Part 2 Q&A with Karen optimal hormone levels in menopause, menopause weight gain, PMS cravings, sex drive, estrogen detox and more!

In this part 2 of my Q&A Deb What are optimal blood levels for progesterone, estrogen and testosterone in women over 60? Is there a ratio between estrogen and progesterone that is optimal? Lisa I am 54 and in full menopause. Should I be using topical estradiol and progesterone cream? I currently only use progesterone and the few times I have tried the estradiol cream I have felt very moody/pissy. I use the progesterone cream every other week. Thanks for all of your great info! Jodi I'm a 50-year-old post-menopausal woman with weight gain and abdominal/back/thigh fat increase in the last 3 years. Up 20# (down about 10 over the last 8 months) So based on your recommendations (and agreement from GYN) and my very low levels of progesterone, estrogens, and testosterone. I'm doing a combo bioidentical estrogen and testosterone vaginal cream and Oral Progesterone. First few months I just applied to my skin 2 pumps as directed but it often felt like more was getting in my underwear so I started using an insert tube thing. I haven't retested yet- on month 4, but am wondering if this is the best way to get the estrogen/testosterone. Would it be better to have them separated? Or a different form? Also, I've been taking a week off of the OMP. Is this still recommended? I'm an RD getting my certification in Functional nutrition and I do all the 'stuff' Eat clean, supplements, exercise, sleep and still weight loss is very slow and hard and any deviation from the above plan I seem to gain 2-5#. The hormones have helped with sleep and some of that weight loss occurred after taking but still, my body doesn't look like me. (More like my mom!!!) any suggestions are appreciated! Thanks again! Danielle Hi Karen, I've been reducing my refined sugar intake over the last year and I do well all month until the week of my cycle. Why do such intense cravings for sugar, especially chocolate, accompany periods? Which hormones are fluctuating that trigger this? Is it the drop in progesterone? Thank you! Anonymous I have a question about hormone replacement topical application. I know it is best to rotate application sites so as not to overload the hormone receptors. However, I am on four different hormone creams and wondering if it is sufficient to rotate the different hormones between each site, (are the hormone receptors specific to each hormone?) or should I be taking a break completely to give them a chance to reset? I am on DHEA, testosterone, estrogen/estradiol, and progesterone and I rotate those between the chest, inner wrist, and back of the knee. Thank you! Anonymous I have been following your podcast for a year now and I love your energy. Your show is very informative and gives us women hope!! I am 66 years old and had my last period at 55 so my question to you am I too old to start any hormone therapy or should I have begun therapy in perimenopause. Just in these last couple of years, I have been feeling low and not myself. I still work outside the home and am a busy grandmother of 4. At my age, I am still very busy and probably stressed with all the responsibilities I still have to encounter in my life. I still try and keep my body active by doing weight training 2-3 times a week and walking 2-3 times a week. I have this belly fat I can't get rid of. My sex drive is nil and has been for two years now. I am just not in a happy place and want to feel full again. I don't know where to start. Naty I have been struggling with sugar binges for over 50 yrs causing abdominal belly fat I walk every day 2 hrs. I have sugar cravings and tried herbal supplements but they do not work sugar is always there and I know I am very emotional and have low esteem. I have no sex drive Menaopause. So frustrated, what can I do? Luhu Hi Karen! Love you!... listen to all your podcasts and have learned so much, I'm a long-term beauty/health/nutrition journalist studying with FDN to become a practitioner and I hope to interview you one day! :) OK, I've always been fit and very lean but have gained 20lbs with menopause all over not just belly, it's like my whole outline is bigger…is this typical? I want to start BHRT and do it right, i.e. knowing my genetics and pathways so I lose this weight not gain more. Fear of that has stopped me so far….and worrying that my gut is not in top shape, but menopause itself makes the gut worse right? Do you see gut improvement with BHRT? My last stool test showed that my beta-glucuronidase was high BUT when I take any Phase 2 support now like calcium d-glucarate or DIM or even Resveratrol my weight instantly increases!! I've asked 2 functional med docs if this is because it's lowering my estrogen more and they said no something else is wrong. But my instinct was that it lowered my estrogen more LIKE YOU SAID! [I tried Dr. LB's Receptor Detox with a low-dose cal d-glucarate and this happened too.] Is this what you see? And do you recommend products like this DURING BHRT so that the hormones are detoxed well? My thyroid is actually good by Dr. Amie Hornaman's standard (though Reverse is 16.4, a bit high?)…however sex hormones are dismally low, both estradiol and free T are a 6 :( Can you remind me what BHRT you take again? I'm interested in the patch but unsure of progesterone amount/delivery…maybe not oral since my gut has been off/a bit SIBO-ish? Lastly since I'm sensitive to supps etc, do you recommend starting with a lower dose of the patch to ease into it and let the body adjust and then say go up to a 0.05? Oh wait, one more thing, there is a female doc on podcasts that talks about bringing FSH down to levels it was when we were younger…can that be done with say a .05 patch or does that take higher doses? THANK YOU SO MUCH xoLuhu Do you have a question for our next Q&A? Please fill out this form. Are struggling with perimenopausal symptoms? Hot flashes, weight gain, weight loss resistance, low libido? Check out the most comprehensive and affordable peri and post-menopause monthly course OnTrack. OnTrack is a group coaching program to help you balance your hormones, lose weight and sail through peri and post-menopause at a fraction of what it costs to work with me privately. Get started for only $1! Get the details and apply to be part of my 3-month Mastering Peri & Post Menopause coaching program. Purchase your home Hormone Test Kits here. Karen Martel, Certified Hormone Specialist & Transformational Nutrition Coach and weight loss expert. 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