Importance of Balance Between Progesterone & Estrogen

When a woman does not produce sufficient amounts of the hormone progesterone, her other sex hormone, estrogen, can get carried away and become overly dominant. When this occurs, she is apt to suffer rampant PMS symptoms as well as struggle with sore breasts and a host of other symptoms if she is in perimenopause.

Identification

• Progesterone is manufactured when a woman ovulates at mid-cycle. At this point, progesterone levels rise and estrogen levels dips. If a woman doesn't ovulate, but still has a menstrual period, this is called anovulation.

Effects

• Progesterone calms a woman, while estrogen has the opposite effect and prompts irritability, mood swings, hot flashes and night sweats. Progesterone also works to keep a woman's libido healthy. Estrogen does the opposite.

Outcome

• When a woman's hormones are where they should be and working together harmoniously, she will feel good. However, when those hormones fluctuate, right before her period or during perimenopause, she is going to feel out of kilter. When hormones are too high or too low, this is going to have an impact on a woman's brain function as well as on her body.

Potential

• Dr. Marcelle Pick of Womentowomen.com notes that if there is too much estrogen in comparison to progesterone, this prompts those wretched PMS symptoms. The more progesterone drops, the worse your symptoms are going to be.

Perimenopause and Menopause

• During perimenopause, both progesterone and estrogen levels are eventually going to dip. Progesterone cannot be manufactured if a woman doesn't ovulate. Ovulation becomes sporadic and then eventually stops when a woman is in full menopause.