| Insomnia, mood swings, irregular bleeding, irritability, | | | | to the body." * It's this hormonal imbalance that can |
| anxiety, water retention, low thyroid symptoms, | | | | result in many of the frustrating symptoms that |
| depression, fat gain (especially around hips, thighs, | | | | women associate with menopause. However, it's not |
| and abdomen), fibrocystic breasts, uterine fibroids, | | | | just middle-aged women who can suffer from |
| and low sex drive. If you're a woman approaching | | | | estrogen dominance. Younger women can experience |
| middle age, there's a good chance that you are | | | | it, too, in the form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). |
| experiencing one or more of these symptoms. Often | | | | The hormonal imbalance in this case may be linked to |
| my patients ask me, "Am I going crazy? Why does it | | | | toxins, contraceptive use, stress, extremes in diet |
| seem like my body is rebelling against me?" The | | | | and exercise, or xenoestrogens found in foods. Saliva |
| answer may be as simple as having too much | | | | hormone testing combined with a thorough history of |
| estrogen in your system-a condition known as | | | | symptoms can accurately determine an imbalance of |
| estrogen dominance. Most women are aware that as | | | | hormones. The results of specific hormone testing |
| they enter perimenopause their bodies begin to | | | | coupled with a patient's symptoms history will provide |
| produce less estrogen. So how is it possible that | | | | a basis for an individualized treatment program for |
| along with that decrease the body may actually have | | | | the patient. (I'm a real patient advocate when it |
| too much estrogen? The answer to that question is | | | | comes to choosing a testing laboratory-the prices |
| that estrogen dominance is relative to a | | | | and quality of tests can vary greatly and I spend a |
| progesterone deficiency. A decade or so before | | | | good deal of time "comparison shopping" before |
| actual menopause the woman may stop ovulating, | | | | ordering labs for my patients.) Once a patient's |
| which causes a lack of production of progesterone | | | | individual needs have been assessed and a treatment |
| from the ovaries. Menstrual cycles will continue even | | | | protocol has been started, I'll closely monitor a |
| without the progesterone so there is no awareness | | | | patient's hormone levels with follow-up testing. The |
| that the lack of progesterone is causing symptoms | | | | goal then is to achieve the proper balance of |
| of hormonal imbalance. In perimenopause and the | | | | estrogen and progesterone by supplementing with |
| menopausal and post-menopausal years estrogen | | | | bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (if needed) |
| levels drop 40-60%, but without ovulation, | | | | and other treatments. The success of the treatment, |
| progesterone output drops to nearly zero. In Dr. John | | | | or course, is measured not only by the hormone |
| Lee's book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You | | | | levels in the body but also by a reduction of the |
| About Menopause, he writes: "Estrogen dominance is | | | | symptoms that caused the patient to seek help in |
| a condition in which a woman can have deficient, | | | | the first place! * Lee, John R., MD, and Hopkins, |
| normal, or excess estrogen, but in the absence of | | | | Virginia. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About |
| ovulation, little or no progesterone to balance its | | | | Menopause: The breakthrough book on natural |
| effects upon the body. When estrogen is dominant | | | | progesterone. New York: Warner Books; 1996. |
| and progesterone deficient, estrogen becomes toxic | | | | |