Gamom3 Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 I believe my estrogen is low. I did an online search, I have more of the symptoms than the progesterone. I was thinking about going to the Vitamin Shoppe and getting something called Estropause. I was reading that to much estrogen is not good, what about herbal remedies? Is there anyway of finding out if it is low estrogen/progesterone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ELaurie Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 If you haven't already read them, here are a couple of books to get you started: John Lee, MD This lab will do the testing: ZRT labs I would urge you to do some reading about this and / or see your physician before making adjustments related to hormones. I have used transdermal progesterone cream for years, and it has made a significant difference for me, but I was also the recipient of some bad advice from a health practitioner, and know first hand what the effects of inaccurate information can be. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Saliva testing is the most accurate for determining estrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels. You can purchase home kits online, but they are fairly expensive. You send them to a lab for analysis. What I did was call a compounding pharmacy (looked up pharmacies in the yellow pages), called them and asked for doctors who prescribed natural hormone replacement therapy (NHRT). Most of them were osteopaths. My GP did not know how to prescribe NHRT, so he wrote a referral to the osteopath for me. The osteopath did the saliva testing and prescriptions. My HMO picked up all the osteopath visits and the prescriptions for NHRT. You do *not* want to self-prescribe estrogen supplements. One of the causes of breast cancer is unopposed estrogen (high estrogen levels not counteracted with progesterone). It is safe to use OTC progesterone creams, but estrogen is not available OTC except indirectly through supplements such as those that contain soy. As I mentioned before, it's safe to use progesterone creams without testing. If you are looking for estrogen, though, I would definitely do the saliva testing first -- one way or the other -- to safeguard your long-term health. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixelroper Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 the saliva testing and not a good idea to self prescribe this. This is tricky, I have an osteopath (who herself approaches it cautiously)--I just did a saliva test. Haven't called to see if my insurance will cover it yet. Hoping it will but I do feel it is worth it if they don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamom3 Posted April 13, 2008 Author Share Posted April 13, 2008 When I was at my GYN in Dec, she didn't think my estrogen was low, but did not do a test. Do you just call them and ask for them to do a test, that I am having some symptoms? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixelroper Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 With out going in to all my details, my doc felt that there were other things that could cause the symptoms indicating hormones. When the tests came in it was discovered I was deficient in vit D, since I started correcting the D my symptoms that fall in the hormone category have either vanished or lessened. The saliva test came back screwy too. So now I must wait and retest to figure out if it was just the D. I find it frustrating to say the least, but I do feel better and had I just self medicated I never would have gotten the D deficiency corrected. I would insist your doc address the problems until they are fixed- not necessarily insist on hormone treatment. KWIM?? So you can have these symptoms but you want to get at the cause:). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 When I was at my GYN in Dec, she didn't think my estrogen was low, but did not do a test.Do you just call them and ask for them to do a test, that I am having some symptoms? Most regular medical doctors (including gyns) rely on blood tests, which are less reliable than saliva tests for hormone levels. You could call your gyn's office and talk to her nurse. Tell her you think your hormones are out of balance and you want testing. Ask if it would be blood tests or saliva tests. Also, ask whether the doctor can prescribe natural hormone replacement therapy if a hormonal imbalance is found. Most medical doctors know only how to prescribe HRT (hormone replacement therapy that comes from pharmaceutical companies, in which the hormones are manufactured and are not bio-identical to human hormones. NHRT is bio-identical.). You can certainly request testing. Personally, I wouldn't want blood tests though, or HRT rather than NHRT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamom3 Posted April 14, 2008 Author Share Posted April 14, 2008 and they want me to come in for a consultation, which probably means nothing is going to happen. I have went in to speak with her one other time for something else and it was just a waste of money, nothing was done. I asked the nurse if they do hormonal testing and they said yes, but they needed to speak with me to find out if it would be a waste of money or not. It would be the blood test. I had a hysterectomy in '06, so I do even know when I would have the blood drawn. Isn't done at a certain time of the month?? I think I need to cancel the appt. and just do this on my own! This is so aggravating!:banghead: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamom3 Posted April 14, 2008 Author Share Posted April 14, 2008 I just posted this earlier on another thread that I had and thought I would get more responds if I posted it on its own. I called my GYN this morning and asked them about doing a hormone's test. I asked the nurse if they do hormonal testing and they said yes, but they needed to speak with me to find out if it would be a waste of money or not. They want me to come in for a consultation, which probably means nothing is going to happen. I have went in to speak with her one other time for something and it was just a waste of time and money, nothing was done. If they think I need the test it would be the blood test. I had a hysterectomy in '06, so I do even know when I would have the blood drawn. Isn't it done at a certain time of the month?? I asked them if the salvia test would be better and if I should do it on my own and the nurse said it didn't matter which test I did, they are still not that accurate. I am thinking I need to cancel the appt. and just do this on my own! What would you do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 I just posted this earlier on another thread that I had and thought I would get more responds if I posted it on its own. I called my GYN this morning and asked them about doing a hormone's test. I asked the nurse if they do hormonal testing and they said yes, but they needed to speak with me to find out if it would be a waste of money or not. They want me to come in for a consultation, which probably means nothing is going to happen. I have went in to speak with her one other time for something and it was just a waste of time and money, nothing was done. If they think I need the test it would be the blood test. I had a hysterectomy in '06, so I do even know when I would have the blood drawn. Isn't it done at a certain time of the month?? I asked them if the salvia test would be better and if I should do it on my own and the nurse said it didn't matter which test I did, they are still not that accurate. I am thinking I need to cancel the appt. and just do this on my own! What would you do? IMO, you should keep your appointment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 I would say just go and see what happens. In my experience, you have to be pushy with doctors about what you want and why you want it. The appointment will give you that opportunity. Also in my experience, some doctors are just going to abide by whatever they think (and the guidelines the insurance company has given them) no matter how strongly you think you need the testing. It's true that neither blood testing nor saliva testing is completely accurate, but saliva testing is generally recognized to be considerably more accurate than blood testing. (You can research this yourself on the net.) It's just that the medical community is usually trained to order and interpret blood tests and many doctors don't have experience with saliva testing (and have not researched it on their own). I was able to get a referral to an osteopath from my GP because I knew I wanted NHRT rather than HRT is testing showed a hormonal imbalance, and my GP did not know how to prescribe NHRT. If your gyn won't give you a referral, try your GP. Osteopaths are medical doctors too, but follow a different educational training path that is much more oriented to natural remedies. My HMO paid for my osteopath visits and the testing and prescriptions that the osteopath ordered, but *only* because my GP had given me the referral. Without the referral, I would have had to pay out-of-pocket. At that time the osteopath visits cost the same as other physician visits (about $150 each visit) and I think the saliva testing cost about $400. Without the HMO, I think my out-of-pocket costs would have been about $1,000 just for visits and testing. I could have substituted OTC progesterone cream for the progesterone the osteopath perscribed, but the bio-identical estrogen he prescribed was *not* available OTC. If you do the saliva testing at home and find out you need estrogen, your only option is to try to fill that need with OTC soy products that break down into estrogen. You will not be able to purchase bio-identical estrogen. That alone is one reason I would try to go through an osteopath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 I should add that, since you've had a hysterectomy, I would think it would be *easy* for a doctor to give you a referral to an osteopath for possible NHRT. If the gyn won't do it, how about your GP? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrianne Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Have you tried seeing a reproductive endocrinologist? They are specialists who specifically handle the hormones of the reproductive tract. These are not to be confused with a regular endocrinologist who usually handle diabetes type imbalances. In college I had an irregular pap smear with hight estrogen levels. My gyn suggest I see a repro endocrinologist who new exactly what tests to draw and had diagnosed me with a enzyme deficiency which was later diagnosed as polycystic ovary syndrome. This doctor did not argue with me about blood tests and just did what he called a basic screening. (for reprodu hormones). HTH Adrianne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixelroper Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 I am in the process of moving, when I asked my doc about finding a new doc that was an osteopath or homeopathic/traditional medical doc: Find a compounding pharmacy and get a list of docs who refer people there. Also asking a message therapist or an acupuncturist for medical doctors who refer to them. I'm offering this as a way to find another doc in your area who would be more willing to work w/you. I do think you need to get this checked and more than one doc has told me saliva is more accurate than blood. I know we discussed other underlining problems being the cause (as in my case), so really, you might find a doc that insists on both, as mine did. You could just get the saliva test yourself and then armed w/the results go see a doc. The saliva test results took two weeks to get back to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 I believe my estrogen is low. I did an online search, I have more of the symptoms than the progesterone. I was thinking about going to the Vitamin Shoppe and getting something called Estropause. I was reading that to much estrogen is not good, what about herbal remedies? Is there anyway of finding out if it is low estrogen/progesterone? ZRT Labs in Oregon performs saliva testing. Your doc can order this and discuss results with you. There are many options, such as bio-identical estrogen or adaptogens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamom3 Posted April 15, 2008 Author Share Posted April 15, 2008 I will know something by Monday. The Dr. should know something on Thursday with one of the test..can't remember what they were called. The other one they said takes a bit longer..they said should be by Monday on that one. I know they are rechecking my thyroid's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarheel Heather Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 And that you can pinpoint what's going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamom3 Posted April 21, 2008 Author Share Posted April 21, 2008 Dr. said all my blood work looked great. But she knows that I am having issues(I have discussed with her for the past 3yrs), so she gave me a prescription of estrogen to try for a month. If this does not help she is going to run more test. 5+yrs with these problems..I sure hope it helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Is it bio-identical estrogen? Did she also advise you to take progesterone? If the answer to either of these questions is no, I would find another doctor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamom3 Posted April 21, 2008 Author Share Posted April 21, 2008 What she did give me is bio-identical estrogen. We are only trying this for the month to see if it helps with my issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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