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HRT Intolerance or Side Effects?
Very hopeful that others may share reassuring feedback. Im 63, 7 years post meno, started HRT about 7 months ago (Estradiol patch 0.5 and Progesterone oral 100mg). First 3-4 months were great, and then it changed - tons of weird side effects including brain fog, lightheadedness, anxiety/panic, visual changes, and more. I read about Progesterone Intolerance and my doc lowered it to 35mg through compounding pharmacy. Note, Im extremely petite (93 pounds) and may have high sensitivities to things. I wake up from HEAVY sleep, feel like Im in a fog for hours. Don't know what my next step is... lower Estradiol? Lower Progesterone? Stop HRT? This is very scary. Im otherwise VERY HEALTHY and active and youthful and productive, but this is interfering with my life almost continually. Are there women who cant do HRT? Anyone struggle with this and what did you do? Thank you!
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@orion7962 can you tel me what is Pregnenalone?
@gravity3
Just adding that I now have estradiol patch of .0375 and progesterone at 200. Testosterone is now compounded cream and estradiol vaginal cream remains the same.
@tula17 Hi - So, Pregnenalone is apparently the "mother of all hormones" and helps the body produce hormones naturally, like building blocks. Im going to cut and paste from Google below. I've done a ton of reading about it, but not good at translating (lol) - if you use ChatGPT, that gives an excellent description. My understanding is that Pregnenalone can convert differently for different people since everyone is different, depending on what your body does with it, what you need, etc. I was on it a couple years ago in combination with many other things and I couldn't tell what was causing what side effects, so I stopped all. I re-started JUST Pregnenalone 3 weeks ago at a very low dose of 10mg. So far, its been extremely helpful. Here is a cut and paste from Google but definitely do more reading, and check with doctor before taking - my doctor found my Pregnenalone levels to be low. Hope this helps.
From Google: Pregnenolone is a naturally occurring neurosteroid and pro-hormone produced in the body from cholesterol. Often called the "mother of all hormones," it serves as the foundational building block for over 150 steroid hormones, including testosterone, estrogen, cortisol, and progesterone. As a supplement, pregnenolone is widely studied for its potential roles in brain function and hormone regulation.
How it Works & Potential Benefits Because it is a direct precursor to essential hormones, pregnenolone acts as a neurosteroid that supports the central nervous system.
Cognitive Function & Mood: It modulates neurotransmitter receptors (like GABA and NMDA), which has sparked research into its potential to improve working memory, focus, and negative symptoms associated with mood disorders.
Stress Response: Because it helps synthesize cortisol, it is sometimes used to support the body's adaptive response to emotional and physical stress.
Anti-Aging: Levels of pregnenolone naturally decline as we age. Some individuals take it to combat age-related fatigue or hormone declines, though definitive scientific evidence supporting these specific anti-aging benefits remains limited.
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Could you please share the naturopathic dr who helped you?
@nika7 The practice is called Center for Holistic Medicine in West Bloomfield Michigan. There are several doctors, mine is Dr. David Brownstein - I think he has a 2 year wait list to get in. The other doctors are great as well. They are all holistic, run labs for everything, do hair tests for metals, food sensitivity tests, etc. You can look the practice up and look up his name!