Menu

Copper

by Penny
(Oz)

Hello Wray In my search on all things hormonal I have come across bits and pieces on Excess copper. I was wondering what your ideas on this was as it seems to be causing alot of problems that we all have on here and thought it could be another avennue for people to search along.

Comments for Copper

Click here to add your own comments

Jul 18, 2012
 Copper
by: Wray

Hi Penny You're as bad as me when it comes to searching for solutions to hormone problems! It seems you never stop. And how right you are about copper. Excess copper causes oestrogen to rise, suppresses both zinc and progesterone. Not only that but it causes aggression, anxiety, depression and psychosis. Also seems to cause pruritis too. William Walsh has looked in to it in great detail, his info can be found here. You'll have to scroll down to copper. Plus info from Blake Graham in Oz (link no longer available). You might be interested in reading this page here. It's very long, so best to enter 'copper' into 'find'. She has post natal depression, but I did ask her to have her copper levels tested, eventually! So many things can affect us, I have problems remembering all the questions I should ask. She did and it was found they were high. Copper is needed, but all too often our soils are depleted in zinc, which means our food has little, which allows copper to rise! Many swimming pools use copper, plus some multi mineral complexes contain copper too. Zinc is so vital for fertility, the highest level is found in sperm, followed by our eyes. Low zinc causes stunted growth, plus problems with gonad formation. And more! Take care Wray
Jul 19, 2012
 Copper
by: Penny

Hi Wray thanks for the info! Yes it seems when searching for one thing it leads to another! Copper is probably the only thing I have not had tested for and when I researched it, so many things rang so very true for me, I have pretty much no zinc or magnesium (which I now supplement with) and since adding vit C and molybdemun I have noticed such a difference in my head! It is so much clearer and my candida is not rearing its ugly head. And with the cream I'm turning a huge corner, I havent been warm for years and I'm warm hot hot flushy warm but normal warm, I feel like running down the street yahooing! I still have a way to go and I think it does take time for the body to regulate its self and repair so its one day at a time but I have so many more good days than bad and I do cherish that so much.
Jul 20, 2012
 Copper
by: Wray

Hi Penny I'm so delighted you've 'turned the corner', I feel like yahooing with you! If you do have a copper test, please let me know the results. Maybe that's the first thing we should all test for. I've just answered a woman this morning about her son and his problems. She had him on soy milk because of allergies to cow's milk. But she has found his brain development very slow, and his testes were small. Soy is full of phytoestrogens, oestrogen in any form suppresses zinc, increases copper. Zinc is vital for the development of the gonads. Anyway she used a small amount of progesterone on him and was writing to tell me how much he'd improved. Skin problems gone and he was acting like a boy now. Plus she has him off all grains, as these are full of phytoestrogens too he can only get better. I don't think any of us realise how much oestrogen we take in every day! I'm not sure if I gave you these articles, but they give you some idea, see here, here and here. Plus of course there are over 100 oestrogen mimics in the environment now, see Our Stolen Future. Please keep in touch, I value your input! Take care Wray
Jul 20, 2012
 Copper
by: Penny

Hi Wray I did read that post it was very interesting, I have just recently stopped all soy but when I was pregnant with my son I was on it and he was born with hyperspadius I think thats how you spell it, lucky it was only mild but it wasnt until later that I found there is a link between soy and the hyperspadius! Thank goodness I didnt feed him soy milk at all after s he is lactose intolerant.
I actually had my water checked for copper as our water is from a bore an we do have copper its at 0.34 mg/l and the danger level is supposed to be 1 mg/l but its still a red flag for me as I do drink a fair amount of water, so I am now searching for a filter specifically for copper as we do have extensive filtering anyway, its all a very interesting learning curve!
Jul 21, 2012
 Copper
by: Wray

Hi Penny It is an interesting learning curve! It doesn't surprise me about the soy and hypospadias (I have to use the dictionary all the time, too many odd words!). The amount of copper in the water is immaterial, it's the amount you drink which is. And you say you drink a fair amount, so best to get it filtered out. Plus that used for cooking food, or bathing, minerals can be absorbed via the skin. Swimming pools that use copper are a major source for regular swimmers. The pitfalls never end! Take care Wray
Jul 24, 2012
 Copper vs zinc
by: Kaylana

Hi Penny and Wray,
So many threads to follow and untangle! I have found the connection between zinc / copper and progesterone / estrogen to be fascinating too!

I wasn't sure if I should respond on the page about child use, my page on psoriasis or here. :-)
Yes, I've been using zinc and vitamin D along with the cream. The results have been very good as I have shared.

Penny, at the height of my psoriasis problem I had sores on my hands where the city tap water hit. I never found out if it was copper or the hormones that weren't being filtered (disgusting, I know!). Regardless, we moved a year ago to a house that has a well and the sores on my hands were the first to heal.
I agree with Wray's comment that it isn't the level that is important, but how much we are ingesting.

And to throw out another thread... has anyone shown how wheat consumption is connected to estrogen dominance? Dr. Davis of 'Wheat Belly' fame has numerous patients who sound as if they are suffering from estrogen dominance that is eased once they stop all grains. I have my theory, but am always looking for more input and sound information.

Thanks, Wray, for your valuable insight!
Kaylana
Jul 25, 2012
 Copper vs zinc
by: Wray

Hi Kaylana Always good to have your input, even if it is on this page! I'm so interested to hear how the change of water has helped your psoriasis. And as for wheat, well I'm very radical, it should be avoided at all times…..except when eating a croissant! The problem about wheat is when it's well baked it's irresistible, otherwise it's disgusting stuff. It has a high content of phytoestrogens, so it does have an oestrogenic effect on us, plus the fact that large quantities are eaten, see here, here and here. The same goes for the legumes too. Dr Cordain is very interesting about grains and legumes, see our page on Nutrition for his website and a video. Take care Wray
Jul 26, 2012
 Copper
by: Penny

Well I went to the Dr's to get a test for copper, even though the water test showed copper in it I still got that "look". Actually the only thing he knew about copper was wilsons disease. These Drs really need to start looking outside of the box, I guess its not really their fault but the teachers. Anyway he did organise a test but only a blood test, he wasnt at all familar how to test for it so I really dont know if the blood test will be of any value.On wheat I had a dramatic improvement when I eliminated all wheat I will never go back to it, even when I walk past a bakery with their freshly baked crusty bread smells going up my nostrels.....
Jul 26, 2012
 Copper
by: Wray

Hi Penny I can imagine he would know abut Wilson's disease, but that's excess copper in the liver, and I'm sure you would have found that out long ago! Blood tests are the standard for most things, a hair analysis can be of help too. I'm sure Blake Graham, or the lab he uses knows how to test for copper, you could try giving them a ring or email at 'Nutritional Healing' in Australia. How interesting you had such an improvement giving up wheat! But that smell as you say, it has to be one of the best. Dr Cordain has some interesting comments, saying humans were taller and had bigger brains before they 'discovered' wheat. What does that bode for our future and the amount we eat now?! Take care Wray
Apr 09, 2015
 Progesterone and high copper
by: Anonymous

hmm interesting. I just been diagnosed with high copper and progesterone cream nearly caused me to commit suicide. i shook for nearly 6 months straight and the anxiety and depression was so intense. I havent really recovered from all that the p cream did to me. Im on the road to recovery though working with biochemists to fix things. I was told so often by docs that progesterone did not do that to me BUT IT DID- it nearly killed me. I had conformation from the biochemists that p did in fact dysregulate my copper. in fact they said that high copper women should not use bio identical hormones and there are others that have reacted the same way to bio identicals. So you can say whatever you want, throw whatever study you want at me BUT I LIVED IT. BIO IDENTICAL HORMONE CREAM NEARLY CAUSED ME TO COMMIT SUICIDE. it is not a wonder hormone for everyone. I have seen you encourage women to up their p- dose when it is obvious that they are having issues with it. I wish you would reconsider that some women (high copper) can not handle p- cream.
Apr 12, 2015
 Copper
by: Penny

I had high copper and I too nearly left this planet because of the severe anxiety, panic, brain fog,depression, and more, copper dumping is what caused these issues with me, I don't know what other supplements you are taking but by simply balancing the estrogen could cause your body to dump the copper, if you haven't done any research into excess copper please do, I was in a living hell and it wasn't until I corrected my imbalances and got rid of the copper build up did I return to normal health, and all the time I still used the progesterone and still do so it may not be the progesterone that is the direct cause of what happened to you. A good book to read is Why am I so tired by Ann Louise Gittleman
Apr 13, 2015
 copper zinc imbalance
by: Dana

Hello I would like to share my experience with copper zinc imbalance And bio identical progesterone.. I think many are unaware that stress is actually the biggest contributor to copper toxicity... Under a normal stress response, copper calcium and sodium rise in the body and zinc, magnesium and potassium are dumped..this is just mechanics it's how we're designed... If a woman's adrenals are healthy she shouldn't need biodentical hormones at all..the adrenals job is to take over where the ovaries leave off..unfortunately the adrenals get bogged down on copper and can no longer do their job... This is due to zinc deficiency along with breaks in the methylation cycle due to genetic weaknesses (methylation issues- low or high histamine which can be validated by drawing whole blood histamine at a lab Corp near you...<40 equals overmethylator >70 equals undermethylator)the truth is, our genetics predispose us to vitamin and mineral deficiencys... U can prove this by testing your genetics through 23andMe. Saliva test for $99.... methylation is how our bodies detoxify heavy metals, balance hormones and make brain neurotransmitters... If you're not methylating correctly the heavy metals start to build...this is when adrenal fatigue, hormonal imbalance, thyroid issues , blood sugar instability, blood pressure issues, gut and gallbladder issues begin.. unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way that hormones are not the correct way to fix biochemistry ... I thought originally I could cure myself with bio identical progesterone... Unfortunately it just creates more imbalance... Progesterone is seen as a mother hormone... Because it can convert to any other hormone in the body and that's part of the problem...look at a simple hormone chart and you can see this for yourself.. If copper and zinc and the other nutrients that are needed for methylation to function properly are at appropriate levels, we can detoxify and the adrenals stay healthy and the hormones stay balanced.. However zinc deficiency alone is an epidemic these days... Progesterone rises with zinc... The answer is not taking progesterone... The answer is taking zinc and the other nutrients necessary to improve your methylation status. Hair testing $90 direct health care access online.. and blood testing for. Copper serum, zinc plasma, ceruloplasmin and calculating unbound copper percentage... Functional range for zinc is 90-135.. Copper 70-109.. If u see that copper is higher than zinc you know you've got problems...proper Testing can reveal many of your deficiencys and it seems as though everyone these days are zinc, magnesium, chromium, and selenium deficient... I've seen nearly a thousand hair tests from other sick imbalanced people and it's truly an epidemic... The body will hold onto a toxic metal if you're deficient because the toxic metal is actually serving a purpose.. It takes the place of those deficient minerals in enzymatic functions..I myself have proven through test results that my copper levels actually got higher while taking progesterone for 4 months...the progesterone can not only increase progesterone but can also increase estrogen, cortisol, DHEA etc. And unfortunately you have no control over it.. In a perfect world we could get it to do what we want... But the body doesn't work that way.. I tested my hormones faithfully while taking progesterone every 8 weeks. The body has checks and balances in place. And if you have metal/ mineral metabolism imbalance which is extremely common these days due to deficiencys from stress and our foods that are stripped of minerals and vitamins..unfortunately, Hormones will never correct your mineral/vitamin deficiencys... B6 is another common deficiency seen today from sugar and stress..get to the true root of illness and hormonal imbalance..taking hormones is not the answer!!!
Apr 15, 2015
 copper zinc imbalance
by: Wray

Hi Dana Thanks for your excellent comment, I hope many get to read it. Hormones are not the answer, even progesterone! I've long advocated adding nutrients to our depleted diets, plus having tests done. For years I've given links to the various labs who do the tests, links too to sites with further info on the imbalance problem. You mention 'Hair testing $90 direct health care access online'…… I'm not sure if this is the same lab as the one I suggest people try, namely Direct Healthcare Access II Laboratory. I know they are actively involved with Walsh Research Institute and Mensah Medical, who I have also suggested to people. Unfortunately these two establishments are costly, but I know Direct Healthcare will deal directly with the public. Take care Wray

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Progesterone faq.

Share this page:
Find this page helpful? Please tell others. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Search over 8,400 pages on this site...