The Full List of Estrogen Dominance Symptoms & 5 Causes

The Full List of Estrogen Dominance Symptoms & Causes of High Estrogen

You don’t have to be menopausal to experience the symptoms of estrogen dominance and you don’t necessarily even have to have high serum estrogen levels either. 

Many women, though, may begin to experience issues relating to hormone imbalance as early as their late teens or early twenties. 

If these imbalances are not addressed they can continue to gain momentum and lead to serious medical conditions such as endometriosis, PCOS, fibrocystic breast disease, infertility, and more. 

Learn how to spot the symptoms of this condition and more importantly what to do about it…

What is Estrogen Dominance?

The simple answer is too much estrogen

The long answer is a little more elaborate: 

Estrogen dominance is a term that is used to describe a scenario in the body in which the influence of estrogen on cellular function is higher than what is considered “normal”. 

This excessive cellular activation of estrogen receptors results in characteristic symptoms that can be identified and treated. 

Estrogen dominance is basically used to describe a condition in the body in which estrogen levels are basically higher than normal. 

In addition, because of the influence of progesterone on the body, estrogen dominance can also be caused by low progesterone (even in the face of normal estradiol levels). 

Normally estrogen and progesterone play a “balancing game” (1) in the body in which estrogen tends to activate certain functions in the body while progesterone tends to turn them off. 

For instance:

Estrogen may increase fat cell size (2) while progesterone reduces or normalizes the impact that estrogen has on fat cells – thus balancing one another. 

With this in mind, you can identify conditions or disease states which may result in estrogen dominance symptoms. 

Broadly speaking there are 3 primary mechanisms that may cause estrogen dominance: 

  • #1. Excessive estrogen receptor activation (Various substances that look like estrogen can activate the estrogen receptor – the primary example being xeno-estrogens (3) or endocrine disruptors (4)).
  • #2. Excessive estrogen production (High serum estradiol or estrogen metabolites). 
  • #3. Insufficient progesterone levels in the body (Low serum progesterone). 

Women who suffer from the symptoms of estrogen dominance tend to have 1 or more of the following mechanisms contributing to sex hormone dysfunction in their bodies. 

The good news is that the presence of these conditions often results in very specific symptoms that can help identify the problem…

Estrogen Dominance Symptoms List: 

Fortunately, like some other hormone imbalances in the body, you can often identify the presence of estrogen dominance clinically by assessing clinical symptoms (this means by simply looking at how you are feeling or what you are experiencing day to day). 

You should always confirm the official diagnosis with blood tests, but in many cases, symptoms alone can be very telling.  

Estrogen dominance symptoms tend to follow closely with the symptoms associated with high estrogen and low progesterone. 

The reason for this is the nature of estrogen and how progesterone and estrogen react with one another. 

More important than their actual value is their relationship with one another. 

For instance, you can get estrogen dominance symptoms in the following situations:

#1. High serum estrogen with normal serum progesterone (common in individuals who are overweight). 

#2. Normal serum estrogen with low serum progesterone (very common among women who are only 10-15 pounds overweight and in women who have thyroid dysfunction). 

#.3 Normal serum estrogen levels and normal serum progesterone levels but with excessive exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals. 

#4. Progesterone resistance syndromes (such as PCOS and endometriosis)

If you notice you have the symptoms listed below then make sure to look for the above sex hormone patterns described above. 

The complete list of estrogen dominance symptoms: 

  • Breast tenderness or breast fullness
  • Decreased libido or reduced sex drive
  • Weight gain (especially in the hips/thigh/butt region)
  • Changes to your menstrual cycle (menstrual irregularity, heavy menstrual flow, or cramps/mood changes/migraines with your cycle)
  • Hair loss such as brittle hair, hair thinning, or change in the color of your hair
  • Problems with fertility (usually difficulty with conception compared to a high risk of miscarriage with low progesterone)
  • Changes to your mood including depression, anxiety or not feeling like yourself
  • Bloating in the stomach
  • Water retention especially in the hands/feet and face
  • Changes to your bowel movements
  • Reduced energy or fatigue
  • Changes to your sleeping patterns including insomnia or a reduction in the quality of your sleep
  • Reduced or damaged metabolism – gaining weight even though you haven’t changed your diet
  • Other hormone imbalances such as low testosterone and thyroid disease

It’s important to realize that each person will present with slightly different symptoms and you don’t have to have ALL of the symptoms listed above. 

In addition, some women may experience certain symptoms with more severity than others. 

For instance:

Some women tend to be sensitive to the weight-gaining effects of estrogen and may experience a 50+ weight gain with excess estrogen. 

Other women, on the other hand, may experience significant mood disturbances but not have issues with their weight. 

Causes of Estrogen Dominance & High Estrogen Levels

Luckily there are several known conditions and states that lead to estrogen dominance. 

If you can identify these causes early (and treat them) then you can, in some cases, dramatically reduce your symptoms. 

The problem with this approach is that many of the current or standardized treatments that exist for these conditions tend to be “behind the times”. 

Meaning that your doctor may not have the knowledge necessary to help you with these problems or even recognize that they exist. 

For this reason, it is important that you have an understanding of the causes and the various treatments available

In some cases, simple lifestyle changes (such as changes to your diet (5)), food intake, and supplement regimen) can eliminate these symptoms. 

In other cases, you may need medications or other therapies to help get control. 

With that in mind, I’ve included a list of the most common causes of estrogen dominance below. 

Weight Gain (As little as 10-15 pounds)

Probably the most common reason for excessive estrogen influence in the female body is due to excessive adipose tissue (or fat cells). 

Fat cells can actually drive up estrogen levels by converting androgens into estrogens. 

This process is known as aromatization (6) and is one of the main ways that women can maintain estrogen levels after menopause. 

This mechanism becomes a problem as the body gains too much fat (sometimes as little as 10-15 pounds). 

When this happens excess androgens that may be floating around in the body can be turned into estrogen (especially in breast fat tissue and belly fat tissue (7)). 

The problem comes back full circle when you realize that extra fat can also increase circulating androgens (8) in the body (consider the case of PCOS). 

So in a vicious cycle weight gain can result in high androgens which cause high estrogen and high estrogen may lead to further weight gain and the cycle repeats. 

The good news is that stopping this cycle can be accomplished with weight loss. 

The bad news is that sometimes this very condition can make weight loss very difficult. 

Some women may have a very difficult time losing weight with estrogen dominance because high estrogen may influence other hormones such as leptin and thyroid hormone which lead to further weight gain and weight loss resistance. 

You’ll know if you are in this boat if simple changes such as diet and exercise don’t really have an impact on your weight. 

Exposure to Xeno-estrogens & Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals

Another common, but often overlooked, cause of estrogen dominance is exposure to xeno-estrogens (9) or endocrine disrupting chemicals. 

These are chemicals that are found in food products, plastics, and other common household items (10) and they can be detrimental to the body because of how your body processes them once they are absorbed. 

Some of these chemicals have parts that look similar to the natural estrogen hormone that is circulating in your body. 

If they look “similar” to the estrogen hormone then they can sit on estrogen receptors and “turn on” genetic transcription. 

This makes your body think that it’s really estrogen doing the work when in reality it’s these chemicals that are doing it

These chemicals have been termed “endocrine disrupting chemicals” or EDCs because they disrupt the normal mechanics and actions of hormones in your body. 

These chemicals don’t just exist for estrogen either, studies have shown that certain chemicals can cause damage to your thyroid in a similar mechanism (11).

Another huge problem is that these chemicals are found ALL over the place. 

From the foods that you consume to the makeup that you wear to the storage of these chemicals in your fat cells – they are all over the place. 

You can see an example of how often you might come into contact with these EDCs on a daily basis: 

Not everyone will even have trouble with EDCs. 

Due to genetics some people may come into contact with these chemicals and get rid of them without any issue. 

But certain people, such as those with methylation issues or liver damage from conditions such as fatty liver disease, may not be able to get rid of them as easily and it is these patients that may suffer more than others. 

Addressing exposure to EDCs may be as simple as reducing the number of chemicals you come into contact with on a daily basis. 

You can do this with simple tactics such as drinking from glass bottles, avoiding microwaving plastic containers, consuming organic and all-natural foods, and avoiding cosmetics that contain these chemicals. 

Some individuals, however, may also benefit from the use of certain supplements to help as well. 

Low Serum Progesterone

Because progesterone is the natural balance to estrogen it’s important that you have a relative balance between both estrogen and progesterone in your body. 

While most women vary in the absolute amount of estrogen and progesterone that they produce (and feel good with), this balance should still be somewhere around 10:1 using basic serum labs. 

Even with normal estradiol, it’s possible to have low progesterone and therefore experience the symptoms associated with estrogen dominance. 

How common is low progesterone (you can learn more about the symptoms of low progesterone here)?

It turns out, physiologically speaking, progesterone starts to decline (12) (at a rate more quickly than estrogen) starting around age 35 and leading up until menopause. 

This means that MANY (most) aging women are likely to experience low progesterone from age alone. 

Other conditions can also prematurely lower progesterone as well which can exacerbate the issue further. 

The good news is that you can take a natural, bio-identical progesterone cream (in some cases) which can drastically alleviate the symptoms of excess estrogen in your body. 

Natural bio-identical formulations of progesterone should be differentiated from synthetic hormones such as birth control pills – they do NOT work the same way. 

Birth control pills may make estrogen dominance worse while progesterone can potentially alleviate the problem altogether. 

The catch is that not all cases of estrogen dominance are caused by low progesterone in the first place so this treatment may not work for everyone. 

You can read more about the use of progesterone cream here and how to use it both safely and effectively. 

Progesterone Resistance Syndromes

Progesterone resistance syndromes (13) refer to a set of conditions that cause cellular resistance to the hormone progesterone. 

It may sound confusing at first but it can easily be explained:

Certain conditions may lead to a downregulated (in total number) of progesterone receptors on certain cells. 

This means that it requires higher and higher levels of progesterone to have the same effect. 

Resistance syndromes also exist for other hormones such as insulin resistance and leptin resistance and they occur through similar mechanisms. 

It’s not well understood exactly how progesterone resistance develops but it is suspected that high levels of estrogen probably contribute. 

The idea stems from the fact that estrogen and progesterone can “cross-talk” with one another which means that high estrogen may influence progesterone receptors and vice versa. 

Progesterone resistance syndromes can be difficult to treat but they have been shown to respond to bio-identical progesterone cream. 

Thyroid Dysfunction (Hypothyroidism, “Sluggish” thyroid & under-active thyroid) 

Thyroid dysfunction or more specifically hypothyroidism may alter sex hormone levels in the body. 

You probably know about the importance of thyroid hormone in regulating your weight, mood, hair/skin/nails, GI tract, etc. but you may not realize it may also help maintain your progesterone/estrogen ratio. 

One common side effect of untreated (or undertreated) hypothyroidism is infertility which may stem from low progesterone. 

Thyroid hormone has been shown to stimulate progesterone release from luteal cells (14).

Low thyroid hormone (also known as hypothyroidism) may, therefore, lead to low progesterone, infertility, and an imbalance in sex hormone levels. 

In addition, other studies (15) have shown that women with hypothyroidism have more menstrual disorders and suffer from sub-fertility when compared to women with normal thyroid function. 

If you have the symptoms of estrogen dominance then it is very important to have a complete thyroid panel. 

In fact, this should be part of the standard workup. 

Why?

Because treating hypothyroidism may completely remove or reverse your symptoms. 

How can you Reduce Estrogen Levels?

Is there a way to reduce estrogen levels, increase progesterone levels and treat estrogen dominance?

The short answer is yes. 

The long answer  you can find below: 

  • Diet: The first step is to clean up your diet. You should focus on eating organic foods with loads of vegetables from the brassica family. These vegetables contain ingredients like indole 3 carbinol that naturally help your body break down estrogen and increase estrogen metabolism. Estradiol is metabolized into multiple estrogen metabolites and some metabolites are more beneficial than others. Brassica vegetables increase healthy and helpful metabolites while reducing the negative ones. 
  • Certain Supplements: Certain supplements can augment estrogen metabolism and/or directly reduce the symptoms of estrogen metabolism. Supplements such as DIM, maca root, zinc, calcium-d-glucarate, and ashwagandha have been shown to help. I’ve put together a list of supplements that help reduce estrogen and you can read exactly how and why they work in this guide
  • Exercise & Strength Training: Exercise, particularly strength training has a positive impact on hormone balance in the body. In addition, women tend to do better by changing their exercise routines during their cycles. When testosterone levels are high (days 1-14 of your cycle) focus on more powerlifting exercises, while testosterone levels are lower (days 20-28 of your cycle) during your cycle focus on less intense exercises such as yoga/pilates. 
  • Stress Reduction: Addressing stress is important in balancing both estrogen and progesterone. Acute stress can cause a dramatic spike in sex hormone levels and cortisol while sustained levels may lead to resistance syndromes. You can learn how to address adrenal function through lifestyle changes and with certain supplements here.  
  • Bio-Identical Progesterone Cream: The use of natural progesterone cream can be life-altering for some people. Just because it works for some people doesn’t mean it should be used by everyone, however. Remember: even though progesterone cream is available over the counter it is still a powerful sex hormone and it is possible to use too much. You can learn more about using progesterone cream here. 
  • Detoxification: Estrogen is metabolized in the liver and you can make sure that you properly metabolize estrogen by ensuring proper liver function. Conditions such as fatty liver disease from being overweight may cause liver damage and result in impaired detoxification pathways. Make sure you optimize liver function if you are dealing with estrogen dominance with these tips. 
  • Check Other Hormones: We already know that thyroid hormone is important in sex hormone balance but other hormones may also contribute to various medical conditions. If you suffer from estrogen dominance make sure to test for these hormones: Testosterone, insulin, thyroid function, and leptin
  • Avoid synthetic hormones: If you are taking birth control medications or synthetic hormones you may find significant improvement by discontinuing these medications (providing it’s safe to do so). Synthetic medications are NOT bio-identical and may cause problems with normal hormone metabolism and even shut down or slow down normal hormone production. Discuss this with your physician before you stop any medication. 

Over to you

Bottom line?

Estrogen dominance is a condition that results in characteristic symptoms from excessive estrogen production or excessive estrogen receptor influence. 

These symptoms range from weight gain to mood changes to serious medical conditions. 

The treatment for estrogen dominance depends on what is causing the problem in your body and therefore treatment should be individualized. 

If you are suffering from the symptoms listed above then don’t hesitate to have your serum estrogen and progesterone levels assessed!

Now I want to hear from you:

Do you suffer from the symptoms discussed in this article?

Have you been able to treat or reduce your symptoms?

Why or why not?

Leave your comments below! 

#1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11171605

#2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3773840/

#3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3388472/

#4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19478717

#5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16115348

#6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/234975

#7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/234975

#8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15531721

#9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18942551

#10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2726844/

#11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21939731

#12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1424166

#13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16406281

#14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9846161

#15. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26620017

top causes of excess estrogen and estrogen dominance

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About Dr. Westin Childs

Hey! I'm Westin Childs D.O. (former Osteopathic Physician). I don't practice medicine anymore and instead specialize in helping people like YOU who have thyroid problems, hormone imbalances, and weight loss resistance. I love to write and share what I've learned over the years. I also happen to formulate the best supplements on the market (well, at least in my opinion!) and I'm proud to say that over 80,000+ people have used them over the last 7 years. You can read more about my own personal health journey and why I am so passionate about what I do.

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#1. Get my free thyroid downloads, resources, and PDFs here.

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35 thoughts on “The Full List of Estrogen Dominance Symptoms & Causes of High Estrogen”

  1. Hi Dr. Childs,

    Your website is amazing! I’m 47 and have been struggling with thyroid problems for over 20 years now. I was diagnosed with hashimoto disease in my early 20’s. I have a suppressed TSH (.22). Endocrinologist have never given me any medicine because of it even though I have all the hypo systems. I was told to balance my hormones and that may help my thyroid. My lab results showed low progesterone(.5), low t3 (2.8), and low testosterone (69 and free 9.1)and a low but normal estrogen(27). They gave me 500mg of oral progesterone and 1.7 of weekly testosterone injections and ½ grain of amour. I did it for one year and they were never able to balance my hormones. I felt bloated and still out of sorts but a little more energy and still an inability to lose weight. I am starting over at a new place. My question is my doctor is giving me a 1g Estradiol, testosterone, DHEA cream that is applied vaginally and 5mg of Progesterone cream and 5mg of Estradiol. From my lab test I have a 50:1 ration of Estrogen to Progestogen. Is it a good idea to take estradiol if I already have estrogen dominance?

    Reply
    • Hi Mary,

      Generally it’s not a good idea to take estradiol if your serum estrogen levels are already elevated but each person should be evaluated on a case by case basis!

      Reply
  2. If your estrogen is high and you have no progesterone production why isn’t it helpful to try birth control to shut down hormone production ? Won’t this help the body reset ? Won’t the synthetic progestin help counter the estrogen ? I’m confused

    Reply
    • Hi Meg,

      It certainly can help in some situations, but some individuals react negatively to synthetic hormones and the byproducts created during metabolism. The general idea is that there are better ways to balance your hormones using alternative methods and therapies.

      Reply
  3. Hi Westin Childs….
    I’m from Denmark and here it’s very hard to get progesterone cream. I’m 45 and have a normal cycle. I’m hypothyroid and I’m considering trying Vitex. How much do you know about that?

    Kind regards 🙂

    Reply
  4. Hi Dr. Childs, I see that the brassica vegetables you noted for lowering estrogen are also, I believe, goitrogenic which those with hypothyroidism should avoid. I’ve got both estrogen dominance AND hypothyroidism, and I need to bring this hormone ratio into better balance. My estradiol is 170 and my progesterone is 0.2, and my TSH rocketed from 3.3 to 4.7 in the last few months. I am 53 and going through menopause. How do I lower estradiol without harming my thyroid? I see you also mentioned DIM supplements but it appears this would be countrproductive to anyone with hypothryoidism. Any advice on this? Thanks

    Reply
    • I am going through pretty much exactly the same thing, and would love your input, Dr Childs.

      Thank you for helping us who’ve had a difficult time finding help elsewhere.

      Reply
      • Hi Karen,

        The easy answer is to eat goitrogenic foods and increase your iodine intake simultaneously. Goitrogens only block the uptake of iodine to the thyroid gland but you can beat this process by just consuming more iodine. Then you can eat all of the healthy foods you want without worrying about impacting thyroid function.

        Reply
  5. Hi Dr Childs
    As a fellow Healthcare provider (MD) from South Africa, I thoroughly enjoy your posts as they are always evidence-based and provide insights into topics that we were never even taught about at Med School!

    I have Hashimotos myself and have found my journey leading me away from the “conventional” approach. I have recently been struggling with weight gain (12 pounds in 4 months) after a stressful event, and although I am nowhere near overweight (BMI of 22) I have been feeling uncomfortable, sluggish and honestly just exhausted. I have also recently added T3 to my medication so I am taking 125mcg T4 and 10mcg T3. My TSH is now suppressed and FT4 low-normal. My estrogen levels, however, are exceptionally high (1604pmol/L) at day 21. Progesterone is normal at 48.8nmol/L.

    My question here is one of the “chicken or the egg”. Ie. Could the estrogen dominance have caused the recent weight gain? Or is the thyroid the initiator? Essentially… which is necessary to a dress first, or can both be addressed simultaneously?

    Thanks Dr Childs! Looking forward to further posts.

    Reply
    • Hi Tracy,

      Glad you like it and thanks for sharing 🙂

      If you can you’ll want to address what you think is the “primary” issue because that will usually clear up the other issues. If you aren’t sure then you can usually get away with treating both simultaneously without any issue. It’s just cleaner if you understand the root cause for future treatments and iteration on therapies.

      Reply
    • Progesterone 1.7ng/ml, estrogen 49 pg/ml which put the ratio at 34.7. However, I don’t know what cycle day because I’ve had a partial hysterectomy. I currently take 10g progesterone oral. Do I need more?

      Reply
  6. Very interesting article! I was wondering about the use of natural progesterone after having er/pr+ breast cancer. I keep reading that current studies show that natural progesterone can actually inhibit hormone + breast cancer. I’d love to know your thoughts on this!

    Reply
  7. Hi Dr. Childs, is ED possible to totally overcome? I am diagnosed with it; estradiol 140; progesterone 0.2, age 54 not yet in meno. Although I only gained 4-7 lbs in transition, it’s all tremendous excess fat in stomach, hips and thighs. I tried treating thryoid (TSH 3.7 ish; free T3 2.2, Free T4 0.98) but reacted horribly to synthetic and natural thryoid drugs, so I stopped.

    Other symptoms – hair loss, thinning, brittle, for 4 yrs now. I am working w/functional medical dr and now working on fixing high estrogen, high free testosterone, and low progesterone to try and impact the thryoid that way. My SHBG soared to 170 and my free testosterone stays high at 5.6. Is this really “free” T or is it bound to SHBG?

    I started on a pure progesterone serum 2 weeks out of the month, lots of cruciferous veggies, less dairy, and exercising 40 mins on the treadmill 6x a week plus strength training with weights for everywhere else.

    Can I ever get my body back? I also completely lost the elasticity in my skin and seeing a little improvement. Is ED beatable or will it take a really long time to fix? Love these blogs. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Hi Kara,

      Yes, it’s certainly beatable and yes you can probably get your body back, but within reason. It’s not like you will have your 20-year-old body back, but you can definitely improve back to a normal healthy weight.

      Reply
  8. Hello dr. Childs!

    I love your blog and it helped me a ton when I was first diagnosed.
    I’ve been taking NDT for about 4 months now but my hormones are still not optimal so my doctor is adjusting the dose.
    I have the symptoms of estrogen dominance (irregular and heavy periods, my breasts are getting bigger and they hurt, I’m tired a lot) and I was wondering, if I should try the progesterone cream or first wait till my Thryoid hormones are balanced.
    Thank you so much for your help!

    Reply
  9. Another great article! I have been identified as having estrogen dominance and have just started (3 weeks ago) treatment for it using DIM. My doctor has me doing a few other things along with that as well to address other hormonal issues so I’m hoping it will all balance out soon. My ratio of progesterone to estrogen was 4, I’m vitamin D and B12 deficient, my free testosterone is well below the low end of normal and even my total testosterone is on the very low end of normal, based on what I’ve read in many articles my RT3 is too high and my pregnenolone is quite low. I’ve done so much research, many articles have been yours, and it amazes me how all these can tie into each other. I’m hoping it all regulates soon and I can actually start losing some weight because the healthy eating and exercise is frustrating when you don’t make progress. Thanks as always for posting great information!

    Reply
  10. What doctor should I see? Gynecologist, Primary Care or other specialist? I am having many of these symptoms which I thought could be thyroid. I am healthy otherwise and take no medication and know when I feel different and diet has not changed. It’s very frustrating when your doctor says “Try Weight Watchers.”

    Reply
  11. Hi, Dr. child’s, based on all the symptoms you’ve described I believe I am suffering from estrogen dominance again. I have had PCOS for around 15 years now on and off, have been off my birth control pills for 2 years after realizing they don’t help me. I can never seem
    To find the right diet for my body so instead I end up binge eating and getting depressed. It’s cyclical. I had my lsh,fsh and thyroid tested recently it seems My hormone panel is very low .. I’ve tried everything, I was very active but recently cut down noticing the bloating and weight gain. I’d love for some real answers so I can fix my body once and for all for good the healthiest way possible. Thank you.

    Reply
  12. Age 50 now, have gone through 12 years of symptoms and given band-aid fixes. Finally a year ago I get a doctor who says I’m hypothyroid – I have way too many symptoms. Have had ablation surgeries twice, anti depressants, sleep meds, eye duct plugs, blepharoplasty, and oral hormones. On nature-throid and cytomel now. Have helped but not enough. Saliva tests finally done and show estrogen dominance. I have also had seriously sensitive skin on the face to which any creams on it cause severe pain in eyes and migraines and have become sensitive to otc vitamins. Unexplained to this day. Dr says use DIM , but causing me severe migraines? Took 5 days had to stop as I was taking migraine pills every day. Always on these sights looking for an answer? Insightful stuff for sure.

    Reply
  13. Hi, Dr. Westin, I’ve found your website to be very explicit and the most helpful of anything I’ve found. Thank you for providing such comprehensive materials. I will read up later on the different aspects of my problem.

    About six months ago, I had a hormone pellet inserted (first 4 months OK, minimal spotting), and had a second one inserted (where he increased my dosage based upon lab tests to Estrogen 12.5, Testosterone 137.5 NP Thyroid 90mg and Progesterone 225mg). (I’m post-menopausal for 15 years with no symptoms (except those which would seemingly be from low thyroid), and hypo thyroid for 20). I have not been able to lose weight despite diligent efforts and had begun to think perhaps my problems are hormonal.

    After the second pellet insertion, I have been bleeding heavily for two months. There was so much blood in the toilet bowl this morning I got really scared. From what I’m reading, I have too much estrogen? I think maybe the Dr. (DO like you and really a kind gentleman-but perhaps out of his league as he just started this service).

    He tripled my progesterone to 675mg per day to stop the flow, but it has not. Getting worse, and don’t know what I’m supposed to do…wait it out for a few more months? Go lower or higher on the Progesterone? I’m looking for answers and hope that you have some!

    I will certainly do some research on your supplements, but have to get this under control first before I start making changes I’m unsure of! I’ll look forward to hearing back…not sure if you send an email back or just post here? Thanks for “being there” for us women and men with hormonal issues.

    Reply
  14. Hi Dr. Childs, I’m a long time fan and follower. Last year my weight shot up 15lbs in 2 weeks (117 to 132) and I haven’t been able to lose a single lb since just gain. I’ve run around in circles with my thyroid meds, adrenal supplements, testosterone pellets, etc, etc.

    Here are my recent labs and I’m wondering what you would recommend my next step:

    (Day15) Estradiol 50, Progesterone 10, Total Testosterone 18, Free Testosterone 2.1, SHBG 30. Insulin 7, F t3 2.7, TSH .54, Rt3 15, Ferritin 17, VitD49.

    I’m on 15mcg Liothyronine and 32.5mcg of Levothyroxine.

    Hypothyroid symptoms seem to be under control but my weight won’t budge. Please help. Thank you!

    Reply
  15. My wife has been on estrogen for 20 years. She was recently taken off of it after having both breast remover because of cancer. She is 62 years old, so I am sure her progesterone has gone down. Her mood is very bad. What can I do to get my wife back?

    Reply
  16. I have quite a few issues (Lyme disease, co infections, hypothyroid, gut issues, anxiety, very high homocysteine) and been gaining lots of weight in last 2 years, despite working out 4x/week and not overeating. And my mom and I never had weight issues. If only looking at calories, I should be losing weight. Cut out dairy, gluten, artificial anything, etc.
    On day 14, my progesterone/estrogen ratio was about 1:20, tho “in range”. So I assume this is off, even though taken a bit early in cycle. Suggestions?

    Reply
  17. I was diagnosed w/hypothyroid after birth of first child 16 yrs ago. I had a serious adrenal crash 4 yrs ago at age 50. I have only had a tiny bit of blood in the last 9 months, so not fully menopausal yet. Last time I tested TSH it was 0 and doc says to drop down NatureThroid. However, ever time I do that I get very fatigued again. I have never had a weight issue. However i have gained 25 lbs in the last 4 years. I am taking vitex berry and bio identical progesterone and estrogen cream. I am still having hot flashes and night sweats. When I increase the cream and/or vitex berry, the hot flashes don’t go away, I just get bad chills with them. Any thoughts/suggestions?

    Reply
  18. My TSH is 1.336, FT3 2.0, FT4 0.72, RT3 13.1, T3 78, TgAB <1.0, TPOab <9, Fasting Serum Leptin 315.1. What would be your recommendation. Thank you.

    Reply
  19. where can I find a list of optimal levels for Estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, etc for a women that has had a complete hysterotomy (took my ovaries as well). I am 57. my last blood test estradiol was 414pg/ml. I take .05 a day since i had hysterotomy. when I don’t take the estradiol i feel very anxious.

    Reply
    • Hi Shawn,

      Those lab ranges don’t really exist in the same way that they exist for other hormones because of the menstrual cycle. Levels fluctuate and change throughout the course of the month which makes nailing down an optimal range pretty much impossible.

      Reply
  20. Hello, Doctor
    Can having Estrogen Dominance Symptoms cause cervical bleeding during sex? I have all the symptoms you mention above and now struggling with this issue. My blood work comes back looking good evendo I express feeling tired. I have some imaging and a referral but I strongly believe it has to do with my hormones. Any advice would be helpful, thank you!
    Pricilla Castro

    Reply
    • Hi Pricilla,

      I’m unaware of a connection between estrogen dominance and cervical bleeding during intercourse. Estrogen levels do have an impact on vaginal wall lining which can lead to painful intercourse but that’s often seen in low estrogen states.

      Reply
  21. Hi, I found this article because I was trying to sort out whether estrogen dominance can suppress thyroid function, OR if it is truly the thyroid that “drives the bus” and in cases of under-active thyroid, estrogen dominance is common. Can it go either way? (Thyroid function can influence hormone levels, AND hormone levels can suppress or elevate thyroid)
    Or is the pecking order hypothalamus->pituitary->thyroid-sex hormones?

    Reply
  22. Hi Dr Child’s, my question… can one be estrogen dominant 3 years post menopause, not know it? And could that be causing bleeding (think normal period but awful nausea and period pain) 6 weeks after starting HRT and then 8 days after the first period stopped be bleeding again?
    Background I’m nearly 3 years post menopause and 52. In May’23 I was put on Estalis continuous combined 50/250 patches. I wasn’t having horrific symptoms, a bit of hot feelings, insomnia/disturbed sleep/bum fluff on face and weight gain that wasn’t budging despite eating well and incorporating low impact exercise.
    I haven’t felt much benefit from the patches other than no longer getting hot and a bit of weight loss.

    But the first period, which happened at the end of the 3rd week of month 2 on HRT was debilitating. Nausea, pain, headache the worst period I’ve ever had. Bleeding was like a normal 5 day period like I used to get.
    Now 8 days after that period stopped, and now week 1 on month 3 on HRT I’m bleeding again!

    I think I have too much estrogen and wondering what I need to tell my GP (who knows about the bleeding) as this really isn’t worth taking hrt for.

    I’m thinking of just trying progesterone as HRT isn’t helping with sleep, low mood, low libedo etc only the hot flushes.

    If you have time I would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks from Australia

    Reply

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