Hormonal balance and well-being

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone!I have been reading the e-mails for a month now without enough time to respond effectively. It saddens me so to hear so many of your stories of confusion and sincere requests for effective help in your journeys for hormonal balance.I have been on this journey for twelve years. I went through menopause around 50 years old. I didn't seem to have muchtrouble before 50. I had my first child at 27 and my second at 38. I was never on birth control pills or any other hormone prescription.I didn't have much PMS, but I could get a severe headache if I got agitated or upset just before my period. My menstrualcycle was every 28 days and I bleed (first spotting, then

normal, then spotting) for the first 7 days. My very last period happened in less than an hour with one large blood clot and then I was done. After that I noticed I started to wrinkle, it was harder to maintain my former body frame, my hair started thinning, and somewhere along the way I started eating chocolate (which upuntil menopause I didn't even like). Around 55 I completely gave up coffee, and at 57 I got engaged. Thinking that I was getting married soon and would be having sex, I went to my doctor because my vaginal area hurt. She said it was vaginal dryness and put me on vaginal Estrace for two weeks. It worked but I hated the way it made me feel. I wanted to find another acceptablealternative. Hence began my journey into hormone replacement therapy. I started with an acupuncturist and then found

a compounding pharmacy with two pharmacists that seemed knowledgeable about sex hormone replacement. I started with just plain vaginal estradiol and then added topical creams of tri-est, then bi-est, then plain estradiol with a bioidentical progesterone cream days 15-28. No one ever suggested that I would get bleed again and I never did while using these creams. During this timeI couldn't find a doctor who knew anything about HRT, but I did get one to write a prescription for whatever my pharmacists recommended. I did saliva testing, but all we looked at was whether the results were in the normal ranges. No one talked about adequate replacement levels or restarting a bleed, or getting a uterine ultrasound, etc. This journey felt like a roller coaster ride.I just didn't feel stable or great and wasn't sure what

to do. Then I read Suzanne Somer's book and contacted some of the doctors she recommended that were located near my area. One doctor gave me prometrium and I almost went bonkers (like on speed) with only 1 pill. The doctors I contacted believed in bioidentical hormone replacement with differing ideas, but no one had much hope or under-standing for real wellness. That's when I read about the Wiley Protocol and there was a doctor in my town who was starting a new and separate practice devoted to this protocol. He had me read the book, Sex, Lies and Menopause, by T.S. Wiley and Bent Formby.I was impressed by the idea of having a bleed again (because that's when I felt the most optimal), and by the idea of restoring myhormone levels to that of a 20 year old, and because this new doctor said he had tried everything else and this was the only

protocol he had seen actually be effective for well-being and anti-aging. At this point in time, I was waking up every three hours during the night,my hair was constantly being compromised, I still could not get my weight under 124 lbs. (most of my adult life it was 118), and I felt like I was losing my memory and my ability to concentrate. So even though there were a lot of things about T.S Wiley and T.S. Wiley's bookthat seemed not quite right, I jumped on board. I was on the protocol for 1 year and 7 months. I started a menustral bleed the first month.I started having all kinds of new symptoms: I gained weight, enlarged and sore breasts, I felt like ants were crawling under my skin and I itchedfor almost three months straight, I developed an extreme craving for chocolate (much more than normal), racing heart and chest pain

and shortness breath especially after starting the progesterone each month, depression, sleep problems, my got more brown spots and they gotdarker, my veins started swelling and my blood felt like it was on fire. I also developed a brown pregnancy line on my stomach. I was told all of this would go away when I had enough estrogen receptors to hold the amount of estradiol that my body needed. I would l know thiswas enough when my FSH level was below 5.0. (During this time my estradiol blood levels were between 150 and 350 and my FSHlevel was still above 5.0) When I was concerned, I was told that this protocol didn't work for everyone, especially women that didn't do well in pregnancy. I wondered, "What does pregnancy got to do with the normal hormone levels of a 20 year old?" When I asked my doctor why he didn't test for progesterone

levels along the estradiol levels, he said he didn't worry about these levels or reaching the levels in T.S. Wiley's book because a lot of women get sick on progesterone. For awhile we lowered the estradiol and upped the progesterone, and I lost all the weight, developed horrible vulva burning that became unbearable (cytolytic vaginois), inconsistence, my hair started falling out, I started getting black hairs on chin, and I had a hard time sleeping. My doctor then assured me that as I kept increasing my estradioleverything would work out. It didn't and I had a horrible encounter with the doctor's manager that left me very shaken and scared. I started researching and was astonished at what I found. I discovered the Rhythmic Living website and read all the articles especially those writtenby Dr. Bent Formby, co-author of Wiley's book. I eventually contacted him and found out

he has nothing to do with her anymore. He hadno idea she was putting this protocol in the book until it came out and he was appalled anyone would follow it. He became a huge supportperson for me. When I realized that the Wiley Protocol is a progesterone dominant protocol so many things made sense. First of all, they keepupping the estradiol because the huge doses of progesterone keep blocking the estradiol. I didn't feel good when I was pregnant and that's whenwe get more progesterone. I felt best after my children were born and was breast-feeding them. Apparently our hormones are low during thistime. I was also appalled that I was getting the amount of progesterone in l month that a normal 20 year old gets in 3 1/2 years and that theprogesterone cream gets stored in your fat cells. However, I did get my mind back during this time and I felt more centered. My

new doctor says extreme high doses of estrogen can do that - it's like an adrenaline rush all the time. I felt like I was on a roller coaster with no end it sight. Ialso felt abandoned, uncertain, scared, and definitely confused. Then I joined this yahoo group. During the first few weeks I started seeingthe name Dr. Schwarzbein numerous times. Women were saying that she was really good at helping women get off the WileyProtocol and get hormonally balanced. I live in California and when I realized her practice was in Santa Barbara, I called her. She had juststarted taking new patients and she had an opening Thursday morning and this was Tuesday afternoon. I went. She spent 3 1/2 hours with me.She went over all medical reports, my hormone usages, and lab reports for the last ten years. She could actually read them and put pieces of thepuzzle

together. She made sense! Then she explained about menopause and how to treat it. She had quit taking patients previously becauseshe and her husband wanted to educate medical professionals on HBTx - the why and how; and teach women on how to take charge of their hormonehealth. She is a board certified physician specializing in endocrinology. She has helped thousands of women effectively and safely managetheir menopause. She is a pioneer and recognized expert in the use of bio-identical hormones for treating menopause and is now the country's leading advocate for changing the way in which menopause is viewed and treated by physicians. She has also written numerous books on healing the body through her Five Rules for Hormone Balancing Therapy: 1) Restore only the hormones that are missing, 2) Restore the missing hormone(s) with

bioidentical hormones, 3) Use bioidentical hormones in a bioequivalent manner, 4) Improve nutrition and lifestylehabits, and 5) Continuously monitor results. I have been with her for almost a year now. I am completely off the Wiley Protocol and haveeliminated the unbearable symptoms. It takes awhile to completely heal from the extreme dosing of WP and effect it has had on my endrocrinol system and to eliminate the stored progesterone from my tissues and get my sex hormones balanced. I am sleeping better and my hair is getting healthier. It is still hard to take progesterone but I am making progress. I have also gained weight from the nutrition and lifestylechanges, but she assures this will go away when my body is balanced. I feel like she really knows what she is doing; she has logical answersto my questions; she is keeping me

safe; and she really cares. This is such a scary journey and she has a hold of me and is leading me through with wisdom, knowledge, and compassion. So now the really great news is that she has a DVD or Audio Series available to purchase called Menoopause Power and just recently her, Menopause Power Take Charge Guide. I have the DVD series and it is great. However, her new Guide is amazing. It spells out everythingyou need to work effectively and confidently with your doctor to manage your menopause correctly! And I mean EVERYTHING! Sheshares what kind of hormone delivery, amounts, brands, lab testing - when and what, other tests, how to start and what doses, and how totalk to your doctor and answer his questions and concerns. She is clear about what to do and what not to do. She is also e-mailing her MenopauiseMinutes on a

regular basis dealing with various topics and she is open to topic suggestions that you might want addressed. Youcan research all of these things at www.menopausepower.com. If you would like to receive her Menopause Minutes just send me your e-mailand I'll forward them to you so you can sign up to receive them as they come out. As I listen to your stories and concerns, most of them are addressed in her Menopause Power Guide. I hope this helps and that you can take advantage of it.Blessings,ShereeIf you want to call me my phone number is 530-898j-1812.

[Guest guest]

Sheree,

Thanks so much for sharing this. Very helpful.

I didn't see much about blood sugar and how to use it to help you monitor.

Also, not much on the web either. I did ask Dr. S to include it in the

Menopause minutes, but as of yet, it hasn't come up. I am right on the

borderline of diabetes so this is of great interest. One interesting thing was

that I had been on hydrocortisone to help my adrenals which have healed. When I

came off the hc, my sex hormones which had been suppressed, rebounded. It was

great and I had felt really good and had good libido. Unfortunately, I didn't

think to get any testing done to see what was up.

Deb in MI

>

> Hi everyone!

>

> I have been reading the e-mails for a month now without enough time to respond

> effectively. It saddens me so to

> hear so many of your stories of confusion and sincere requests for effective

> help in your journeys for hormonal balance.

> I have been on this journey for twelve years. I went through menopause around

> 50 years old. I didn't seem to have much

> trouble before 50. I had my first child at 27 and my second at 38. I was

never

> on birth control pills or any other hormone prescription.

> I didn't have much PMS, but I could get a severe headache if I got agitated or

> upset just before my period. My menstrual

> cycle was every 28 days and I bleed (first spotting, then normal, then

spotting)

> for the first 7 days. My very last period

> happened in less than an hour with one large blood clot and then I was done.

> After that I noticed I started to wrinkle, it was harder

> to maintain my former body frame, my hair started thinning, and somewhere

along

> the way I started eating chocolate (which up

> until menopause I didn't even like). Around 55 I completely gave up coffee,

and

> at 57 I got engaged. Thinking that I was getting

> married soon and would be having sex, I went to my doctor because my vaginal

> area hurt. She said it was vaginal dryness and

> put me on vaginal Estrace for two weeks. It worked but I hated the way it

made

> me feel. I wanted to find another acceptable

> alternative. Hence began my journey into hormone replacement therapy. I

started

> with an acupuncturist and then found a

> compounding pharmacy with two pharmacists that seemed knowledgeable about sex

> hormone replacement. I started with just plain

> vaginal estradiol and then added topical creams of tri-est, then bi-est, then

> plain estradiol with a bioidentical progesterone cream

> days 15-28. No one ever suggested that I would get bleed again and I never did

> while using these creams. During this time

> I couldn't find a doctor who knew anything about HRT, but I did get one to

write

> a prescription for whatever my pharmacists

> recommended. I did saliva testing, but all we looked at was whether the

results

> were in the normal ranges. No one talked about

> adequate replacement levels or restarting a bleed, or getting a uterine

> ultrasound, etc. This journey felt like a roller coaster ride.

> I just didn't feel stable or great and wasn't sure what to do. Then I read

> Suzanne Somer's book and contacted some of the doctors

> she recommended that were located near my area. One doctor gave me prometrium

> and I almost went bonkers (like on speed) with only 1 pill.