Progesterone side effects is made from pregnenolone, which in turn comes from cholesterol. Production occurs at several places. In the women, it is primarily made in the ovaries just before ovulation and increasing rapidly after ovulation.

1. Natural Treatments for Menopause and Fatigue
Introductionto MenopauseandFatigue
The onset of menopause signals the ending of a woman’s reproductive cycle. Menopause actually
begins after the women’s last period. This event marks the culmination of several years of peri -
menopausal changesduringwhichhormones secreted by the ovaries (estrogen and progesterone)
graduallydecline.Peri-andmenopausalsymptomsvaryconsiderably from person to person. Asians
are known to have few to no symptoms other than irregular menses. Western women, however,
have much higher incidences of body changes such as hot flashes, night sweats, reduced libido,
forgetfulness,heartpalpitations,lossof bladdercontrol,frequenturination,andjointpains,toname
a few.For some,these symptomsare like a“livinghell.”All womengothroughmenopause. There is
no escape foranyone frommenopause and fatigue. What can you do to pass through this life stage
in the most comfortable and protective manner?
EffectsofMenopauseandFatigue
Once menopause arrives, the body’s internal production of estrogen and progesterone stops.
Women can no longer depend on their own body to produce these two hormones to protect
themselves against osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. The result to their health can be
devastating.
SymptomsofMenopauseandFatigue
Symptoms: fatigue, night sweats, mood swings, depression, hot flashes, sagging breast, vaginal
dryness, osteoporosis, fibrocystic lumps, night sweats, painful intercourse, memory problems.
Thishormone imbalance ismostcommoninmenopausal women;especiallyif you are petite and/or
slim.
Solution: Progesterone is a biochemical precursor to estrogen. Progesterone cream alone is
sufficient to restore estrogen balance and relief many of the symptoms. If after 3 months of
progesterone cream,properdiet,nutritional supplementation of magnesium and B6 do not relieve
the symptoms, then low-dose natural estrogen may be considered. 2.5 mg of natural tri-estrogen
cream (10% estrone, 10% estradiol, and 80% estriol) provides the equivalent action of 0.625
conjugated estrogen such as Premarin. Herbs like black cohosh have a weak estrogenic effect and
may be considered as well.
Osteoporosis is the loss of bone density, leading to fractures. Post-menopausal women low in
estrogen have a 25% chance of serious bone loss and fracture. The lifetime risk of hip fracture
approaches 30% for those afflicted with osteoporosis, resulting in the loss of independent living.
Many will die from their injuries.
Estrogen increasespliabilityof blood vessels, lowers “bad” LDL-cholesterol, increases “good” HDL-
cholesterol,anddecreasesplateletaggregationthatleadstobloodclots.These protectiveproperties
of estrogenresultinpre-menopausalwomenhavingalowerriskof heartdisease than either man or
post-menopausal women.Post-menopausal womenare justasvulnerable toheartdisease asmenof
the same age. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women over 45 years of age.

2. HRT – GamblingwithCancer
The solution for overcoming menopausal symptoms appears simple – Hormone Replacement
Therapy (HRT). This has been a widely accepted practice for the past 40 years.
Studies and clinical experience have repeatedly shown that HRT using the widely prescribed
estrogen Premarin® and progesterone Provera® does alleviate the symptoms of menopause and
fatigue while protecting against heart disease and osteoporosis. The bad news is that they also
increase the risk of some forms of cancer, including breast, ovarian, and uterine.
Simply put, the millions of women worldwide who have chosen to say “yes” to HRT in the past 40
yearsare gamblingonfeelingbetterimmediatelyfrommenopauseandfatigue, having an increased
risk of cancer at age 60, a reduced risk of heart attack at 70, and a reduced chance of hip fracture at
age 80.
Alternativesto HRT forMenopause andFatigue
What if you want HRT but not the associated increased risk of cancer that comes along with it? Are
there other options?
Some doctorsare proposing Natural treatment alternatives, using a different form of replacement
hormone for menopause and fatigue. These doctors theorize that the increased cancer risk
associated with conventional HRT arises from its failure to use the natural form of the hormones,
estrogen, and progesterone.
Specifically, these doctors postulate that the hormones currently used in HRT have mismatched
molecules.The commonlyusedestrogen preparation Premarin® is made from horse urine (equine
based), so the molecular structure is slightly different from the natural form found in women’s
bodies.Furthermore,the hormonesinPremarin®are “unbalanced” in that the ratio of the estrogen
combination, estrone/estradiol/estriol is different from the ratio found in humans.
How valid is this hypothesis? Let’s take a closer look.
A primeronSexHormones
The two primaryhormonessecretedby the ovaries are estrogen and progesterone. The properties
of one offsetthe otherandtogethertheyare maintainedinoptimalopposingbalance in our body at
all times. Too much of one hormone or the other leads to significant medical problems.
Estrogen actually is not a single hormone but a trio of hormones working together. The three
componentsof estrogenare estrone,estradiol,andestriol.Inhealthyyoungwomen,the typical mix

3. approximates15/15/70 percentrespectively.Thisisthe combination worked out by Mother Nature
to be optimum for human females.
Out of the three componentsof estrogen,estroneandestradiol are pro-cancer,while estriol is anti-
cancer. Synthetic estrogen such as Premarin® contains the pro-cancer components of estrogen
(estrone and estradiol) in higher proportions compared to estriol.
Progesterone ismade frompregnenolone,whichinturncomes from cholesterol. Production occurs
at several places. In the women, it is primarily made in the ovaries just before ovulation and
increasingrapidlyafterovulation.Itisalso made inthe adrenal glands inbothsexesandinthe testes
in males.
Its level ishighestduringthe ovulationperiod(day13-15 of the menstrual cycle).If fertilization does
not take place, the secretion of progesterone decreases and menstruation occurs. If fertilization
does occur, progesterone is secreted during pregnancy by the placenta and acts to prevent
spontaneous abortion. About 20-25 mg of progesterone is produced per day during a woman’s
monthly cycle.
Up to 300-400 mg are produced daily during pregnancy. During menopause, the total amount of
progesterone produceddeclinedtolessthan1% of the pre-menopausal level. This drop is extreme.
Functionally, progesterone acts as an antagonist (opposite to) to estrogen. For example, estrogen
stimulatesbreastcystswhileprogesteroneprotectsagainstbreastcysts.Estrogenenhances salt and
waterretentionwhile progesterone is a natural diuretic. Estrogen has been associated with breast
and endometrial cancer, while progesterone has cancer preventive effect.
Most significantly, it is known that high amounts of estrogen can induce a host of metabolic
disturbances,andthe body’swayof counterbalancingestrogennaturallyisprogesterone.When this
balancing mechanism is dysfunctional, a multitude of health-related problems arise.
Natural vs. Unnatural Hormones
Recall that the estrogen in our body is composed of a ratio of estrone, estradiol, and estriol of
15/15/70 (that is, heavy on estriol). We call this “natural estrogen” as it is the proportion Mother
Nature intendedittobe forhumans.“Natural estrogens” are defined as those coming from natural
sources with hormonal molecules identical to that found in the human body.
Commercial synthetic estrogen preparations such as Premarin® have a ratio of approximately
75/15/10 (heavy on estrone). We call this “unnatural estrogen.” While it comes from a natural

4. source (horse’s urine), the ratio of the 3 components within this estrogen is more heavily estrone
and therefore is not similar to human estrogen. “Unnatural estrogens” in this case, come from
sources other than plants with a hormonal composition, not 100% identical to that found in the
human body.
Whenit comesto hormones,synthetichormones(those made inalaboratory) maynot work as well
as the original, natural form. The body knows and can recognize the difference between many
natural and syntheticcompounds.Take VitaminEas an example.Afterdecadesof studyanddebate,
the National Academyof Science nowacknowledgesthatnatural VitaminEisbetter absorbed and is
twice as potent as the synthetic version.
Estrogen and Progesterone are both readily available in the natural and unnatural forms from the
pharmacy.Conventional HRTdoesnotuse the natural formsof the hormones. The reason is simple.
Anynaturallyoccurringcompoundcannotbe patentedanddrug companiescontrol the prescription
market.A slightlymodifiedandpatentable formof the hormone,therefore, has to be developed to
ensure protectionandcommercial viability.Suchsynthetic“unnatural”modifiedformsof hormones
developed by drug companies have been extremely profitable, but they are not exactly what the
body is used to.
HormonesUsedInConventional HRT
Two forms of synthetic (unnatural) estrogen are used in conventional HRT:
Estradiol.Consisting of only one of the components of natural estrogen, this unbalanced synthetic
form of estrogen contains no estrone and no estriol. It increases your risk of cancer.
Premarin®. This consists of a combination of 75 – 80% estrone, 5 – 19% estradiol, and 6 – 15%
equilin (a horse hormone), plus a trace amount of other horse hormones. Not only is this form
unbalanced compared to the human body’s natural estrogen ratio of 15/15/70%, the molecules of
estriol which are derived from horse urine may be carcinogenic.
The common syntheticformof progesteroneusedinconventional HRT is called Provera, a synthetic
progesterone which is called progestin.
HRT – Advantages
There is no doubt that the three-pronged approach to maintaining optimum bone health during
menopause – HRT, nutritional supplementation with appropriate minerals, and weight-bearing
exercises – decreases the risk of osteoporosis by preserving bone density.

5. Estrogen does not stimulate the growth of new bone but saves the bone already present in the
body. Don’t forget that estrogen takes 7 years to work. Meanwhile, progesterone (together with
DHEA and testosterone) stimulates osteoblast formation. Osteoblasts are cells that lay down new
bone.Inotherwords,progesterone replacementhealsweakbones,while estrogenmerely prevents
further bone deterioration. They work together. Any complete osteoporosis program should,
therefore,incorporatebothestrogenandprogesteronereplacement therapy if possible. Either one
alone is also helpful in cases where, for medical reasons, the combination is not possible.
Premarin®,(anunnatural formof estrogen),doesappeartoreduce heart disease risk by almost half
after women have taken it for several years, as seen in the long-term study of more than 48,000
nurses. Unfortunately, the study also showed that Premarin® contributes to an increased risk for
uterine cancer.
Premarin®,incombinationwithProvera® (anunnatural formof progesterone),eliminatesthe risk of
cancer, but not the heart disease risk.
According to a large-scale study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association,
combiningPremarin®withnatural progesteronereducedheartdisease risktoalmostthe same level
as when Premarin® was taken alone. It can be deduced, therefore, that natural progesterone has
cancer and cardiovascular protective effects when used in conjunction with Premarin®.
HRT – Disadvantages
Unnatural estrogens such as Premarin® have been associated with increased risk of cancer of the
breast, uterus (endometrial), and ovary. Women taking unnatural estrogen are at least four times
more prone to developing endometrial cancer. They also have a 40% increased risk of developing
ovarian cancer.
ResearchesatHarvard Medical School reportthat womenwhouse unnatural estrogen for 5 years or
more have a 30% higher chance of developing breast cancer compared to the control group.
Where is the Evidence?
Millions of American women have elected to be on conventional HRT based on the hundreds of
studiesandresearchdone overthe past40 years.Unfortunately,the estrogenused in studies is not
the natural form foundinthe humanbody.There isnot even one well-controlled, large-scale study
on the long-term use of natural estrogen as part of an HRT program for women.
Natural or Unnatural?
We knowthat estrogen, whether natural or unnatural, helps relieve symptoms of menopause and
fatigue, prevents heart disease, and slows the development of osteoporosis.
We also know that long-term use of unnatural estrogen causes cancer. And we have no proof that
natural estrogen that is identical to that made by human bodies does not cause cancer.
So, those who elect to consider natural estrogen replacement therapy must proceed based on
common sense. Recent interest in alternative and natural forms of HRT has spurred research on
these forms, but it will take many years to complete.

6. HowAboutProgesteroneforMenopauseandFatigue?
Dr. John Lee is a world-renowned authority on natural hormonal balance and author of the book
Progesterone:The Multiple Rolesof A Remarkable Hormone.He hastreatedthousandsof womenin
suffering from menopause and fatigue in the 1980s and 1990s with a program that was contrary to
popularmedical thinkingatthat time.Insteadof prescribingestrogenalone (the standardof medical
practice then), Dr. Lee prescribes natural progesterone alone as treatment of menopausal
symptoms.Inadditiontorelief of menopausal symptoms, he was able to reverse osteoporosis and
prevent cancer. Studies have confirmed Dr. Lee’s approach, that progesterone alone has vast
ranging palliative effects.
The keyto Dr. Lee’sapproachisto understandthe balance between estrogen and progesterone. In
the pre-menopausal women, estrogen is always in balance with progesterone. When these two
important hormones are out of balance, hormone-related illnesses would emerge. Symptoms
include weightgain, fatigue,auto-immune disorders,fibrocysticdiseases, loss of libido, depression,
headaches,jointpainandmoodswings.These are justsome of the commonsymptomsexperienced
during menopause, peri-menopause, and pre-menstrual time among those who have
estrogen/progesterone imbalance.
According to Dr. Lee, what is commonly perceived as an absolute estrogen level deficiency during
the menopausal years is in effect estrogen dominance in relative terms caused by extremely low
progesterone levelandthusunopposedestrogendominance.Since progesterone’srole istobalance
estrogen,the extremelylowlevelof progesterone experienced after menopause leads to a relative
dominance of estrogen, despite a 50 percent drop.
Dr. Lee treats menopause andfatigue asanestrogendominance syndrome. His treatment is simple
– reduce estrogen to progesterone ratio by increasing progesterone. When the opposing force of
progesterone is increased, the toxic effect of estrogen is decreased. Fortunately for the many
women who followed Dr. Lee’s advice, their symptoms of menopause and fatigue improved
remarkably.
The natural form of progesterone is quite different from the synthetic unnatural form made in a
laboratory(the widelyprescribedProvera®).The synthetic version is not really progesterone, but a
compoundcalled“progestin”.Progestinisfarmore powerful than a woman’s natural progesterone
side effects and is metabolized as a foreign substance into toxic metabolites. These synthetic
progesterones can severely interfere with the body’s own natural progesterone, creating other
hormone-related health problems, further exacerbating estrogen dominance, if the dosage is not
adjustedproperly.Side effectsof syntheticprogesterone include increased risk of cancer, abnormal

7. menstrual flow,nausea,depression,masculinization, and fluid retention. It is usually used in small
amounts to balance the estrogen effect in an HRT program.
Natural progesterone made from wild yams and soybeans is nearly identical to the progesterone a
womanproduces.Thisformof progesterone comes inmicronizedcapsulesor in creams. Creams are
easilyappliedtothe skinwiththe breast,thigh,andabdominal areasbeingthe mostcommon areas.
The body easily converts this natural progesterone into the form identical to that found in the
humanbody. Adverse side effects are very rare. If taken inappropriately, it might slightly alter the
timing of the menstrual cycle. Please note that yam-derived natural progesterone should not be
confusedwith“yamextracts”soldinhealthfoodstores.The effectivenessof “yamextracts”remains
in doubt.
Howto useProgesteroneforMenopauseandFatigue?
Direction: For those who are not on estrogen supplement: Choose a calendar day, such as the first
day of the month. Apply 20 mg of natural progesterone (one full pump when properly dosed) of
natural progesterone dailyfromday1to 25. Let the bodyrest the rest of the month. If a woman has
not beenmakingprogesterone foranumberof years,the body-fatprogesterone is probably low. In
this case, double up on the application for the first 2 months, and return to normal physiological
dose thereafter.
Direction:Forthose whoare onestrogensupplement:reduce the dosage of estrogensupplement to
half when starting the progesterone. If not, you will likely experience symptoms of estrogen
dominance during the first one to two months of progesterone use. Every two to three months,
reduce the estrogen supplement again by half again. Estrogen and progesterone can be used
together during a three-week cycle each month, leaving a rest period of 7 days without either
hormone.The estrogendose should be low enough that monthly bleeding does not occur but high
enough to prevent vaginal dryness or hot flashes.
Direction for those taking an estrogen and synthetic progesterone (such as Provera) combination:
Stopthe syntheticprogesteroneimmediately when progesterone cream is added. Estrogen should
be tapped off slowly.
Low dose natural estrogen (estriol) may be added for 3 weeks out of the month in cases of
menopausal symptoms such as vaginal dryness and hot flashes unrelieved by progesterone cream
alone.

8. TestosteroneforWomen?
Both men and women make testosterone. Testosterone is made by the adrenal glands, and the
amountmade by womenismuchlessthanthe amountproducedby men. A decline in testosterone
levelsinthe bodyisassociatedwithadecrease insex drive and libido in both sexes. More than 50%
of womenpastmenopause reportadecline insexual desire.Testosteronereplacementre-energizes
the entire body, increases lean muscle mass, reversing the fat accumulation and muscular atrophy
characteristic of aging.
For women,asmall amountof testosterone,when added to the HRT, can work wonders to revive a
saggingsex life.Note thatothercausesof decreasingsex drive(like depression) should be ruled out
first.
Incidentally, for men, replacement and restoration of testosterone levels to the level of a 30 – 40-
year-old have a tremendous anti-aging effect. In addition to increasing libido, testosterone may
protectmenfrom heartdisease.The normal bloodlevel of testosterone ranges from 15 – 100 mg/dL
in women and from 300 – 1,200 mg/dL in men. While there is no evidence that testosterone
replacementcausescancer,menwho do have cancer should not be on testosterone. Furthermore,
complete laboratory testing is needed on a regular basis. Testosterone replacement may prove
beneficial for women whose blood levels are below 65 and for men whose blood levels are below
800. Various forms (tablets, capsules, patches) are available in addition to injections.
GoingNatural In HRT
Natural estrogen mimics nature and can be formulated by any compounding pharmacy in
accordance with the prescription by a physician. A popular combination commonly called “triple
estrogen” consists of 10% estrone / 10% estradiol / 80% estriol. The usual oral starting dose is 2.5
mg per day. This is equivalent to 0.625 mg of Premarin®.
Since unopposedestrogenisunhealthy, micronized progesterone capsules (100 to 200 mg per day)
or progesterone cream (½ to 1 teaspoon) daily should be considered together with estrogen.
The exact dosage variesfrompersontoperson.Bothhormonesneedtobe stoppedfor the first 7-10
days of the menstrual cycle or for one week each month if menstruation has stopped.
For those who are already on the unnatural form of estrogen, switching to the natural “triple
estrogen” should be gradual. The transition should take place over a period of 3 months or more.
Start withusingthe natural estrogen instead of unnatural estrogen and progesterone once every 3
days for the first month, increasing to once every 2 days for the second month, and so on.

9. Some may experience atransientresurgence of some symptomsof menopause andfatigue.Thisisa
signthat the bodyis adjustingitself back tothe normal form.
Call: 020 7193 6913
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