Understanding your hormone levels is key to determining if you need additional estrogen or progesterone. This article will go over the symptoms of hormone imbalances, when to get tested, interpreting test results, and treatment options. With the right information, you can work with your doctor to optimize your hormone health.
What are estrogen and progesterone?
Estrogen and progesterone are female sex hormones that play vital roles in the menstrual cycle and overall health. Here’s an overview of each hormone:
Estrogen
- Types include estradiol, estrone, and estriol
- Produced mainly by the ovaries
- Peaks in the first half of the menstrual cycle to trigger ovulation
- Functions: regulates menstrual cycle, develops female sex characteristics, impacts mood, memory, cholesterol levels, bone density
Progesterone
- Produced by the ovaries after ovulation and by the placenta during pregnancy
- Levels peak in the second half of the cycle
- Functions: regulates menstrual cycle, prepares the uterus for pregnancy, impacts mood and anxiety
These two hormones work closely together to regulate the menstrual cycle. Imbalances in estrogen or progesterone can lead to irregular, painful, or heavy periods as well as other symptoms.
What are signs of low estrogen?
Here are some common symptoms of low estrogen levels:
- Irregular periods: Light, sporadic, or skipped periods can signal low estrogen. Lack of ovulation prevents adequate estrogen production.
- Vaginal dryness: Estrogen keeps vaginal tissue supple. Low levels lead to dryness, irritation, and painful sex.
- Hot flashes: Estrogen helps regulate body temperature. Drops in estrogen cause hot flashes and night sweats.
- Mood changes: Estrogen impacts serotonin levels influencing mood. Low estrogen is linked to depression and anxiety.
- Sleep disruptions: Estrogen drops can cause insomnia and sleep disturbances.
- Fatigue: Hormonal shifts can trigger chronic tiredness and low energy.
- Memory issues: Estrogen supports memory consolidation. Low levels may impair cognitive function.
- Bone loss: Estrogen helps maintain bone density. Deficiency increases risks for osteoporosis.
Keep in mind symptoms depend on your age and menopause status. Young women and teens may experience irregular cycles but not vaginal dryness or hot flashes, for example.
What are signs of low progesterone?
Common symptoms of low progesterone include:
- Irregular periods: Progesterone regulates the second half of the menstrual cycle. Low levels can cause absent or irregular periods.
- Short luteal phase: The luteal phase occurs between ovulation and menstruation. A short phase of less than 10 days can signal low progesterone.
- Infertility: Progesterone prepares the uterus for pregnancy. Low levels are linked to recurrent miscarriages and infertility.
- Pregnancy complications: Progesterone supports implantation and fetal development in pregnancy. Deficiency increases risks of preterm birth and preeclampsia.
- PMS symptoms: Progesterone provides a calming effect on mood. Drops before your period may worsen PMS, anxiety, and irritability.
- Spotting: Low progesterone can cause spotting in the days leading up to your period.
As with low estrogen, progesterone deficiency symptoms depend on your reproductive life stage. Teens may experience irregular cycles while older women have spotting or infertility issues.
When should I get my hormone levels tested?
Talk to your doctor about testing your estrogen and progesterone levels if you have:
- Absent or irregular periods
- Infertility or miscarriages
- Symptoms of perimenopause like hot flashes or night sweats
- Vaginal dryness
- Worsening PMS symptoms
- Mood issues like depression or anxiety
- Sleep disruptions
- Loss of bone density
- Other concerning symptoms
Testing typically involves either a blood draw or saliva sample. Blood tests assess your overall hormone levels while saliva tests look at free, active hormones. Your doctor can help determine the most appropriate test for you.
What do my estrogen and progesterone test results mean?
Lab ranges for estrogen and progesterone levels vary amongst different labs. Results also depend on where you are in your menstrual cycle. Here are some general guidelines for interpreting hormone test results:
Estrogen
In premenopausal women, estrogen levels normally range from:
- Follicular phase: 25-75 pg/mL
- Mid-cycle peak: 150-400 pg/mL
- Luteal phase: 25-150 pg/mL
Levels below 25 pg/mL may indicate low estrogen.
In postmenopausal women, estrogen levels are:
- Less than 10 pg/mL
Progesterone
In premenopausal women, progesterone levels are:
- Follicular phase: Less than 1-2 ng/mL
- Luteal peak: 5-20 ng/mL
- Postmenopausal: Less than 0.2 ng/mL
Luteal phase levels below 5 ng/mL may indicate low progesterone.
Always discuss your specific results with your doctor. Hormone ranges vary by lab and depend on your individual health status.
How can I increase my estrogen levels?
If you have low estrogen levels, treatment aims to restore balance. Options may include:
- Estrogen therapy: Taking estrogen pills, creams, patches, or vaginal rings replaces the estrogen your body lacks. Dosage depends on your needs and symptoms.
- Combined hormone therapy: Combining estrogen with progesterone counterbalances estrogen’s effects on the uterine lining.
- Lifestyle changes: Quit smoking, reduce stress, exercise regularly, and eat a nutritious diet to support hormone balance.
- Alternative therapies: Herbal remedies like black cohosh, red clover, and maca root may help relieve some symptoms.
Discuss benefits and risks of each treatment option with your healthcare provider. Balance restoring estrogen while minimizing potential side effects.
How can I increase my progesterone levels?
If you have low progesterone, your doctor may recommend:
- Progesterone pills or cream: Taking bioidentical progesterone provides the progesterone your body lacks. It comes in oral capsules, vaginal suppositories, or topical creams.
- Emergency contraception: A high dose progestin pill boosts progesterone to delay ovulation. This prevents pregnancy in emergency situations.
- Fertility treatments: Progesterone supplements can support fertility treatments like IVF.
- Lifestyle changes: Relaxation techniques, exercise, and stress reduction support natural progesterone levels.
- Herbal remedies: Chasteberry, yam root, and vitex agnus-castus may help promote progesterone production.
Work with your doctor to find the right treatment to restore normal hormone function without unwanted side effects of too much progesterone.
What are bioidentical hormones?
Bioidentical hormones have the same molecular structure as the hormones your body produces. They are often derived from plant sources and made into pharmaceutical products. Common bioidentical hormones include:
- Estradiol: A type of estrogen that relieves hot flashes and menopause symptoms.
- Progesterone: Helps regulate menstrual cycles and prevent uterine cancer.
- Testosterone: Boosts libido, energy, and bone density.
Bioidentical estrogen and progesterone can supplement the hormones your body lacks because of menopause or other conditions. Supporters believe bioidenticals have fewer risks than synthetic hormone medications. However, these claims aren’t well supported by evidence.
What are the risks of estrogen therapy?
While restoring estrogen levels can relieve troublesome symptoms, there are some potential side effects to consider:
- Blood clots: oral estrogen increases clotting factors in the blood. Patches and gels have lower clotting risks.
- Stroke: Estrogen raises risks for ischemic stroke.
- Breast cancer: Long-term use may slightly increase breast cancer odds.
- Uterine cancer: Estrogen without progesterone can lead to endometrial hyperplasia and cancer.
- Gallbladder disease: Estrogen may cause gallbladder issues in those susceptible.
Your doctor will discuss whether these risks outweigh the benefits of estrogen therapy for your situation. You’ll also have routine monitoring to quickly address any potential side effects.
What are the risks of progesterone therapy?
Some possible side effects of progesterone supplements include:
- Depression: Some women report mood symptoms like irritability, anxiety and depression from progesterone.
- Breast tenderness: Increased breast sensitivity and pain.
- Fatigue: Some women feel tired or sluggish on progesterone.
- Spotting: You may notice some mid-cycle spotting.
- Skin reactions: topical progesterone can cause localized skin irritation.
Progesterone does not appear to increase risks for blood clots, stroke, or breast cancer like estrogen. However, discuss your health history with your doctor to determine if progesterone is appropriate for you.
Conclusion
Imbalances in estrogen and progesterone can happen at any age resulting in frustrating symptoms. Knowing what to look for, when to get tested, and how to interpret your results empowers you to take charge of your hormone health. Work closely with your healthcare provider to find the ideal treatment to restore hormone balance.