Girls Please Share Estrogen Symptoms With Me?

[Raypmom]

"The ratio of estrogen to progesterone--regardless of age or gender--is an important factor in regulating minerals and water, cell energy metabolism, and blood pressure. The ratios of many other regulatory substances (including serotonin/dopamine, glucagon/insulin, and aldosterone/cortisol+progesterone) vary according to the quality of the individual's level of adaptation to the environment. Improving the environment can shift the ratio in the direction of restoration, rather than mere survival." Ray Peat from http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/ed ... enia.shtml

Can you please share your high estrogen symptons from experience with me. For the longest time I kept telling myself when I started Peating that only if you have been on hormone meds can you then be estrogen dominance. That's when I started looking at things like nutrition etc, to get better. I'm now re-doing everthing and I need your help. Just read an article with the above quote, and it has come to my mind that maybe there are other symptoms that I don't know about b/c I don't have the usuall ones, my periods are okay and timely every month, pms is at bay with nutrition. Slight cramping but that's normal. No headaches, libido pretty good since diet change etc. I read hair issues, and my hair grows fast so no problem there. I read most of the symptoms online and I don't have anything like it. So what other possible symptoms are out there that I have not heard of.

I'm trying to get to the bodom of my edema/fluid retention issues! I'm determined

 

[lindsay]

Swollen painful breasts (fibrocystic breasts), water retention around the belly area, fat gain on stomach and inner thighs (that was my experience), unstable moods - for me, I always felt a really depressing sense of anger about things and I couldn't control it, which usually led to emotional break downs and lots of crying (I'm glad those days are done, for the most part)..... like things that never bother me now would drive me crazy and I'd get upset for no good reason. I think estrogen makes women "b*tchy".

Hmmm. I think that's all on my list. Oh yeah, one more - my left ovary grew a giant tumor. I was really thin then too, so estrogen issues don't always mean weight gain.

In my personal experience, taking thyroid was the only thing to stop edema. I use to solve the problem in previous years by engaging in activities that would make me sweat profusely. No need for that anymore :)

 

[sweetpeat]

There was a thread about this topic a few weeks back; I'll try to paste a link (I've never done this before).

http://www.raypeatforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=5292

Besides the usual, a couple of other symptoms I get when I forget to take progest-e are indigestion, especially in the evening, and a wheeziness in my air pathways. These were symptoms I used to get right before my periods (I'm going through menopause now). Also, the veins behind my right knee would throb and ache.

 

[treelady]

Postmenopausal Catamenial Epilepsy

 

[Peatri Dish]

If you use the link sweetpeat posted you will see some common ones. I think most people have estrogen issues. Estrogen mimickers are throughout the environment due to our industrialized society. Plastic bottles, for example, effect hormone balance.
Just as an aside: Remember stress is another dangerous issue. Don't make yourself crazy. Take your time. Six miles into the woods, six miles out. You've already found the short cut so ...slow but steady wins the race.

 

[charlie]

I think estrogen makes women "b*tchy".

And men too. :2cents

 

[Raypmom]

LOL!!

I think estrogen makes women "b*tchy".

And men too. :2cents

 

[Raypmom]

There was a thread about this topic a few weeks back; I'll try to paste a link (I've never done this before).

http://www.raypeatforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=5292

Besides the usual, a couple of other symptoms I get when I forget to take progest-e are indigestion, especially in the evening, and a wheeziness in my air pathways. These were symptoms I used to get right before my periods (I'm going through menopause now). Also, the veins behind my right knee would throb and ache.

I have the wheeziness, usually after intense workouts. It use to last days. It could be related. (I stopped that madness) for now.

 

[Raypmom]

Swollen painful breasts (fibrocystic breasts), water retention around the belly area, fat gain on stomach and inner thighs (that was my experience), unstable moods - for me, I always felt a really depressing sense of anger about things and I couldn't control it, which usually led to emotional break downs and lots of crying (I'm glad those days are done, for the most part)..... like things that never bother me now would drive me crazy and I'd get upset for no good reason. I think estrogen makes women "b*tchy".

Hmmm. I think that's all on my list. Oh yeah, one more - my left ovary grew a giant tumor. I was really thin then too, so estrogen issues don't always mean weight gain.

In my personal experience, taking thyroid was the only thing to stop edema. I use to solve the problem in previous years by engaging in activities that would make me sweat profusely. No need for that anymore :)

I don't have the swollen painful breasts but on some weeks I do notice that my breast increase in size. It's strange and it happens every month. My bra gets too tight for that week and then a week later they return to their normal size. I have always wondered about this. I guess I will slow down, and do some more reading and try not to stress. Thanks you.

 

[lindsay]

I don't have the swollen painful breasts but on some weeks I do notice that my breast increase in size. It's strange and it happens every month. My bra gets too tight for that week and then a week later they return to their normal size. I have always wondered about this. I guess I will slow down, and do some more reading and try not to stress. Thanks you.

This is pretty normal, but it depends on when it happens in your cycle..... if it happens right prior to/during menstruation when progesterone levels drop off, it's likely breast swelling from estrogen (probably just water weight). I definitely used to experience this more when I was cycling and by the end of my period, my breasts would feel normal again. I'm not cycling anymore (at least I cannot detect one), so my breasts get tender on any given day. When they do that, I take a bit more vitamin E. Currently taking around 1200 - 1600 IU of mixed tocopherols. Helps greatly with swollen breasts. If they don't cause you pain, I wouldn't worry.

I should say, on another note, another common symptom of estrogen dominance is actually that it can make females more "masculine". Ray Peat actually describes estrogen as being more of a male hormone than a female hormone. Here is a good article:

http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2009/10/8199/e ... evelopment

I think I've always had higher testosterone for a female (although, I've never had facial hair), and that this is one of my problems with estrogen dominance. For some females, they thrive mentally in a stressed state - similar to a survival mode. This was always the case with me. Now I'm more lazy :) Another thing to keep in mind, with yourself, is to look at your history - did you start menstruating early?

 

[Raypmom]

I started menstruating at 12. Swelling of the breasts is right around ovulation time for me.

So you use to be masculin and now your're not? I'm curious -how masculine? Like emotionally or physical changes? I did feel more masculine after I started to train with weights & doing things like squats/kettle snatches, deadlifts etc. I thought it was just the muscles involved feeling stronger.

So then thriving under stress could be for example how I feel after strenuous workouts. For me this feeling lasts days, but it wasn't necessarily a state of health? But what about the feel good feeling? I even sleep better, think better, and even my brain functions better, libido is higher on those days as well. Appetie increases too. So this is an example of thriving under stress?

Why did you stop wearing underwire bra?

 

[Raypmom]

Didn't read that article, I will tonight. I'm
Looking into blood work too.

 

[Jenn]

Edema can simply be a lack of cellular energy to exchange ions. More sugar and potassium. For ME, it too supplementing extra potassium, in addition to OJ. I used cream of tartar as I needed it to also help with intestinal issues....if you get my drift.

 

[Jennifer]

Another thing to keep in mind, with yourself, is to look at your history - did you start menstruating early?

Lindsay, what age is considered early for a girl's first menstruation? Starting early is a sign of high estrogen? I was 14 when I first started.

 

[lindsay]

Another thing to keep in mind, with yourself, is to look at your history - did you start menstruating early?

Lindsay, what age is considered early for a girl's first menstruation? Starting early is a sign of high estrogen? I was 14 when I first started.

I recall Dewitt saying that the female brain cannot fully develop if menstruation begins before the age of 15 (which is completely unusual in our modern society). I'm not sure where he got that information, but I believe early menstruation is linked with increased incidence of breast cancer and other issues induced by "estrogen". I started menstruating when I was 11 and developed much earlier than most of my female friends. I've had a myriad of estrogen related health issues, despite only taking birth control for a very short time. Makes sense though because that means a females progesterone levels would start dropping earlier in her adolescence, leading to greater internal exposure to estrogen at an earlier age.

This article came through my FB feed earlier this week - I haven't listened to the audio interview, but it's interesting nonetheless:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/12 ... ew-puberty

 

[Jennifer]

Another thing to keep in mind, with yourself, is to look at your history - did you start menstruating early?

Lindsay, what age is considered early for a girl's first menstruation? Starting early is a sign of high estrogen? I was 14 when I first started.

I recall Dewitt saying that the female brain cannot fully develop if menstruation begins before the age of 15 (which is completely unusual in our modern society). I'm not sure where he got that information, but I believe early menstruation is linked with increased incidence of breast cancer and other issues induced by "estrogen". I started menstruating when I was 11 and developed much earlier than most of my female friends. I've had a myriad of estrogen related health issues, despite only taking birth control for a very short time. Makes sense though because that means a females progesterone levels would start dropping earlier in her adolescence, leading to greater internal exposure to estrogen at an earlier age.

This article came through my FB feed earlier this week - I haven't listened to the audio interview, but it's interesting nonetheless:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/12 ... ew-puberty

Oh, wow! Yeah, I don't know any women personally who didn't start menstruating till they were 15 and older. I was a rarity among my female classmates, cheerleading teammates and friends. Everyone thought it was strange that I was "high school freshman" age when I finally started. But I was one of the first in my class to develop a chest and that was probably around age 11. I really hated that!

 

[Raypmom]

Edema can simply be a lack of cellular energy to exchange ions. More sugar and potassium. For ME, it too supplementing extra potassium, in addition to OJ. I used cream of tartar as I needed it to also help with intestinal issues....if you get my drift.

Everything seems to point in that direction, agree.

 

[Such_Saturation]

Do earlobe lumps have something in common with fibrocystic breasts? I get them in both ears and liver can shrink the lumps or split them in a matter of days.

 

[lindsay]

I started menstruating at 12. Swelling of the breasts is right around ovulation time for me.

So you use to be masculin and now your're not? I'm curious -how masculine? Like emotionally or physical changes? I did feel more masculine after I started to train with weights & doing things like squats/kettle snatches, deadlifts etc. I thought it was just the muscles involved feeling stronger.

So then thriving under stress could be for example how I feel after strenuous workouts. For me this feeling lasts days, but it wasn't necessarily a state of health? But what about the feel good feeling? I even sleep better, think better, and even my brain functions better, libido is higher on those days as well. Appetie increases too. So this is an example of thriving under stress?

Why did you stop wearing underwire bra?

Sorry Raypmom!! I just saw this part of the thread. I think women who started menstruating earlier are more at risk for estrogen related issues. 12 seems like a fairly common age nowadays - I started menstruation at age 11, but I think I started developing earlier. Honestly, I don't remember - except it was summer, so I was actually approaching age 12. But later is more ideal - I've heard age 15. Anyhow, when I say masculine, I've just always had a propensity to build muscle really easily. I still do, although maybe not so much now that I take progesterone. I always played sports and was very athletic because of my strength - when I gained weight, it was usually in the form of leg or arm muscle, which always made me super self conscious. None of the other females my age put on muscle like that.

Anyhow, I think lifting weights is very healthy and probably good for leaning out. I might try it this winter. I've heard even women who are prone to build muscle can lean out with weight lifting, which is why I want to try it.

Regarding stress, I grew up in a stressful household - my parents were overachievers and expected too much of me. This really skewed my ability to be normal, as I always pushed myself to the max. I don't do that anymore, even if it did work well for success, it wasn't mentally helpful. If I did well in school, it was because I memorized things for tests and forgot them afterwards. That's not really learning fully. Now I want to engage my brain more towards long term knowledge - like people who learn a language fluently, so they can never forget it.

I stopped wearing underwire because I gained a bit of weight a few years back. Now that I weigh a little bit more, my breasts are larger and I just cannot stand the feel of underwire digging into them. Breasts should be free to hold themselves up. I feel much better without that stupid underwire.

 

[Raypmom]

I was fully developed at 12. People thought I was older too.

You should try using weights. I think you lean pretty quick & it just compliments a women's curves. Most of my workout is at home. Sometimes I do go to a community gym in my complex. I also love Pilates & yoga. But I haven't done yoga and Pilates in a while.
Now it's going 2 weeks of not lifting. I feel better, but I miss feeling pumped. (Not sure how healthy that was) I use to do 4X a week, when I go back I think I will do 2X 20 minutes sessions vs 1 hour 4 times a week. I think my body would appreciate that much better, not sure just thinking of experimenting.