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When I was going through that, I was hell bent on not taking hormones. Within a year I was at my gyno's office crying & begging for hormones. My hormones were haywire and causing me problems at work.
I had tried OTC substances...Black Cohosh, packaged menopause supplements (whatever they contain), etc. I was optimistic that they'd help, but they didn't. The Rx hormones did, though. Hormones protect against bone loss, too, one of the most dangerous threats to aging women. One broken hip from a fall and you will likely die early.
I'd take hormones the rest of my life, if I could. But the powers that be won't let women do that.
So now, well after menopause, I take OTC supps again. Not sure they do any good, but I take them, anyway. I try to eat some foods that raise estrogen levels, too, but I think you have to eat a lot of those to see any effect, if there is any effect.
I'm somewhere in peri-menopause, and I can't take hormones at all, ever. I had a hormone-sensitive cancer 14 years ago and my doctors all say that replacement hormones are absolutely contraindicted. So it would be helpful if someone had suggestions other than "just give in and get the hormones."
Vitamin E helped me. I didn’t take hormones because my mom had breast cancer at 78. However, it was probably caused by her doctor putting her on hormones for 30 years. She was still taking them when she was diagnosed.
If possible, stay away from soy products. Soy seems to do a number on female hormones. Every single time, I experienced breast tenderness, I always traced it back to eating something with soy - intentionally (looking at you Whole Foods soy nuggets) or unintentionally (processed foods with soy ingredients). You'd be surprised how much your health improves when you start reading labels and reduce processed foods. I hope the soy bit helps.
I had problems with low progesterone and estrogen dominance. I took Vitex to raise the P, and DIM and calcium d-glucarate to lower the E.
Hi, I can’t seem to send a PM but i’m curious if Vitex fixed estrogen dominance for you or did it need to be paired with DIM/Calcium D glucarate? I heard DIM can actually raise estrogen since it converts bad estrogen to good estrogen. Also that calcium d glucarate cannot be used long term since it depletes other hormones. Did you take them for a long period? Did your blood tests show a shift in progesterone? Thanks.
I started with just the Vitex when I was in my 40's. Then I went through a very stressful period of years which is when I added in the DIM/CDG. Then when I hit menopause, I stopped the DIM/CDG, because at that point I needed the estrogen. I also had to lower the Vitex, and then eventually I stopped it because it became too stimulating.
I took the Vitex off and on for probably 10 years, and the DIM/CDG for 5 years. I did not take any blood tests. I did everything by how I felt.
I started with just the Vitex when I was in my 40's. Then I went through a very stressful period of years which is when I added in the DIM/CDG. Then when I hit menopause, I stopped the DIM/CDG, because at that point I needed the estrogen. I also had to lower the Vitex, and then eventually I stopped it because it became too stimulating.
I took the Vitex off and on for probably 10 years, and the DIM/CDG for 5 years. I did not take any blood tests. I did everything by how I felt.
Thank you so much for sharing! How much Vitex did you use? I’m on a ridiculously high amount and it’s only making a difference now. Do you feel it balances hormones permanently or only while taking it?
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