Some Frequently Asked Questions

I am often asked a range of questions as to the suitability of Natutral Progesterone for particular problems or to assist women who have questions when using it. It is difficult for me to answer all these questions individually as I simply do not have the time and that is why I wrote my books. They are an invaluable assistance to women using, or considering using, Natural Progesterone.

Some of the more common and interesting questions are listed below with my answers. More detailed information on these, and other issues, are covered in my books.

Weaning off Oestrogen and Livial - Common Hiccups Encountered
Progesterone for adolescents
Confused by different creams
Hot flushes, insomnia and menopause
Pimples
Anxiety and depression
Changing from HRT to natural progesterone

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Just finished both books (which my husband ordered for me), and have been off my Livial for 6 weeks and on the progesterone cream 10% for that period, will start reading books again, should have taken more notes.  Your history reminds me a little of myself - hormonal issues started at 12, the biggest problem is the goal posts keep changing............never getting on top of it!!
First month, felt great (as oestrogen was still strong)

Jenny replies
Correct. As oestrogen was exacerbated with progesterone introduction and you also had heaps in your body-now obviously depleted thus the sudden return of symptoms that were being controlled in the first 6 weeks on progesterone

- The last two weeks feeling strange, hot flushes returned, mind fuzzy, and bit sick in stomach, a little anxious- therefore I feel I need some oestrogen??  

Jenny replies
Yes. If it was not enough progesterone these symptoms could be mistaken with my term, an oestrogen dominance wake up crises and you would not have been symptom free till now. However as you have been, it indicates oestrogen withdrawal, given your history on Livial. So you need to top up and once calm again, back off i.e. a wean in and out approach on oestrogen as required, as you do not want to get into oestrogen dominance with over supplementing on oestrogen. It will start to accumulate in your body and store in fat cells.

  Please read sections throughout both books referring to weaning off oestrogen. Bringing oestrogen back in to the body is often necessary for many women, especially on long term oestrogen therapy as the brain has got use to a pre-set threshold level and starts to panic when this drops (as in stopping HRT combinations or oestrogen alone therapy). Your body will eventually adjust and then you can work on minimal doses or may only need, in time, phytooestrogens and some vaginal oestrogen as in the milder one. I often recommend the brand name called "Ovestin".

Doctors do not understand this and have no idea on dosage.

Jenny replies
Yes and no. It is your body and we are all individual. You need to learn your own body requirements and use the books and score sheets to recognize your own barometers, triggers and hormonal level needs which can vary many times along the journey. Hormone dose requirements can vary due to many things such as those mentioned below:

Dose variables e.g. change and it can depend also on your body shape, diet, state of liver, thyroid, adrenals pancreas, state of gastrointestinal tract functioning, weight ratio, diet, stress levels, exposure to toxins, supplementation used i.e. vitamins etc etc.  The whole equation needs to be looked at. It is just not about slapping on hormones and using standard recommended doses. (In my opinion this is what the doctors have not yet got as they depend on test result numbers to guide them or drug reference ranges and drug representatives who sell this info to them. Sad eh?)

Given all of the above, any ongoing symptoms that progesterone is not addressing can often indicate that you may need to use oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone supplementation -natural of course.
My suggestion is - get the current situation under control first. It is early days. Wean off oestrogen.

Learn to manage progesterone and understand this hormone intimately. Also give it a chance -I tell women at least a year! Do your scoresheets monthly.

Follow my principles and regimes-book 2. Then assess the need for other hormone introduction. Chances are you will need testosterone having now no ovaries and if not over weight, a little oestrogen in time’s personally do not use any oestrogen in the form of Oestrone or Oesradiol but do use some estriol 1 mg vaginal cream to maintain vaginal and bladder strength and health.

To control that annoying vaginal dryness or stress incontinence we gals tend to suffer from. It’s tough being a woman eh. I do not like using the stronger forms of oestrogens and as I have bad reactions to them and I am so wary of oestrogen having had endometriosis.

Also keep your hormones separate so you can control individual doses as required. Some days dose requirements vary. You learn to juggle in time when you know how to read your body and symptoms.

Whist using oestrogen and weaning you may need to work on higher levels of progesterone, particularly while using oestrogen. As progesterone must be higher than oestrogen ratio.

Don't forget when you take your monthly breaks of 3-5 days for a hysterectomised woman; do not use your oestrogen, as it will create an oestrogen dominance territory in this time. You can however use testosterone in your progesterone or oestrogens breaks and always use your phyto-oestrogen vitamin/mineral supplement continuously.

Good luck and I will place this on the website as so many women are battling your situation with little guidance or understanding.

History:

Hysterectomy at 27 (ovaries remained)

Jenny replies
Need to have a bone mineral density test just to check bones having an early disruptive induced menopause.

Started menopause around early 30's, but was able to bare through herbalist & supplements she suggested.

Jenny replies
Yes ovaries were still serving some purpose here.

Then 2 years ago ovaries removed as large cysts, that’s when the %^&* hit the fan.

Jenny replies
Full on menopause.

 

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I’ve been trying desperately to get information on Natural Progesterone cream for adolescents but there seems to be nothing conclusive and the few times that I have asked, there has been no reply. I’m not sure if that’s because it’s an unknown subject or it’s just not important enough.

A couple of sites said to wait until the adolescent has started menstruating while another hinted it was okay when puberty starts. My almost 11 year old has been going through puberty for about a year now although she hasn’t started menstruating yet, but her moods are just horrid….(I have total sympathy though because mine were like that before I started on Progesterone cream)..and she has been trying to get into sugary foods.

My question is…Is it okay to give them a dab of cream to help balance things out and make them feel better before menstruation or will it have some adverse affect on their growth? If there is not a problem with it, then would it be recommended to give a tiny drop perhaps at night?

Jenny replies:
Your email is one that interests me greatly and with permission I would like to place this on my website as many concerned and desperate mothers like yourself, approach me seeking similar answers, having similar thoughts and questions about the usage of progesterone for their young daughters and when is the right time to start using progesterone.

The answers are not straight forward and need to be individualized to each personal case however ,I personally would not advise the use of natural progesterone in a near 11 year old before menstruation which I will explain later and my reasons.

Your dilemma and question is a very common one that is not really covered in any great depth in general information sought on progesterone. The reasons ,I believe is that there is not a lot of recognition for progesterone therapy in main stream medicine ,let alone progesterone usage for adolescence and young girls(.I will here mention that my youngest client on progesterone was 14 years, for PCOS which took 3 years since her start of menses to diagnose in spite of all the obvious symptoms she displayed.) Further more many women electing to adopt the usage of natural progesterone are much older or have been through all the trials and tribulations of unsuccessful treatments and a horrific amount of suffering, in which they end up resorting to this hormone in sheer hope and desperation, only to find out that it has been the missing link all along.

Fortunately the word is spreading as more and more women embrace natural/real progesterone and it is no longer viewed for women in the peri -menopausal or menopausal years. More and more younger women in there twenties to thirties adopting this hormone to treat all sorts of problems , waking up fast that they have far greater choices “outside the box’ so to speak and consequently through this discovery and choice of treatment are saving them selves a life of complex problems and misery. It is exciting to observe this trend .However as you pointed out, much information required is not available and it is somewhat hazy. A lot of this information on many websites can also be copied and “borrowed without permission” but in efforts to avoid copy right & plagerisation laws ,it can be pharaphased or taken out of context as I have even discovered with a lot of my own original work that has been targeted and used .People even use my name or business name similarity. Any way I am making sure you receive my answer since you have found me and few have committed to being able to throw light on this subject-possibly because they do not have the experience or answer themselves.

As with your daughter it is not uncommon for pre menstruating girls to suffer severe mood swings and displaying similar menstrual problems of those of their own history but perhaps worse. They clearly do not wish their children to go through hormonal hell and suffer unnecessarily when we now know there are answers out there such as natural progesterone, which you have discovered. Sadly many of us have had to endure years of problems to only discover this could have been avoided, had we had the knowledge, information and availability of natural progesterone and nutrition.

You obviously have not read both of my books, where I talk about the ‘ins” and “outs”& possible causes of adolescent hormonal imbalance, along with suggested ways of correction & other strategies to try first, prior resorting to the administration of progesterone. I also make mention in cases where I believe there in a high call for progesterone supplementation in the young adolescent of which has been very successful in endocrine imbalance and or disruption for various reasons, with resultant good out come in assisting correction ,restoring and rebalancing hormones. These I have listed at the end.

But NOT every teenager with impossible mood swings and erratic behavior qualifies for progesterone supplementation as 9/10 times they do not have a sinister underlying physiological problems/disease causing endocrine disruption and the need for hormone interception. Most of the times the imbalances can be corrected with a methodical management program involving correct diet and specific herbs and life style adjustments. I also make mention here the need for awareness in reducing exposure and intoxification of potent chemicals and hormone disrupters that are classified as xenoestrogens

As mentioned your daughter has not even started her periods and is only 11 years of age.(many do menstruate at this age and some earlier so her period no doubt not far away) It would be unwise to intercept this physiological process by giving her a hormone that her body should be making when she starts menstruation, providing her ovaries are ovulating in these cycles. This is when you can re assess her situation and gets tests to determine progesterone output and her ovulation patterns- especially if irregularity occurs or she experiences painful difficult or heavy periods...( a blood test and profile would also be of assistance.)

There are cases where young women have had a delay in reproductive maturating and may not have started menstruating until 16-18 years of age, or have started and then stopped for reasons that need to also be investigated. In these cases progesterone has often been successful in assisting bringing on cycles and promoting hormone regulation and cycles.

Natural progesterone has been a great revolutionary hormone adopted, electively by women worldwide for successful management by most in treating PMT and estrogen dominant symptoms and other hormonally related problems connected with the cycles.

Yes I agree, the young adolescent are suffering stronger symptoms and displaying greater hormonal disruption than ourselves at their age and certainly more than when our mothers and grandmothers began their reproductive years. This is because of our toxic environment, chemically laced foods and our eating habits. It is in my observation that the teenagers today are in a war zone and that many of their problems are as a result of ovary damage, weakened immunity and other factors which has occurred well before birth and possibly inheriting factors that are the result of our modern day society, the use of many drugs and I suspect the consequences of the introduction and usage of the oral contraceptive pill etc. Of course there is no evidence on this statement but one only has to read “Our Stolen Future “ to get the gist of this and the strong messages/warnings.

Sadly we are a society where we are feeding ourselves and our children the wrong foods-too many carbohydrates, refined wheat, dairy ,sugars and the wrong fats ,too much commercial chicken thus setting the body up for hormonal disarray without even knowing it. Not to mention all the caffeine rich drinks and or sodas we consume.

The average daily diet does not have adequate roughage ,fresh fruit ,salads , vegetables, nuts, legumes or water let alone enough protein or essential fatty acids ,minerals vitamins and anti oxidants .Most off us have acquired an addiction to sugars, salt and the wrong fats ,too much wheat and dairy (which so many are intolerant too without even realising it and have resultant digestive, allergy and absorption problems.)Our lifestyles and tastes have abandoned good nutrition, being replaced with the wrong fluids, fats, starches and addictive junk foods and processed meals.

Even the good protein is lacking in diets these days despite the fact the younger generation consume large amounts and for many, live on chicken and hamburgers. There is rarely the right protein or enough fish or other forms of essential fatty acids-omega 3 consumed in their diet let alone other forms of the good fatsEFA3/6/9) required for the body to maintain optimum health) Let me emphasize here that a vegetarian way of life is healthy providing it is done correctly and adequate sources of protein are consumed.

In many of our young people’s diet, lean red meat (iron) is also missing or enough green leafy vegetables to provide the iron sources and vitamin B and other essential trace minerals, necessary for growth immunity and well-being.

Many of the young ones have also elected to become vegetarians but do not have adequate knowledge to do this correctly thus again are depriving themselves of enough correct protein, balanced essential fatty acids and essential trace vitamin and minerals for a growing body. These new age young vegetarians (selective) who can be severely malnourished without outward symptoms, lacking sound nutrition, often go on to displaying all sorts of health ,immunity and hormonal disruption, The formative years really are important in setting the body up correctly.

In this category of young maturing girls, I have also seen some as young as 18 with confirmed diagnosis of mild to severe osteoporosis, along with menstrual, digestive and autoimmune problems.

To top off these trendy eating behaviors , I have also observed many girls with hormonal disruption as a result of following crazy diets and or the usage of medications to lose weight (because they have become fixated or obsessed with their body image-as most of us can relate to when young).These diets and use of medications /stimulants/bowel purges, laxatives etc to assist or suppress weight can be so dangerous as they can corrupt or disrupt the still maturing pituitary gland which is the hormone message controlling centre.

It has also been my observation with many young adults with PCOS that they have had a formative history of binge dieting ,anorexia or bulimia and were rather thin whilst growing up but then experience down the track after 18 onwards PCOS or undiagnosed symptoms of being in this territory. However not all PSOC have dieted or had bad eating habits but a certain percentage have.

On the other side of the equation there are so many very obese young adolescent girls struggling to lose weight because of hormonal problems now heading towards syndrome x, insulin resistance and diabetes type II .Weight gain here may not necessarily been due to incorrect eating but a chemical and endocrine imbalance.For some it is not just diet onset, although it can be a culprit (along in many instances with stress or an infection)in inducing already underlying diseases such as PCOS, which is far too complex to explain here.

Overall in summary many impeding hormonal disruptions can be avoided and corrected if managed early and for those unfortunate enough to have severe endocrine problems, a good eating program and exercise can still make the world of difference as I have seen in many of my own young clients (and even older) It is also interesting to mention here that these formative years of lifestyle and eating habits will and does pre set the outcome in the peri and menopausal years.

We can do so much to assist our kids and even ourselves journey through the puberty years, (and there after) lessening hormonal disruption by instilling good habits and corrections now and taking upon ourselves responsibility to influence our children with dietary and lifestyle changes to combat our already endocrine toxic environment with so many bombarding xenoestrogens and other forms of estrogen exposure such as estrogen laced foods.

It is common knowledge now that we live in a sea of toxic estrogens, mimicking those to the body estrogens and we are also exposed to higher levels of cancer proliferation estrogen already within our body as with those we are externally daily exposed to and taking in. The oral contraceptive pill a synthetic progestin and estrogen and HRT combinations are amongst this category. Estrogen grain fed chickens another. And yet another, our excess sugar and carbohydrate intake which leads to weight gain (and in many Syndrome X) that converts to estrogen storage in lower body fat ,again another form of overloading of the estrogen levels already in our body ,food and environment. A bowel dysfunction or lack of bowel transit time and roughage will also contribute to an overload of estrogen.

Estrogen dominance syndrome or the term “estrogen dominance’ is now becoming a recognized medical and natural practitioners term which indicates many symptoms ranging and encumbrancing things such as PMT and other hormonal problems of variable degrees. If you look on my list of estrogen dominance, progesterone deficiency, you will be amazed at the extensiveness of this list. This term now exists and is recognized that clearly it is too much estrogen that causes many of these unpleasant hormonal symptoms in our body especially if not opposed by progesterone or is out of ratio proportion.

There are numerous ways of reducing estrogen dominance naturally ((e.g. weight loss, diet changes, liver cleansing ,adequate essential fatty acids exercise, increased bowel transit elimination, and herbs/vitamins /minerals and raw vegetable juicing) and balancing out the ratio differences, although my work suggests that the one missing link in opposing estrogen dominance over and above the mentioned in brackets, is by using the hormone natural or real progesterone. The question that must always be taken into account is “why is there so much estrogen in our body causing estrogen dominance symptoms and what is the cause for progesterone deficiency or lower amounts in comparison?. The reasons can be numerous such as lack of ovulation, excessive weight, sluggish liver etc etc.

When assessing an adolescent, one of the most important things that need to be looked at is –Are they ovulating regularly or even ovulation may be inadequate in progesterone production. Are their periods regular? Are they eating incorrectly? Are they overweight? Have they got underlying problems? The list of questions and required test should not be underestimated. Mother Nature is not running smoothly for reasons which should be investigated

For the case of adolescent girls who have not commenced menstruation but are nearing, in normal age years of getting their period, progesterone supplementation is the last thing I personally would be consider using ,(unless they are delayed in maturing eg 16/ 17 years 18 years or had started menstruation and have then ceased to get another period for a long time ). I would prefer to allow the period to arrive naturally by encouraging the body to build and balance and in the interim I would treat all those horrible pre tension build up per symptoms naturally through appropriate stress management, counseling, massaging, herbs such as Vitex, or possibly Maca, protein, EFA 3/6/9, liver cleansing and liver rich foods and diet changes. To ensure sound vitamin and mineral cover I would incorporate a super multi vitamin with iron and high levels of vitamin B and use a good phytoestrogens supplement along with serving foods rich in plant sterols eg mung beans, sweet potato, alf Alfa, (plant estrogens also known as phytoestrogens) which assist calming down the estrogen dominance.

Even wild yam cream or the herb ingested and in some cultures a high food source in its natural tubular form can be very beneficial and therapeutic in helping adolescent girls about to reach puberty. Lots of essential fatty acids are also important to reduce symptoms and assist hormonal harmony, as good cholesterol found in the diet (and EFA supplements) can assist the manufacturing of healthy hormones as all our hormones are built from cholesterol manufactured in the liver .

Good fats heal and are essential for all our building blocks as well as weight control and good cholesterol so do not be afraid of giving the whole family plenty of raw olive, sesame, grape seed, evening primrose and flaxseed oil- cold compressed is the best These can be used in many ways ,except cooking (it ransidfise them) such as made into yummy salad dressings.

Don’t underestimate the power of foods that are high in good cholesterol and EFA such as in avocados, fish and legumes nuts and seeds. Pumpkin seeds are invaluable also as they are rich in zinc, essential in also playing a role in hormones, digestion and skin. Zinc has other roles also but for here it is mentioned as kids are inclined to go through the problems of menstruation,/boys puberty and acne(-another problem of self image and low self esteem to contend with)

It is important to also elaborate again here that a majority of our society has a degree of wheat and dairy intolerance and that many people consequently suffer variable forms of allergies, skin problems, chest (and upper respiratory) problems and gut problems, ranging from mal absorption to Irritable Bowel Syndrome, constipation and food allergies of many descriptions. If you suspect your child (or yourself) is in this category, remove dairy and or wheat from the diet and assess the difference for yourself. If in doubt about adequate calcium intake then use a calcium supplement if you can not get enough calcium rich foods in. Dairy can also be mucous producing and I suspect also plays a big part in hormonal disruption for many.

Raw vegetable juicing mixing many vegetable and fruit combinations is a wonderful way to get fast sound nutrition and live food enzymes into the body which are not only very healthy, healing and easily digestible but also can be easy to administer to the difficult teenagers on the run .It can also offer peace of mind to mum not having to worry about those skipped meals or in-between sugar binges and junk food top ups. It is hard to restrain let alone police eating correctly, especially in the adolescent years when they know best and are the experts on everything.

I believe we have to become the quiet achievers and opportunitists in getting that nourishment down their throats(that you often are tempted to wring) in a non nagging way as you no doubt know that you can talk until you are blue in the face and they will still come up with answers ,trying to convince and have you believe otherwise that they are eating a balanced diet of 3 meals a day. And we all know it is not the time to try and talk logically in the pre menstrual war zone time. Yes it takes challenging skills to assist you children with there hormonal moods and not be come inflicted at the same time. Hormones do and can rule the household! I call it the endurance time .My girlfriend had 5 daughters whom all menstruated (including herself) at the some time-hubby did a lot of monthly fishing in those years!

For many young poor eaters I suggest to mothers to use a protein formula and make smoothies with soy, oat or rice milk, disguising an egg(high in good protein and MSM-organic sulfur) and EFA oils in amongst the fruit flavors. A fruit ice cream sorbet can perk it up .The protein of my choice which I use and recommend has a combination of lots of vegetables high energy food and phytoestrogens,containing -, spelt, some mace, barley,cabbage, beetroot celery,AFA(E3)fennel parsley rosehip ,kelp, wheatgrass and soy. Try them out and experiment- a variety are on the market. Make sure that any protein formulas are not full of sugar or fillers for bulk.

It is important that we encourage our children and ourselves to drink at least drinking 2 litres of pure water daily to encourage hydration and correct fluid distribution. This also can assist with correct fluid, cell distribution and lesson the typical weight fluid retention and headaches nearing menstruation time, particularly around mid cycle when the estrogen level surges to encourage egg ripening to promote ovulation (where progesterone release occurs upon ovulation).

The sugar cravings at this time are an imbalance of minerals clearly seen in estrogen dominance territory time and a deficiency of magnesium. Magnesium supplementation ,not only helps with sugar cravings and stress but assists body relaxation ,promotes restorative sleeps and can also help with mid cycle headaches irritability which is often due to zinc and copper imbalance ,again created by progesterone deficiency and or estrogen dominance thus the nasty irrational mood swings and often accompanied anxiety and or depression.

In an adolescent it is clearly important that we help our children restore physiological and mental balance as naturally as possible ( although the least line of resistance is often very tempting such as the pill etc but this can be a band aide effect long term.) They have enough to contend with in just coping with life at this age ,let alone added medications unnecessarily such as synthetic analogues which work the liver in the metabolisation process. Also medications often come with nasty side effects as seen with many on the OCP.

Extreme uncontrollable hormonal swings and even suicidal tendencies are much of the territory in hormonal years and must not be taken for granted but there are many natural product and dietary assisters that can lessen the impact. Teaching kids coping skills is also invaluable and even a good therapist not connected to the family.

The basic vitamins and nutritional supplements regime is worth good consideration and investment as they may be lacking essential needs in their diets for what ever reason .It can make all the difference just including for instance , Spirualina protein)EFA or marine /fish oils/flaxseed , a broad multivitamin, extra magnesium, Vitamin C, Zinc and even St Johns Wart, if they are not coping and are showing signs of depression. Also extra Vitamin B complex if they appear fatigued through sleep deprivation, stress and bouts of immunity related illnesses. At this stage many young people are susceptible to glandular fever and other viral impacts which can impede on hormonal balance later in life not to mention how tired it makes them feel. The olive leaf extract has been adopted by hundreds of mums (a natural antibiotic)to prevent, treat or ward of their kid’s colds and lowered immunity and consequent lowered energy.

In my experience, working with adolescent girls in the puberty phase and years when they start menstruating ,difficulty in symptoms and psychological behavior(mood swings and rebellion) can be multi factorial and a reflection of many things ,such as their poor diets,”fads”, mentioned above, believe systems, body image, high stress home problems ,(of various natures such as conflict ,divorces, sexual abuse etc) school problems (bullying learning difficulty) inability to communicate precisely to their adult world,(the grunts groans looks that kill and sarcastic stage and back chatting) ,peer pressure ,sexual pressure and or relationship problems with the opposite sex.

My observation has been that often in many incidences, young adolescents may have a desire to become sexually active and work the “system” to get Mum to put them on the pill, so they can subconsciously be given license to have safe sex. I have lost count of the number of concerned mothers who have taken their daughters to the doctor with early menstrual problems, to walk out with their daughters being placed on the pill. The motive being pure by doctor and mother to either regulate periods, bring them on, control pain and manage severe PMT and so on ,however in some, these girls have also known from there friends how to get onto the Pill and slip by mum.

On the other side of the coin, many daughters and or mothers are a gust and do not wish to take this course of treatment /solution ,nor do they intend to become sexually active. Also many mothers are adamant not to place their daughters on the offered anti-depressants, just to control this natural transition –perhaps a little more out of control than they anticipated.

All these and many more things need to be looked at objectively and taken into account. One other thing that needs to be highlighted here is the possibility of sexual activity and in which case ,the administration of progesterone can even enhance libido and fertility .This may not be the desired prospect as I saw with one young girl in her final year ,having suffered years of endometriosis and debilitating pain, went on progesterone at her mothers wish as opposed to the other treatment offered,(the Pill ),only to discover her daughter fell pregnant of which she had no idea was sexually active. The girl was of the believe system that she would not fall pregnant as she had endometrioses and was told by her doctors on many occasions that she would probably have difficulty in conceiving later on as a result of the extent of her pre existing endometrioses. The Dr did not take into account that progesterone helps endometrioses and also has assisted many fall pregnant despite pre existing prognosis’s.

The other point I make about using natural progesterone therapy in young people is that it is contraindicated with the use of the oral contraceptive pill IUD,s and other synthetic progestin derivatives (be it in any HRT or the contraceptive inserted in the arm )The reason why it can not be used in adjunct as using natural progesterone will be a waste of time and have no true benefits as the progestin’s found and used in the synthetic HRT and in the pill are very strong and will negate natural progesterone activity as it actually occupies the same receptor site and prevents natural progesterone taking up that site and delivering the progesterone messages.

The Pill has the message shut off ovaries; prevent ovulation, whilst progesterone does the opposite. It is the hormone of pro gestation and maintaining pregnancy amongst other brilliant jobs that it does in our body.

There are many things to consider and take into account in using natural progesterone in the young especially when they are in their most impressionable years, full of fears, low self esteem and can be fragile and vulnerable even in spite of their hormone fluctuations. Unfortunately these are also the years when their hormones are coming into their own, so to speak and can toss them around like a ship wreck. They can become very bemused and it is a difficult phase for our children ,boys included and yes it takes the tolerance and patience of an elephant to endure as the outsider .I liken these years to parent survival where all our skills are tested to the max. as you have pointed out ,your daughter is only 11 and it is important that you encourage her body to develop naturally as mother nature intended and encourage hormonal and physical harmony in the natural way rather than things being camouflaged by hormonal supplementation.

Whist progesterone will assist moods and act as an antidepressant, is not a hormone to be used as a quick fix or teenage calmer down. Clearly young people still have to deal with emotional issues and learn to handle life and coping skills.

If there is evidently huge hormonally damaged and their endocrine system is disrupted, then this is a variable to the norm, and Progesterone could be a high consideration (e.g. in endometrioses) but only test and diagnosis etc could confirm this.

I am not one to throw the contraceptive pill or hormones at anti depressants at young maturing girls just to regulate periods moods etc without seeing underlying investigations been done first.

It is not uncommon for young girls to have a lurking endocrine disruption which may not be easily recognized or diagnosed in early years and if not addressed correctly can become complex .You need to address the obvious first such as the mood swings and sugar cravings which are impacting on your daughter and watch her cycles etc when they arrive which I suspect are not far off.

Remember sugar cravings and her moodiness and even sleep deprivation could be assisted with magnesium and it is important that you steer her away from carbohydrates and sugars as this will increase mood swings, estrogen dominance, PMT and weight /fluid retention gain

As it is impossible to assess your daughters position without a 17 page completed medical questionnaire (which I use in consultancy) my suggestion is to buy both my books and make some informed decisions for yourself rather than run off half informed.

Also be very careful where you get your information from & off what websites, as a lot of this information has been taken out of context, copied or has impure motives as such -selling creams which is illegal in Australia to buy progesterone without holding an S4 Doctors prescription..

My work is authentic as is my organization & is not associated with copycat versions (See my proof of accreditations) & is based on years of consultancy work, research and my nursing background.

I trust my answers and opinions may assist you and your daughter.

Hang in there, you are doing a fabulous job (all mums deserve medals for surviving their kids hormone imbalances often coupled with their own )By researching all your options and choices intelligently, I have no doubt you will be in a great position in assisting your daughter with her specific needs brilliantly. I love hearing from women such as you who are really taking pro activeness in protecting our future generation in their health journey which will become very rocky for them due to our chemical and food war zone environment.

Thank you so much for your reply and for taking the time to go into depth. I was hesitant to use it as I thought it may have physiological effects if they hadn’t started menstruating but I guess any mother sympathises when they see their child with those hormonal symptoms. And I guess that the mood swings can be looked on as a lesson (?) in a way that they become aware of their moods, understanding the reasons why they feel that way and then finding ways that help them to deal with it. I’ve been reading your website and have been doing my best to follow the dietary advice. As you said, getting a child of that age to listen can be difficult. Instead of asking for a biscuit after tea, she now cuts herself an orange to quell her sugar craving. And I also drop little hints without it sounding like I’m nagging – ie: We don’t drink soft drink but if she occasionally asks for one when we’re out, I tell her that now is the worst time to drink it as her body is changing and her calcium levels are low and to drink soft drink will make her feel worse. ( I say it in a more subtle way but that’s the gist of it). She is also using a drink that my partner and I both use called Relive. It’s full of vitamins, minerals, herbs and protein and she has it with soy milk (but only if I put in Milo to cover the tasteJ The good thing about 10 year old girls is that that will take in what you say whether they want you to believe it or not, and then they go and discuss all their ‘new knowledge’ with their girlfriends, telling them what they should and shouldn’t do or eat. They know it all.

We are vegetarian, although she can eat meat when with friends if she chooses to but usually doesn’t because it makes her feel unwell. So because of the vegetarian diet, I know that I have to watch her nutrition but I also know she isn’t getting unnatural estrogens from meat. Another thing I agree with you on is the Pill. I asked my doctor for a prescription for natural progesterone cream for myself after doing heaps of research (I have a hormonal imbalance and have been told that by doctors and homeopaths alike) and he offered me the mini pill. Luckily my doctor listens to me and I got my prescription. So now knowing what I know so far, I’d be reluctant if not totally against my daughter using the Pill when she’s older.

Thank you again for all your advice and feedback. I really appreciate it and will just continue to help my daughter any way I can, whether it be nutritionally, physically, mentally or spiritually, and just let her body do its thing until such time that she may need anything extra.

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I am confused by all the different Progesterone creams on the market. Some have wild yam and all have diiferent quantities of ingredients.

Jenny replies:
This highlights the confusion that is in the marketplace today. There is a lot of mis-information and sales pitches floating around and is one of the reasons I wrote my books. A list of Compounding Pharmacists can be found in Book 1 and also here for free! Please remember however that I am not endorsing these pharmacies but simply providing you with a directory.
Book 2 goes into detail about which creams are best for you. Any cream that is wild yam is not Progesterone. It is also my personal opinion that any cream with wild yam added is not wise to use.
Remember! If you can buy it in Australia or New Zealand over the counter without prescription it is not Natural Progesterone or is being sold illegally!

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I started experiencing hot flushes and insomnia a couple of months ago. I am 48. A blood test revealed that I am going through menopause. I have tried Remifemmin and the hot flushes left but I am still experiencing sleeplessness. Would I benefit from Natural Progesterone?

Jenny replies:
Phytoestrogens are not always enough to control menopausal symptoms. My books explain the value of using hormone regulators,herbal remedies and assistors. They also help you decide the need for progesterone supplementation, its advantages and usage in conjunction with phytoestrogen therapy.The books also explain strategies of reducing oestrogen dominance and menopausal symptoms naturally.

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I am doing well on Progesterone but I am noticing pimples (almost like excema) on my forehead.

Jenny replies:
This is one of the idiosyncrasies of using Progesterone. It is somewhat unusual but not totally uncommon to experience this and can be regarded as an "oestrogen dominance wake up crisis" symptom.

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I have been suffering from anxiety and depression and i am curently taking anti-depressants of the SSRI type (Paroxetine). I am now suffering some sexual dysfuntion. Will Natural Progesterone help?

Jenny replies:
It is a well known side effect of SSRI type drugs to affect sexual function aby delaying or preventing orgasm. Whether or not Natuarl Progesterone will help depends on many factors and I would need to have a consultation with you to further invetigate your particular situation.

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Following my hysterectomy I was put on oestrogen implants and later, patches. I would like to change to Natural Progesterone to avoid any possible side effects of taking HRT. Is it safe to stop HRT completely or should I use both?

Jenny replies:
Many women find themselves in this same dilemma. Both of my books cover this in great detail as I walk women in through various stages of the transitional period that are experienced when changing methods and dosages of hormone therapy.