Hormone Wildfire: Update

Hey!

It’s been a little over a month since my last post and I’ve learned new things and had more testing performed and I want to give an update on this.

Overall, my energy and stress have both improved. I’m no longer reaching for coffee every afternoon and I wake up consistently before my alarm, rested. It is a wonderful feeling to have this kind of progress AND energy throughout my morning and day.

As you’ve read in the previous posts, my progesterone was absolutely bottomed out and so my focus has been on increasing these levels naturally. I’m using Chasteberry extract (Nutri-Dyn product found here or in my office). Everything that I’ve continued to read, listen, and learn about in regards to low progesterone discusses the importance of STRESS MANAGEMENT.

STRESS MANAGEMENT. 

It’s such a general topic of discussion, isn’t it? I’ve been utilizing meditation daily, mostly twice a day, for 5 minutes at a time and it has been incredibly helpful. Accepting my body and health the way it is and acknowledging when I’m frustrated, upset, or angry at the process is part of any healing process. Stress management for me also includes avoiding stressful activities, even if I liked doing them. For example: I love to strength train and it is my preferred method of movement BUT each time I did this, the bleeding intensified. And the clots returned. The bleeding would stay for 2-3 days after this. My heart rate was never above 140 bpm and this was still happening. Obviously this is too stressful for my system RIGHT NOW. So I had to pivot, my daily movement became walking for 20 min. 4-6 days per week and yoga 3-5 days per week.

In addition to my DUTCH results, I had a fasting glucose and insulin, A1C, C-RP, and full thyroid panel performed with antibodies. I learned that my thyroid is sluggish. It’s “normal” but in the low-normal ranges. I didn’t have elevated antibodies, ruling out Hashimoto’s Disease. The thyroid gland is the metabolic director of every organ in our body, including our ovaries and adrenal glands. When I saw these results (slight elevated TSH with low-normal T3), I knew that I needed to be addressing this as well as increasing my progesterone.

C-RP is also known as C-Reactive Protein and is a great systemic marker for inflammation. This was normal.

Fasting glucose and insulin shocked me. My fasting glucose was higher than it had ever been (even in pregnancies) and was in the early “pre-diabetic” range. This floored me. My fasting insulin was also higher than it needed to be.

Is there a connection between Estrogen dominance/sluggish thyroid/pre-diabetes? YOU BET THERE IS.

When Estrogen is high (itself or in relation to Progesterone), it makes a woman INSULIN sensitive. In the second half of a woman’s cycle, increased Progesterone causes a woman to be INSULIN resistant. {Insulin is a hormone that is produced in the pancreas and released when glucose *sugar* enters the blood stream}. This explains why the second half of the cycle causes a lot of women to have more carbohydrate or sugar cravings!

The next question would be: when did I get this blood draw for glucose and insulin fasting? During the second half of my cycle. So the next question is, am I truly “pre-diabetic” or was it because I was in an increased insulin resistance cycle phase?…….

Regardless, I have pivoted my healing journey to include whole foods that are loaded with nutrients. I am being much more strict in regards to processed foods or carbohydrates because these are not helpful for me right now.

One thing that I recommend to all women: keep track of your cycle. I use the FitBit app and this is simple to do. If you seek care for hormonal issues from a provider, they are going to ask you this so you may as well begin this tracking process and starting connecting emotions, cravings, and energy with your cycle.

I also recommend to put a calendar date in your phone of your hormone testing follow up. Mine will be performed in mid-March in which I will do the DUTCH test again and the same blood work as mentioned above.

This podcast does a great job explaining more this connection in detail. I recommend starting it at the 10:30 mark.

A few other changes I’ve made to my healing journey, I have started using a bio-identical Progesterone serum each night before bed. I’m on day 3 of this, but my sleep is deeper! Currently I am on day 10 of my cycle and still bleeding BUT…..the intensity is slowing. Which is great because there was a point and time in which I was bleeding on day 28 or 35 and it was full clots and heaviness and allll the bad things. Progress! I’ve increased my Chasteberry supplement as well just to help support the levels of Progesterone that should be starting to climb at this time. Hot tea is part of my day as well. My current favorite is lavender with chamomile or I’ll choose my adaptogenic herb tea with herbs that support my adrenal glands (found at WM Nutrition).

I’ll continue to update on this process, because I know others are struggling and are not being supported during this process.

If you have questions in regards to this process, please reach out!

Love,

Dr. Kelsey