Hormone Imbalance Associated Diseases
Estrogen Dominance hormone imbalance is associated with many different diseases. Uterine Fibroids,
Endometriosis, Adenomyosis, Fibrocystic Breast Disease (Breast Cysts), Migraine Headaches associated
with the menstrual cycle, premenstrual syndrome, ovarian cysts, breast cancer, endometrial cancer,
benign prostatic hypertrophy, restless leg syndrome, birth defects and prostate cancer are all associated with too much estrogen.
Both natural, pharmaceutically modified, and chemical estrogen mimics are associated with these
diseases.
Breast Cancer
This is the classic disease that is known to be caused by estrogen stimulation. In general, estradiol causes cells to proliferate and progesterone causes cells to differentiate and grow up. Estradiol causes the femaleness in women. It causes the breasts to grow and the hips to round out. However, too much estradiol can cause an increased incidence of breast cancer. Women who have menarche early and have menopause later are at a greater risk of breast cancer. Numerous studies show that some chemicals pretend to be estrogen and can stimulate breast cancer cells in the test tube to grow. Download the paper from Breast Cancer Fund here that talks about Environmental Estrogens that cause Breast Cancer. Recently, there have been law suits that have been filed against a major pharmaceutical manufacturer asserting that birth control pills are causing an increased incidence of breast cancer. Millions of dollars have been awarded to the plaintiffs. Web search law suit and hormone replacement.
In the 1995 Nurses� Health Study, a study was done on the increased risk of breast cancer in women taking various synthetic hormones. It was found that women taking synthetic estrogen alone had a 36% increased risk; those on synthetic estrogen plus progestin had a 50% increase; those on progestins alone had a 240% increased risk of acquiring breast cancer! Women who, at the time of the study, had been taking estrogen and progestin for 5-10 years had a 45% increased risk. This study is one of the largest done to date.
Also in the Nurses� Health Study, the older a woman was the higher the risk. Women between the ages of 60 and 64 who had been taking synthetic hormones for five years or more had an increased risk of developing breast cancer by 71%. Studies have shown that within 5 years of discontinuing synthetic hormones, a woman�s risk of breast cancer returns to normal.
Feb 13th, 2002 JAMA study of Hormone Replacement Therapy in Relation to Breast Cancer. Results showed the longer use of HRT was associated with increased risk of lobular breast cancer. The incidence of breast cancer, all histologic types combined, was increased by 60% to 85% in recent long-term users of HRT. Long-term HRT use was associated with a 50% increase in non lobular cancer. Their data adds to the growing body of evidence that recent long-term use of HRT is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer and that such use may be related particularly to lobular tumors.
Endometrial Cancer
It is well known that endometrial cancer can be caused by just giving synthetic estrogen pills without giving progestins. This is why progestins are given by physicians when taking synthetic estrogens. It was thought that progestins given with the estrogens would stop endometrial cancer. However, a new Swedish Study contradicts that and finds that even with the cyclically added progestins endometrial cancer is still stimulated by synthetic estrogens although at a lower rate than if you had just used estrogen alone.[1]
Endometriosis
Prior to 1921, there were only 20 reports of endometriosis in the entire world wide medical literature. However, now endometriosis affects 1 out of 20 women in America and is the leading cause of infertility today in America. This suggests that endometriosis is caused by something in our environment.
In 1992, German scientists reported an association between heavy PCB contamination and endometriosis that hinted at a new chapter in the search for causes of endometriosis. Then in 1993 researchers from the Harlow Primate Center at the University of Wisconsin published dramatic and unexpected findings. Their study was of monkeys used in research on the long-term reproductive effects of dioxin. When three of the dioxin treated animals died of severe endometriosis, a new study was initiated to compare the presence and severity of endometriosis with the animals exposure to dioxin. The study found a dose-dependent relationship between dioxin and endometriosis. Animals with more dioxin exposure were more likely to develop endometriosis, and the greater a female monkey's exposure to dioxin, the greater the severity of the disease. Only one of 7 animals exposed to 25 parts per trillion dioxin was free of endometriosis. This was much higher than the rate of endometriosis experienced in the general population of monkeys at the research center, about 30%.
Operations to cure endometriosis are total abdominal hysterectomy is only about 50% successful. In the past, it was said that pregnancy and menopause usually cures endometriosis.
Since progesterone is the hormone of pregnancy, this would imply that by giving progesterone and creating and fake pregnancy this would also help endometriosis.
And if menopause helps endometriosis, then estrogen is stimulating the endometriosis to grow.
Adenomyosis
Endometriosis and Adenomyosis are kissing cousin diseases. Endometriosis is the endometrial tissue growing on the intestines and ovaries. In extreme cases, the endometrial tissue can be found growing in the lungs and brain.
Adenomyosis on the other hand, has the endometrial tissue growing into the muscular wall of the uterus.
"Adeno" meaning gland (endometrial islets). "myosis" meaning muscle.
Uterine Fibroids
Uterine Fibroids known as myomas or fibromas are benign smooth muscle tumors that usually grow in the wall of the uterus as little round balls. The balls can grow as large as a basket ball. The smooth muscle can also grow out on a stalk and be called pedunculated.
Again, in the past, it was said that after menopause, these fibroids will shrivel up and die. This would suggest that fibroids are fueled by estrogen stimulation. Indeed, if you give estrogen to a women with fibroids the fibroids grow.
However, nowadays, I sometimes hear of women after menopause, that still have fibroids that are growing. If they are taking synthetic estrogen, then most of the time, if they stop the synthetic estrogen, the fibroid shrivels up and goes away.
However, there are some women that are not on synthetic estrogen and are after menopause and still have fibroids growing. These women tend to be heavy users of cosmetics and toiletries.
60% of all women in America will have a hysterectomy, and the most common cause is a fibroid. I have had a number of patients that developed a fibroid after having a severe emotional shock. These fibroid women are either their parents died, they are going through a divorce, are being abused or are having a violent disagreement with a close friend or relative. The only thing that I can think of is that this emotional upset makes it difficult for them to excrete xenoestrogens.
Premenstrual Syndrome
Premenstrual Syndrome is the quintessential Estrogen Dominance hormone imbalance disease. It is primarily characterized by monthly bloating and breast tenderness just before the period. Weight gain despite exercising and dieting around the hips and belly is typical, but not always true. Hair loss and hair thinning also goes along with this. The patient looks hypothyroid. The patient appears to be hypothyroid despite normal thyroid blood tests. The patient has become less sensitive to their own thyroid hormone. They may have sugar cravings. They may have chocolate cravings just before their period. This is because estrogen dominance causes a magnesium deficiency, and chocolate is high in magnesium. A Vitamin B deficiency is also caused by the hormone imbalance and the patient may develop burning or a "creepy crawly" feeling on the legs or the arms. This is a neuropathy or nerve disease caused by the Vitamin B deficiency.
The understanding of premenstrual syndrome is NOT rocket science. It is simple. The effect of monthly bloating and breast tenderness with fat marbling through the muscle is well known and documented. Ranchers routinely use artificial estrogens to engineer this same effect in the cattle they raise for meat. A synthetic "slow release" estrogen pellet is injected behind the ear. This causes water retention in the meat with increased fat marbling. The rancher can get more money because the meat is heavier. The cattle grow faster too.
Ever notice how tall and well developed middle school girls are these days? One of my patients commented that she knew exactly how the cattle felt. Xenoestrogens are likely causing unnatural growth spurts in teenage girls as well as early secondary sex characteristics.
Precocious puberty is at an all time high. In 1999, 5% of girls aged 5 were sprouting breast buds and pubic hair. 15% of girls aged 8 were sprouting breast buds and pubic hair.
Migraine Headaches
A migraine headache is a one sided headache that may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. If the migraine headache varies with the menstrual cycle, then there is clearly a hormonal component to the disease. Usually, bioidentical progesterone helps with this migraine headache. If the migraine becomes worse with progesterone then the woman needs to cut out xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens in their environment for 1-3 months before trying the progesterone again.
If Imitrex works on the migraine headache, then the migraine may be related to feelings of guilt and fear of conflict. Imitrex works by being a seratonin enhancer and a histamine blocker. Feelings of fear create increased histamine. Feelings of guilt create a seratonin depression. This is one component of a migraine headache that is true for most sufferers, but not all sufferers.
Ovarian cysts
An ovarian cyst is a fluid filled grape that is on the ovary. Normally, a follicle forms on the ovary surface and then mid cycle, the follicle pops out an egg. The used follicle becomes the corpus luteum.
An ovarian cyst forms when the follicle does not pop out an egg. The follicle simply keeps on growing and can become a large fluid filled "grape". Many of my patients have eliminated their ovarian cysts altogether by avoiding xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens.
Ovarian cysts also seem to be linked to conflicts with other women. Many women can trace the beginnings of their ovarian cysts to conflicts with other women.
Fibrocystic Breast Disease (Breast Cysts)
Fibrocystic breast disease responds to an above 90% success rate to avoidance of xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens and taking progesterone. conversely, if my patients take more xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens, then their breast cysts get markedly worse.
Not wearing a bra speeds the lymphatic drainage of the breast cysts. A bra restricts drainage of the cysts.
Also the breast cysts and soreness of the breasts very with the period and menstrual cycle. This means that there is a strong hormonal component.
Birth Defects
The quintessential example of birth defects caused by xenoestrogens is the artificial estrogen hormone called DES (diethylstillbesterol). DES was invented by the pharmaceutical companies to give to pregnant women. Many women took their prescription DES in only small quantities during a critical period of sexual development of the fetus. Children exposed to DES in utero before the 10th week of pregnancy experienced structural deformities of the reproductive tract and a greater risk of developing a rare form of vaginal cancer.
A hormone is a chemical messenger. In this case a reproductive tract anomalies, the DNA (or blueprint is intact), but the messenger is affected. The messenger gives the wrong message to the builders that are building the body.
Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy
The prostate is a small walnut shaped gland that fits easily into a whiskey shot glass. The urethra is the tube that drains the bladder of urine to the outside. The urethra passes through the center of the prostate gland.
The prostate is embryologically the same as the uterus. We all know what hormone makes the uterine cells reproduce and proliferate - estrogen. Xenoestrogen and phytoestrogens cause the prostate cells to proliferate and reproduce in numbers. The gland swells up, and squeezes the urethra,and blocks the urine coming out. The solution is to put a tube in it. Another mainstream medical solution is to do a rotor router and ream out the tunnel.
I believe the better solution is to avoid xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens and take natural bioidentical progesterone. Frequently, this helps and solves the problem.
Prostate Cancer
Again the prostate is embryologically the same as the prostate gland. So according to this logic the same things that cause uterine cancer cause prostate cancer, estrogen.
Mainstream medicine says that testosterone causes prostate cancer. If that were true, young men that have the highest levels of testosterone should have the highest levels of prostate cancer.
Formby, PhD showed the test tube prostate cancer cells proliferated wildly with estrogen added to the test tube.
Restless Leg Syndrome
Estrogen Dominance hormone imbalance causes a magnesium deficiency and Vitamin B deficiency. Magnesium Deficiency causes muscle tensing and leg jerking, constipation, "charley horse", and chocolate cravings. Vitamin B deficiency causes a "creepy crawling" feeling and also a burning sensation.
Raynaud's Syndrome
Raynaud's Syndrome is characterized cold extremities in the hands and feet. When a woman puts her hand into cold water, her vessels contract causing white fingers. Some of these cases may actually be magnesium deficiencies caused by Estrogen Dominance. For this subset of patients, Magnesium Supplements, progesgterone cream, and the elimination of xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens may take care of the problem.
1.Elisabete Weiderpass, Hans-Olov Adami, John A. Baron, Cecilia Magnusson, Reinhold Bergstrom, Anders Lindgren, Nestor Correia, Ingemar Persson, "Risk of Endometrial Cancer Following Estrogen Replacement With and Without Progestins," Journal of the National Cancer Institue, Vol. 91, No 13, July, 1999 pages 1131-1137.