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Help! Can Progesterone help my 8 year old daughter?

by Rachel Rasmussen
(Purple Springs)

I have been on Natpro for six months now, and have finally tweaked out the timing and dosage perfectly, and really feel great. So, that's probably why I'm jumping to conclusions with my daughter. In retrospect, I'm fairly certain I was progesterone deficient in grade 4 (thats when I first got depressed, withdrawn, and foggy headed). Now my daughter is starting to show these symptoms, not to mention a surplus of body hair, body oder, and most disturbingly, a return of her infant epilepsy in the form of complex partial seizures. So, now of course she isn't ovulating, but could a surge of estrogen be causing this? I've read so much on the posotive effects progesterone is having in treating epilepsy, and I'm desperate to keep her off those horrible zombie drugs they prescribed her last time. She has some appointments with paediatricians who specialize, but I don't have high hopes that hormones will even be humoured as a topic of discussion (even thoigh they warned me five years ago, that if the epilepsy was going to return, it would be during a growth spurt. A growth spurt uses a lot of progesterone, right? Potentially causing a deficiency, right? Maybe?) So, you you have anything on this topic? And how might I dose a prepubescent?

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Feb 13, 2012
 Help! Can Progesterone help my 8 year old daughter?
by: Wray

Hi Rachel I'm so delighted it's helped you! And it is essential to do the tweaking yourself, so many ask how much, I just have to give an estimate, with a caution to use more if needed. It's impossible for me to say exactly. It's so interesting you should ask me this about your daughter. Yes progesterone will help, so will vitamin D. But first a bit of background on puberty. Menstruation starts about two years after puberty begins and is known as menarche. But the age of menarche is falling. In Europe the average age was seventeen prior to 1830. But by 1960 it had dropped to thirteen. In the USA by the year 2000 the average age stood at about 12.6 years for white girls, 12.1 for black girls and 12.2 for Mexican American girls, see here. Now that's 12 years ago, so it's undoubtedly dropped even further, see here. The age of menarche shows an inverse relationship to latitude. The higher north above the equator, the earlier the age. A 2011 study has found a lack of vitamin D, which is obtained from the sun, lowers the age of menarche, see here. This explains why darker skinned girls living in northern latitudes have an earlier start. And why the dramatic drop began during the Industrial Revolution when pollution from smog was at it's height. The smog might have gone, but now of course we all spend 90% of our time indoors. A lack of vitamin D reduces the benefits of progesterone, this was discovered during studies on Traumatic Brain Injury victims. So as you say, progesterone does help seizures, see here, here, here, here, here, here and here. Continued below.
Feb 13, 2012
 Help! Can Progesterone help my 8 year old daughter? Part 2
by: Wray

Hi Rachel So does vitamin D, see here, here, here, here and here. Her epilepsy could be due to nothing more than a lack of vitamin D. You've written you live in Purple Springs, the only one I can find is in Alberta, is this correct? If so it doesn't surprise me she's deficient in vitamin D, you are too probably. It's nearly 50 degrees north, which means the sun's angle is too oblique for much of the year to make any. Please have a test done, for both of you. Then if it's low to start taking it. You might find she doesn't need the progesterone, but please have that test done first. For more info on vitamin D levels, testing etc see the Vitamin D Council, GrassrootsHealth, Birmingham Hospital and Vitamin D Links websites. Blood levels should be 70-100ng/ml or 175-250nmol/L and not the 30ng/ml or 75nmol/L most labs and doctors regard as adequate. The minimum daily dose should be 5000iu's per day, although the latest research indicates it should be 10,000iu's per day, see here. Take care Wray
Feb 13, 2012
 *mind blown*
by: Anonymous

this makes so much sense to me. Yes, I take vitamin D 5000IU all winter, (that, omega 3's and the progesterone have been my personal dream team). Yes, we are in Alberta, and yes, the suns angle isn't sufficient for producing vitamin d at this time of year. Should I start her on vitamin D right away, or wait until after bloodwork has been done?

God Bless you Wray! You really have a gift for finding the missing puzzle pieces.
Feb 14, 2012
 *mind blown*
by: Wray

Hi Rachel Bless you! I love looking for the pieces. In fact there's another piece I forgot to mention, and that's taurine, this also prevents seizures. It's only found in animal protein, no vegetable, nut or seed contains it. It can be converted from cysteine, but many authorities believe not in sufficient quantities, see here and here. If you can bear to wait a bit, I feel it would be better to get the test done, I could be very wrong, and she has a good level! The test will show what it is and therefore how much she needs to take. These are two more papers, see here and here. Take care Wray
Feb 14, 2012
 Estrosmart
by: Annette Canada

Hello there. I may also recommend estromart for your daughter and yourself. There is a combination of things that help reduce excess estrogen and toxins from the blood with no side effects. My daughter and I have been on them for 2 years and have wonderful results along with Natpro. You could do some research on the internet on estrosmart. I live in Saskatchewan, what a horrible thing excess dominance is... My daughters have suffered dearly from me being on years of bcp, I so regret it. I'm sure Wray will agree about the estrosmart. A great alternative if your not wanting to start her on progesterone yet. You can get it at most health food stores just phone around. All the best!!!
Feb 15, 2012
 Estrosmart
by: Wray

Hi Annette Thanks for reminding me! It is excellent, as it has Calcium D-glucarate, Indole-3-carbinol and DIM. For Rachel's benefit oestrogen is metabolised in the liver by glucuronic acid, the process is known as glucuronidation. Glucuronidation is one of the major detoxification pathways of the liver. It removes carcinogens, toxins, tumour promoters, the sex hormones ie, the androgens and oestrogens, mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids, aromatic and heterocyclic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, various nitrosamines, drugs, fungi etc. It's then excreted in the bile, but an enzyme in the intestine called beta-glucuronidase reverses the glucuronidation process. It breaks the glucoronide bond between a toxin and glucuronic acid, and releases carcinogens, toxins and excess steroid hormones back into circulation. There's evidence beta-glucuronidase activity is increased in breast and prostate cancer. Calcium D-glucarate inhibits beta-glucuronidase, see here, here, here and here. Incidentally this enzyme is produced by undesirable gut bacteria, supplementing with probiotics suppresses the bacteria, and subsequently the beta-glucuronidase. I3C is the precursor to DIM….
Oestrogen is broken down into 2 principle metabolites, 2-hydroxyestrone (2-OHE1) and 16-alpha hydroxyestrone (16alpha-OHE1). 16alpha-OHE1 is regarded as a potent oestrogen, whereas 2-OHE1 is a weak oestrogen. DIM increases levels of 2-OHE1, by doing so it also increases the ratio of 2-OHE1:16alpha-OHE1. This increased ratio is associated with a lower risk for breast cancer, see here. Other studies have found a protective role too. Take care Wray

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