Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[ABoatNerd]

Greetings everyone!

My first post as a newbie.

Your opinion/analysis please and thank you in advance.

Question - For a post menopause female of 13 years - Is there any "approved" minimum levels for estrogen and progesterone - levels where you Really get the health benefits for bones and heart?

I have been on HRT for 9 years - estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
Never felt is amounted to any benefit to be honest. My amounts have been fairly consistent over these years.

I get this prescription from a retired family doctor practicing menopausal health care as he still has his operating license.
He says I am very sensitive to hormones.

I have been under tremendous stress for the past 4 years, despite being retired, I have been leading the care of my elderly mother and father in their home - a  lot of stress with no help from my sisters. I am doing better now as my dear momma has passed (sigh) and my father has just moved into a retirement facility.

My Current Health

I am 62, last period 13 years ago, I have:

Slight high blood pressure
Slight high cholesterol
Osteoporosis
Sleep Apnea (obstructive) use a CPAP
Hashimoto thyroid confirmed by ultrasound and antibodies

I believe I have thyroid resistance - I have every official symptom despite having so called "normal" blood work (TSH 1.39 (range 0.35-5.00),  Free T4 16 (range12-22), free T3 4.6 (range 3.4-5.9).  I am not being treated for thyroid disease as the family doctor and encrinologist say I am fine (what else is new, sigh).

I have been told my cortisol is lowish - Cortisol morning (358 (range 130-540), Cortisol Evening at 4 pm 251 (range 65-330). I am exhausted in the morning and then gradually get more alert and active as the day goes on.

I feel totally awful with exhaustion, unable to do stairs, sleepy all day, hoarse voice, difficulty swallowing pills, shallow breathing, constant shaking, feeling of loud heart beats (have done the haulter test, fine), loss of muscle tone, Hashi face puffiness, gum disease etc, thinning hair, dry scaly skin, brain fog etc.

My sleep is awful, wake up at 2am wide awake, mind going......


My current HRT hormone application is:

Biest - 4mg/gm 80:20 (E3:E2) in versabase - 1 pump (0.2ml) 1 x per day (vaginally)

Progesterone - 5% in versabase  - 1 pump (0.2ml) 2 x per day (inside arms and thighs)

Testosterone - 0.2% (2mg/g) in versabase - 1 pump (0.2ml) 1 x per day (vaginally)


My current test results are:

Progesterone - 5.7 nmol/L (range post menopausal <0.7 nanomole/Liter) - This assumes you make no progesterone on your own I understand!

Estradiol - 78 pmol/L  (range post menopausal <202 Picomole/Litre) - Seems on the low end of the range

Testosterone, Free - <20 pmol/L (range post menopausal <29) - Not sure this is helpful as it is <20, it does not say if I am 10, 11, 8 or 9


My Thoughts On My Hormones

I believe due to my stress, my adrenals are fatigued. I believe that my thyroid hormones are not getting into my cells for a number of reasons.

I immediately feel better an hour after taking the estrogen - so too low a dose I think

Testosterone makes my body shake and heart race - I have stopped it for 2 days, feel more stable

Progesterone calms me - took my 1st of 2 doses an hr ago, my body is more calmer


What I have been Told

My naturopathic doctor (not the one dispensing the HRT) says the following regarding the minimum levels necessary to really provide heart and bone health:

Progesterone should be a minimum of 7.5 and that it can ONLY happen using pharma oral progesterone, not HRT progesterone

Estrogen levels should be a minimum of 150 - that would require a massive increase in estrogen for me

I asked what research supported this claim, she sent me a number of reputable studies, but I did not see the numbers 7.5 and 150 as minimums.

Also, what do people think of the progesterone - using the pharma oral?
_________________________________

I sure need to figure out how to feel better - there is something(s) very wrong.

I would appreciate your assessment of my situation and analysis on the 7.5 pharma progesterone and the 150 estrogen base levels.

Kindest Regards from ABoatNerd (P.s. I love ships!)

[CLKD]

There were replies in the other thread 

[ABoatNerd]

Hi there.

I made the mistake of posting on the other thread - I thought I was posting on the original.

Gee, sorry about that. Takes time to learn a new board!

I will now post on the Alternative Therapies site!