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PMDD/PMS/PERIMENOPAUSE/INSOMNIA/HOT FLASHES/MIGRAINES

by Kimberly Schwartz
(Miami, Fl 33176)

Hi everyone,
I have had every hormonal symptom ever known to any woman and you are about to read a very different story, which I believe may have started my hormonal hell.
I am 45 and have been having severe PMS since the age of 18.
I feel that my descent into "hormonal hell" as I call it, may have begun when I developed anorexia at the very young and pre-adolescent age of 11.I suffered with anorexia until the age of 13. During those 2 years of calorie restriction and the loss of over 15% of my body weight, I reversed my puberty and developed primary amenorrhea..meaning I never got my period at all, until I was put on synthetic estrogen (Premarin) and synthetic progesterone (Provera) for 1 yr, to jumpstart my puberty.
These (synthetic) hormones caused me to go through the normal development from a child to a woman within 1 yr. Of course this was alot faster than it would take a child to go through normal puberty. The end result of these hormonal changes caused me to go through depression, mood swings, hypoglycemia, intense sugar cravings and eating binges, headaches, anxiety, insomnia, a sleep disorder, TMJ (severe jaw pain), and deep muscular pain all over my body. I was soon put on a series of different anti-depressants and anti-anxiety meds (Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Klonopin others) throughout the next 10 yrs of my life and was diagnosed with depression, anxiety and Fibromyalgia. If I only knew then what I know now..and if only the Drs KNEW WHAT I NOW KNOW! They were treating all of my hormonal symptoms with pharmaceutical drugs and none of them worked in the slightest to help me. In fact, over the years, my symptoms have worsened.

I have been on progesterone cream before, but probably either wasnt taking enough..or I had too much estrogen dominance, which I have heard can make progesterone creams worsen one's symtoms. I was told by a Holistic MD to stop using body lotions and certain other things that increase one's (toxic) estrogen levels. I now moisturize my skin after a showere only with coconut oil and use "Wen" hair care products instead of shampoos and conditioners.

I am now about to try this progesterone cream, hoping it will finally work for me. I never knew it was safe or beneficial to use anymore than 20 mgs of progesterone p/day!
I am a little bit nervous for my symptoms to get worse, but I am willing to try this and see what will happen.

I would like to know how much of this progesterone cream I should be taking for sleep improvement (I barely sleep, and when I do, I never stay asleep for more than 3 hours and often times, thats ALL I can sleep), I get pre and post menstrual migraines, I get alot of sugar cravings, deep pain, knots, soreness and spasms in my body almost all the time, joint pain in my knees, elbows, ankles and wrists, especially premenstrually, and depression and anxiousness before my period. My period is every 3-4 weeks, so it is regular, I just want to eliminate all of the other symptoms I mentioned!

Thanks for reading my story and if this cream can help me, then it can help ANYONE! I am one tough case alright!!

Sincerely,
Kimberly:)

Comments for PMDD/PMS/PERIMENOPAUSE/INSOMNIA/HOT FLASHES/MIGRAINES

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Jul 03, 2013
 PMDD/PMS/PERIMENOPAUSE/INSOMNIA/HOT FLASHES/MIGRAINES
by: Wray

Hi Kimberley Well your story had me gasping, and I thought I'd heard them all. To put a child on Premarin and Provera is libellous, although I feel strongly about those two for any woman. You know all about them, but there's more info on our HRT page. How you've managed to stay sane over all those years amazes me. I found Peri-menopause bad enough without any drugs. It's so typical too, if one drug causes an adverse side effect, give another to stop it, and another to stop that one etc. No one thinking to take you off those hormones. It's a bit late now but zinc does help anorexia, see here. Interestingly high oestrogen suppresses zinc, increases copper, which in itself suppresses zinc. And of course oestrogen and copper suppress progesterone. You would have been at the beginning stages of puberty then, and who knows it could be the oestrogen you were producing then that could have been the cause of the anorexia. We don't start bleeding and ovulating and therefore ovarian progesterone production until about 2 years later. It seems I could be right in my guess, see here. This paper here says "Oral estrogen-progesterone (read progestin) combination pills are not effective in increasing bone density in adolescents with AN", see here. Did anyone think to give you vitamin D? Plus magnesium and calcium? That combo of hormones at such a young age would have sent you into a tail spin, they evidently gave you far too much oestrogen in ratio to progesterone, plus of course it wasn't progesterone. One thing no one in the medical profession seems to know is that hormones are not just involved in reproduction. They all play a huge role in brain activity....."On neuronal excitability, estradiol and progesterone seem to have an opposite effect, with estradiol being excitatory and progesterone and its derivative allopregnanolone being inhibitory". Oestrogen stimulates glutamate, our most excitatory neurotransmitter, and progesterone stimulates GABA our most calming. Continued below
Jul 03, 2013
 PMDD/PMS/PERIMENOPAUSE/INSOMNIA/HOT FLASHES/MIGRAINES Part 2
by: Wray

Hi Kimberley The paper concludes "Sex steroid regulation of the balance of neuroexcitatory and neuroinhibitory activities may have a role in modulating clinical susceptibility to different neurological conditions such as migraine, catamenial epilepsy, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and premenstrual syndrome", see here. Another thing missing from their knowledge is that no progestin can be converted into progesterone metabolites, one of which is allopregnanolone, probably more important than progesterone itself, see here and here. It doesn't surprise me you developed all those symptoms. Plus oestrogen is also an inflammatory hormone, so the pain doesn't surprise me either. But I feel you are very low in vitamin D and probably magnesium. Please have a vitamin D test done. For more info on vitamin D levels, test kits etc see the following websites, Vitamin D Council, GrassrootsHealth and Birmingham Hospital. 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. And consider taking 800mg/day magnesium for a month or two before reducing to about 250mg/day. A lack of magnesium causes pain, as it allows substance P to rise, see here and here. Substance P is a nociceptive, neuropeptide involved in causing pain and nausea. Oestrogen stimulates substance P, see here. Continued below
Jul 03, 2013
 PMDD/PMS/PERIMENOPAUSE/INSOMNIA/HOT FLASHES/MIGRAINES Part 3
by: Wray

Hi Kimberley Substance P inhibits progesterone, see here, but if enough is used, progesterone suppresses substance P, see here. "Accumulating evidence indicates that the neuropeptide substance P is predominantly involved in neurogenic inflammation and pain perception...... Intriguingly, decreased pain sensitivity is found to be associated with high plasma progesterone levels. We hypothesize that progesterone may attenuate nociception and associated inflammatory response." With all the symptoms you have I doubt anything less than 400mg/day will help you. But please have a vitamin D test done, not only is this a potent anti-inflammatory, but a lack of it reduces the benefits of progesterone, and affects sleep, see here and here. Plus it works synergistically with magnesium. Incidentally substance P is also involved in Migraines and both Progesterone and Vitamin D can stop their recurrence. Please be aware it's not a quick fix, that trial and error are involved, you might find you need more than the 400mg/day. It's evident you are full of oestrogen, so there is bound to be a reaction to starting the progesterone. But I've found if the amount used is high enough, symptoms can be lessened until they eventually pass. You might like to read these comments from other users of high amounts here, here, here and here. 400mg/day can stop bleeding, but it's nothing to worry about. It's far more important to get rid of symptoms first. It's safely is without question, see here. We do have a page on Hot Flushes you could look through too. Take care Wray
Jul 03, 2013
 Don't give up
by: Kim Adie

Hi Kimberly I have seen your post, and just wanted to give you a lot of encouragement. I am the biggest fan of progesterone cream! Joy has been fantastic & so patient with my never ending questions.
This cream is the best thing I have found. I am menopausal, and use the cream everyday. I adjust the quantity as my symptoms change. I also use the cream for all sorts of ailments - bruises, hornet stings!! Cuts - you name it, I use it. I certainly hope it helps you, and I just want to say, give it a chance, & don't give up if at first you think it isn't working. It works wonders for my hotflashes, and when I feel them starting up again, I use almost double the amount of cream I had been using.
I am devastated to hear what you have been through...no one should go through that, and I really hope you persevere with the cream, and that it helps ease your symptoms. Good luck & best wishes, Kim.
Jul 04, 2013
 Shocking!!!!
by: Joy

Hi Kimberley

I am gobbed smacked, I truly cannot believe how you have managed to stay sane given the years of abuse. Worst of all, to be given Premarin at such an early age and then to be given a string of anti depressants in the hope that it will all go away, is beyond disgusting!! What were they thinking???

You have certainly come to the right place, please be guided by what Wray has advised, she has helped countless people and is truly a remarkable lady.

I wish you well on your journey to recovery, you have so many people on your side who will help.

Take care.
Jul 06, 2013
 Natural Progesterone/ a God send
by: Anonymous

Wow I'm so irritated by the doctors in Kimberley's story (poor lady) :( and yet not surprised after having gone thru my experience with unknowledgable doctors. It's very easy to hastily prescribe whatever just to put a bandaid on the problem but it takes an incredible, extremely intelligent true physician to properly diagnose and treat the patient with regard to long term safety and wellness. There's maybe a handful in each state if we're lucky who actually takes the time to think outside of the box! I was extremely misdiagnosed for a simple issue called to much caffeine in the body after drinking red bull and had an anxiety attack my first and only ever and was placed on Paxil ... Here begins the nightmare with the fast and crazy weight gain,, abnormal spotting, depression a now messed up thyroid turning me into Hypothyroid, which I wasn't until I was put on Paxil is that ironic? Thank God I met a pioneer in bio identical hormones who educated and weaned me off of this nasty drug! Thru ths doctor I was introduced to Nat pro, and my life has turned around and I'm living much happier and healthier ever since (5 years now)
Joy and Wray are amazing ladies who take the time to listen and guide you...I don't know of any other site who will answer so many questions and have educated forums and blogs before buying their product beforehand! You are definitely in great hands with Nat pro! It's a positive step in your future to wellness !!
Sincerely , Linda H.
Jul 07, 2013
 Thank You
by: Joy

Hi Kim and Linda

Thank you for your wonderful posts and encouragement to Kimberley, she needs it right now.

A very big THANK YOU for trusting both Wray and I and for believing in us enough on your journeys to recovery. You both did the right thing and used the correct amount of progesterone and had vitamin D tests done. We have come to realise that if your vitamin D level is down, progesterone will battle to work it's wonders. It's vital to have a vitamin D test done at least once a year.

You know how it all works and therefore can share your stories with others.

Much appreciated and much love to you both.
Jul 08, 2013
 Natural Progesterone/ a God send
by: Wray

Hi Linda Bless you for your support! That has to be Dr Platt you're talking about, such an amazing doctor, we need more like him. Although the FDA hit squad will probably get them too, as they have others. Evidently the taurine in the red bull was not sufficient for you, if you had an Anxiety attack. Taurine calms the heart, the panic attack was caused by too much adrenaline. Which not only makes the heart beat faster but constricts blood vessels too. Terrifying experience, as it comes out of the blue and of course it's accompanied by fear, all due to excess adrenaline. Take care Wray

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