Estrogen dominance: moodiness, weight gain, heavy period, high blood sugar/cholesterol...
Let's talk about something that's actually a pretty straightforward issue with a straightforward solution…
But which is unnecessarily confusing to many:
👉 Estrogen dominance.
This is INCREDIBLY common in perimenopause and often starts early in the journey (“phase 1 perimenopause”, as I like to call it), but can happen at other times in life too.
What’s confusing about it is that you might logically think the term “estrogen dominance” means too much estrogen…
But, that’s not the full picture.
Estrogen dominance is too much estrogen RELATIVE to progesterone - it’s all about the ratio!
Estrogen and progesterone are very much a peanut butter and jelly, yin and yang relationship:
You need a balance of the two.
How do you know if you’re estrogen dominant?
Evaluating your estrogen levels during your luteal phase* can help you identify whether your symptoms - like weight gain, tender breasts, bloating, irritability, intense PMS, fibroids, hot flashes and heavy periods - are related to estrogen dominance.
(*Ideally you would test about 5 days after ovulation, which is usually around day 21 of a 28-day cycle. If your periods are irregular, you can use LH strips to determine when to test.)
The ratio of your [progesterone : estrogen] should be in the range of [100-500 : 1].
Yes, you wanna have that much MORE progesterone than estrogen in this phase of your cycle!
Otherwise…
If it’s less than 100, that means you’re estrogen dominant…and that usually means symptoms, and possibly weight gain.
And if you take supplemental estrogen, you must test!! Absorption through skin varies person-to-person, so it’s not a good idea to just take a “standard” dose and hope for the best!
Actually, I think a better term for this imbalance would be “progesterone deficient”, but hey, I don't make the rules. 🙃
Progesterone is typically the first hormone decline in perimenopause.
This is when women can begin experiencing “estrogen dominant” symptoms like:
➡️ Breast or nipple tenderness
➡️ Very heavy periods
➡️ Rapid weight gain, especially in the hips, thighs, bum, or lower abdomen
➡️ Severe PMS symptoms like increased mood swings, irritability, and anxiety
Again, it's because estrogen is too high relative to progesterone.
It's not uncommon for a woman to have very low estrogen later in perimenopause, and if her progesterone is low as well, she could still be considered estrogen dominant if the ratio isn’t right. 🤯
Anyhoo, now you know that estrogen isn't to blame ~ it's about our low progesterone! Testing can confirm this.
Important note: estrogen-mimicking chemicals often found in plastics, makeup, and personal care products also add to our estrogen load. I always recommend reducing these as much as possible for your general health.
What to do about estrogen dominance?
I hear a lot of women say they're “estrogen dominant,” so they take special supplements to bring it down (which is somewhat the standard of care in old-school, conventional medicine).
I strongly encourage you not to do this!
Purposefully reducing your naturally occurring estrogen is the last thing you want to do.
If estrogen is too high in relation to progesterone, it's typically our progesterone that needs attention.
And how to give your precious progesterone the TLC it deserves?
I wrote you a little article on what your progesterone is up to and how to support it naturally here.
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