Re: Lack of Progesterone and Lack of Sleep (Was Natural progesterone helps prevent brain seizures

[Guest guest]

Janet, I read this with interest. When my husband came down with cancer

recently, a person on another list was corresponding with me and also mentioned

the progesterone issue in men; and when men have too much estrogen and not

enough progesterone, that the possiblility of cancer increases as the unopposed

estrogen increases ( estrogen is cancer causing.) He is definitely not into the

progesterone thing.

Now, I wanted to discuss my 18 year old autistic son, and his lack of sleep.

Andy, in his book, mentioned that sometimes with metals poisoning, the hormones

get messed up. It seems to me that since my son became autistic at age 12, he

hasn't slept as well as he used to. If he had a lack of progesterone, this

would mess up his sleep, wouldn't it? I do not plan to check nor alter his

hormone levels. I am writing this out of what I think and simply out of

curiousity. Rose

[ ] Natural progesterone helps prevent brain seizures

Peat, PhD, has an online paper titled " Progesterone and Epilepsy " at

www.efn.org/~raypeat/epil.rtf.

Natural progesterone cream (which can be purchased over the counter and has

few side-effects) tends to prevent seizures. It is important to note that

progesterone does not produce secondary sex characteristics, and in itself

causes neither feminization nor masculinization.7 However, in large doses it

can be antagonistic to testosterone.1 Progesterone supplementation is

necessary to balance xenohormones, chemicals with estrogenic activity, that we

are daily exposed to in our food, air, and water.3,4 " All xenohormones should be

considered toxic; the majority have estrogenic effects on both male and female

bodies. " 4 They are extremely potent and active in unbelievably small doses; many

are nonbiodegradable, so they continually accumulate in the environment.4 " Early

in the study of estrogens, it was noticed that soot, containing polycyclic

aromatic hydrocarbons, was both estrogenic and carcinogenic. Since then, it

has been found that phenolics and chlorinated hydrocarbons are significantly

estrogenic, and that numerous estrogenic herbicides, pesticides, and industrial

by-products persist in the environment1. " In November 1995, an international

conference concluded that, " Endocrine-disrupting chemicals can undermine

neurological and behavioral development1. " Estrogens, whether natural or

xenobiotic, can wreck havoc in the body, if not balanced by progesterone and/or

detoxified by the liver.

Estrogen dominance is a term coined by R. Lee, MD in his groundbreaking

book.3 It describes a condition where an individual can have deficient, normal,

or excessive estrogen but does not have sufficient progesterone to balance the

levels of estrogen and xenohormes in the body.4 Because there are so many

xenohormes in our environment, it's possible that we - men, women and children

are all suffering a little from estrogen dominance.4 " You would have to

virtually live in a bubble to escape the excess estrogens we are exposed to

through pesticides, plastics, industrial waste products, car exhaust, meat,

soaps, and much of the carpeting, furniture and paneling that we live with

indoors every day. " 4 Xenohormones are particularly damaging to ovaries and

testicles during the embryo stage.4 Chronic exposure eventually results in

functional loss of ovarian follicles (decreased progesterone production) and

decreased sperm production.4

Estrogen increases the brain's susceptibility to epileptic seizures while

progesterone tends to prevent seizure activity in brain cells.1 Goodman and

Gilman's text on pharmacology discusses the ability of estrogen to make animals

susceptible to seizures, and progesterone's opposing effect.1 " Part of

progesterone's protective effect is a result of its quieting effect on cells. " 1

Recent research shows that estrogen and cortisol promote the effects of the

" excitotoxins, " which are increasingly implicated in degenerative brain

diseases.

Natural progesterone promotes calm and normal sleep patterns (estrogen is an

excitatory hormone), relieves anxiety, acts as a natural

antidepressant,normalizes zinc and copper levels, helps normalize blood sugar

levels, facilitates thyroid hormone function, helps metabolize body fat for

energy products, etc. Progesterone fosters brain growth and intelligence and is

very large amounts are produced during the last months of pregnancy.

Progesterone is one of the few essential requirements, besides nutrients, for

nerve (brain) cell growth & survival. Progesterone is extremely non-toxic. The

only side effects are from using excessive amounts over a long period of time

(six months to a year), depression or sleepiness can result.

Peat, PhD, is the leading researcher on natural progesterone. You can

contact him at P. O. Box 5764, Eugene, OR 97405, 541-683-4279, or go to his

website www.efn.org/~raypeat/sub.html. The paragraphs above came from my paper

titled " The multiple functions of natural progesterone cream & it's potential as

a treatment for autism and other psychiatric disorders " which gives references.

Email me at js.mc@... if you want a copy.

Good luck,

Janet McAuley