Natural Hormones Q & A

Q: What is EssProL’eve ?
A: EssProL’eve is a natural balancing cream with ingredients taken from nature’s garden with a wonderfully rich moisturizing formula, free of artificial colors and chemicals.

Q: Don’t all creams contain the same ingredients?
A: No, all creams are not the same! EssProL’eve does not contain Propylene Glycol (antifreeze), Mineral Oil, Paraben Preservatives, Canola Oil or PEG! No Synthetic Chemicals! The ingredients tell the whole story
(Simply pure cream with aloe vera gel, micronized progesterone USP, Caprylic Triglycerides, Shea butter, Natural Super Vitamin E, Evening Primrose Oil, MSM, Vegetable glycerin, Glycerin stearate, Sorbic Acid and Grapeseed extract.

Q: How do I know if I need EssProL’eve?
A: Sellman states, "Here are three main categories of symptoms which respond to natural progesterone supplementation.
PMS and Premenopausal Symptoms. This encompasses as many as 150 different symptoms, although no women experience them all. When progesterone production is low, women become estrogen dominant causing symptoms such as; hot flashes, month-long mood swings, swollen tender breasts, depression, insomnia, low thyroid, fibrocystic breasts, uterine fibroids, weight gain, foggy thinking, head aches, and loss of sex drive.
Menopausal Symptoms. While a hot flash is the most common symptom of menopause, it indicates a process of progressive hormonal imbalance. Many women also suffer with a loss of sex drive, insomnia, night sweats, hot flashes. weight gain, vaginal dryness, and migraine headaches. During and after menopause, progesterone production virtually stops, while estrogen continues to be produced. This imbalance leads to estrogen dominance.
Osteoporosis. Even without overt sign of osteoporosis, women over age 45 should consider a natural source of progesterone supplementation as a preventative measure. Progesterone rebuilds bone mass."

Q: What is the difference between EssProL’eve and synthetic progesterone?
A: Sellman states, "Synthetic formulations, known as progestins, are the result of man-made alterations in the chemical structure of progesterone. These changes on a molecular level have a number of dangerous side effects including birth defects, miscarriage, epilepsy, asthma aggravation, migraine headaches, fluid retention, heart or kidney dysfunction, and depression. Natural progesterone is plant derived. Specific components from the plants are extracted and converted into natural progesterone in the laboratory. Its chemical structure exactly matches, molecule for molecule, the structure of progesterone produced by the human body."

Q: If I take estrogen, do I need to use EssProL’eve?
A: Absolutely! Dr. Lee says, "Estrogen supplementation without additional balancing can cause endometrial and vaginal carcinomas. It is clear that excess estrogen, when unopposed is not only dangerous but something that no women needs to experience."

Q: If I have stopped menstruation will I start again?
A: Dr. Lee states, " When first using any natural balancing cream, a few menopausal or post-menopausal women may experience breakthrough bleeding. This should not cause alarm, since it is a natural response to the introduction of progesterone. This can sometimes stimulate uterine shedding, which results in breakthrough bleeding. This is a good thing. The natural progesterone is simply causing the body to rid itself of excess estrogen and restoring balance in your body. This should be a temporary condition. If spotting starts, stop the cream and count 7 days then start the cream again."

Q: Why is EssProL’eve useful after a hysterectomy or oophorectomy?
A: Sellman states, "Most women’s bodies still produce estrogen even after a hysterectomy. Your adrenal glands still produce androgen that converts to estrogen. It is the progesterone levels that fall to zero. EssProL’eve works to restore the balance between estrogen and progesterone."

Q: Can I use EssProL’eve if there is a history of breast or uterine cancer in my family?
A: Yes! Dr. Lee states, " Recent clinical studies have proven natural progesterone’s role in the prevention and treatment of breast and uterine cancer." EssProL’eve was developed especially for those women concerned.

Q: Are there additional benefits to using EssProL’eve?
A: Sellman states that studies by many doctors and scientist prove that using a natural cream can result in a variety of additional benefits. These include improved brain function, diminished muscular aches and pains, stimulation of new bone growth, improved sleep patterns, protection against breast cancer, normalizing of thyroid function, ability to carry a baby to term, fertility, and improved skin conditions such as acne, seborrhea, psoriasis, and keratoses.

Q: What if I am already using synthetic estrogen and/or progestins? Can I or should I just stop taking them?
A: Dr. Lee suggests discontinuing the progestins as soon as you start applying the natural progesterone cream. But he recommends getting off the synthetic estrogen more slowly by cutting your estrogen usage by 50% when you start using natural progesterone cream. Menopausal symptoms may flare up if you suddenly stop the supply of estrogen without allowing time for your body to balance naturally. Organic Maca Plus will help relieve menopausal symptoms. Maca Info

These Next Q & A’s are from an Interview with Dr. John Lee

Q: Do the results of the Women’s Health Study apply your recommendations of using natural estrogen and progesterone ?
A: Dr. Lee: Not at all. What I recommend is first measuring saliva hormone levels to find if there is a hormonal imbalance. Then, if necessary, correcting the imbalance using natural hormones in physiologic doses, which means ordinary doses that the body would naturally produce itself.
Another way to look at this is, from puberty until menopause, a healthy woman’s body is making its own natural hormones in synchrony and balance, without giving her cancer, heart disease or strokes. What I recommend is attempting to regain this natural balance as closely as possible.
Conventional HRT not only fails to measure hormones and use physiologic doses, it uses synthetic, not-found-in-nature “hormones” that are foreign to the human body and cause a long list of unwanted side effects.

Q: How Do I Get Off PremPro?
A: Dr. Lee: Most women simply need to lower their dose of estrogen and replace the progestin (the “pro” part of the PremPro) with progesterone cream.
Estrogen is a prescription-only medication in the U.S., so you’ll need to ask your doctor for a separate prescription for estrogen, preferably either estradiol, or a combination of estradiol and estriol, or estriol alone (please read our breast cancer book for details on using estriol). Even Premarin, although ethically objectionable in the way it is obtained from pregnant mares, will work if it is used in the lowest dose needed, and in combination with natural progesterone. If you discontinue estrogen suddenly, you’re likely to suffer from hot flashes and night sweats. Hot flashes and night sweats are less likely if the estrogen dose is decreased in gradual steps.
Unless your doctor already has you on a low dose of estrogen, you can begin with half the dose you have been taking when you add progesterone cream in place of the progestin. Many menopausal women don’t need any estrogen at all, and can gradually taper (over 3-4 months) their dose down to nothing. Although transdermal progesterone alone will alleviate menopausal symptoms for many women some women may need a little bit of estrogen to control their symptoms. Symptoms of estrogen deficiency include hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness. Again, you can find more specific information in our books.

Q: My doctor says that I can’t use estrogen and progesterone cream, because progesterone cream won’t protect my uterus the way the progestins do.
A: Dr. Lee: Progesterone cream protects the uterus just fine. Not only did I not have any problems in my hundreds of menopausal patients before I retired from practice, I am in touch with dozens of physicians who have thousands of patients between them, who have never had a problem (some of them have been doing this for over a decade). Furthermore, soon-to-be published double-blind, placebo-controlled study by Helen Leonetti, M.D., proves that progesterone cream protects just fine. Her study compared the uterine protection of PremPro with an estrogen/progesterone cream combination. In short, the women on the progesterone cream came out just fine.
You might also ask your doctor how he thinks that your premenopausal body protected itself against estrogen effects! It was the progesterone that your ovaries made every month!

References & Information comes from these books:
Lee, John R., M.D. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause, New York.,
Warner Books Plus What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause.
Sellman, Sherrill Hormone Heresy What Women Must Know About Their Hormones, Getwell Publishing.