Are Your Female Hormones Balanced?
Apr 04, 2022
Menstrual Cycle Facts
* Average menstrual cycle lasts 28 days, but can range from 26-36 days and be considered normal
* Investigate further if your menstrual cycle is irregular
* Follicular phase days 1-14, ovulation phase day 14ish, luteal phase days 15-28
* Day 1 of your menstrual cycle: first day of your period and the first day you see blood
* Your period may last from days 1-7. You start bleeding when estrogen and progesterone have dropped, causing your uterine lining to start shedding.
* Drop in estrogen and progesterone releases follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) which helps prepare the follicles in your ovaries for ovulation
* Testosterone increases around days 9-10 to increase your libido
* Estrogen starts to rise around day 8 and peaks around days 12-14. When estrogen peaks it releases your luteinizing hormone (LH), to begin the ovulatory phase. LH stimulates your ovaries to release an egg.
*Progesterone is the dominant hormone in the luteal phase, and peaks around day 21. Progesterone is produced from the corpus luteum. Progesterone triggers the thickening of the uterine lining to accept a fertilized egg.
* If the egg and sperm don't meet, your hormones drop and your menstrual cycle begins again. If you become pregnant, these hormones will remain elevated.
Steroid Hormone Pathway
* Hormones are made from cholesterol, LDL and HDL cholesterol. Cholesterol is crucial for making hormones.
* Pregnenolone is converted to make all of your steroid hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, cortisol)
* DHEA is produced from the adrenal glands and is converted to estrogen and testosterone
* There are 3 forms of estrogen: estrone, estradiol and estriol. Estradiol is the most potent form of estrogen. Estrone plays a larger role in the body after menopause. Estriol is the least potent estrogen and plays a larger role during pregnancy when it is produced in large amounts by the placenta.
* Testosterone is also needed in women to support libido, motivation, mood, and energy in the body.
* Cortisol is made from your adrenal glands and is your stress hormone. Cortisol can limit the activity of progesterone when cortisol levels are high, as a stressed body can stop/limit the amount of ovarian hormones your body makes.
* Progesterone counters the effects of estrogen and is produced form the ovaries and adrenal glands.
Hormone Imbalance Symptoms:
High Estrogen:
Bloating or puffiness
Irritability or mood swings
Heavy, painful periods
Weight gain, especially around the hips, butt and thighs
Brain fog
Cries easily
Headaches
Breast tenderness
Fibrocystic breasts
Worsening PMS symptoms
Low Estrogen:
Hot flashes, night sweats
Anxiety & depression
Insomnia
Osteoporosis
Hair loss
Incontinence
Decrease in libido
Vaginal dryness
Recurrent bladder infections
Light periods
Memory difficulties
High Progesterone:
Early signs of pregnancy
Ovarian cysts
Low Progesterone:
PMS 7-10 days before period
Headaches or migraines around period
Agitated, irritable or weepy before period
Miscarriage in first trimester
Anxiety
Restless legs at night
Difficulty trying to conceive
Irregular or heavy menstrual cycle
High Testosterone:
Abnormal hair growth on face, chest or abdomen
Acne
Oily Skin or Hair
PCOS
Difficulty trying to conceive
Thinning head hair
Discolouration of armpits
Skin tags especially on neck and upper torso
Reactivity or irritability
Low Testosterone:
Low libido
Depression, mood swings or cry easily
No motivation
Unable to gain muscle
Muscle weakness
Fatigued throughout the day
High Cortisol:
Life is stressful, racing from one task to another
Feeling wired
Overwhelmed by stress
Weight gain abdomen
At night body is “wired but tired”
Wake between 2am-4am
High blood pressure, fast heart rate
Gets a second wind at nighttime
Anxiety or quick to anger
Sugar cravings
Difficult recovering from injury
Low Cortisol:
Fatigue or burnout
Trouble coping with stress
Difficult staying asleep, especially between 1-4am
Low blood sugar issues
Get sick often
Difficulty falling asleep
Craves salty or sweet food
Tired in morning and difficulty getting out of bed
Energy crashes in the afternoon
Dizzy when standing up too quickly
Low blood pressure
Hormone Testing
* Test don't guess. Dr. Julie recommends to test your hormones instead of guessing based on your symptoms as testing helps remove the guesswork and helps to develop the best treatment plan for you.
* DUTCH - Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones: a dried urine test for gathering extensive information on sex and adrenal hormones along with their metabolites.
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