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No libido, huge road block, mental crashing, please help!

by J
(MA)

Hi Wray,

I've read virtually every word on this site and have been doing well with progesterone but recently have had some frightening set backs. I tend to research for hours a day in all my free time, but I could really use YOUR insight to my situation!

Brief history:
Female, 100 lbs, 22 years old, very clean diet and lifestyle. No estrogen dominance symptoms before or after starting P cream. I cleaned up my life and diet long before starting the cream, but my main problem/complaint has always been absolutely NO libido no matter what I try!

Took birth control (seasonique and kariva) due to terrible periods/bleeding at 16, only for 1.5 years. Realized I completely lost my sex drive, which was a HUGE part of my life and identity.
Stopped birth control due to INSANE crazy moods etc. Felt slightly better but never recovered.
When I was really young I took a corticosteroid (dermatop/prednicarbate cream) for well over ten years due to sever eczema which started at 3 years old.
Haven't used any prescription medication for many years. Nothing in my system other than progesterone cream.
I've never taken SSRIs or ANY other medications.
I've been constantly refining/cleaning my diet ever since stopping the pill to try to regain health.

Started P cream in June 2015 at only 20 mg (before I found this site) for a couple months but it wasn't helping of course and I started noticing slightly larger breasts and some dark hair on my chest. I knew something was wrong, and my moods were getting worse. One night I had a breakdown (which always spurs a giant researching spree) and found this site and immediately upped my dose to 300 mg. This was September 2015. Everything was changing immediately. I lost water weight, my skin felt tighter, I was calmer and more clear minded for the first time in so long. But I still never got my sex drive back. I had one maybe two nights falling asleep where I felt my libido coming back, vibrating all over my body as I fell asleep. I knew it was too good to be true.

I felt my best after a few weeks to two months on P cream. My constipation was SO much better and I felt so calm and happy and like everything was getting better all the time. But I was gradually cutting back my carbs at the same time because I didn't like how sugar was making me feel and Wray kept saying that sugar lowers progesterone levels. I was also developing an irrational fear of carbs. So I was Very Low Carb for two months, which eventually became NO carb, save for half a tomato in the morning. I was unaware of the dangers of such low carb intake and was beginning to feel irritable all the time. My constipation was getting worse. My moods, similar to before starting P cream.

I then found the Perfect Health Diet and realized what I was doing to my body on no carbs. So I added sweet potato, squash, some melon, etc. back in my diet. I immediately felt the benefits of glucose in my brain and my "starvation" mood symptoms got a lot better, and my constipation too since glucose lines the intestinal tract with mucous. Also my dry eyes were much better too. I started having some strange symptoms though since adding carbs back in. I would get a tight chest after eating that was worse later in the day and made me a basket case by night. My moods became more erratic. However, I was feeling a little bit sexier too and over the course of 3 days (in which I was eating chocolate for the first time in months)I felt my libido returning/rising and then something crazy happened. That night I "engaged" in thinking about sex a lot which takes any sexual energy I have, I had sex with my husband, laughed a lot that night, then one tiny thing I normally would have let go made me feel embarrassed and I SUNK into a strange state where I felt no emotion anymore. Everything went away. It felt like a neurotransmitter CRASH but I have no idea and I don't want to draw any conclusions. It's been weeks and I'm still in the dumps. I've been having TERRIBLE anxiety, chest tightness, moodiness, crying, depression, suicidal thoughts. I can't relax! Perhaps it's cortisol related, but nothing in my life has changed. I am happy and have a wonderful life and amazing husband. But there's some imbalance in my body causing all these adverse symptoms.

I should add that when I first started the P cream at 300 mg I was getting slight anxiety / chest tightness which I thought was a temporary side effect. It's also one of the reasons I wanted to stop eating sugar. But I've never had anything like it in my life. It's also the same style of tight chest / anxiety that I felt when I took my first vitamin D3 pill ever. I had never taken vitamin D in my life and I believe the tight chest was due to magnesium deficiency. However, I've been taking 5,000 IU for a long time and haven't had these symptoms again until I added carbs back into my life. But going low carb again is not an option for me and my health. I don't believe the foods I'm eating are responsible. I believe I'm in the process of correcting a lifetime Progesterone deficiency and balancing my hormones for the first time. But at this point I don't see any progress anymore. I feel stuck, terrified, hopeless, depressed, and desperate for any new information that could connect the dots for me.

Here are my current symptoms:
No libido
Daily anxiety and chest tightness
Trouble sleeping/staying asleep (I never sleep through the night)
Slight constipation
Frequent urination
Occasional dry eyes
No motivation whatsoever
Inability to do work
Always feel like I didn't get a good night's sleep
Constantly thinking/worrying about my symptoms
When someone is talking, I can't focus and the sound of their voice seems so disruptive/loud and I need it to stop.
Easily frustrated. When asked a simple question I can't even form an answer. Especially when asked if something's wrong I get so frustrated.
My mind races a million miles a minute, even though I can't get any work done.

My current diet (I eat the same exact thing every day):
Breakfast:
2 XL eggs
1-2 tbsp butter
1-2 tsp coconut oil
1 small tomato
1 oz mushrooms
5 oz carrot
1/2 banana

Lunch:
4 oz ground turkey
1 tbsp sauerkraut
1 tsp coconut oil
1 small sweet potato
Real salt
1 tbsp raw honey

Dinner:
3 oz chicken breast with gluten free flour blend (rice, tapioca, xanthan gum)
1-2 tbsp butter
1-2 tsp coconut oil
1 cup melon chunks
1 cup butternut squash chunks
Real salt
2-3 oz brandy

I'm trying to hit the ratio of 50% fat, 30% carbs, 20% protein as advocated by the Perfect Health Diet. It seems to be good fit for me and my body/metabolism.

My supplements include:
5,000 IU Vitamin D3
30 mg zinc citrate
120 mg magnesium glycinate
2-6 sprays magnesium chloride on skin

Just recently started taking 50-100mg 5-HTP to try to calm myself down/up serotonin levels. Can't tell if it's doing anything.
Just recently upped my Progesterone dose to 420mg (from 300mg) but it hasn't changed anything.

Any insight and/or time spent on my query is GREATLY APPRECIATED! Thank you so much!

Best regards,
J

Comments for No libido, huge road block, mental crashing, please help!

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Feb 17, 2016
 No libido
by: Rachel

Sorry, but your meal plan has absolutely no green leafy veg whatsoever. Is that right?
Feb 17, 2016
 No libido, huge road block, mental crashing, please help?
by: Joy

Hi J

Many thanks for your detailed information, it always helps us to help you. I am a tad confused though, as you say that you never suffered any Estrogen Dominance symptoms before or after using progesterone, but very clearly you have suffered hence your adverse symptoms i.e. TERRIBLE anxiety, chest tightness, moodiness, crying, depression, suicidal thoughts, etc etc. All of which are ED symptoms caused by not using enough progesterone cream and excess estrogen levels. Dry eyes, also known as Sjogren's syndrome, is another ED symptom. What cream are you using as many do not contain the correct progesterone concentration? If progesterone is not used correctly, including the correct concentration you will battle with adverse symptoms such as you are now experiencing.

I do not think that many understand the dangers of BCP and HRT, they all have a potential to cause harm. It could take years before your body adjusts again. It’s a good job that you stopped taking it. Being on BCP would have made you extremely estrogen dominant too!

Your protein/carb ratio is incorrect, you should eating 30% protein and 20% carb or 40% protein and 10% carb. Your carb intake is too much. I feel that you are not eating enough fat, the fat will give you the energy that your body desperately needs. MCT oil is an excellent way of increasing fat and energy levels. This is the reason for switching back to eating more carbs.

I am pleased that you are taking the correct amount of Vitamin D3, provided that you are not severely deficient, do you know what your level is? Personally for me, I have found that using and taking 4 different forms of magnesium helped me greatly. I take about 700-800mg per day, you may need less, let your body tell you what you need and keep well hydrated when taking/using magnesium. The Vitamin D3 page explains what I take.

I also had a libido issues and I found the amino acid Tyrosine helped me a lot. The Low Libido page on Wray’s website explains this, I am sure you have read it.

I realise that you have studied Wray’s website thoroughly, but please read and understand the following pages:
Estrogen Dominance
How to use Progesterone Cream
Contraceptives
Low Libido
Anxiety
Vitamin D3
The Ketogenic Diet

Hope this explains a little more to you and what is needed.
Feb 17, 2016
 No libido, huge road block, mental crashing, please help!
by: RJ

Hello J!
You are definitely taking a good amount of supplements and yes, your diet is very clean. Wray or Joy are going to have to help you out. From experience I can say natural, anything, will not change any ills quickly. I know you state you do not have any ED symptoms, but you do. Almost everyone of the ills you have mentioned, plus the heavy bleeding at 16, are all signs of it. You have had a roller coaster of emotions. Looking at the time length of everything that has and is happening to you I would say give it a bit more time. First what happened to you was you got all the estrogen excited with only 20mg a day and you did that from June to September. Then increasing to 300mg helped you and there was improvement. It is possible that you just need to hang in there for a while at the 420mg a day or perhaps increase to 500mg a day and stay there for a while. If you are a big stressor progesterone will be used up in your body very rapidly. I am a big stressor. But, I can say that after four years of non-stop 300-1,000mg a day I have finally found a calm. Still have issues but then I increase the dosage, but I'm also 50 years old. Is your cream all natural...try Natpro, it's all natural and more progesterone per tube than others. Have you tried Maca? There are promising studies out there that it does help libido. I know you have stated you have read Wray's entire site, but I'm going to send links along just in case you didn't see it. Hang in there, eventually you will find the combination that will help ease all of this. Be patient and have faith...it's not going to happen over night. Remember, you have been dealing with ills since three years of age. Changes take time...sometimes a long time. God Bless! RJ

Anxiety attacks

Low libido
Feb 18, 2016
 Anxiety and mood
by: Shalny

If you're having these mental issues, you may want to check out Trudy Scott. She's a nutritionist with a lot of info on anxiety and mood problems. She says we have these problems often due to a lack of amino acids. It may not be your problem but it's worth checking out.
Mar 22, 2016
 D3 concern
by: Anonymous

Everyone is on the D3 supplementation bandwagon, and in my opinion that can be quite dangerous. Make sure you actually need it. You could opt for adding foods in your diet that will enhance your d3 production and metabolizing of same. Remember cod liver and its oil are good sources plus you have the correct ratio of D3 to Vit A. D3 is not actually a vitamin, but a hormone. Hormones need to work together or can cause disaster. Don't take this lightly. There are some functional medicine doctors that are not quick to recommend D3 supplementation without assurance that an actual deficiency exists. Also, noted that you have zero qreen vegetables in your diet; change that and you'll feel the difference. Good luck!

ps: I love King Oscar cod livers (Norwegian). Also, Rositas cod liver oil is quite good and not highly processed. Another good oil is Blue Ice.
Mar 22, 2016
 zinc copper ratio
by: Anonymous

You might consider your zinc to copper ratio; that is a high zinc level to be supplementing. You are young, the proper diet should give you all necessary nutrients. Mineral imbalances can cause havoc. some online docs/nutritionists claim that you can balance hormones by fixing a mineral imbalance. Also, you might consider a blood type diet; I have found this very helpful. Still concerned about your lack of green vegies; just steam 'em up and eat piles of it with olive oil.
Cheers!
Mar 23, 2016
 No libido, huge road block, mental crashing, please help!
by: RJ

Hello Anons!
What most folks forget is our foods no longer contain the nutrients our ancestors once were able to obtain from them. And if there are any nutrients in them, cooking them will eliminate most of those. We have depleted our soils, the toxins in our air sterilizes the ground, along with flying GMO seeds inundating organic farms and then the pesticides. Sadly, even "organic" suppliers are being busted for not being "organic". Now, if you have the ground, get a good compost together and work it into the ground and grow your own. If you don't have that available take trusted supplements. Most folks are on the D3 bandwagon because most are depleted. People are plagued with so many diseases and most diseases start from chronic inflammation. We are an indoor population and you will need to take a supplement form to maintain a good level, if you are even at a good level. Even road crew workers have low levels of D3 and the best source of D3 is the sunshine, not foods. And with all the mercury in our waters and nuclear waste from the plants in Japan I would be scared to take fish in any form, unless you fish locally and the waters are tested, like they are in our area. Society as we know it will no longer be if things continue as they are. The medical field will just get wealthier because we will all need their help in trying to save our lives. But eventually that will even come to a half. Humans will be the ultimate destroyers of themselves. God Bless to us all! RJ

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