Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Alternative Therapies => Topic started by: Suzzzy on November 06, 2024, 12:04:59 PM
-
Good morning, looking for similar experiences and suggestions. I am post menopause for 4 years and have be fine, I am now having a sudden onset of anxiety, flushes, low mood. Pre menopause I had Oestrogen dominance which I fixed non synthetically through a clinic with Dim evail and progesterone for 3 years.
I went and had my bloods done and progesterone is 0.5 nmol/L High and outside the normal range, Oestrogen is normal 19 (normal range is 0-505 pmol/l, so on the lower scale.
I am looking to decrease my progesterone but read I cant take the Oestregen cream unless I take Progesterone cream, as I still have my womb, but dont want to increase my progesterone any further??? Help, history of Ovarian cancer, just had a yearly ovarian scan and CA125 count is clear.... so at a loss, have also just started Menopace plus and vit D drops.
I just know if I go to the normal doctor they will push for HRT which I dont want to do (55 yrs old) clear of symptoms for 4 years and ovarian risk. The private clinics are so expensive and long NHS waiting lists for the menopause clinics.
-
The bottom line is that if you plan to take transdermal estrogen, you will need to use a progestogen that is appropriate for endometrial protection.
I would strongly recommend against relying on progesterone cream for this, as it is poorly absorbed and not supported by evidence as being able to adequately prevent endometrial hyperplasia, which can over time progress to endometrial cancer.
If you are ok with taking progesterone cream, why not swap this for utrogestan capsules which you can get from your NHS GP. These can be taken orally or vaginally.
There is no evidence this increases ovarian cancer risk, but not taking any if you are using systemic estrogen does significantly increase endometrial cancer risk, and you don't want that as well.
-
Thank you, that all makes sense but can’t wrap my ahead around if i take utrogesten capsules to counteract the endometrial, that increases my progesterone which is high? And the aim is to slighly increase my estrogen and lower my progesterone through diet.
-
Perhaps I am understanding wrong but are you using a progesterone cream?
Also why do you want to reduce your progesterone levels?
Untreated postmenopausal women have negligible progesterone levels in the blood anyway so if you are taking something that is not for endometrial protection and your progesterone is high, and you are not happy with this, the obvious thing to do would be either reduce or stop this.
This doesn't apply where a suitable product is being used to protect the endometrium with concurrent estrogen use. Plasma levels are not clinically helpful in this instance.
-
Hi
No not on a progesterone cream, im currently not taking anything as I have been free of symptoms for 4 years and very post menopause as I started in my mid 40s.
Sudden onset of hot flushes, low mood/ anxiety (complete switch to my normal happy self, this took me to have my individual bloods done, blood levels for progesterone came in very high, hence wanted to reduce via diet, estrogen is in normal range but at the lowest of normal, hence thought i could increase estrogen a little through cream, to bring closer to Progesterone levels if I could bring them down with diet, as I could see no other explanation in the bloods that would be causing these symptoms, in pre menopause years ago I was the other way estrogen dominance was very high progesterone v low, with I have to say same symptoms I have now.
Hope that explains.
-
If you have unexplained high progesterone that is significantly above the reference range, not associated with using progesterone cream etc then it would be a good idea to see your GP as this can be a result of conditions such as ovarian cysts.