“Oestrogen is like an interesting and charismatic friend: She’s great to have around but she can become a bit overwhelming after a while” – Lara Briden.

As women we have all experienced the fluctuations of the menstrual cycle. You may have heard terms such as ‘oestrogen dominance’ or experienced out of the norm changes towards your period.

In this blog I break down the ups and downs of our key hormone that makes us women so changeable – OESTROGEN. They key factor to know is: Oestrogen levels fluctuate throughout the month and this lovely hormone does not act alone. Oestrogen levels and her actions are one part of a whole – dependent on an array of hormones and processes. When our hormones are in harmony they each others negative effects.

Hormones don’t just influence the menstrual cycle.

In balance, our lady oestrogen, along with her partner in crime progesterone work in a perfect dance together throughout your cycle. Together, they even out your your moods and each other. Oestradiol can boost feel-good neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin – lifting and enhancing mood. Progesterone on the other hand calms the nervous system beautifully by acting like an inhibitory neurotransmitter.

More is not better

That said, too much oestrogen can cause, heavy, painful bleeds, breast pain, PMS, fluid retention, and headaches.

As mentioned, oestrogen fluctuates naturally throughout the cycle, and should not stay high forever. Oestrogen drops towards the end of the cycle before menstruation, and when this happens it brings serotonin and dopamine (your feel good neurotransmitters) down with it. Unfortunately – it’s a case of ‘the higher it is the further you fall’. So we don’t want our oestrogen to get too high before the decline.

Pre-period oestrogen withdrawal causes fatigue, migraines and night sweats.

Usually around this time – the decline of oestrogen towards the period – progesterone will be released from the corpus luteum and soothes oestrogen withdrawal symptoms, acting as a counterbalance. Sufficient progesterone at this time means you will breeze into your period PMS free. How do you ensure you have enough progesterone? That’s another blog entirely – clue is that it all depends on healthy ovulation.

Back to oestrogen:

How do you know what’s going on with your oestrogen? Here is a cheat sheet:

Signs you may have an oestrogen ‘excess’:

· Heavy periods

· Breast tenderness

· Fibroids

· PMS, irritability

· Painful periods

CAUSE: Stress, low progesterone, plastics / BPA, oral contraceptive pill, PCOS, obesity, digestive issues, liver detox issues, genetic susceptibility, steroid meds, alcohol use, inflammation.

Signs you may have too little oestrogen:

· Weight gain, hair loss

· Vaginal dryness, low libido

· Hot flushes and night sweats

· Chronic UTI’s and infections

· Chronic vaginal infections (thrush)

· Fatigue

CAUSE: Weight loss, oral contraceptive pill, irregular cycles, breastfeeding, peri-menopause, NSAIDs, anorexia & extreme dieting, hypothyroidism, over exercising, extreme stress, smoking, under-eating, high amounts of soy.

What’s normal?

Fluctuations are normal. It is normal for oestrogen to be lowest on day 2-3 of your cycle (during menstruation). Oestradiol should be highest four days before ovulation (day 10 in 28 day cycle) and the middle of your luteal phase (around day 21 of a 28 day cycle). At the highest point your oestradiol should not exceed 1000 pmol/L. Your GP can measure this via a blood test.

Oestrogen should be highest 4 days before ovulation and will rise again in the luteal phase.

Oestrogen should be highest 4 days before ovulation and will rise again in the luteal phase.

The next bit of this blog will focus on oestrogen excess conditions since they are much more common than low oestrogen:

Oestrogen Dominance / Excess:

Oestrogen excess means you have too much oestrogen and/or not enough progesterone. It can mean you have excessive oestrogen or simply not enough progesterone which is related to ovulation – But why would oestrogen be excessive?

· Higher production from ovaries (only in peri-menopause)

· Poor oestrogen metabolism and detoxification, via the liver and bowel:In the liver:
To detox oestrogen properly your liver needs good nutrient levels – mainly folate, B2, B6, B12, selenium, zinc, magnesium and protein. If you are deficient in any of these this could pose a problem. Also, any added burden on the liver e.g: chemicals or alcohol will further impair oestrogen metabolism.

In the bowel:
Removal of oestrogens via the bowel is dependent on good numbers of healthy gut bacteria. Certain good bacteria actually conjugate (detox) and assist with the removal of oestrogens. Conversely, certain bad bacteria deconjugate or ‘reactivates’ oestrogen back into circulation – causing the excess.

What to do?

Get your GP to measure oestradiol with a blood test. Get Treated:

· Get any digestive orders corrected - recommended to work with a practitioner who can carry out the proper testing and treatments.

· Reduce the use of plastics – choose glass for food storage and plastic drink bottles

· Reduce alcohol

· Make sure you are ovulating to produce progesterone by tracking your cervical mucous and temperature daily – I use Kindara app.

· Manage stress – yoga and meditation

· Supplement with an activated B complex, zinc, magnesium, get sufficient protein.

· Consider calcium-d-glucarate and DIM to aid liver detox pathways.

· Eat lots of dark leafy greens particularly brassica family: Broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and spinach.

· Eliminate refined carbohydrates and sugar. Avoid dairy and gluten.

· Maintain healthy body weight.

· Eat phytoestrogens which modulate oestrogen: Flaxseeds, fermented tempeh, alfalfa sprouts.

· Address any underlying inflammation with anti-inflammatory diet or work with a practitioner.

· Exercise at least 3 times per week.

Finally – if you have any concerns – Book an appointment with me via Skype or in person to discuss your options.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE NOTE THIS ARTICLE IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT ANY DISEASE OR HEALTH CONDITION AND IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR ANY PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THIS IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. PLEASE CONSULT YOUR HEALTHCARE PRACTITIONER BEFORE ENGAGING IN ANYTHING SUGGESTED IN THIS BLOG ARTICLE.

Oestrogen ups and downs – Medusa or Madonna?