Traditional Treatments Traditional treatments have included tranquilizers, diruetics, dietary changes, thyroid supplements, herbs, vitamins, exercise and accupuncture. While these may provide some easing of symptoms, the underlying causes remain.

Successful Treatments
Dr. Joel T. Hargrove of Vanderbilt University Medical Center has seen a 90% success rate in treating PMS with oral doses of natural progesterone.* An even higher rate of success has been reported by Dr. John R. Lee, M. D., using Transdermal Natural Progesterone in his practice for more than 15 years.** The difference between the methods of application is that oral progesterone requires 5-8 times the daily dose to obtain the same results of Transdermal Progesterone. Approximately 80% of oral progesterone is intercepted by the liver and conjugated by glucuronic acid for excretion in the bile. Additionally, oral progesterone will produce a sharp rise in serum progesterone levels followed by a rapid drop in serum levels within several hours.

In thirty years of clinical practice, seventeen of them recommending transdermal natural progesterone, Dr. Lee has observed consistent benefits and safety of natural progesterone therapy. He makes this statement:

"Though not completely understood, PMS most commonly represents an individual reaction to estrogen dominance, secondary to relative progesterone deficiency. Appropriate treatment requires correction of this hormone imbalance and the most effective technique, at present, for achieving this is supplemental Transdermal Natural Progesterone."**Real Progesterone-It?s A Natural

The need for Natural Progesterone is confirmed and reiterated in numerous research papers. Progesterone has been prescribed for more than thirty years with no reported increase in cancer incidence. In fact, a ?Women?s Health Report? in McCall?s tells of research indicating that ?progesterone deficiency-which women with PMS have-actually increases the risk of developing breast cancer. This article records an astute observation by Phil Alberts, M.D., who heads a PMS treatment center in Portland, Oregon, that the stress that occurs during PMS often triggers ailments that do not seem at all related to one?s hormones.Who would guess that colds, flu, asthma, allergies, epilepsy, migraine headaches, and various endocrine disorders might have to do with a progesterone deficiency? Dr. Alberts explains that problems such as these, seemingly unrelated to PMS or menopause, tend to manifest themselves at times when a woman?s immune system is depressed. Progesterone is the real missing ingredient for increasing vitality, enhancing sexual libido, and reducing sleep disturbances.

Excerpt from Raquel Martin's book, The Estrogen Alternative.Injustices Inflicted Upon thousands Of Women Upon finishing my personal research, I was overcome with strong feelings about the injustices inflicted upon the thousands of women who need this information and desperately deserve to be helped. However, turning my thoughts to a more positive sort of reflection, I began to think of all the medical doctors who are looking for better and more natural ways to help women avoid PMS and menopausal symptoms. The physicians mentioned throughout this book are among the many who are now making available information on the benefits of natural HRT. More and more, you may come across published accounts by such individuals. For example, Niels H. Lauersen, M.D. says, ?In my practice, hundreds of women who were severely handicapped by PMS have been completely symptom-free with Natural Progesterone. We can place further reliance on the reinforcement of Natural Progesterone when we read in Dr. John Lee?s book that Natural Progesterone also seems to assume a preventive role in PMS and other conditions. No wonder we feel gratitude for those who have introduced us to this natural treatment. We need to hear about the new findings over and over again. Otherwise, over and over again we will be enticed into trying synthetic hormones that only steer us further from homeostasis, the hormonal and metabolic balance we want to achieve.

Estrogen Dominance
Contrary to popular opinion, researchers make it clear that menopause does not mean an absolute end to estrogen production. Two other parts of the body besides the ovaries produce estrogen: The adrenal glands and the fat tissue. These, says author Sharon Gleason, ?will maintain low levels of estrogens to minimize symptoms.

Dr. John Lee states that a sign of estrogen dominance is weight gain caused by both water retention and fat deposition at hips and thighs. This is an interesting point, because I have found that many women wonder why they are gaining weight even though they are exercising and on a strict diet. One of my neighbors thought she had gained weight because she had given up smoking. At the same time, however, her doctor had put her on estrogen therapy for her menopausal problems, informing her (albeit incorrectly) that this hormone would be good for bone growth and make her feel a lot better. After, talking to her I couldn?t help but think that her accumulation of a middle-age spread could very well stem from the dual effect of her synthetic estrogen (prescribed alone) and the rapid drop in progesterone level that accompanies menopause.
Another case is highlighted in The Menopause Industry, by Sandra Coney. This woman, prescribed Premarin for her joint problems and pelvic inflammation, began to put on weight ?at an alarming rate? and was then switched to different forms of estrogen, including Estraderm patches and implants. The unfortunate result was a thirty-five-pound weight gain, fluid retention, and breast discomfort. In contrast, botanical progesterone is a natural diuretic. It burns fat (often caused by high doses of synthetic estrogen already in the body) for energy and lowers cholesterol levels-once again helping to avoid another unwanted side effect of synthetic HRT.

Other Side Effects of Estrogen Dominance

Dr. John Lee proposes further reasons why estrogen should not be given without Natural Progesterone, and why we may begin to feel more and more uncomfortable if we take estrogen alone for any length of time. He says that estrogen:

Allows influx of water and sodium into [the] cells, thus affecting aldosterone production leading to water retention and hypertension". Causes intracellular hypoxia [oxygen deficiency], opposes the action of the thyroid. Promotes histamine release Promotes blood clotting thus increasing the risk of stroke and embolism Thickens bile...promoting gall bladder disease Causes copper retention and zinc loss.

It is any wonder that so many women feel miserable when using synthetic estrogens? And is it any wonder that Dr. Lee says, ?Something is wrong with the estrogen theory?? Prescribed alone, estrogen can lead to breast or uterine cancer even five years prior to menopause. Other consequences of estrogen dominance, he says, include ?heightened activity of the hypothalamus [and] hyperactivity of adjacent limbic nuclei leading to mood swings, fatigue, feelings of being cold, and inappropriate responses to other stressors.Just before menstruation, as Dr. Lee says, too much estrogen in the body often causes edema, or swelling and bloating. Dr. Ray Peat agrees: ?Under the influence of estrogen, your body retains extra water.? This, he says, is one reason we often crave extra salt. Some authorities recommend cutting down on salt the week before one?s period in an effort to reduce bloating and breast tenderness. However, Dr. Peat points out the often overlooked fact that sodium ?is essential for [maintaining] adequate blood volume, and that it is almost always unphysiological and irrational to restrict sodium intake.? He explains that ?reduced blood volume tends to reduce the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to all tissues, leading to many problems.? (For more on the wise use of sodium, refer to Jacques de Langre?s book Seasalt?s Hidden Powers.)

Fibrocystic Breasts

Estrogen dominance in the body causes fibrocystic breasts. However, Dr. Lee assures us, ?Restoring hormone balance with Natural Progesterone usually results in prompt clearing of the problem....When Natural Progesterone is used...during the two weeks before menses, fibrocystic breasts revert to normal within 2-3 months.? One patient, who came to him fearful of breast cancer, reported having undergone repeated needle drainage and biopsies. But as one might expect, after a course of Natural Progesterone and an improved diet, not only had her cysts disappeared, but many other symptoms were also relieved.
Dr. Lee?s instructions for use of the cream are quoted in the popular book Alternative Medicine.

?Using this progesterone transdermally,? he says, ?from day fifteen of the monthly cycle to day twenty-five will usually cause breast cysts to disappear.?

Concerning Fibrocystic Breasts, Dr. Nina Sessler Says: Avoiding caffeine and other methyl xanthine derivatives such as black tea, most colas, and chocolate, as well as many nonprescription and prescription medicines which contain methyl xanthines, has been shown to help a great deal with the discomfort. Many physicians recommend vitamin E (400-800 I.U.) And...vitamin C can also help reduce the inflammation that often occompanies FBC [fibrocystic breasts]. On the other hand, noted breast surgeon and author Susan M. Love, M.D., states that most studies of caffeine and benign breast disease have been either inconclusive, unscientific, or contradictory and that the popular preception of a connection may or may not be a reality. She points out that individual physiological differences could account for caffeine?s affecting one person but not another.
Several years ago, Dr. Linda Force had surgery on her breast to remove a fibrocyst. Following the surgery her breast swelled to twice the normal size and was very painful. The surgeon had not removed all of the cyst because it would have created too much deformity. Dr. Force says, ?As time went on, I controlled the problem by watching my diet and avoiding caffeinated beverages. But when I was thirty-five and developed PMS, the breast discomfort intensified. This is when I went to Dr. William Douglass, who dispenses rectal progesterone therapy over a three-month period. For those months only, I was fine. After that, my discomfort was not as bad as it had been previously, and I learned to tolerate it. But every month when my period would start, my breasts would swell and become very sore.

Fifteen years after the first surgery to remove her fibrocysts, Dr. Force was still suffering from the cysts, which were getting more and more painful as time went by. Her medical doctors were advising her to undergo surgery again if they didn?t clear up. That?s when I provided her with literature about the Transdermal Natural Progesterone Cream. It explained how the decline of progesterone can create estrogen dominance which in turn can cause any number of disorders such as fibrocysts, weight gain, endometriosis, depression, and more. Her first question was ?Is it natural?? I assured her that it is botanically derived and that she had nothing to lose.
Being a doctor, she quickly understood the dangers and side effects of unopposed estrogen. The fact is that when estrogen is administered to women with fibrocystic breasts, their condition becomes worse. However, it is easily treated with Natural Progesterone Therapy. She began her treatment immediately, and conscientiously applied the Natural Progesterone Cream to the sites of the lumps in her breast and to her abdomen twice daily, once in the morning and once at night. As the weeks went by, she saw subtle improvements: her fibrocysts had disappeared and she was free of the pressure and pain she?d previously had. Her relief at having avoided the prescribed surgery and drugs was evident. And as a true health provider, she soon made this important information about Natural Progesterone cream available to all her patients and staff.

Dr. William Campbell Douglas, M.D. was kind enough to email a comment on Jan. 29, 1999, regarding the above statements about cystic breast disease. He says, "There was no mention of vitamin B 1 (thiamin) for cystic breast disease in this piece. IT IS BETTER THAN ANYTHING ELSE, in my experience over thirty years, for RX of cystic breast disease. Regards, William Campbell Douglass II, M.D., Editor-in-Chief, Second Opinion medical newsletter."

Forced Menopause Through Surgery And Synthetic Hormones Hysterectomies are recommended for numerous reasons, often unwarranted. They are frequently suggested when women complain of adverse reactions to their prescribed estrogen or progestins. A doctor may recommend a hysterectomy instead of offering natural therapies that facilitate the body?s own healing process. Gail Sheehy, in her book "The Silent Passage", tells us that doctors will justify to their patients a more radical surgical approach by explaining that they won?t have to take the hormones that have been causing such irritating side effects. The surgery will free them from the worry of having to protect their uterus with hormones.
Gail Sheehy asked one doctor if he took the ovaries out as a routine procedure. The doctor nonchalantly told her, ?In a postmenopausal woman, the ovaries are of no use anyway.? In dismayed retrospect, Sheehy asks, ?Wasn?t this extreme?? This doctor was disregarding the fact that the ovaries continue to manufacture testosterone, which, as Sheehy points out, ?strongly influences a woman?s sexual desire and energy.? We might want to think several times before considering a hysterectomy. Every organ has an integral role to play throughout one?s entire life. In her book Sheehy tells us that ?between 33 and 46 percent of the women whose ovaries had also been removed complained of reduced sexual responsiveness.? Dr. Howard Judd of UCLA, an expert on the postmenopausal ovary, emphasizes that ?the concept that the ovary burns out is not true.? The fact is that after menopause, even though the ovaries no longer produce estrogen, they do manufacture testosterone.
Sheehy relates that most women who have undergone hysterectomies are in the age group of twenty-five to forty-four. When the cervix and uterus are removed, some women feel the effects of menopause within two years of the surgery. However, an oophorectomy (where the ovaries are removed) will generally bring on the state of menopause immediately. So, coerced menopause often befalls women when they are quite young.
Menopause usually begins around the ages or forty-five to fifty; and the last period is experienced in the early fifties. However, ovarian defect can begin at thirty. Undue trauma, or more than normal physical or mental stress, can bring on menopause years sooner. If a woman smokes, has a poor diet, is on medication, or has undergone surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation, she will also experience a dramatic loss of progesterone, which accelerates the aging process. And the degree of menopausal symptoms can also vary enormously in accord with each individual?s genetic differences.

Strokes And Blood Clots
My personal experience with blood clots began two months after the laboriously long and difficult delivery of my son. As I was adjusting to my newborn baby, who had colic throughout the night, the meaning of stress became clear beyond doubt. Dr. Lee had mentioned that when stress is heightened, a woman is predisposed to anovulatory cycles (menstrual periods with no ovulation). And conversely, he says, ?Lack of progesterone interferes with adrenal corticosteroids by which one normally responds to stress.? Also during the immediate postpartum phase, progesterone levels are near zero until ovulation resumes.
I had no way of understanding then the undelying and multiple reasons for my stress and immense weakness, or why my body could not adapt to the demands of taking care of an infant during the night and a two year-old during the day, while cooking for family and friends who had come to join us at this time of celebration. As the days proceeded, I rapidly lost motor control on my left side. Within two months after the birth, my left side had become paralyzed as the result of a blood clot that had lodged in a blood vessel wall on the right side of my brain. This embolism left me helpless and traumatized for several months. The neurosurgeon, my OB/GYN, and other specialists were completely mystified as to the cause of my condition. The postnatal paralysis all took place twenty-six-years ago. Now, however, after sifting through much research, I can?t help but speculate that progesterone deficiency was perhaps one of the causes for my stress and that Natural Progesterone might have rescued me from the trauma I had endured. I recall, too, that Dr. Peat writes that during stressful times in a woman?s life, supplementation with the Natural Progesterone is urgently needed to correct imbalances in the endocrine system. Have these doctors and researchers solved the mystery that was so puzzling to my specialists over two decades ago? Natural Progesterone may help many at-risk women to avoid strokes and other stress-related disorders.

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The above information was taken from Raquel Martin's book,
The Estrogen Alternative.

Hormone imbalance is one of the most important health issues for women today. It is brought on by estrogen dominance. Factors contributing to estrogen dominance include prescription hormones and estrogens in our diet and environment. The use of natural progesterone in a skin creme is an effective way to supplement your body's hormone levels and achieve balance.

Are cremes effective? With nearly 100% bio-availability, this form of application relieves strain on the liver that results from the oral use of progesterone.

The healthy premenopausal female produces approximately 20 - 24 milligrams of progesterone a day for about 12 days each month after ovulation. If your body has the proper balance of progesterone and estrogen, many of the symptoms of estrogen dominance and menopause will be alleviated.

What creme should I use?
According to Dr. John Lee, M.D., any creme that does not contain at least 400 milligrams of USP natural progesterone per ounce is ineffective. (Ed note: our cream has 1200mg per 2-oz container.)

Are there side effects?
When natural progesterone is used too heavily, the only known side effect is drowsiness. If this occurs, decrease your dosage.

Do all women experience the same effects?Women who have used natural progesterone moisturizing cremes have learned that every woman's body chemistry is different. It takes some personal adjustments for you to reach levels that are correct for you.

Many women will notice results within a very short period of time. If you don't notice any immediate relief, remember, it can take up to three full cycles for your body to adjust to hormone balance.

How much creme is applied? Normal usage is between 1/8 and 1/4 teaspoon, applied once or twice a day to soft tissue areas of the body such as stomach, breast, arms, neck, thighs, etc.

How are natural progesterone cremes used? Premenopausal women: If you count the beginning of your period as day 1, start application on day 14 and continue until day 26. If your cycle is longer, you may want to continue until day 28. If bleeding starts before day 26, or before it normally would, stop using the creme and begin counting up to day 12 and then start use again.

Menopausal women not receiving estrogen: You have a wider choice in your timing. You might want to base your use on the calendar month and apply the creme over a 14 to 21 day period. After this period, discontinue until the next month. If your symptoms are severe, you may safely use the creme for longer periods. Be sure to discontinue use for at least one or two days per month to enable hormone receptors to reset.

Menopausal women taking an estrogen supplement: Dr. Lee stated that estrogen supplements should be reduced by one-half when starting progesterone. He said that if you do not, you may experience an increase in the sensitivity of your estrogen receptors. Your negative symptoms may actually increase for a short period but this is only temporary. If you quit using estrogen abruptly, you may experience vaginal dryness or hot flashes. This can be prevented by gradually reducing estrogen.

Many women choose to establish a goal of eliminating synthetic estrogen entirely. Dr. Lee stated that this can be done over a three month period.

If you are taking a progestin, such as Provera, Dr. Lee recommends that you should stop using it immediately when you start using the creme. We strongly recommend you see your health care professional before ceasing any prescribed medication.

For menstrual cramping: Apply the creme directly on the lower abdomen every 3 - 4 hours.

For migraines: Apply the creme to the back of the neck, behind the ears, on the temples and the forehead every 3 - 4 hours.

Other Uses: Natural progesterone is effective for PMS symptoms, infertility, early miscarriage, postpartum depression, menopause, vaginal dryness, loss of sex drive, and osteoporosis.

A New England Journal of Medicine article in 1995 involving 121,700 women revealed that women who used synthetic estrogens and progestins to offset the symptoms of menopause also increased their chance of developing breast cancer by up to 40 percent by taking them for more than five years. Current knowledge is evolving that these synthetic products are not good. Not only are synthetic estrogens responsible for increasing the probability of breast and uterine cancer, but also of increased storage of body fat, fluid retention, depression, headaches, impaired blood sugar control, reduced oxygen in cells, gallbladder problems, decreased sex drive, increased probability of fibroids and bone loss.

The attempt to offset the negative effects of synthetic estrogen with synthetic progestins, only complicates the problems all the more. It is important to know that the group of drugs that are referred to as progestins are not progesterone. They are compounds that have altered molecules of progesterone that can be patented by companies for profit. Synthetic progestins are not exact replicas of progesterone and can cause numerous side effects, such as headache, depression, fluid retention, increased risk of birth defects (they are included in birth control pills), liver dysfunction, breast tenderness, acne, insomnia, swelling, weight changes and PMS-like symptoms. They are not progesterone!

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