We recently got a great question from a listener and want to share it with you.
This question is about a perimenopausal 51-year-old female. She is still menstruating and having confusion about her hormone testing and the hormone therapy that she is currently taking.
She is experiencing some breast tenderness and irritability related to her cycle. She is taking some supplementation and wondering if that is right for her and her hormonal concerns. And while she is nowhere near overweight, she feels that her body is carrying a little extra in the middle, despite exercise and healthy eating.
Here is her question:
‘I am 51 and have had very regular periods, and still do. I do have heavier flow on day 2 and then a few days of light flow. It has been this way since my late 30s. I am 120lbs with a BMI of 19.4. I recently had saliva testing done because I felt I was very irritable during the luteal phase day 20 – 28(ish) sometimes my cycle is as short as 24 days, but more often 28. I noticed the tender breasts and irritability starting closer to day 15 or 17 more recently.
The saliva test results are Estradiol 1.1, Estriol <0.9, Estrone 2.6 L, Progesterone 50L, Ratio Pg/E2 (Saliva LCMS) 45, Testosterone 36 H, DHEAS 1.2, Cortisol 3.4. My naturopath started me on Black Cohash and I started Prometrium 100mg 3 days ago. It feels fairly normal getting up, but sleeping in about an hour longer in the morning but I may feel a bit sluggish later in the day.
I generally have good energy and sleep well. In my late 20s and early 30s I did have chin and jawline acne that cleared up with Tretinoin. I still use tretinoin for preventative. I don't have abnormal hair growth, I have had only one breast cyst. I do exercise a lot, but it's a balance of weights, cardio and yoga. I also eat well, I think enough. I do have mid section weight gain. My normal weight is 115, I don't care about the number, just the middle bloating and flab - it's not terrible, but would like things to fit better!
My question is about the high testosterone. What would be the next questions to ask or what tests to figure out how to balance this. Could the high testosterone be the source of the irritability and also you mentioned a guide to calories in the show notes for episode 59 but I can't find these. Thank you! I just started listening and have passed this on to others’.
In this episode, we break our listener’s question into:
● Weight gain or change in body fat distribution in perimenopause.
● Lab testing for perimenopause and what it means.
● Supplements thoughts for perimenopause.
● What estriol, estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone are. And what they mean
in perimenopause.
● Other hormones affected in perimenopause, such as DHEA and cortisol.
● Can testosterone cause irritability in perimenopause?
If you have a question, please visit our website and Ask the Doctor a question. Thank you for listening.
Discover the common and unfamiliar symptoms that you might be experiencing. Get access to cases of real women with hormonal conditions.
In this episode, we talk about hormone treatments for perimenopause and menopause. There is a vast distinction between perimenopause and menopause when it comes to treatment options. We often see women who are being treated for menopause when they are genuinely not in menopause. Meet Linda: Linda is a listener who sent us a question […]
Recently, Catherine posted a question on our website about Biest cream, and we knew this could interest our listeners. Biest is a combination of estriol and estradiol, one of the most common forms of estrogen therapy used in bio-identical hormone replacement. There are many doses, ratios, options, and methods of using Biest, so we thought […]
Welcome to the Progress Your Health Podcast! This is a podcast that helps you learn about balancing hormones, especially during perimenopause and menopause. We love hearing from our listeners. If you have a question, please visit our website and click Ask the Doctor a question. Let’s read Brigitte’s question! I have been listening and learning […]
In this episode, we talk about the difference between perimenopause and menopause. Both Dr. Maki and I (Dr. Davidson) have worked with women in perimenopause and menopause since 2004 and sometimes get a bit myopic and technical when it comes to explaining the differences. The other day, a patient of Dr Maki’s asked the question, […]
in this episode, we answered a listener’s question. We love questions from listeners. If you have a question, please visit our website and click Ask the Doctor a question. Here is the listener’s question: I have been perimenopause for at least 4 years now I am 47 and after completing a Dutch test with a […]
The dreaded, uncomfortable, annoying, burning, itchy, achy, irritating vaginal infection. Ladies, we have all been there. And for those unicorns that have never had a vaginal infection such as yeast or bacterial vaginosis, well, you are certainly one of the lucky ones. While a yeast infection or BV is not life-threatening, not fatal, and maybe […]
