The Magic Bus Trip

Kristelle · Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 3:49 pm Post subject: Women, hormones and diet

I've been on a VLC diet (sometimes zero-carb for many weeks in a row) for many months now. I've never quite reaped the expected benefits from such a diet. Certain symptoms from before this diet persisted such as hives, fatigue after a meal, dry skin, etc. I also experienced new problems like constipation, dark circles under eyes and ear blockage.

I take female hormones (estradiol & progesterone, bio-identical) due to a hysterectomy, almost 3 years ago. Interestingly, hormone dosages were increased at about the same time I went on a paleo diet, low-carb diet, later to become VLC and ZC, based on Stefansson and Bear's readings.

A few weeks ago, hormone dosages were doubled. Ever since, negative symptoms worsened, mostly hives around cheekbones and cheeks. I also gained some weight and often felt bloated. I even got the flu recently, a first in more than 2 years. Whatever I ate, symptoms remained. Looking back, I suspected it might be the hormones so I researched the interaction of hormones with allergies (and histamine, part of the allergic response). Interestingly but NOT surprisingly, certain allergic symptoms are sometimes exacerbated during the second half of the menstrual cycle when hormones are higher AND during pregnancy. Hives are common, it seems. Both hormones appear to trigger histamine release or something along that line. Such that histamine levels increase in the body and any food that affects histamine is likely to cause more problems.

So, I stopped my hormones cold-turkey 2 days ago only to restart with a MUCH lower dose this morning, without the progesterone (promotes weight gain as opposed to estrogen). I will be taking a very small dose, just enough to prevent problems associated with lack of estrogen.

And what do you know?! Hives are literaly disappearing, skin is smoother, I feel more energy, no fatigue after a meal, I feel like a fog has been lifted, no more bloating and no ear blockage, the first time in many months. I expect weight to go down and things in general to only improve. For example, this morning I ate almost a kilo of fatty meat (beef) and usually this much meat, especially in the morning, will make me drowsy, tired either immediately after or within a couple of hours. Today, I feel so incredible after eating. Better in fact then how I felt before. So much energy.

If women, like men, were to experience stable levels of estrogen (vs testosterone), with trace amounts of progesterone (like men), much like is the case during the first few days of the menstrual cycle or during lactation, they would benefit from zero-carb as much as men.

Hormones are KEY. I am convinced!

_________________
"When you give up your dream, you die"

jeff · Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 8:35 pm Post subject:

Weight loss/control is all about hormones.
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Eat, Drink and Be Merry, For Tomorrow We'll Die

Billi-Jean · Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 2:16 am Post subject:

I agree jeff, hormones (along with neurotransmitters) are the 'messengers' that regulate and control all bodily systems and metabolic processes.

That's why I think there can be so many problems (along with the supposed 'benefits') of the way modern medicine tries to manipulate these hormonal processes...we just don't know enough about how each process functions within its cascade of reactions, where one 'signal' (hormonal message or instruction) can have hundreds of resulting effects on cell processes, which in turn affects other cells and bodily processes and so on.

AlexF · Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 4:09 am Post subject:

Kristi, I did not even read your entire post and the first thing that came to my mind was that the hormones you are taking are the source of your problems.

I'm curious, what happens if you don't take them at all?

Needless to say, I'm very skeptical of man made substances for the improvement of health. Except in life or death situations, I think they do more harm than good.

A coworker of mine is on statins. I've been reading Mr. Taubes book at work and I caught him browsing through it. He asked to borrow it because he says the side effects of the drugs he takes are pretty bad. He told me his cholesterol is not very high but due to his age (60 y.o.) his doctor wants him on the meds. He does not want to take them but is afraid to question his doctor. I hope after reading the book he gets the courage to tell his doctor to shove it.

By the way, my uncle is a doctor (52 years old) and he takes statins too. Confused

Kristelle · Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 1:53 pm Post subject:

Alex,

I need to take hormones because my only source of hormones since hysterectomy is my adrenal glands (and bodily tissues) which is barely enough to support all sorts of things going on in my body. Side-effects from lack of estrogen would include: osteoporosis, cognitive decline, accelerated aging (skin elasticity, collagen, etc.), lack of energy, hot flushes, mood problems (depression, anxiety), loss of libido, slower healing, weight gain, etc. Just not worth it.

I've only taken 1 mg of estrogen in the last 3 days, compared to 16mg daily (+ progesterone 200mg). So imagine! I still feel ok. It will take a few more days (maybe 1 week?) for levels to really drop and until then, I actually don't plan on taking any estrogen...thinking back to yesterday, I shouldn't have taken any estrogen...oh well. I'll definetly know when my levels really drop and then plan to take 2mg estrogen daily. Just enough to avoid problems. If I don't feel quite up to par mentally, I'll slightly increase dose. But 16mg was definetly too much!!!

Interestingly, I've had 2 or 3 huge hives appear since dropping hormones. And the day after stopping my hormones, I didn't quite feel right, like I had the flu but I really didn't. Maybe I'm going through some sort of detox...who knows?
_________________
"When you give up your dream, you die"

Kristelle · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 2:28 am Post subject:

Things are going really well since decreasing my hormones. I feel more like myself, there isn't any other way to describe it. In fact, I haven't taken anything except for that small dose taken yesterday morning. No problems to speak of from a decrease in hormones, not hot flushes, no anxiety.

All of this time, the root of the problem was hormones and not really food.

Interestingly, today for about 3-4 hours, I was craving something sweet, like REALLY craving and almost gave in but I ate some more meat and fat and within a couple of hours, the craving vanished. I'm ok now. Wink

I really believe in this zero-carb thing and now with this hormone trouble solved, let's see if this zero-carb thing works as it should. I'm really going ZERO, just meat and muscle fat. Nothing else.

Goodnight. :)
_________________
"When you give up your dream, you die"

Dean · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 7:39 am Post subject:

Nite, hero! Wink

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When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.
- Jimi Hendrix

Every day you'll see the dust
Never get off the Bus!

Kim · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 7:03 pm Post subject:

Keep us updated. Sorry you have to go through all this but it helps me reading it since I will probably have to decide on the hormone thing in the next few years.

Kim