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Tremendous amount of weight gain

by Heidi
(Austin)

How do I start? I'm a 44 year old woman who has been in chronic pain for four years and been on pain medication for over three years. The doctors can't figure out why I have throbbing and aching pain in both of my legs, after being diagnosed with spinal stenosis, bulging discs, and facet joint arthritis, and all of the treatments and surgeries (the list is too long to write) haven't helped with my chronic pain.

Long story short, one of my doctor decided to test my hormones and when the test came back and I was put on hormone treatment and the weight started to climb. I've always weighed 130-135 pounds since my early twenties and it's just not normal for me to gain weight like this. The test came back as low testosterone and very low Adrenal Glands. So I was put on testosterone cream 20mg/ml (2%); two clicks a day, and Progesterone pills 100mg; substitute for prometrium one capsule at night. I gained 15 pounds in three weeks and started having hot flashes so I stopped taking them immediately!

Five weeks went by before I went to another "hormone specialist" and the blood test came back normal. My estrogen & testosterone were both normal but Adrenal Glands and Progesterone were both very low so I was diagnosed with Adrenal Fatigue and put on Estrogen, testosterone, and Progesterone hormone therapy (all natural and low doses). It's been five weeks now and I've gained an additional 25 pounds and both my hands and feet look like they are going to pop! Now I'm 40 pounds overweight and feel horrible! I tried to stop taking the estrogen/testosterone cream for two days and it's been the worst two days of my life! I can't stop crying and I have hot flashes with cold sweats all day long! So I decided I needed to ween myself off the estrogen/testosterone cream and take half dose for a few week and so on.

I will never take hormones again! The therapy didn't help with my leg pain and my low energy and now I'm 40 pounds heavier and I don't want to leave my house! If there is anyone out there that can help me I sure would appreciate some advise!

Thank you,
Heidi

Comments for Tremendous amount of weight gain

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Jan 26, 2017
 I can relate
by: comet 6

Oh I am so sorry to hear your story. I can relate. I've been on the progesterone cream for about 3 months and put on 5-10 pounds. I am 47 and have been about 135pds my whole life. But going through perimopause I've put a total of 25 pds on in 3-4 years!

I started progesterone cream because I was having these horrible jittery feelings. No tests could determine what was causing it. My doctor couldn't help. She put me on anti-anxiety pills for a year. But, I wasn't anxious. Then I realized the feelings spiked during ovulation. So she suggested I go on the birth control pill.

I went to the internet for help and have to say progesterone cream is working for me. I hate the weight gain, but it's worth it to feel alive again

My only suggestion is to do your own research. There are lots of different opinions out there. Read both those opinions and the medical journals. Frankly there was a lot of GREAT advice on this site. According to their advice, your regime does not sound right at all. If you decided to try the progesterone cream and scrap the other, don't forget to take enough Vit D.
Jan 27, 2017
 weight gain - ratio estrogen/progesterone
by: Anonymous

I am sorry you are going through this, but why are you taking testosterone and estrogens? You say they are "normal" in your blood tests but the problem is they are obviously too much compared to your progesterone. It is progesterone that should be the dominant hormone, not the others! By not taking enough progesterone, you keep stimulating the estrogens, hence the weight gain. You will see over and over again on this website that it is progesterone you need not the estrogens. We are surrounded by estrogens in the environment. Adding estrogens via hormone therapy only adds to the problem. Please read this site. You will see that it is progesterone ,at the right amount, that you need. If you take too little you exacerbate the problem. Wray Whyte always suggests that you should take nothing less than between 100 - 200mg of natural progesterone cream , not pills. More if symptoms are severe. It must become the dominant hormone. I hope this helps. All the best to you!
Jan 28, 2017
 Tremendous amount of weight gain
by: Heidi

Thank you both for your comments and advice! I'm so sorry to hear about your experiences but I'm grateful for your advice and hearing about your recovery. I've been doing more research about Progesterone, Estrogen, and so forth and I do believe I have Estrogen Dominance. I've raised my Progesterone cream to 200mg a night and I've been taking half of the estrogen/testosterone cream every other day for about five days now and I'm feeling a little better. I haven't had hot flashes and cold sweats so that's good but I haven't seen a reduction in my weight and water retention. I know it's going to take time and I need to be patient but I just can't stand feeling and looking this way!

I started taking more supplements to get my Adrenal Glands back up and to help me with my Estrogen Dominance. I have them listed below. If anyone has more information about the supplements I'm taking or not taking; please let me know! I need and welcome good advise!

List of supplements:
1) Adrenal All -
-Vitamin A: 500IU, Vitamin C: 200mg, Vitamin E 20iu, Niacin USP: 20mg, Vitamin B6: 30mg, Vitamin B12: 200mg, Pathothenic Acid: 350mg, Adrenal Concentrate 220mg, Eleuthero Root Extract: 100mg, Rhodiola rosea root extract: 100mg, Schisandra berry extract: 100mg, Licorice root extract: 75mg.
2) Ashwagandha Complex: 578mg - one capsule twice a day.
3) Holy Basil: 720mg - one capsule twice a day.
4) Vitamin B-5 PanthenicAcid: 500mg
5) Vatamin B 12: 1000mcg
6) Vitamin C: 1000mg
7) vitamin D3: 5000iu - twice a day
8) Raw Zinc: 30mg
- Raw organic fruit & vegetable blend: 166mg, Trace Minerals Blend: 150mg, Raw Probiotic & Enzyme Blend: 60mg
9) CoQ-10: 30mg
10) Omega -3 Fatty Acids: 1500mg
11) Hemogenics - Iron supplement that supports red blood cells
12) Probiotics: 30 billion CFU's
13) PhytoMulti: Multivitamin- twice a day

I know thats a lot of supplements but I feel like I need to add more to get my energy levels back to normal. Any advise is welcomed!

Heidi
Jan 30, 2017
 Tremendous amount of weight gain
by: Liliane Luxembourg

Hello Heidi,

I'm sorry to hear your health condition, but on this wonderful site you will find good advice.

When I started low oestrogen therapy, (50 mg of Estreva) and the progesterone cream, at first I gained much weight too. But slowly I augmented the progesterone cream to 200 mg per day devided into two doeses, one in the morning and one in the evening and the weight starts to fall.

You must take about 200 mg of magnesium per day for the water into your body getting out. A very good source is named Magne-B6. You will see together with your other Vitamins, D and Calcium added with magnesium the problem will solve immeadiately.

I hope this helps.

Liliane Failla
Jan 30, 2017
 - ratio estrogen/progesterone
by: Anonymous

I'm happy to hear that you are doing a bit better since increasing the progesterone. I think once you are off completely the estrogen and testosterone, you will feel even better. As far as weaning off the testosterone and estrogen , maybe you should just stop, but put that question into the search bar on this site for further advice on that. My guess is to stop, period. Do you know if you are in optimal range for vitamin D: 70ng/ml - 100ng/ml? Your thyroid made need a boost too. The best way to test for thyroid is by taking your basal body temperature first thing in the morning, without moving or getting up first. If using a digital thermometer , place it under your armpit and leave it there without turning it on for 10 minutes, then turn it on. If your temperature is between 97.8 - 98. 2, you are in a good range. Below 97.8, you could be low. I believe strongly in Lugol's iodine or Iodoral , which are the tablet equivalent of Lugol's 5%. Dr. David Brownstein's book on iodine is well worth reading! Magnesium Glycinate is also extremely important to take! I hope you continue to feel better each day!
Jan 30, 2017
 supplements
by: Anonymous

I also meant to say that the list of supplements you are taking looks very good. I also take a lot of supplements and happy that I do!
I don't see the magnesium there though. Please look into that. Taurine is another I am never without at night time.
Feb 08, 2017
 Ratio/Estrogen/Progesterone
by: Heidi

Thank you for your advice! I've been off of estrogen & testosterone and I thought I raised my Progesterone up to 100-200 mg a day about 3 weeks ago and I'm still very bloated and haven't lost any weight. My progesterone is 1 gram (4 clicks) 25mg. Does that mean 4 clicks is 25mg or 100mg? I just realized I could only be getting 25mg with 4 clicks. I was thinking 4 clicks equaled 100mg but now I'm thinking it's only 25mg. I'm so confused and I'm about to just stop it all together because I'm still 40 pounds overweight & my body looks like it did when I was pregnant 16 years ago. I just don't know what to do. I hate being 40 pounds overweight and not being able to take it off. I've never been overweight in my life and I'm embarrassed to even have sex with my husband. I'm just in tears everyday and every time I go see a doctor, they put me on hormones & I gain weight. I'm at a loss!
Feb 12, 2017
 Tremendous amount of weight gain
by: Liliane Luxembourg

Hello Heidi,

The other day I forgot to mention that the doctor checked also my thyroid. I take one pill of
"I BIANE" (Brown algue pill of iodine) in the morning with 2 cholécalciférol of 1.000 I.E. each.
Then 70 mg of Estreva and 200 mg of Progesterone, divided in two doses, one in the morning and one in the evening. My GY follows the protocol:

1/3 of Estreva and 2/3 of Progesterone as described in Dr. Lee's books. I feel better with a little bit of oestrogen. Everybody has to check this for himself.

I just want to mention also, that before I came about this news of the Progesterone cream, I took this herbs for Menopause and also some Amino Acid.

I was awfully ill with these pills and got a bad allergy in the face. Inside I had terrible pannic attacks. When I stopped these pills and went to the normal supplements I described before, this allergy together with the pannic attacks all went away. I take the multivitamin with the Vit B only twice a week.

You have to check out, if you don't take too much supplements that you listed above.

You will see that you will managing your symptoms.

Take Care

Liliane Failla
May 06, 2017
 Cream amounts
by: H3

Heidi, I get prometrium (200 mg) gel caps prescribed by my doctor. Actually it's the generic form, but it's still USP bioidentical progesterone, in peanut oil suspension. I don't take the gel caps orally, though. Instead I cut the end off and squeeze the 200 mg of progesterone right onto my skin.

Prometrium is covered by insurances so for just a $7 copay per month I can get 200 mg of progesterone a day.

It takes a while to get out of estrogen dominance but the weight will start to come off.

Helps to get off of grains and sugars.

Best of luck.

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