just been to see nhs endo as my dr will not prescribe under current private doc. Says he might prescribe if nhs endo diagnoses me as hypothyroid. Well guess what? He wont prescribe, I am not hypothyroid,( original bloods were within range) and I now have to go for testing of pituitary and high oestrogen.
My periods stopped when I was 40, 7 years ago, and I have suffered with fibrocystic breast disease for the past 20 yrs which incidently has improved enormously on thyroxine! Prescribed by my private doc.
Before I start the gamut of tests that I now have to have, does anyone know of any research of what causes what. Does hypothyrodism cause high oestrogen or does high oestrogen cause low thyoid?
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pippadoll
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I don't know the answer to your question, but I'd be interested to find out. I have a lot of hypothyroid symptoms (I saw Dr Peatfield) but my tests came up normal. However, in recent years, I've had problems with my periods. In 2010 I missed three months (I put it down to stress at the time) then they resumed as per normal. Then this year I missed five months. I read that it might be down to oestrogen dominance and that progesterone cream might help – ironically, the day after I ordered some, my period arrived on its own, but I've been using the cream in any case, and while my periods haven't quite reverted to normal, I have been getting them. The cream I use is Serenity. I haven't had a diagnosis of fibrocystic breasts but they are quite lumpy (not in a way that makes me think they need urgent medical attention, it's just how they are.) Sorry not to have answered your question, I just wanted to let you know that some of my experience seems to chime with yours.
Not sure if this follows with everyone but when I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I was also diagnosed peri-menopausal and put on HRT. After 2 years, it turned out my menopausal symptoms were actually thyroid symptoms and the spike in the hormones they test for the menopause could be caused by the thyroid. My doctor spoke to a Dr heather Currie (who runs the menopause matters website) to confirm that this can happen. No longer on HRT and still having periods but there's obviously a connection!!
Hypothyroidism does not cause high oestrogen. On the contrary if the thyroid is misfiring it can play havoc causing menopause type symptoms. This is due to the thyroid itself and not estradiol levels being high.The thyroid hormones have receptors throughout the reproductive system and if estradiol and progesterone levels are plumetting - the effect will put a strain on the thyroid
Estrogen domminance is pure marketing - it might be just as easily labelled progesterone deficiency.Also those progesterone creams sold over the counter are frequently too weak to be effective unlike those made by a compounding pharmacy or micronised progesterone available on prescription from the NHS (Utrogestan)
At menopause progesterone falls at a sharper rate than estradiol - however that does not imply that estradiol supplies are adequate for well being - merely that the opposistion between the hormones has been lost and as a result a woman will often suffer insomnia, feel irritable, have tender breasts and diarrhoea due to low progesterone.
Bruce Rind links the two together. In fact he links the adrenals, thyroid and ovaries together saying that a problem with one causes issues with the other.
You might want to read up natural progesterone....
Thank you for this link as it has shed some clarity on my situation (I was diagnosed hypo in Aug 2013, took T4 for a year with some improvement and am now on NDT since Sept with massive improvement but starting to feel tired again.....) as I now realise I need to do some adrenal support to sort out an underlying issue as well as my hypo thyroidism... The metabolic scorecard is a bit confusing but helpful as I ended up in the 'mixed' more often than not so that clarified things for me nicely. (I do use progesterone cream as well since I have horrible oestrogen 'dominance' symptoms if I don't - I spent 7 years with symptoms while my idiot of a previous doctor told me I was menopausal - I'm still not according to tests!)
I had early menopause (45) but I now believe it was to do with my thyroid - I have two sisters neither of which have hypo like me and did not have early menopause. I wasnt diagonosed with hypo until two years ago (now 55) so sufferred for some years.
high estrogen will cause your thyroxine binding globulin levels to increase and therefore your Total T4 levels to increase and your free T4 levels to decrease (making you hypothyroid). Your TSH in response will rise to increase production of thyroid hormones from your thyroid. If your thyroid can't produce enough thyroid hormones you will remain hypothyroid.
I have hashimoto's and when I went on the combined pill containing estrogen my TSH went up to 18 and I put on weight.
What is your TSH? Anything above 2 is dodgy. If there is some way of lowering your estrogen levels that might sort your hypothyroidism if that is the cause of it. BTW corticosteroids have the opposite effect to estrogen in that they lower TBG levels and raise free T4.
I am very confused at the moment-have been reading a lot today. Did read somewhere that high oestrogen can supress tsh and mine before thyroxine was 0.3 although my ft4 was at the bottom end of the range. Have been reading alot by Ray Peat-he seems to know his stuff and the effects of low thyroid hormone on the rest of the endocrine system.
My experience is that the natural progesterone cream,Serenity,does work.for the past 6yrs or so i hav always had a 3wk period cycle(previously had been normal 4wk);as soon as started the prog cream my period cycle started go back normal and whats more i got pregnant!not planned;i thought i might be 'infertile'.I definately put it down to the cream;so it is v 'effective'!
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