How to Survive the Great Progesterone Crash of Perimenopause

perimenopause and stressIn your forties, you may find you don’t cope as well with stress. It happens because losing progesterone during perimenopause can destabilize the HPA (adrenal) axis or stress response system.

This recalibration of the nervous system is why perimenopause is associated with an increased risk of anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

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Guide to Using Progesterone for Women’s Health

How to use natural progesterone.

Body-identical or bioidentical progesterone can treat women’s health conditions such as PCOS, PMDD, migraines, endometriosis, adenomyosis, and perimenopause.

Progesterone is called oral micronized progesterone and requires a doctor’s prescription. Depending on your country, brand names include Prometrium, Utrogestan, Teva, and Famenita. Alternatively, progesterone cream is available over-the-counter in some countries and can help with mild symptoms but is generally not as effective as progesterone capsules.

Here’s what you need to know.

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A Safer Type of Hormone Therapy

If you’re going to take hormone therapy, it’s safer to take hormones that are identical to human hormones. In other words, hormones that are body-identical or bioidentical. The concept of bioidentical used to be controversial but is now conventional and mainstream.

In episode five of my podcast/YouTube video, I discuss hormone therapy, including why the concept of bioidentical was controversial when it didn’t need to be; oral micronized progesterone for heavy periods, mood, sleep, and perimenopausal migraines; and some quick facts about body-identical estrogen.

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The Role of Histamine and Mast Cells in PMS and PMDD

Histamine and premenstrual mood symptoms.

Mast cell activation and histamine can play a role in premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). 

That’s why mid-cycle, premenstrual, and perimenopausal mood symptoms can be relieved by antihistamines and natural histamine-reducing strategies such as quercetin, vitamin B6, SAM-e, and a dairy-free diet. 

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