Questions regarding transdermal progesterone;also symptoms after stopping HRT

April 19, 2010

Posted this on STTM discussion board and a patient suggested I post here

formsome very good advice. Thank you for any help!

Bebe Meredith I am menopausal with adrenal/thyroid disease. Have been

treating with high RT3 protocol with " some " help long distance from Dr at Hotze

Health and Wellness since September 2009. I

Had settled into 60mcg of cytomel and 10mcg of cortef in divided doses. Symptoms

were improving, pulse and temp good but couldn't get the other hormones

balanceed (estrogen, progesteone) Tried various doses and methods of

administration.

Finally decided to concentrate on thyroid ONLY because trying to balance

everything was so confusing and especially since Dr treats by symptoms only.

(Even though I like that to a point, it is helpful to have labs when trying to

discern what is causing a symptom.)

First question: Janie, as I was reading the book again, I noticed that you wrote

that transdermal progesterone was a problem when you were being treated and when

you got off that you made progress. Then you balanced the thyroid and then

balanced the estrogen/progesterone. Is transdermal progesterone, in general, a

problem? I seem to have trouble with even small amounts of progesterone.

Second question: So, I stopped all the estrogen and progesterone and discussed

balancing the thyroid first with my Dr. He thought that sounded good and had a

plan for me on that. However, before I changed any of my cytomel or cortef

doses, my pulse suddenly became high. It had been running along in the 70's to

80's but I checked one morning and it was 125. I did not feel jittery, nervous.

No palps...nothing but the pulse staying high.

Cut back on cytomel for 3 days...no difference. Cut back on cortef...no

difference. Slowly stopped all of it...pulse stayed around 100-105 for 7 days

but still I felt fine. Yesterday, pulse was back in 70's to high 80's but I am

feeling very depressed. No fatigue but very depressed.

I am wondering if the T3 became higher in my blood when I stopped the estrogen

progesterone? Could it have been bound up and then without the estrogen, it was

being released? Or is this a sign that maybe it is time to switch to a

desiccated product ?

I am so confused on how to balance all this and my doc, though very open and

willing seems to basically follow my inclinations.

Thanks, Janie!

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