Is oestrogen excess behind your symptoms?
We hear a lot about the symptoms which can come about from low oestrogen during menopause, but what about when there is too much oestrogen?
Oestrogen excess is actually incredibly common in women of all ages but especially in women in the perimenopausal years from late 30s/early to mid 40s. This is because oestrogen dominance or excess relates to the ratio of oestrogen to progesterone and low progesterone to oestrogen is very common during this phase of life.
Oestrogen is a key female hormone which we need for a whole range of reasons, but we also need our oestrogen to be balanced out by another key hormone called progesterone.
One of the biggest contributors to oestrogen dominance is stress! Stress robs your body of progesterone which allows oestrogen dominance or excess in ratio to progesterone to occur. Add to that some liver and bowel sluggishness and the daily environmental exposure to oestrogenic chemicals (through foods, cosmetics, plastics, household chemicals, the pill) and you've got a recipe for a hormonal imbalance which can be pretty unpleasant!
Your body clears oestrogen through metabolism in the liver and then through excretion by the bowel, so where these processes of elimination are compromised (such as in chronic constipation or toxic overload), oestrogen which should have been cleared from the body can end up being reabsorbed, further adding to the excess oestrogen in the system.
If you're carrying extra weight this can be both a consequence and a further contributor to oestrogen excess.
So what might you be experiencing if you have excess oestrogen/oestrogen dominance?
There are many possible symptoms which can come about as a result of oestrogen dominance.
Common ones are:
Heavy Periods
Prolonged or frequent periods
Period pain
Skin breakouts
Hormonal headaches (headaches around ovulation or just before/during your period)
PMS/PMT
Mood swings or anxiety/depression especially from mid cycle onwards
Endometriosis
Fibroids
Ovarian Cysts
Weight Gain
Thyroid issues
How do I find out if I have excess oestrogen?
Hormonal testing can be very helpful to see the amounts and ratios of your hormones in relation to each other. The symptoms that you are experiencing will provide information as to likely hormonal issues, but testing allows us to see a baseline and can be very helpful. I regularly refer women for either blood or saliva hormone testing at particular phases of their cycle which allows us to see all of the hormones in relation to each other and from there the most effective way to support the body back in to balance and alleviate the symptoms of hormone imbalance.
If I have excess oestrogen, what can I do about it?
There are natural and dietary support options to reduce issues associated with excess oestrogen and low progesterone. These will vary for each woman depending on individual needs but a holistic approach will most likely include:
- liver and bowel support to encourage metabolism and clearance of oestrogen
- Dietary support to support oestrogen clearance which may include adding in certain foods and reducing or eliminating others
-Stress management and adrenal support
-Reducing chemical exposure from cosmetic/skin care/ chemicals within the home (many of these products contain chemicals which are oestrogen like)
-Movement/exercise to support detoxification and hormone clearance, for stress reduction and overall health and wellbeing
-Establishing a healthy sleep pattern/better quality sleep if relevant
If you would like to arrange a time for a consultation to discuss what has been going on with your hormones and discuss relevant hormone testing appointments can be booked here:
Initial consultation (for new clients or returning clients who haven't had a consultation in the past 18 month):
https://blossomwellbeing.as.me/initial-consultation
Current/returning clients: https://blossomwellbeing.as.me/?appointmentType=2667879
