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What Benefits Are There From Using Natural Progesterone

  By | January 16, 2008 - 2:26 pm | Uncategorized
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During the years that a woman is able to bear children, the hormone progesterone is produced from within her ovaries. In her post-menopausal years, her body continues the production of progesterone in the adrenal glands and fat cells.

“Natural progesterone” is a hormone produced from plants that is biologically identical to the progesterone created in a woman’s ovaries. It is made from soybeans and yams, and is readily accepted by the body.

Natural progesterone works within the body exactly as progesterone manufactured in the body would, causing few if any side effects. For many years, natural progesterone has been used by women consistently and successfully in hormone replacement.

Synthetic progesterone, or progestin, is a man-made hormone that is made using chemical compounds. Also used in hormone replacement therapy (HRT), it can produce various and undesirable side effects including headache, breast tenderness and PMS.

The use of natural progesterone provides women with a means of boosting unacceptably low levels of progesterone in their bodies. Low progesterone levels may allow the hormone estrogen to reach a “dominate” level causing problems such as breast tenderness, water retention, irregular menstrual periods, as well as other, more serious, health issues.

When natural progesterone has been used in treatment, it doesn’t interfere with the performance of estrogen hormones, but works in a balance as it would under natural conditions. One of the concerns of synthetic progesterone use is that it may diminish estrogen benefits.

Some of the benefits of natural progesterone include:

helps prevent fibroids in the uterus
improves sleeping
restores sexual desire
works as an antidepressant
relieves water retention
helps stabilize blood sugar
helps eliminate postpartum depression
helps fight obesity
facilitates thyroid activity
stimulates bone building
helps to restore clear thinking

The use of natural progesterone can help to re-establish hormonal balances in a woman’s body and relieve worsening premenstrual symptoms as a woman approaches menopause. It can be used safely in hormone replacement to restore a woman’s hormonal health to natural, optimal levels both comfortably and successfully.


Other sites that may interest you

Menopause and Depression - U-M Depression Center
Menopause - PubMed Health
Menopause Introduction: MedlinePlus Interactive Health Tutorial ...


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Having Too Much Estrogen Is Bad For You

  By | January 16, 2008 - 2:20 pm | Uncategorized
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The effects on a woman’s body of having too much estrogen can be quite serious.

A chronic condition of increased levels of estrogen (estrogen levels that are not balanced by sufficient levels of progesterone in the body) are the single greatest factor for an increased risk of endometrial cancer (cancer of the uterus).

Estrogen is not one hormone. Estrogen is actually three different hormones: estrone, estradiol and estriol. In addition to the estrogen the body produces on its own, women are exposed to estrogen-like environmental chemicals (they mimic the effects of estrogen in our bodies) called “xenoestrogens”, and dietary estrogen sources (estrogen contained in food). As a result, elevated levels of estrogen in a woman’s body may be traced to several different factors including biological, environmental or dietary/lifestyle, or may be a combination of all of these.

So why exactly does this matter? Why is having too much estrogen bad for you?

Too much estrogen or the condition of “estrogen dominance” can be the cause of serious health issues. Normally during a woman’s childbearing years, estrogen and progesterone levels increase and decrease in coordination with one another throughout her monthly reproductive cycle. When these hormones are in a state of imbalance, with estrogen occurring in higher levels, women experience problems such as headaches/migraines, clouded thinking, breast tenderness, anxiety, depression, heart palpitations, food cravings, and water retention.

If increased levels of estrogen are not treated, they can lead to much more serious and problematic circumstances including infertility, heavy menstrual bleeding, infrequent menstrual cycles, fibroids, endometriosis, stroke, and cancer.

Educating yourself about estrogen, it’s role and the effects it has on your body is very important. Learning to monitor and maintain your body’s hormonal balance is of great benefit, and will promote lasting results for your overall health.


Other sites that may interest you

Menopause | What to expect during menopause | womenshealth.gov
The Menopausal Patient And Hormone Replacement Therapy
Menopause : Health A–Z Resources and Publications


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Finding Relief For PMS

  By | January 16, 2008 - 2:17 pm | Uncategorized
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A woman suffers greatly every month when she has Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS). The physical symptoms of PMS are: acne, bloating, breast tenderness and fatigue. The emotional symptoms of PMS are: anger alternating with sadness, crying, depression, irritability, mood swings and being overly sensitive. There is no cookie-cutter treatment for PMS. Just like different women experience different symptoms and different intensities of these symptoms, finding relief for PMS can be very different. Treatment is usually a combination of exercise, emotional support, nutritional guidelines and lifestyle changes.

It is important for women diagnosed with PMS to keep a PMS diary of symptoms they experience each month and the activities they do to help relieve them. It is just as important to document the results of the treatment as it is to document the PMS symptoms.

Treatments that women may be asked to try by the medical personnel treating them may include:

* Quitting smoking

* Quitting or reducing intake of alcohol

* Exercise

* Avoiding salt intake prior to the menstrual time

* Reduce caffeine intake

* Reduce the intake of sugar especially refined sugar.

* Take supplements that include vitamins B6, E, calcium and magnesium.

A doctor may also prescribe medications to help bring relief to a woman suffering from PMS. These medications may include:

Analgesics (pain relievers) – to bring relief from headaches, menstrual cramps, and also pelvic discomfort. Analgesics prescribed may be nonsteroidal antiinflammatory medications (NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox) or mefenamic acid (Ponstel).

Antidepressants – for mood disturbances including periods of extreme saddness. Because antidepressants work on increasing brain chemicals (opioids, serotonin) levels that can be affected by the shift in ovarian hormonal levels. Antidepressants that may be prescribed are fluoxetine (Prozac) and paroxetine (Paxil).

Oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) may be prescribed to even out the ovarian hormones as especially the newer birth control pills have shown to improve hormonal fluctuations.

Ovarian suppressors – these medications such as danazol (Danocrine) are used to suppress ovarian hormone production. They cannot be used for long periods of time though due to side effects. A group of drugs called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) have been used to bring relief to some women with PMS. These also cannot be given long-term because they can have an adverse effect on bone density and also an increased risk for bone thinning (osteoporosis). The GnRH drugs may be prescribed along with other hormone supplements.

Since treatment is symptomatic, the woman being treated for PMS is instrumental in designing the treatment plan.

Exercise has been found to reduce stress and also to reduce anger and depression. Exercise may also have a positive effect on hormones

There have been some studies that show that drinking tea and increasing dietary carbohydrates during the weeks before the menstrual period can reduce PMS symptoms. Carbohydrates are known to increase the level of neurotransmitter serotonin. Nutritionists recommend using vitamin B6, reducing alcohol, caffeine, refined sugar, salt, dairy products and also the amount of animal fats consumed in the weeks prior to menstrual flow.

It has been shown that reducing the amount of stress can have a beneficial result on the symptoms of PMS.

Natural progesterone is also a reliable treatment for PMS because it has been shown to get rid of the estrogen dominance that may be the cause of PMS. Natural progesterone comes in either vaginal or rectal form. Natural progesterone cream is not messy or drippy and the body can absorb it within minutes of application. Natural progesterone can relive PMS symptoms such as: bloating, cramping, depression, fatigue, headaches, irritability, and also weight gain.

A woman suffering from PMS has many treatment alternatives and many combinations to explore so that she can find the right one for her PMS symptom relief.


Other sites that may interest you

Menopause
Introduction to Menopause
North American Menopause Society - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia


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Premenstrual Syndrome And A Woman’s Body

  By | January 16, 2008 - 2:15 pm | Uncategorized
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Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is real. It is a physical and emotional disturbance that causes pain, mood swings, and irritability, even depression in women after they ovulate each month. They endure the suffering each and every month, year after year for as long as they are in their reproductive years (usually ages 12 – 50). That is a lot of suffering!

Different women can experience a variety of symptoms and can even experience different symptoms one month to another. The usual range of symptoms are: acne, anger alternating with sadness, appetite changes, bloating, breast tenderness, crying, depression, fatigue, food cravings, irritability, mood swings and being emotionally overly sensitive. The symptoms are a combination of emotional ones and physical ones. They all feel like they are out of control “things” that are happening to the woman.

These symptoms can have an impact on her ability to function if they are at an extreme level. The physical symptoms especially (acne, bloating, breast tenderness and fatigue can make her feel physically ill to the point of not being able to function at work or at home. If these symptoms are to the extreme where the woman is unable to function she may be suffering from premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). This disorder is also called late luteal phase dysphoric disorder.

Approximately 80% of menstruating women have premenstrual symptoms. Experiencing physical or emotional symptoms does not automatically mean that the woman is suffering from PMS. A doctor diagnoses PMS based on the severity of the symptoms and the inability of the woman to function normally because of them. Approximately 20% to 30% of the 80% of women who have PMS symptoms have moderate to severe intensity of symptoms and 2% to 6% of those women are believed to have the severe variant of PMS known as PMDD.

The disorder was officially recognized by the medical community in 1931 and the term “premenstrual syndrome was coined in 1953.


Other sites that may interest you

Menopause - PubMed Health
Premature ovarian failure - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
Male Menopause?


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What Are The Symptoms Of Being Low On Progesterone

  By | January 16, 2008 - 2:07 pm | Uncategorized
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We now know that progesterone is a hormone created within a woman’s ovaries which helps to prepare the womb each month for acceptance of a fertilized egg, and attachment of a fetus.

Not having an adequate level of progesterone in the body is a problematic circumstance for many women. Why? Because a number of problems can result from low progesterone levels including irregular menstrual cycles, miscarriage and increased cancer risk from unchecked estrogen.

It is extremely important to a woman’s overall health during her entire lifetime (not just during her reproductive years) that her body produces and maintains normal levels of progesterone. The most important reason for this is so that it properly counterbalances the effects of estrogen.

Progesterone levels can be adversely affected by a number of environmental factors including stress, prescription hormones, and hormones used in commercially produced and processed dairy products and meats.

Now that we know that it’s important for your body to maintain normal progesterone levels, we are faced with the following question: What are some signs that your body may have low Levels of progesterone? Here are some clues:

Breast tenderness
Fibrocystic breasts
Decreased/Low sex drive
Depression
Obesity
Night sweats
Bone loss
Irregular menstruation
Excessive bleeding during menstruation
Uterine fibroids
Water retention
Sleeplessness
Vaginal dryness
Thyroid dysfunction
Unclear thinking
Infertility/Miscarriage
Headaches
Endometriosis

Many of these symptoms don’t seem particularly alarming when considered separately, and therein lies the danger. Because they may appear harmless, oftentimes signs of low progesterone are not specifically noticed or interpreted as reasons for concern.

However, when you have noticed these symptoms occurring simultaneously, they should certainly be a signal that something in the body is not normal. This is then reason for a higher level of concern, and should warrant further investigation.


Other sites that may interest you

Definition of menopause - NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms - National ...
Andropause - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
The Menopausal Patient And Hormone Replacement Therapy


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