Sensitive to estrogen or??? (Prozac, hot flashes, thyroid, pregnant)

[Faith2187]

I'm wondering of it's possible for me to be sensitive to estrogen. I'm a woman and ive been told that my body type indicates that I probably naturally have more estrogen-i have wide hips, big butt, and slim waist. I've noticed that 1.5 before my period comes I gain 5 pounds, feel overly bloated, and I'm so depressed and unhappy. I was diagnosed with PMDD two years ago. Once my period goes away my weight is back to normal, my mood is fine, and I'm no longer bloated. I can't take birth control because it makes me suicidal--Im like a rage head and it makes me crazy. I typically feel the hormones of even the lowest dose right away. When I was pregnant with my son I was miserably depressed the whole time. Afterwards when I breastfeed him for a year and a half no matter what I did I could not lose weight. It wasn't until I completely weaned him did the weight fall off immediately. I was also very moody and unhappy the while year and a half i Breast fed him. I believe I have a higher then average testorone level for a woman though because despite my body shape I gain muscle easily, I am muscular in build, I have a high libido and I can get very hairy(I have to shave frequently). Is it possible that Im just sensitive to estrogen or do I just have a higher testorone level? I'm really curious because I've always wondered why out of all the women I know, I'm
the only woman that can't seem to handle birth control.

[CatwomanofV]

I couldn't handle birth control pills either. It made me very nauseated and they kept lowering the dosage where I would get breakthrough bleeding. I finally said the hell with it and just went off of it and used other methods of birth control.

As for the hormones, it is quite possible you have a hormonal imbalance. Most people don't realize that woman also have testosterone which shows itself in the libido & hair growth. In my mind, high levels of testosterone is not necessarily a bad thing (except when you have to keep waxing your beard ).

Unfortunately, there are very few doctors who deal with hormonal imbalances. A lot of them just say that we have to deal with it-the moodiness, the bloating, the weight gain, hot flashes, etc. etc. Others just want to put you on Prozac or something like that. They treat the symptom NOT the problem. The only advice that I can suggest is do your own research. (Can't tell you how many times I have Googled hormonal imbalances). You have to find out what is right for YOU because you know your body more than anyone else.

My hormonal imbalance hit during menopause. I have been searching for relief from it for the past 4 years now. I hope you have better luck than I have had.



Cat

[Hedgehog_Mom]

I couldn't handle birth control either. I tried the pill and the depo shot, and just bled the whole time I took them.


If you're overweight, losing some of the weight will get rid of some of the excess estrogen in your body, but it makes you feel pretty bad while your body is trying to get rid of it.

I was getting really depressed before my period, spending several days crying nonstop, moody, etc. I've also been having anxiety all the time, not just before the period. My doctors have said it's probably from hormone levels changing from my weight loss. My gyno offered to prescribe something for it but she said it could make me gain some of the weight back, so I decided not to do it. I'm taking a supplement called 5-htp and it has helped a lot.

[Faith2187]

My weight is fine-I might be 5 pounds overweight but I wear a 6 in women and work out 5 days a week. It's only right before my period that I notice that I gain weight. I then lose it right after my period goes away which is how I know it's hormonal. I do think I have a hormone imbalance-i wish I knew what caused it. I've googled it before but unfortunately you guys are right aren't many doctors that specify that they deal with it especially for a woman my age, at 27.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

It's really common to retain water before your period.

I'm not sure how they'd treat a hormonal imbalance except with more hormones...I have to take progesterone for ten days a month and it makes me retain water...I gain 15 lbs and then lose them after I stop taking the progesterone. It's horrible and I wouldn't take it except that I bleed too much when I don't take it.

The doctor you see if you have a hormone imbalance would be an endocrinologist, except that they mostly treat diabetes and thyroid problems. My endo hasn't had any suggestions for my other hormone problems, like hair loss and the heavy bleeding.