Dr. Conner,
I am 43 years old and have not had a period in about 7-8 months. I began having very intense menopausal symptoms (e.g. hot flashes, difficulty with sleep, waking up sweating profusely, irritability, extreme mood swings, weight gain, etc.) shortly after I turned 43 (about 3 months ago). My boss, who is a psychiatrist, prescribed me estradiol 0.5 mg twice a day because I currently am without health insurance. I began to take the estradiol, and the symptoms dissipated very rapidly. However, I continue to experience fatigue, irritability, mood swings, & WEIGHT GAIN (which bothers me greatly!!). I stumbled upon your website / article regarding progesterone. Should I stop taking estradiol and begin utilizing the progesterone cream?
Heather
At 43 years old, you can expect some menstrual irregularity. Not having a period for 7-8 months could mean you are on your way to menopause. Menopause is defined as not having a menstrual cycle for 12 consecutive months. Your body will release an egg and therefore go through a “cycle” as long as your hormones are fluctuating enough.
Taking oral estradiol will eliminate to symptoms of low estradiol. But, as I’ve said over and over, “hormones do not belong in your stomach.” You are continuing to experience fatigue, irritability, mood swings and weight gain because your hormones are not balanced. Just based on your question, I’m going to assume your estradiol is too high and your testosterone and progesterone is too low. High estradiol will block your thyroid hormones causing fatigue and weight gain. Being irritable and having mood swings is usually a high estradiol to progesterone ratio.
Taking progesterone cream alone usually helps many of the symptoms you are describing. It broadens the range at which women feel good with relation to their hormone levels. Without testing, we cannot be sure exactly why you are still having symptoms.
I hormone cream consisting of estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone can do wonders for you. If you are still feeling sluggish and having a hard time with weight issues, thyroid testing is your next step.
