Experiences of Medicating T3 with Mirena Coil' so as to attract the attention of members who can offer their view.