Help Dealing with HA

[kmbriglia]

Hi there!
First, just finished the book which was amazing and I learned a lot. Thank you!
Second, if I have HA brought on by an imbalance in fuel to performance level (I’m a sub-elite competitive runner) is it good or bad to use hormone therapy (I’ve been using bio-identical creams) while I work on getting my fuel up?

Note: I’m 36 and I’ve gone without a period for 233 days at the time of this post.
Also, I am working on getting more fuel in, adding a bit at a time so my body can adjust to the extra calories. I’ve tried several times adding all at once and it backfires badly. This way is working great so far. I do feel like I might be having some very light form of a period b/c I think I'm seeing what could qualify as spotting the past couple of months. I say I think b/c it's a very lift yellowish color showing up on my panty liners and it's only a few days out of the month soooo yea. Maybe I'm getting somewhere???

This is a very shortened version of my story. Let me know if you need more details.

Thanks so much for your input.

God Bless,
Kristen M. Briglia

[Lara]

Hi Kristen,

The current evidence-based protocol for recovering from RED-S (relative energy deficiency in sport) can include the temporary use of body-identical estrogen and progesterone. Mainly to support bones until cycles can be restarted.

In general, the recommendation is transdermal estrogen plus oral progesterone (capsules). Do you have a clinician who can help you with dosing?

[kmbriglia]

Thanks for your reply, Lara!
I was think along those lines as well.
I just started seeing a wholistic GYN whom I think could help me with dosing. I can ask at my follow-up next week where we are reviewing my hormone saliva test results that we did to see where my hormones are at now that I’ve been on the bio-hormones for just over 5 months at time of the test. This would be in comparison to the Dutchtest I did prior to starting HRT which showed that my hormones completely flatlined. I mean completely. Like my hormones think I’m post menopausal flat. Like how is my body functioning flat. Scary stuff to be honest.

Do you have a recommendation for dosing? I’m concerned that what I’ve been using may be too much for my body to producing anything on its own. I’m I thinking of that right?

Side note: I didn’t know what my dosing should be. I got the Dutchtest analyzed and went out on my own for the HRT. I had a hard time finding info on dosage for a case like mine so I treated it like I was in menopause bc it seemed like that’s what my body thought. Here is what I use:
• Progesterone — Ona's Natural Pro Cream 100 10% Progesterone. It's 100mg per pump
https://us.onasnatural.com/product/10-p ... ne-creams/

• Estro — BioLabs 25mg Bio-identical Estro (as Estriol and Estra -diol) Per Pump
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07N9 ... UTF8&psc=1

Thank you so much for you insight on this. It feels like something there should be more information on out there but there’s not bc female athletes have not been given the proper attention in that regard.

God Bless,
Kris

[kmbriglia]

Correction:
The estrogen is 2.5mg per pump not 25mg.

[Lara]

First, to address the question of potentially "using too much for the body to produce its own hormones." The thing to keep in mind is that with HA and REDs, the body's hormones are essentially on a big "on and off switch" with ovulation. An all or nothing situation.

As long as ovulation is suppressed by undereating, hormones are flatlined. That's to be expected and there's no point in trying to measure them with a Dutch test (I don't use Dutch testing).

About four months after the brain is convinced there's enough food to make a baby, ovulation will SWITCH BACK ON and there were be lots of hormones.

So, it's all about promoting ovulation, and if hormone therapy is being used as a interim treatment then it's all about using it in a way that will not suppress ovulation. That means not taking daily progesterone at a dose of more than 200 mg oral (or 100 mg transdermal) -- because there's higher absorption of transdermal. (Technically, oral progesterone should be used with transdermal estrogen -- but that's a question for another post.) And to promote ovulation (or in the case of REDs, permit ovulation once there's enough energy intake), the best plan is usually cyclic progesterone (2 weeks on - 2 weeks off) but check with your doctor.

[AshleyM]

Hello! I believe I am experiencing this issue as well. I just had my hormones tested, and I have no LH, low estradiol and low progesterone. I used to not have periods due to anorexia (years ago), but my periods have been anovulatory since then and irregular. My BMI is over 20 now, so I would expect that my pituitary gland would be functioning normal. PMS has gotten unbearable and my OBGYN just wants to put me on birth control. Any suggestions on getting my hormones back to normal?

Thanks so much!